Always International Prayer Requests Online
Hospice Chapel for All Our
Critically & Terminally Ill, Dying &
Grieving People, Their Families, Loved Ones & Friends.
A Ministry of The Abba Father God World & Abiding in Christ
International Online Missionary Churches.
Our
Statements of Faith,
The Apostle's Creed & The Nicene Creed.
The Scriptures: We believe
that the Bible is the divinely inspired Word of God, that it is complete and
without error, and that it is the authoritative rule for Christian faith and
practice.
God: We believe that there is one God, Who is the maker of heaven
and earth. That God is infinite, almighty, immutable, and perfect in holiness,
truth, and love. That God is revealed in three distinct persons: Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit. These three are co-existent, co-equal, and co-eternal.
Jesus Christ: We believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of
God made flesh. That He is fully divine and fully human. That He was born of a
virgin and led a sinless life. That He was crucified for the sins of the world,
was dead and buried, and on the third day He rose again from the dead. That He
ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father where He ever
lives to make intercession for His people.
The Holy Spirit: We believe that the Holy Spirit convicts the world
of sin, righteousness and judgment. That He brings about the new birth,
persuading men through the proclamation of the Gospel to repent and confess
Jesus as Lord. That He is the counselor, guide, and sealer of our faith sent to
indwell our lives. That He desires to fill each believer continually with power
to witness, and imparts His supernatural gifts for the edification of the Church
and the work of ministry in the world. That all the gifts of the Holy Spirit at
work in the Church of the first-century are available today and are to be
earnestly desired and practiced. That these gifts are essential in the mission
of the Church in the world today.
The Fall and Redemption of Man: We believe that man, in his natural
state, is a sinner, lost, without hope, and without God. That man's only hope of
redemption from sin is through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. That
salvation is received as a gift of God's grace through repentance toward God and
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. That Biblical repentance is characterized by a
changed life, and saving faith is evidenced by kingdom service.
Sanctification of the Redeemed: We believe that the Holy Spirit is
the active agent in our sanctification and seeks to produce His fruit in us as
our minds are renewed and we are conformed to the image of Christ. That as we
are led by the Spirit, we grow in the knowledge of the Lord, freely keeping His
commandments and endeavoring to so live in the world that all people may see our
good works and glorify our Father who is in heaven.
The Church: We believe that God by His Word and Spirit creates the
Church, calling sinful men out of the whole human race into the fellowship of
Christ's Body. That by the same Word and Spirit, He guides and preserves that
new redeemed humanity. That the Church exists to worship and glorify God as
Father, Son and Holy Spirit. That the ultimate mission of the Church is the
making of disciples through the preaching of the Gospel. That upon conversion,
newly redeemed men and women are added to a local church in which they devote
themselves to teaching, fellowship, the Lord’s Supper and prayer.
The Sacraments of the Church: We believe that water baptism, in the
name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is an outward and visible sign of an
inward and spiritual reality. That in baptism, we are identified with Christ and
His Church, demonstrating that we have been buried with Christ, and raised with
Him to walk in newness of life.
We believe that the Lord's Supper
is for those who have come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. That it shows the
giving of His body and the shedding of His blood on our behalf, and is to be
observed throughout the Christian life as a sign of continued participation in
the atoning benefits of His death. That as we partake of the Lord’s Supper with
an attitude of faith and self-examination, we remember and proclaim the death of
Christ, receive spiritual nourishment, and signify our unity with other members
of His body, the Church.
The Second Coming: We believe in the visible, personal and glorious
return of the Lord Jesus Christ, the resurrection of the dead and the
translation of those alive in Christ, the judgment of the just and the unjust,
and the fulfillment of Christ's kingdom in the new heavens and the new earth.
Jesus Christ will come again to the earth, personally, visibly and bodily, to
consummate history and the eternal plan of God.
The Lord Jesus Christ commanded all believers to
proclaim the Gospel throughout the world and to disciple men of every nation.
