A. The Bible
The Scripture of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God, fully inspired, without error in the original manuscripts. They give us the infallible rule of faith for instruction in all things pertaining to life and godliness. (2 Timothy 3:12-17, 2 Peter 1:1-4, 21)
B. God
There is one living and true God (Deuteronomy 6:4), eternally existing in three persons (Isaiah 48:16), the Father, the Son (Psalm 2, 110) and the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 48:16, Acts 5:3-4), equal in power and glory. This triune God created all (Genesis 1:1), upholds all (Col 1:17), and governs all (Psalms 66:7). God the Father is an infinite (John 1:1-3), personal Spirit (John 4:24), perfect in holiness (1 Peter 1:13-19), wisdom, power and love (1 John 4:14-16). He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of mankind (Psalm 118, 136), but He will not always strive with rebellious man because He will by no means clear the guilty who refuse to humble themselves and receive forgiveness of sin through His Son, Jesus the Christ (Numbers 14:18, Revelation 20:11-15). He hears and answers prayer for those who know Him (1 John 4:14-15) but does not hear the prayers of the wicked until they call on the name of the Lord in repentance (Proverbs 28:9, Jeremiah 11:11-14, Luke 18:10-14). He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ (John 6:35-40). The Holy Spirit came forth from the Father and the Son to convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment (John 16:7-11), and to regenerate, sanctify and empower for ministry all who believe in Jesus Christ (John 14:15-18, Acts 1:8). The Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Jesus Christ and He is an abiding Helper, Teacher, and Guide (Romans 5:5, John 14:25-26). The present ministry of the Holy Spirit includes all the biblical gifts of the Spirit as God sovereignly uses those yielded to Him (1 Cor 12-14).
C. Jesus
Jesus is “The Word” that became flesh and dwelt among us, is the Creator of all things, appointed heir of all things, is the brightness and express image of the Father, upholds all things by the word of His power, has by Himself purged sins, provided redemption, and is sitting at the right hand of God the Father (John 1:1-4, John 14:9-11, Colossians 1:15-19, Hebrews 1:1-4). Jesus Christ is God’s only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35), fully God and fully man (Matthew 1:23, Isaiah 7:14, 9:6). Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life (Hebrews 4:15), performed miracles, taught truth (John 8:31-32), died a substitutionary atoning death on the cross (Isaiah 53, 2 Cor 5:21), rose again bodily (Luke 24:37-39), ascended into heaven (Acts 1:9-10), is perpetually interceding for His people (Romans 8:34), and will physically and visibly return to the earth (Matthew 24:30).
D. Man
All humans inherit rebellion from the first human rebel, Adam (Romans 5). As a child, the rebel attitude is displayed in foolishness against parental authority (Proverbs 22:15). When old enough to know God’s law or when aware of the conviction of the Holy Spirit about sin (Romans 1, John 16:8), man will, by their very nature, turn their rebellion against God and at that moment they become sinners and experience spiritual death (Romans 7:7-12). All mature humans are incapable of not sinning against God (Romans 3:23). All mature sinful adults who have not received the gift of salvation through faith in Jesus as their savior are enemies of God and will be eternally separated from God in a place called the Lake of Fire (Phil 3:18-19, Col 1:21, Revelation 20:11-15). The sinner who repents of their rebellion (sin) against God and calls upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation is born again by the Holy Spirit (Romans 10:8-13). Jesus Christ baptizes the believer with the Holy Spirit to empower for service by His sovereign will and timing. The believer will be bodily resurrected to eternal blessing. Babies or young children (who are too young to understand there is a God who created all things that they answer to – i.e., not having reached the age of accountability) cannot sin against God and are therefore spiritually alive and will go to heaven if they die (Numbers 14:27-29, 2 Samuel 12:22-23, Jonah 4:11, Matthew 18:10 and 19:13-14, Hebrews 1:13-14, Romans 7:9). We reject the Augustine/Calvinist doctrine of original sin and associated Total Depravity which comes from their twisting of Psalm 51:5, a doctrine that would place most dead babies and young children in hell.
