Statement of Faith
Index
1. Of the Scriptures
2. Of the True God
3. Of the Holy Spirit
4. Of the Devil or
Satan
5. Of the Creation
6. Of the Fall of
Man
7. Of the Virgin Birth
8. Of the Atonement
for Sin
9. Of Grace in the
New Creation
10. Of the Freeness
of Salvation
11. Of Justification
12. Of Repentance
and Faith
13. Of the Church
14. Of Baptism and
the Lord's Supper
15. Of the Perseverance
of the Saints
16. Of the Righteous
and the Wicked
17. Of Civil Government
18. Of the Resurrection
and Return of Christ and Related Events
19. Of Missions
20. Of the
Grace of Giving
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Section 1 - Of the Scriptures
We believe that the Holy Bible was written by men supernaturally
inspired; that it has truth without any admixture of error for
its matter and therefore is, and shall remain to the end of the
age, the only complete and final revelation of the will of God
to man, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard
by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions should be tried.
(A) By the Holy Bible we mean that collection of sixty-six books
from Genesis to Revelation which, as originally written, and
that the King James Bible is the true, pure, and preserved Word
of God.
(B) By inspiration we mean that the books of the
Bible were written by holy men of old, as they were moved by the
Holy Spirit, in such a definite way that their writings were supernaturally
and verbally inspired and free from error, as no other writings
have ever been or ever will be inspired.
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Section 2 - Of the True
God
We believe that there is one, and only one, living and true God,
an infinite intelligent Spirit, the Maker and Supreme Ruler of
heaven and earth, inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy
of all possible honor, confidence, and love; that in the unity
of the Godhead there are three persons-the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Spirit-equal in every divine perfection and executing
distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption.
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Section 3 - Of the Holy
Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person equal with
God the Father and God the Son and of the same nature; that He
was active in the creation; that in His relation to the unbelieving
world He restrains the Evil one until God's purpose is fulfilled
for He convicts of sin, of judgment, and of righteousness; that
He bears witness to the Truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony;
that He is the Agent in the new Birth; that He seals, endues,
guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies, and helps the believer.
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Section 4 - Of the Devil
or Satan
We believe that Satan was once holy and enjoyed heavenly honors,
but through pride and ambition to be as the Almighty, fell and
drew after him a host of angels; that he is now the malignant
prince of the power of the air and the unholy god of this world.
We hold him to be man's great tempter, the enemy of God and Christ,
the accuser of the saints, the author of all false religions,
the chief power back of the present apostasy, the lord of the
Antichrist, and the author of all the powers of darkness-destined
however to final defeat at the hands of God's Son and the judgment
of an eternal justice in hell, a place prepared for him and his
angels.
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Section 5 - Of the Creation
We believe in the Genesis account of creation and that it is to
be accepted literally, not allegorically or figuratively; that
man was created directly in God's own image and after His own
likeness; that man's creation was not a matter of evolution or
evolutionary change of species, or developments through interminable
periods of time from lower to higher forms; that all animals and
vegetable life were made directly; and that God's established
law was that they should bring forth only ôafter their kind.
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Section 6 - Of the Fall
of Man
We believe that man was created in innocence under the law of
his Maker, but by voluntary transgression fell from his sinless
and happy state, in consequence of which all mankind are now sinners-not
by constraint, but by choice-and therefore under just condemnation
without defense or excuse.
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Section 7 - Of the Virgin
Birth
We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten of the Holy Ghost in
a miraculous manner-born of Mary, a virgin, as no other man was
ever born or can ever be born of woman; and that He is both the
Son of God and God the Son.
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Section 8 - Of the Atonement
for Sin
We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace through
the mediatorial offices of the Son of God who by appointment of
the Father freely took upon Himself our nature-yet without sin,
honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and by his death
made a full and vicarious atonement for our sins; that his atonement
consisted not in setting us an example by his death as a martyr,
but was the voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner's
place, the just dying for the unjust, Christ the Lord bearing
our sins in His own body on the tree; and that, having risen from
the dead, He is now enthroned in heaven and uniting in His wonderful
person the tenderest sympathies with divine perfection. He is
every way qualified to be a suitable, a compassionate, and an
all-sufficient Saviour.
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Section 9 - Of Grace in
the New Creation
We believe that in order to be saved sinners must be born again;
that the new birth is a new creation in Jesus Christ; that it
is instantaneous and not a process; that in the new birth the
one dead in trespasses and in sins is made a partaker of the divine
nature and receives eternal life, the free gift of God; that the
new creation is brought about in a manner above our comprehension,
not by culture, not by character, nor by the will of man, but
wholly and solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection
with Divine truth so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the
Gospel; and that its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits
of repentance and faith and newness of life.