The fulfillment of that Great Commission requires that all worldly and
personal ambitions be subordinated to a total commitment to "Him who loved us
and gave Himself for us."
The Apostles' Creed
I believe in God, The Father
Almighty,
Creator of Heaven and Earth;
and in Jesus Christ, His Only Son,
Our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
Born of the Virgin Mary,
Suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was Crucified, Died and was Buried.
He descended among the dead;
on the third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into Heaven, and is seated at
the Right Hand of God, the Father Almighty.
From thence He shall come to judge the Living and the Dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Holy Catholic Church,
the Communion of Saints,
the Forgiveness of Sins,
the Resurrection of the Body,
and Life Everlasting.
Amen.
The Nicene Creed
I believe in one God, the
Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and
invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of
God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one
substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.
Who, for us men for our
salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the
virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius
Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according
to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the
Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead;
whose kingdom shall have no end.
And I believe in the Holy
Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father [and the Son];
who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke
by the prophets.
And I believe one holy
catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of
sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to
come. Amen.
Statement of Faith
We Believe:
-
The Scriptures, both Old and New
Testaments, to be the inspired Word of God, without error in the original
writings, the complete revelation of His will for the salvation of men and
the Divine and final authority for Christian faith and life.
-
In one God, Creator of all things,
infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and
Holy Spirit.
-
That Jesus Christ is true God and true
man, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
He died on the cross, a sacrifice for our sins according to the Scriptures.
Further, He arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven, where, at the
right hand of the Majesty on High, He is now our High Priest and Advocate.
-
That the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to
glorify the Lord Jesus Christ and, during this age, to convict men,
regenerate the believing sinner, and indwell, guide, instruct and empower
the believer for godly living and service.
-
That man was created in the image of God
but fell into sin and is, therefore, lost, and only through regeneration by
the Holy Spirit can salvation and spiritual life be obtained.
-
That the shed blood of Jesus Christ and
His Resurrection provide the only ground for justification and salvation for
all who believe, and only such as receive Jesus Christ are born of the Holy
Spirit and, thus become children of God.
-
That water baptism and the Lord's Supper
are ordinances to be observed by the Church during the present age. They
are, however, not to be regarded as means of salvation.
-
That the true Church is composed of all
such persons who through saving faith in Jesus Christ have been regenerated
by the Holy Spirit and are united together in the Body of Christ of which He
is the Head.
-
That only those who are, thus, members of
the true Church shall be eligible for membership in the local church.
-
That Jesus Christ is the Lord and Head of
the Church and that every local church has the right, under Christ, to
decide and govern its own affairs.
-
In the personal and premillennial and
imminent coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and that this "Blessed Hope" has a
vital bearing on the personal life and service of the believer.
-
In the bodily resurrection of the dead; of
the believer to everlasting blessedness and joy with the Lord; of the
unbeliever to judgment and everlasting conscious punishment.
Statement of Faith
The sole basis of our beliefs is the Bible, God's
infallible written Word, the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments. We
believe that it was uniquely, verbally and fully inspired by the Holy Spirit
and that it was written without error (inerrant) in the original manuscripts.
It is the supreme and final authority in all matters on which it speaks.
We accept those areas of doctrinal teaching on
which, historically, there has been general agreement among all true
Christians. Because of the specialized calling of our movement, we desire to
allow for freedom of conviction on other doctrinal matters, provided that any
interpretation is based upon the Bible alone, and that no such interpretation
shall become an issue which hinders the ministry to which God has called us.
-
There is one true God, eternally existing in three persons -
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - each of whom possesses equally all the attributes
of Deity and the characteristics of personality.
-
Jesus Christ is God, the living Word, who became flesh through
His miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit and His virgin birth. Hence, He is
perfect Deity and true humanity united in one person forever.
-
He lived a sinless life and voluntarily atoned for the sins of
men by dying on the cross as their substitute, thus satisfying divine justice
and accomplishing salvation for all who trust in Him alone.
-
He rose from the dead in the same body, though glorified, in
which He lived and died.
