ApprehendingTruth

What We Believe

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Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. ~ Acts 27:25

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Many “Christians” attempt to describe what they believe by pulling certain truths from the Bible in order to defend their doctrine and to more readily explain their position on those doctrines. I suppose this is okay and many of these explanations are indeed true and Biblical, but isn't something left out? I understand the purpose of being succinct, but too many times this is only an attempt to validate our own doctrine and teachings.

This is why we have decided to describe to you what we actually believe on this page.

We Believe:

Genesis 1:1 thru Revelation 22:21

That is as succinctly as I dare put it.

Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. (Acts 20:26,27)

But what about Christ, you may ask. And I answer, YES!!!

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: (1 Corinthians 15:3-4 emphasis added)

I do not disparage those who quote a few Scriptures to defend their beliefs. But I want to express the overwhelming importance of the entirety of Scripture. Let us not pick and choose a few of our favorites and forsake the rest because they do not fit comfortably in our doctrinal theology.

Most people are bothered by those passages of Scriptures they don't understand, but for me I have always noticed that the passages that bother me are those I do understand. -- Mark Twain

Let us remember, as we remove God from the context of His Holy Word, it necessitates the creation of a god in our own minds. That, my friends, is idolatry!

So, again, what do we believe?
All of it!

That said, our doctrinal statement follows.

þ We believe in the inspiration of the Bible, God's inerrant message to mankind [in the English language this is the KJV Bible], revealing Himself and His plan of salvation to all men; that it is the final authority and rule for all of life (2 Tim 3:15-16; 1 Pet 2:2).

þ We believe there is one God, eternally existent in three persons, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost (Deut 6:4; Mk 12:29; Isa 43:10-11; Matt 28:19).

þ We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, in His bodily future return to this earth in power and glory to rule a thousand years (John 5:23; Col 1:15-19; Heb 4:15; Acts 4:10; Acts 1:9; Matt 1:19-25; 2 Thess 1:7; Rev 19:11-14; Rom 11:26-27; Rev 20:1-7).

þ We believe that Jesus Christ is the only provision for man's salvation, that God will accept man on no other basis than repentance of sin, complete surrender to the Lordship of Christ and faith in His atoning blood (Lk 13:3; Gal 3:26; Lk 9:23-24; 1 Cor 1:30).

þ We believe regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential for personal salvation (John 3:3).

þ We believe 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 have truly believed on Christ as Saviour and Lord. In so doing, they have their body washed in pure water as an outward symbol of cleansing, thus declaring to the world that they have died with Jesus and that they have also been raised with Him to walk in newness of life (Mk 16:16; Acts 2:38; 1 Pet 3:21).

þ We believe the Lord's Supper, consisting of the elements, bread and fruit of the vine, is the symbol expressing our sharing the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ; a memorial of His suffering and death; and is enjoined on all believers until He comes (1 Cor 11:26; 2 Peter 1:4).

þ We believe the redemptive work of Christ on the cross provides healing of the human body in answer to believing prayer and is a privilege of all believers (Isa 53:4; Matt 8:16-17).

þ We believe all believers are entitled to, and should expect, and earnestly seek the promise of the Father, the Baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire, according to the command of the Lord Jesus Christ. This was the normal experience of all in the early Christian Church. With it comes the endowment of power for life and service, and the bestowment of the Gifts and their uses in the world of ministry. This wonderful experience is distinct from and subsequent to the experience of the new birth (Acts 2:4; 10:44-46; 11:14-16; 15:7-9).

þ We believe the baptism of the believers in the Holy Ghost is witnessed by the initial physical sign of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit of God gives the utterance. The speaking in tongues in this instance, is the same in essence as the gift of tongues, but different in purpose and use (Acts 2:4; 1Cor 12:4,10, 28).

þ We believe in the sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a holy life. Entire sanctification is the will of God for all believers and should be earnestly pursued by walking in obedience to Christ and believing the promises of God expressed in His Word (Heb 12:14; 1 Pet 1:15-16; 1 Thess 5:23-24; 1 John 2:6).

þ We believe the Church 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 Firstborn, whose names are written in heaven (Eph 1:22-23; 2:22; Heb 12:23).

þ We believe a divinely called and scripturally ordained ministry has been provided by our Lord for a twofold purpose; [1] the evangelism of the world and [2] the edifying of the body of Christ (Mark 16:15-20; Eph 4:11-13).

þ We believe in the "catching-up" of those who have fallen asleep in Christ and their translation together with those who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord is the blessed hope of the Church (1 Thess 4:16-18; Rom 8:23; Titus 2:13; 1 Cor 15:51-52; Rev 11:15).

þ We believe that there will be a resurrection of the dead, of the just and unjust, and that all shall stand before the judgment bar of God to be judged according to His Word for the deeds done in the body while here on earth (2 Cor 5:10; Rev 20:11-15).

þ We believe the devil and his angels, the beast and the false prophet, and whosoever is not found written in the Book of Life, shall be consigned to everlasting punishment and torment in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death (Rev 19:20; 20:10-15).