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Section 10 - Of the Freeness
of Salvation
We believe in God's electing grace; that the blessings of salvation
are made free to all by the Gospel; that it is the immediate duty
of all to accept them by a cordial, penitent, and obedient faith;
and that nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner
on earth but his own inherent depravity and voluntary rejection
of the Gospel, which rejection involves him in an aggravated condemnation.
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Section 11 - Of Justification
We believe that the great Gospel which Christ secures to such
as believe in Him is justification; that justification includes
the pardon of sin and the gift of eternal life on principles of
righteousness; that His righteousness is imputed unto us not in
consideration of any works or righteousness which we have done,
but solely through faith in the Redeemer's blood.
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Section 12 - Of Repentance
and Faith
We believe that repentance and faith are solemn obligations and
also inseparable graces wrought in our souls by the quickening
Spirit of God; thereby, being deeply convicted of our guilt, danger,
and helplessness, and of the way of salvation by Christ, we turn
to God with unfeigned contrition, confession, and supplication
for mercy-at the same time heartily receiving the Lord Jesus Christ
and openly confessing Him as our only and all-sufficient Saviour.
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Section 13- Of the Local
Church
We believe that a church of Christ is a congregation of baptized
believers associated by a covenant of faith and fellowship of
the Gospel, observing the ordinances of Christ, governed by His
laws, and exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested
in them by His Word; that its officers of ordination are pastors
or elders and deacons, whose qualifications, claims, and duties
are clearly defined in the Scriptures. We believe the true mission
of the church is found in the Great Commission: first, to make
individual disciples; second, to build up the Church; third, to
teach and instruct as He commanded. We do not believe in the reversal
of this order. We hold that the local church has the absolute
right of self-government, free from the interference of any hierarchy
of individuals or organizations; that the one and only superintendent
is Christ through the Holy Spirit; that it is Scriptural for true
churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith
and for the furtherance of the Gospel; that every church is the
sole and only judge of the measure and method of its cooperation;
and that in all matters of membership, policy, government, discipline,
and benevolence, the will of the local church is final.
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Section 14 - Of Baptism
and the Lord's Supper
We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion in water of
a believer in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy
Spirit, with the authority of the local church, to show forth
in a solemn and beautiful emblem our faith in the crucified, buried,
and risen Saviour with its effect in our death to sin and resurrection
to a new life; that it is a prerequisite to the privileges of
a Church relation and to the Lord's Supper, in which the members
of the church are to commemorate
together the dying love of Christ, preceded always by solemn self-examination.
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Section 15 - Of the Perseverance
of the Saints
We believe that such only are real believers as endure unto the
end; that their persevering attachment to Christ is the grand
mark which distinguishes them from superficial professors; that
a special providence watches over their welfare; and that they
are kept by the power of God through faith unto eternal salvation.
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Section 16 - Of the Righteous
and the Wicked
We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between
the righteous and the wicked; that such only as through faith
are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and sanctified by
the spirit of our God are truly righteous in His esteem, while
all such as continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight
wicked and are under the curse, and that this distinction holds
among men in and after death in the everlasting felicity of the
saved and the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost.
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Section 17 - Of Civil Government
We believe that civil government is a divine appointment for the
interest and good order of human society; that magistrates are
to be prayed for, conscientiously honored, and obeyed-except only
in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ who is
the only Lord of the conscience and the coming Prince of the kings
of earth.
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Section 18 - Of the Resurrection and Return
of Christ and Related Events
We believe in and accept the sacred Scriptures upon these subjects
at their face and full value. Of the resurrection, we believe
that Christ arose bodily ôthe third day according to the
Scripture;ö that He ascended ôto the right hand of
the throne of God; that this same Jesus which is taken up from
you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him
go into heavenly-bodily, personally and visibly; that the dead
in Christ shall rise first; that the living saints ôshall
be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last
trump; that the Lord God shall give unto Him the Throne of His
father David;ö and that Christ shall reign a thousand years
in righteousness until he hath put all enemies under His feet.
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Section 19 - Of Missions
We believe that the command to give the Gospel to the world is
clear and unmistakable and this commission was given to the churches.
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Section 20 - Of the Grace
of Giving
We believe that God's method of financing His earthly work of
spreading the gospel to all nations, the care of the churches,
and the support of the ministry is by the tithes and offerings
of His people. That tithes and offerings are to be given to the
Lord through His church to be distributed as directed by the leadership
of the Spirit as the need arises; that the time to tithe is upon
the first day of the week; that everyone is accountable to the
Lord for one-tenth of his income; and that tithing was instituted
long before the law was ever given and was practiced by the early
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