-
He ascended bodily into heaven and sat down at the right hand
of God the Father, where He, the only mediator between God and man, continually
makes intercession for His own.
-
Man was originally created in the image of God. He sinned by
disobeying God; thus, he was alienated from his Creator. That historic fall
brought all mankind under divine condemnation.
-
Man's nature is corrupted, and he is thus totally unable to
please God. Every man is in need of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
-
The salvation of man is wholly a work of God's free grace and
is not the work, in whole or in part, of human works or goodness or religious
ceremony. God imputes His righteousness to those who put their faith in Christ
alone for their salvation, and thereby justified them in His sight.
-
It is the privilege of all who are born again of the Spirit to
be assured of their salvation from the very moment in which they trust Christ as
their Savior. This assurance is not based upon any kind of human merit, but is
produced by the witness of the Holy Spirit, who confirms in the believer the
testimony of God in His written word.
-
The Holy Spirit has come into the world to reveal and glorify
Christ and to apply the saving work of Christ to men. He convicts and draws
sinners to Christ, imparts new life to them, continually indwells them from the
moment of spiritual birth and seals them until the day of redemption. His
fullness, power and control are appropriated in the believer's life by faith.
-
Every believer is called to live so in the power of the
indwelling Spirit that he will not fulfill the lust of the flesh but will bear
fruit to the glory of God.
-
Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church, His Body, which is
composed of all men, living and dead, who have been joined to Him through saving
faith.
-
God admonishes His people to assemble together regularly for
worship, for participation in ordinances, for edification through the Scriptures
and for mutual encouragement.
-
At physical death the believer enters immediately into
eternal, conscious fellowship with the Lord and awaits the resurrection of his
body to everlasting glory and blessing.
-
At physical death the unbeliever enters immediately into
eternal, conscious separation from the Lord and awaits the resurrection of his
body to everlasting judgment and condemnation.
-
Jesus Christ will come again to the earth - personally,
visibly and bodily - to consummate history and the eternal plan of God.
-
The Lord Jesus Christ commanded all believers to proclaim the
Gospel throughout the world and to disciple men of every nation. The fulfillment
of that Great Commission requires that all worldly and personal ambitions be
subordinated to a total commitment to "Him who loved us and gave Himself for
us."
Statement of Faith
The Christadelphian Statement of Faith
Also known as the Birmingham Amended Statement of Faith
Clause 24 below outlines the amendment made in
January 1898 to the original statement of faith.
THE FOUNDATION -- That the book
currently known as the Bible, consisting of the Scriptures of Moses, the
prophets, and the apostles, is the only source of knowledge concerning God and
His purposes at present extant or available in the earth, and that the same were
wholly given by inspiration of God in the writers, and are consequently without
error in all parts of them, except such as may be due to errors of transcription
or translation. (This paragraph was added in 1886.)
2 Tim. 3:16; 1 Cor. 2:13; Heb. 1:1; 2 Pet. 1:21; 1 Cor. 14:37; Neh. 9:30; John
10:35.
1. That the only true God is He
Who was revealed to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, by angelic visitation and vision,
and to Moses at the flaming bush (unconsumed) and at Sinai, and Who manifested
Himself in the Lord Jesus Christ, as the supreme self-existent Deity, the ONE
FATHER, dwelling in unapproachable light, yet everywhere present by His Spirit,
which is a unity with His person in heaven. He hath, out of His own underived
energy, created heaven and earth, and all that in them is.
