What We Believe

I. The Word of God

1. 1. The plenary verbally inspired revelation of God, which is the sole authority for all faith and practice. (2 Tim. 3:16).
   2. Every word is inspired and all parts of the Bible are equally inspired. (John 6:63).
   3. Inspiration is God breathed, where the Holy Spirit of God using 40 different men to write 66 books in over a 1500 year period, using their personalities without adding error. (2 Peter 1:20, 21).
   4. The Scriptures are sufficient in themselves. (Rev. 22:18,19).
   5. The Scriptures are powerful. (Heb. 4:12)
   6. The Scriptures are spiritually discerned. (I Cor. 2:14).
   7. Faith comes from hearing the Word of God. (Rom. 10:17).
   8. The Scriptures are preserved by God in the Received Text and the Massoretic Text in the original languages. The King James Version is God’s preserved word in the English language. (Psalm 12:6,7).

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II. God

1. 1. There is only one God, He is a Spirit, Three persons in one – or a Trinity.(I Tim. 2:5,6; John 4:24; Mt. 28:19; I John 5:7; Mt. 3:16,17).
   2. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost.
   3. God has many attributes, non-moral and moral.
   4. The non-moral attributes are:
   5. He is omniscient or all knowing. (I John 3:20);
   6. He is omnipotent or all powerful. (Eph. 3:20);
   7. He is omnipresent or ever present, present in every place at one time. (Psalm 139:7-10);
   8. He is eternal. (Psalm 90:2);
   9. and He is immutable or unchangeable. (James 1:17).
   10. His moral attributes are:
   11. He is love.(I John 4:7,8);
   12. He is just and righteous. (Deut. 32:4);
   13. He is holy.(Isaiah 6:3).

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III. Jesus Christ

1. 1. He is God the Son and the Son of God. (John 3:l6; I Tim. 3:16);
   2. He is eternal and immutable (Heb. 1:8);
   3. He is all knowing. (John 2:25);
   4. He is ever present (Mt. 28:20);
   5. He is all powerful. (Mt. 28:18);
   6. He was foreordained from the foundation of the world to redeem man from sin and death. (I Peter 1:20);
   7. He is the redeemer who paid the price to purchase those in the bondage of sin. (I Peter 1:18,19).
   8. Through His vicarious atonement, He took man’s sin upon Himself and also the punishment for sin. (Heb. 9:22-26).
   9. He was begotten of the Holy Ghost and born of a virgin.
   10. (Isaiah 7:14; Mt. 1:23);
   11. He is the incarnate Son of God-God in the flesh.
   12. (John 1:1-3; I Tim. 3:16);
   13. He is impeccable – sinless. (II Cor. 5:21);
   14. He is Deity, the second person of the Trinity. (John 1:1-3; Mt. 28:19);
   15. He is the great high priest. (Heb. 4:15);
   16. He is the mediator between God and man. (I Tim. 2:5,6);
   17. He rose again bodily. (Luke 24:39);
   18. He ascended bodily into Heaven and will return the same way. (Acts 1:11);
   19. He is the propitiation for man’s sins – He appeased God’s wrath with His sacrifice for sin on the cross. (I John 2:2);
   20. He reconciles men to God – restores harmony. (II Cor. 5:19);
   21. He is our victory. (I Cor. 15:57,58).

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IV. The Holy Ghost

1. 1. The third person of Trinity.(Mt. 28:19);
   2. He is a person and can be blasphemed. (Mt.12:31,32);
   3. He can be lied to. (Acts 5:3);
   4. He is Deity.(Acts 5:3);
   5. His work is to glorify Christ.(John 16:14);
   6. He testifies of Christ. (John 15:26);
   7. He inspired the Word of God.(I Peter 1:20,21),
   8. He illuminates the Word of God. (John 14:26);
   9. He convicts of sin, righteousness, and judgment. (John 16:8-11);
   10. He regenerates or recreates a new heart in those that believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. (Titus 3:5);
   11. He indwells the believer. (Rom. 8:9);
   12. He baptizes the believer into the body of Christ. (I Cor. 12:13);
   13. He seals the believer. (Eph. 1:13);
   14. He fills the believer.(Eph. 5:18; Acts 1:8);
   15. One indwelling – many fillings. To be filled is to be emptied of sin and self. (Luke 11: 13).
   16. The gifts of the Spirit are in I Cor. 12; 13; 14; Eph. 4:11; Rom. 12:6-8
   17. The sign gifts were temporary until the Word of God was completed. They are: tongues, interpretation of tongues, prophecy, knowledge, miracles, healing, and apostleship.
   18. The fruit of the Spirit is in (Gal. 5:22,23).