E. Angels, Satan, and Demons
Angels were created by God with free will to worship and serve Him and to minister to believers (Hebrews 1:14, Rev 5:8-14). Satan, an angel, exalted himself in rebellion against God (Isaiah 14:12-20, Ezekiel 28:11-19). Satan (or Lucifer) led a rebellion of a portion of the angels and fell from heaven (Luke 10:18). These demons, led by Satan, provoke rebellion among humans against God (Genesis 3, Job 1-2, 1 Peter 5:8). Demons may control (i.e. possess) an unsaved human. Demons cannot control a true believer in Jesus (1 John 4:4). Demons may tempt or attack a true believer (2 Cor 12:7), but only as allowed by God (Job 1-2, 1 Kings 22:19-22). A demon cannot force a true believer to sin. A true believer sins when led astray by the lusts of his own flesh (James 1:13-15). Even though Satan and his angels fell from heaven, they still at times have access to the presence of God where he/they receive permission to deceive and wreak havoc on humans and accuse believers before God (Job 1-2, 1 Kings 22:19-22, Romans 8:34-39, 1 Peter 5:8). Satan/demons will be forever cast out of heaven three and a half years before Jesus’ returns to earth (Revelation 12:7-12).
F. Salvation and Perseverance
Salvation for an individual is by grace through faith, trusting/believing in and confessing with their mouth the Biblical Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord (John 7:38, Romans 10:8-13, Ephesians 1:12-14).
The above happens in the heart of the sinner in various ways that include repenting of a self-centered and rebellious life against God (Acts 2:38, 3:19, 8:22, 17:30, 26:19-20). The full gospel of salvation is revealed in the preaching of Jesus and the Apostles. For example, an individual may recognize the evil and hopelessness of his own heart and life (Luke 5:8 and 18:13-14). He may recognize that he deserves eternal hell (Luke 16:19-31), and is not worthy of God’s favor (Luke 7:6). He may recognize his need for a savior (Acts 16:30-31). He must believe that Jesus’ deity, sinless life, death on the cross, shed blood, and resurrection from the dead, is sufficient propitiation for his sins (1 Cor 15:1-4, Romans 3:23-27, John 7:37-39).
The believer must deny himself, pick up his cross and follow Jesus. He must abide in the Vine, walk in the Spirit, and hold his conviction firm until the end (Matthew 16:24, Hebrews 3:5-6, 10:23, 1 John 2:19).
G. The Church
The Church of Jesus Christ is the Body of Christ on earth and includes all people throughout the world who have believed in the biblical Jesus in terms of the true Gospel that Paul preached. The Church exists to glorify God, to edify believers, and to make disciples of people from all nations. God has ordained various ministries for the overseeing and working of the Church. God has provided each member of the Body of Christ with gifts for the edification of the Church (Eph 4, Romans 12, 1 Cor 12). The Lord Jesus Christ committed two ordinances to the Church: water baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
H. Biblical World View and Eschatology (Last Days interpretation of Scripture)
World history is a matter of two elements: Mankind rebelling against God and God reaching out in mercy and reconciliation to all who would humble themselves and believe in His salvation plan (Matthew 7:13-14). Every event in the history of man relates to one of these two elements (Matthew 12:30). There is nothing neutral. World history is the unfolding of God’s sovereign purposes and plans in spite of the evil intentions of men and fallen angels.
We believe in a literal six-day creation which occurred thousands of years ago and in the global flood of Noah.
We believe in the pre-millennial, pre-tribulational rapture, dispensational view of the prophetic scriptures pertaining to the last days. As such we believe the Jewish race is still under divine covenant with God despite their current blindness, and will be grafted back into God’s prophetic plan (Romans 11, Revelation 4-19) after the church is taken up in the rapture (Revelation 4). We believe that in preparation for their re-grafting, God has miraculously brought the Jews back into the land of Israel by divine covenant. We believe the Jewish nation was restored in one day as prophesied in Isaiah 66:7-9. We reject the unbiblical views of “replacement theology” which espouse that the church has replaced the Jewish people pertaining to the covenants of God. We reject the Amillennial, Preterist, Partial Preterist, and New Apostolic Reformation views of last-days events. We also reject Mid-Trib, Post-Trib, and Pre-Wrath views of the Rapture although we enjoy Christian fellowship with those who hold these views.
I. The World System
The World System is under the control of Satan as allowed by the sovereignty of God (2 Cor 4:4, 1 John 5:19). The evil kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His Anointed [Jesus], saying, “Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us.”
(Psalm 2) Christians are to pray for and give honor to the kings and rulers and are to be subject to the magistrates unless their mandates are contrary to God’s commands. (Romans 13:1-7, 1 Peter 2:17, Acts 5:29). The World System is developing towards the global system of Anti-Christ.
J. The “Wisdom of Man”
The “wisdom of man” is foolishness to God (1 Cor 3:18-19).
K. The Blessed Hope
Our hope is not in this world system but in the “Blessed Hope” of Jesus’ soon return. The Lord Jesus Christ will visibly return to the earth and establish His earthly kingdom for one thousand years followed by a new and eternal heaven and earth (Titus 2:11-15, Revelation 19-22).