Isa. 40:13-25; 43:10-12; 44:6-8; 45:5; 46:9-10; Job 38-40; Deut. 6:1-4; Mark
12:29-32; 1 Cor. 8:4-6; Eph. 4:6; 1 Tim. 2:5; Neh. 9:6; Job 26:13; Psa. 124:8;
146:6; 148:5; Isa. 40:25-27; Jer. 10:12-13; 27:5; 32:17-25; 51:15; Acts 14:15;
17:24; 1 Chron. 29:11-14; Psa. 62:11; 145:3; Isa. 26:4; 40:26; Job 9:4; 36:5;
Psa. 92:5; 104:24; 147:4-5; Isa. 28:29; Rom. 16:27; 1 Tim. 1:17; 2 Chron. 16:9;
Job 28:24; 34:21; Psa. 33:13-14; 44:21; 94:9; 139:7-12; Prov. 15:3; Jer. 23:24;
32:19; Amos 9:2-3; Acts 17:27-28; Psa. 123:1; 1 Kings 8:30-39, 43, 49; Matt.
6:9; 1 Tim. 6:15-16; 1:17.
2. That Jesus of Nazareth was the
Son of God, begotten of the Virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit, without the
intervention of man, and afterwards anointed with the same Spirit, without
measure, at his baptism.
Matt. 1 :23; 1 Tim. 3: 16; Acts 2:22-24, 36; Matt. 1:18-25; Lk. 1:26-35; Gal.
4:4; Isa. 7:14; Matt. 3:16-17; Isa. 11:2; 42:1; 61:1; John 3:34; 7:16; 8:26-28;
14:10-24.
3. That the appearance of Jesus
of Nazareth on the earth was necessitated by the position and state into which
the human race had been brought by the circumstances connected with the first
man.
1 Cor. 15:21-22; Rom. 5:12-19; Gen. 3:19; 2 Cor. 5:19-21.
4. That the first man was Adam,
whom God created out of the dust of the ground as a living soul, or natural body
of life, "very good" [Publisher's Note: Gen. 1:31] in kind and condition, and
placed him under a law through which the continuance of life was contingent on
obedience.
Gen. 2:7; 18:27; Job 4:19; 33:6; 1 Cor. 15:46-49; Gen. 2:17.
5. That Adam broke this law, and
was adjudged unworthy of immortality, and sentenced to return to the ground from
whence he was taken-a sentence which defiled and became a physical law of his
being, and was transmitted to all his posterity.
Gen. 3:15-19, 22-23; 2 Cor. 1:9; Rom. 7:24; 2 Cor. 5:2-4; Rom. 7:18-23; Gal.
5:16-17; Rom. 6:12; 7:21; John 3:6; Rom. 5:12; 1 Cor. 15:22; Psa. 51:5; Job
14:4.
6. That God, in His kindness,
conceived a plan of restoration which, without setting aside His just and
necessary law of sin and death, should ultimately rescue the race from
destruction, and people the earth with sinless immortals.
Rev. 21 :4; John 3: 16; 2 Tim. 1: 10; 1 John 2:25; 2 Tim. 1: 1; Titus 1:2; Rom.
3:26; John 1:29.
7. That He inaugurated this plan
by making promises to Adam, Abraham and David, and afterwards elaborated it in
greater detail through the prophets.
Gen. 3:15; 22:18; Psa. 89:34-37; 33:5; Hos. 13:14; Isa. 25:7-9; 51:1-8; Jer.
23:5.
8. That these promises had
reference to Jesus Christ, who was to be raised up in the condemned line of
Abraham and David, and who, though wearing their condemned nature, was to obtain
a title to resurrection by perfect obedience, and, by dying, abrogate the law of
condemnation for himself, and all who should believe and obey him.
1 Cor. 15:45; Heb. 2:14-16; Rom. 1:3; Heb. 5:8-9; 1:9; Rom. 5:19-21; Gal. 4:4-5;
Rom. 8:3-4; Heb. 2:15; 9:26; Gal. 1:4; Heb. 7:27; 5:3-7; 2:17; Rom. 6:10; 6:9;
Acts 13:34-37; Rev. 1:18; John 5:21-22, 26-27; 14:3; Rev. 2:7; 3:21; Matt.
25:21; Heb. 5:9; Mark 16:16; Acts 13:38-39; Rom. 3:22; (Psa. 2:6-9; Dan.
7:13-14; Rev. 11:15; Jer. 23:5; Zech. 14:9; Eph. 1:9-10) -- [Publisher's Note:
These passages in parathensis must be considered together.]