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V. Creation

1. 1. God created out of nothing everything that exists. He spoke it into existence. (Gen. 1:1).
   2. Genesis chapters 1 and 2 explain that God created everything in 6 literal 24 hour days and rested on the 7th day.
   3. The 6 days of Creation are: day 1, light; day 2, firmament, Heaven; day 3, land, vegetation; day 4, sun, moon, and stars; day 5, fish and fowls; day 6, land animals and man.
   4. God saw that it was good. (Gen. 1:31).
   5. Creation is believed by faith. (Heb. 11:3).
   6. All three persons of the Trinity were there and had a part in Creation. (Gen.1:1; Gen. 1:2; John 1:1-3; Col. 1:16,17)

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VI. Man

1. 1. Man is a depraved sinner and cannot do anything to save himself. (Rom. 3:23; Eph. 2:8,9).
   2. Man was made in the image and likeness of God in Gen. 1:26.
   3. He was created out of the dust of the ground in Gen. 2:7.
   4. Man is a trichotomy or he has a body, soul, and spirit. (I Thess. 5:23).
   5. Man was created perfect and sinless. God placed him in the garden of Eden and told him not to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. In Gen. 3 Eve was tempted, and ate the fruit and gave it to Adam and from then on all men are sinners. (Rom. 5:12).

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VII. Sin

1. 1. Sin is missing the mark. (Rom. 3:23);
   2. A transgression against the law. (I John 3:4);
   3. It is disobedience. (Rom. 5:19);
   4. The penalty for sin is death. (Rom. 5:12, Rom. 6:23);
   5. Not only physical death but spiritual death. (Rev. 20:14, 15);
   6. Separation from God. (Isaiah 59:1,2);
   7. Everything affected by sin. ( Gen. 3:17,18;9:1-3)

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VIII. Salvation

1. 1. God made a way for men to come to Him to have their sins forgiven and restore fellowship between Himself and man. Salvation is by grace through faith only in the Lord Jesus Christ. (Eph. 2:8,9; John 14:6; Acts 4:12).
   2. Salvation is in believing the Gospel. (Rom. 1:16; I Cor.15:3,4).
   3. Grace – God giving man a pardon of sin for free and making him a child of God and giving him a home in heaven. (Eph. 2:8,9).
   4. Mercy – God taking away the penalty of death we deserve. (Rom. 6:23).
   5. Faith – Taking God at His Word.(Rom. 10:17; Heb. 11:1,6).
   6. Repentence – To have godly sorrow for sin and to turn from sin to God. (II Cor. 7:9,10; II Peter 3:9).
   7. Conversion is Repentence and Faith.
   8. Justification – God declaring the sinner righteous-just as if I never sinned. (Rom. 3:24-26; Gal. 2:16; II Cor. 5;21) It is through the faith in His blood.
   9. Regeneration – The Holy Spirit creates a new heart in those that believe by faith on the Lord Jesus Christ. (Titus 3:5; II Cor. 5:17; Eph. 2:10).
   10. Sanctification – The separation and dedication of the believer to and for God. (I Cor. 1:2).
   11. Redemption – The payment of a price to free one who is in bondage. ( I Peter 1:18,19; I Cor. 6:19,20).
   12. Order of Salvation – Rom. 8:29-30
   13. Election – Through the foreknowledge of God, God elected to save those that believe in Jesus Christ from the foundation of the world. (Eph. 1:4; I Peter 1:20).
   14. Adoption – A child of God placed in the position of a full grown son. (Romans 8:15).
   15. Predestination – Those who are foreknown to God are predestinated to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. (Romans 8:29).
   16. Eternal Security – When God saves someone it is forever, because God does the saving and the person that is saved is kept by His power and not the power of the one being saved. (I John 5:13; John 10:28-31).

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IX. Satan

1. Satan was Lucifer, a created angel that used to be the covering Cherub that was lifted up with pride and tried to overthrow the throne of God. (Isaiah 14:12-14; Ezekiel 28:13-16).
2. The personality of Satan- John 8:44 says:
   – he is a liar and a murderer;
   – he is the prince of the power of the air;
   – an angel of light; the accuser of the brethren;
   – and the tempter.
3. He tempts Christians to sin, he does not make them do anything. (Eph. 2:2; II Cor. 11:14; I Peter 5:8;).
4. His destiny is to go to Hell.
5. Hell was created for the devil and his angels. (Mt. 25:41).
6. Victory over the devil is found in (James 4:7).

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X. Angels

1. They are created beings that:

a. are holy,
b. are unmarriageable,
c. live in heaven.
d. are ministers for them that are saved. (Mt. 25:31; Heb. 1:14).

2. There are:

a. cherubims,
b. seraphims,
c. archangels,
d. and angels.

