Our Statement of Faith: What we believe
Statement of Faith – This ministry accepts the Scriptures as the revealed will of God, the all sufficient rule of faith and practice, and for the purpose of maintaining general unity, adopts these Statements of Fundamental Truths and Doctrine.
The Bible is the inspired Word of God, a revelation from God to man, the infallible rule of life, faith, and conduct, and is superior to conscience and reasons, but not contrary to reason (II Timothy 3:15-17; I Peter 1:23-25; Hebrews 4:12).
The triune Godhead is comprised of three (3) separate distinct personalities, The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit, who are eternally self-existent, self-revealed, and function as one entity. Jesus Christ, who is God manifested in the flesh, is the second member of the Godhead, co-equal and co-eternal with The Father and The Holy Spirit.
Man, His Fall and Redemption
Man was created good and upright, for God said,
“Let us make man in Our image, after Our Likeness.” (Genesis 1:26 NIV)
But, man, by voluntary transgression, fell and his only hope of redemption is in Jesus Christ the Son of God (Genesis 1:26-31; 3: 1-7; Romans 5:12-21).
Salvation of Man
1) Man’s only hope of redemption is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. On the cross Jesus Christ became sin, providing salvation, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. For by grace we are saved through faith. (Romans 3:24;Ephesians 2:8; Romans 10:8-10).
2) The evidence of salvation. The inward evidence to the believer of his salvation is the direct witness of the Spirit (Romans 8:16). The outward evidence to all men is a life of righteousness and true holiness.
“And this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us” (I John 3:23 NASB)
3) Faith and Works. Salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ and not by human works (Ephesians 2:8-9); However, our works will determine the rewards in eternity (Romans 10:9-10 and II Corinthians 5:10).
Baptism in Water
The ordinance of baptism by burial with Christ should be observed as commanded in the Scriptures by all who have really repented and in their hearts and have truly believed on Christ as Savior and Lord. In so doing, they have died with Jesus and that they have also been raised with Him to walk in the newness of life. (Matthew 28:19; Acts 10:47-48; Romans 6:4).
The Lord’s Supper
“and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 28 A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.” (I Corinthians 11:24-25, 28 NIV). Ministry
The ministry is the body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of her great commission. Each believer, born of the Spirit, is an integral part of the general assembly and church of the first born, which are written in Heaven (Ephesians 1:22; 2:19-22; Hebrews 12:23).
(Note: The following are what we consider “non-essential” doctrines but those that should be discussed because of the various “movements” and sects which have made them essential or at the least controversial.)
Tongue – Speaking
The ministry does believe and support the use of Spiritual gifts for the building up and edifying of the body of Christ. However there are some gifts, “sign” gifts in particular that have been misunderstood, misinterpreted, and grossly misused. So therefore we do not endorse the modem “tongues-speaking movement” for the following reasons:
1) It usually gives an undue prominence to a gift that had only limited value even in the New Testament times (I Corinthians 12-14).
2) It often suggests that tongue-speaking is the necessary evidence of the special work of the Spirit when, in fact, the New Testament does not say this.
3) It tends to put more emphasis on tongues-speaking as an external manifestation of the Spirit than on the work of the Spirit within to produce character and behavior.
4) It claims that “ecstatic utterance” is also tongues-speaking when there seems to be good reason for believing that the gift in the New Testament times was that of speaking in previously unlearned legitimate foreign languages.
5) It often fails to see that God sovereignty gives gifts, not on demand, and that no gift is for everyone.
This ministry does not deny that God sovereignty gives His gifts, including tongues; this ministry does doubt that most of the emphasis of the modern tongues-speaking movement is biblically sound. In stating its position on the modern tongues speaking movement, this ministry does not mean to detract from the sincerity or Christian character of many within the movement.
In accordance with the policy against propagating within the fellowship of this church any doctrines not in agreement with the position of the ministry, it is asked that members of the church not teach or emphasize the modern-tongues-speaking movement within the fellowship of the ministry. Rather, members should seek the more excellent way of love and be zealous the more useful and edifying gifts (1Corinthians 12-14).
Ordination of Women
This ministry does not endorse and support the ordination of women in any ministry that would hold a role of authority over men in accordance with the Scriptures. We do not deny the equality of women with men, nor do we suppress or minimize the important roles that women play in the church. We believe that God has created men and women equal, but not identical in the roles and positions that we hold in the church.
This ministry believes in God’s order of creation and that that order is still effective regardless of the times or culture. The scriptures teach,
“And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression” (I Timothy 2:12-14 NKJV)
Again; this does not make women inferior to men, but it follows the divine order of God since creation.