9. That it was this mission that
necessitated the miraculous begettal of Christ of a human mother, enabling him
to bear our condemnation, and, at the same time, to be a sinless bearer thereof,
and, therefore, one who could rise after suffering the death required by the
righteousness of God.
Matt. 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-35; Isa. 7:14; Rom. 1:3-4; 8:3; Gal. 4:4; 2 Cor. 5:21;
Heb. 2:14-17; 4:15.
10. That being so begotten of
God, and inhabited and used by God through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit,
Jesus was Emmanuel, God with us, God manifested in the flesh-yet was, during his
natural life, of like nature with mortal man, being made of a woman of the house
and lineage of David, and therefore a sufferer, in the days of his flesh, from
all the effects that came by Adam's transgression including the death that
passed upon all man, which he shared by partaking of their physical nature.
Matt. 1:23; 1 Tim. 3:16; Heb. 2:14; Gal. 4:4; Heb. 2:17.
11. That the message he delivered
from God to his kinsmen, the Jews, was a call to repentance from every evil
work, the assertion of his divine sonship and Jewish kingship; and the
proclamation of the glad tidings that God would restore their kingdom through
him, and accomplish all things written in the prophets.
Mark l:l5; Matt. 4:17; 5:20-48; John 10:36; 9:35; 11:27; 19:21; 1:49; Matt.
27:11-43; John 10:24-25; Matt. 19:28; 21:42-43; 23:38-39; 25:14-46; Luke 4:43;
13:27-30; 19:11-27; 22:28-30; Matt. 5:17; Luke 24:44.
12. That for delivering this
message, he was put to death by the Jews and Romans who were, however, but
instruments in the hands of God, for the doing of that which He had determined
before to be done-namely, the condemnation of sin in the flesh, through the
offering of the body of Jesus once for all, as a propitiation to declare the
righteousness of God, as a basis for the remission of sins. All who approach God
through this crucified, but risen, representative of Adam's disobedient race,
are forgiven. Therefore, by a figure, his blood cleanseth from sin.
Luke 19:47; 20:1-26; John 11:45-53; Acts 10:38-39; 13:26-29; 4:27-28; Rom. 8:3;
Heb. 10:10; Rom. 3:25; Acts 13:38; 1 John 1:7; John 14:6; Acts 4:12; 1 Pet.
3:18; 2:24; Heb. 9:14; 7:27; 9:26-28; Gal. 1:4; Rom. 3:25; 15:8; Gal. 3:21-22;
Gal. 2:21; 4:4-5; Heb. 9:15; Luke 22:20; 24:26, 46-47; Matt. 26:28.
13. That on the third day, God
raised him from the dead, and exalted him to the heavens as priestly mediator
between God and man, in the process of gathering from among them a people who
should be saved by the belief and obedience of the Truth.
1 Cor. 15:4; Acts 10:40; 13:30-37; 2:24-27; 4:27-33; [Publisher's Note: The
following passages were removed from Clause 14, where they were wrongfully
placed:] Luke 24:51; Eph. 1:20; Acts 5:31; 1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 8:1; Acts 15:14;
13:39; Heb. 4:14-15.
14. That he is a priest over his
own house only, and does not intercede for the world, or for professors who are
abandoned to disobedience. That he makes intercession for his erring brethren,
if they confess and forsake their sins.
Luke 24:51; Eph. 1:20; Acts 5:31; 1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 8: 1; Acts 15:14; 13:39; Heb.
4:14-l5.
15. That he sent forth apostles
to proclaim salvation through him, as the only Name given under heaven whereby
men may be saved.
Acts 1:8; Matt. 28:19-20; Luke 24:46-48; Acts 26:16-18; 4:12.
16. That the way to obtain this
salvation is to believe the Gospel they preached, and to take on the Name and
service of Christ, by being thereupon immersed in water, and continuing
patiently in the observance of all things he has commanded, none being
recognized as his friends except those who do what he has commanded.