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XI. Local Church

1. 1. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the church. (Eph. 5:23-29; Eph. 1:22,23).
   2. The Lord started the church in Mt. 16:18.
   3. The local church is self governing. (II Cor. 8:19).
   4. The officers of the church are pastor and deacons.
   5. The qualifications are in I Tim. 3 and Titus 1.
   6. Pastor means undershepherd, Bishop means overseer, and elder denotes one with wisdom.
   7. Baptism is immersion in water after a person gets saved to identify with Christ and the church, and to show walking in newness of life. (Acts 8:37; Rom. 6:4; Acts 2:41),
   8. Requirements for baptism:
   9. A Scriptural Candidate- one that has been saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. (Acts 8:37);
   10. A Scriptural Authority- The New Testament Baptist Church. (Acts 2:41);
   11. A Scriptural Administration- The pastor, missionary, or man authorized by the local church. (Acts 2:41);
   12. A Scriptural Motive- to declare that you have already been saved. (Acts 8:37);
   13. A Scriptural Mode- To be completely immersed in water by the authority of the local church. (Acts 8:37, Mt. 3:17).
   14. The Lord’s supper- The Lord’s supper is the commemoration of the Lord’s death until He comes, and is preceded always by self-examination. (I Cor. 11:23-28).
   15. The tithes and offering are to be brought into the storehouse or the local church. (Mal. 3).
   16. The tithe is a tenth of a believers income which is to be given on the first day of the week. (I Cor. 16:1,2)

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XII. Eschatology

1. 1. The doctrine of last things.
   2. The Rapture is the first thing that will happen in the last days. The word Rapture is not in the Bible, but the principle is. It means the catching away of all believers, those that died in Christ and those that are alive and remain, will meet the Lord in the air, and be changed in a moment. (I Thess. 4:13-18; I Cor. 15:51-53).
   3. It is pretribulational and pre-millenial. It is the blessed hope of the believer. ( Titus 2:11-13).
   4. After the Rapture is the Judgment seat of Christ. (II Cor. 5:10; I Cor 3:11-15).
   5. Then the marriage of the Lamb and the marriage supper of the Lamb will be taking place in Heaven while the 7 year tribulation will be taking place on earth (Rev. 19; Rev. 4:19)
   6. At the end of the tribulation the battle of Armageddon-where all the armies of the world gather for one last battle, the Lord and the saints come with Him on white horses and the Lord fights the battle. This is the Second Coming of Christ or the Second Advent of Christ. It will be personal, visible, premillennial. (Rev. 19:11-19. )
   7. After the battle the beast and the false prophet are cast into the lake of fire. (Rev. 19:20.)
   8. The Devil is chained and cast into the bottomless pit, where he will stay until the end of the Thousand year reign of Christ on earth. (Rev. 20:1-3)
   9. The millennial reign of Christ, where the Lord sets up His throne in Jerusalem and sits on David’s throne, takes place next. Those that are saved will rule and reign with Him for a thousand years. (Rev. 20:4-6)
   10. The Devil is loosed for a season; then he is cast into the lake of fire. (Rev. 20:7-10)
   11. Then the great white throne judgment will take place, where all the unbelievers are judged and then cast into the lake of fire. (Rev. 20:11- 15)
   12. Then the old earth and heaven will be melted with fervent heat. (II Peter 3:7,10)
   13. Then the new heaven and new earth come and we live forever in eternal bliss with the Lord Jesus Christ. Rev. 21 and 22.

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XIII. Separation

1. 1. To be separated from the sin and the world, and from unbelievers.
   2. To be separated unto God. (I Cor. 6:19,20; II Cor. 6:14-18).
   3. Not only a personal separation, but ecclesiastical separation as well.
   4. To be separated from modernists and liberals and those that will fellowship with them. (II Cor. 6:14-18; II John 7-11).

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XIV. Heaven

1. 1. There are three heavens: the first heaven is the atmosphere, the second heaven is the galaxy, and the third heaven is where the throne of God is.
   2. Heaven is a holy place, a place of no sorrow, tears, pain or sin.
   3. It is where God’s throne is, the angels live there, the saved that have died in Christ are there, and one day all the saved will abide there forever. (John 14:1-3; Rev. 21,22).
   4. Characteristics of Heaven are in Rev. 21 and 22.

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XV. Hell

1. 1. A literal place of torment and judgment for the devil and his angels and all unbelievers.(Rev. 20:15; 21:8).(Matt. 25:30)
   2. The word sheol in the Old Testament and the word Hades in the New Testament are the same word for hell.
   3. There were two compartments in Hades, hell and paradise.
   4. There was a great gulf fixed between the two.
   5. When Jesus rose again from the dead He took those in paradise with Him to Heaven. (Luke 16:19-31).
   6. Characteristics of Hell- Unquenchable fire. (Mt. 3:12)
   7. Remorse and memory. (Luke 16:19-31);
   8. Thirst, (Luke 16:24);
   9. Misery and pain, (Rev. 14:10,11);
   10. Separation, (Rev. 2:11; 20:6; 21:8);
   11. Divine wrath, (Heb. 3:2);
   12. Eternal, (Dan.12:2; Mt. 25:46; Jude 7)

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