Acts 13:48; 16:31; Mark 16:16; Rom. 1:16; Acts 2:38, 41; 10:47-48; 8:12; Gal.
3:27-29; Rom. 6:3-5; 2:7; Matt. 28:20; John 15:14.
17. That the Gospel consists of
"The things concerning the Kingdom of God and the Name of Jesus Christ."
Acts 8:12; 19:8, 10, 20; 28:30-31.
18. That the "Things of the
Kingdom of God" are the facts testified concerning the Kingdom of God in the
writings of the prophets and apostles, and definable as in the next 12
paragraphs.
19. That God will set up a
Kingdom in the earth, which will overthrow all others, and change them into "the
kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ."
Dan. 2:44; 7:13-14; Rev. 11:15; Isa. 32:1, 16; 2:3-4; 11:9-10.
20. That for this purpose God
will send Jesus Christ personally to the earth at the close of the times of the
Gentiles.
Acts 3:20-21; Psa. 102:16, 21; 2 Tim. 4:1, Acts 1:9, 11; Dan. 7:13 [Publisher's
Note: Additional passages: Luke 21:24-27; Rom. 11:25-26].
21. That the Kingdom which he
will establish will be the Kingdom of Israel restored, in the territory it
formerly occupied, namely, the land bequeathed for an everlasting possession to
Abraham and his Seed (the Christ) by covenant.
Mic. 4:6-8; Amos 9:11, 15; Eze. 37:21-22; Jer. 23:3, 8; Gen. 13: 14-17; Heb.
11:8-9; Gal. 3: 16; Lev. 26:42; Mic. 7:20.
22. That this restoration of the
Kingdom again to Israel will involve the ingathering of God's chosen but
scattered nation, the Jews; their reinstatement in the land of their fathers,
when it shall have been reclaimed from "the desolation of many generations"; the
building again of Jerusalem to become "the throne of the Lord" and the
metropolis of the whole earth.
Isa. 11:12; Jer. 31:10; Zec. 8:8; Eze. 36:34-36; Isa. 5l:3; 60:15; 62:4; Jer. 3:
17; Mic. 4:7-8; Joel 3: 17; Isa. 24:23.
23. That the governing body of
the Kingdom so established will be the brethren of Christ, of all generations,
developed by resurrection and change, and constituting, with Christ as their
head, the collective "Seed of Abraham," in whom all nations will be blessed, and
comprising "Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets," and all in their
age of like faithfulness.
Dan. 12:2; Luke 13:28; Rev. 11:18; 1 Thess. 4:15-17; John 5:28-29; 6:39-40; Luke
14:14; Matt. 25:34, 46 [Publisher's Note: additional passages: Rev. 5:9-10; Dan.
7:27].
24. That at the appearing of
Christ prior to the establishment of the Kingdom, the responsible (namely, those
who know the revealed will of God, and have been called upon to submit to it),
dead and living -- obedient and disobedient -- will be summoned before his
judgment seat "to be judged according to their works," and "receive in body
according to what they have done, whether it be good or bad."
2 Cor. 5:10; 2 Tim. 4:1; Rom. 2:5-6, 16; 14:10-12; 1 Cor. 4:5; Rev. 11:18.
Note: Clause 24 was amended in
Jan. 1898, to refute the teaching that one may avoid being raised for judgment
by refusing baptism. With this change, this document came to be known as the
Birmingham Amended Statement of Faith (BASF). While nearly all Christadelphian
ecclesias worldwide have adopted this amended statement of faith, a few
ecclesias in North America still use the original Birmingham Statement of Faith
(BSF) which has also been called "Unamended" or BUSF. This clause in the
original document reads "... the responsible will be summoned before his
judgement seat ..."
25. That the unfaithful will be
consigned to shame and "the second death," and the faithful, invested with
immortality, and exalted to reign with Jesus as joint heirs of the Kingdom,
co-possessors of the earth, and joint administrators of God's authority among
men in everything.
Matt. 7:26; 8:12; 25:20-30; Dan. 12:2; Gal. 6:8; 5:21; 2 Thess. 1:8; Heb.
10:26-31; 2 Pet. 2:12; Rev. 21:8; Mal. 4:1; Psa. 37:30-38; Prov. 10:25-29; 1
Cor. 15:51-55; 2 Cor. 5:1-4; James 1:12; Rom. 2:7; John 10:28; Matt. 5:5; Psa.
37:9, 22, 29; Rev. 5:9; Dan. 7:27; 1 Thess. 2:12; 2 Pet. 1:11; Rev. 3:21; 2 Tim.
2: 12; Rev. 5: 10; Psa. 49:7-9; Luke 22:29-30.
26. That the Kingdom of God, thus
constituted, will continue a thousand years, during which sin and death will
continue among the earth's subject inhabitants, though in a much milder degree
than now.
Rev. 20:4-9; 11:15; Isa. 65:20; Eze. 44:22, 25; 1 Cor. 15:24-28.
27. That a law will be
established which shall go forth to the nations for their "instruction in
righteousness," resulting in the abolition of war to the ends of the earth, and
the "filling of the earth with the knowledge of the glory of Yahweh as the
waters cover the sea."
Mic. 4:2; Isa. 42:4; 11: 1-10; 2:4; Hab. 2:14.
28. That the mission of the
Kingdom will be to subdue all enemies, and finally death itself, by opening up
the way of life to the nations, which they will enter by faith, during the
thousand years, and (in reality) at their close.
1 Cor. 15:24-28; Rev. 21:4; 20:12-15; Isa. 25:6-8.
29. That at the close of the
thousand years, there will be a general resurrection and judgment, resulting in
the final extinction of the wicked, and the immortalization of those who shall
have established their title (under the grace of God) to eternal life during the
thousand years.
Rev. 20:11-15; 1 Cor. 15:24.
30. That the government will then
be delivered up by Jesus to the Father, Who will manifest Himself as the
"All-in-All"; sin and death having been taken out of the way, and the race
completely restored to the friendship of the Deity.
1 Cor. 15:28.
Statement of Faith
We Believe:
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The Scriptures, both Old and New
Testaments, to be the inspired Word of God, without error in the original
writings, the complete revelation of His will for the salvation of men and
the Divine and final authority for Christian faith and life.
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In one God, Creator of all things,
infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and
Holy Spirit.
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That Jesus Christ is true God and true
man, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
He died on the cross, a sacrifice for our sins according to the Scriptures.
Further, He arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven, where, at the
right hand of the Majesty on High, He is now our High Priest and Advocate.
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That the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to
glorify the Lord Jesus Christ and, during this age, to convict men,
regenerate the believing sinner, and indwell, guide, instruct and empower
the believer for godly living and service.
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That man was created in the image of God
but fell into sin and is, therefore, lost, and only through regeneration by
the Holy Spirit can salvation and spiritual life be obtained.
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That the shed blood of Jesus Christ and
His Resurrection provide the only ground for justification and salvation for
all who believe, and only such as receive Jesus Christ are born of the Holy
Spirit and, thus become children of God.
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That water baptism and the Lord's Supper
are ordinances to be observed by the Church during the present age. They
are, however, not to be regarded as means of salvation.
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That the true Church is composed of all
such persons who through saving faith in Jesus Christ have been regenerated
by the Holy Spirit and are united together in the Body of Christ of which He
is the Head.
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That only those who are, thus, members of
the true Church shall be eligible for membership in the local church.
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That Jesus Christ is the Lord and Head of
the Church and that every local church has the right, under Christ, to
decide and govern its own affairs.
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In the personal and premillennial and
imminent coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and that this "Blessed Hope" has a
vital bearing on the personal life and service of the believer.
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In the bodily resurrection of the dead; of
the believer to everlasting blessedness and joy with the Lord; of the
unbeliever to judgment and everlasting conscious punishment.