THE:A Doctrinal Statement by Randy Hillebrand THE SCRIPTURES We believe that the Word of God, the Bible, was written by the Holy Spirit through men as God willed. Because of this, we believe that the Bible is God's inspired writings given to man for the purpose of better getting to know Him and as practical instruction for the Christian. We believe therefore that the Bible is without error in its original manuscripts and that the inspiration of the Scriptures extends equally and fully to all parts of its writings; historical, poetical, doctrinal, and prophetical, as appeared in the original manuscripts. We believe that the Scriptures, Old and New Testament, center around the first and second comings of Jesus Christ. We also believe that to interpret the Scriptures properly, one must study them from a literal, contextual, historical and grammatical point of view. (Mark 12:26, 36; 13:11; Luke 24:27,44; John 5:39; Acts 1:16; 17:2-3; 18:28; 26:22-23; 28:23; Rom. 15:4; I Cor. 2:13; 10:11; II Tim. 3:16; II Pet. 1:21) THE GODHEAD We believe in one God who eternally exists in three persons, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. We believe these three persons are equal in all respects and are in total harmony with one another. We believe that our God is sovereign, omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient and that our task is to do all things to bring glory to Him. (Matt. 3:16-17; 28:18-19; Mark 12:29; John 1:14; Acts 5:3-4; I Cor. 10:31; II Cor. 13:14; Heb. 1:1-3; Rev. 1:4-6) GOD THE FATHER We believe that God the Father, being equal to God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, out of His love for His creation, sent His Son Jesus to die for their sins. We believe that God the Father, being a good, loving, and merciful God is also a God of holiness, justice, truth and righteousness. He, as the other two persons of the Godhead, is sovereign over all things and as a result of that will see His perfect plan for mankind come to His perfect conclusion. (Lev. 19:2; I Sam. 2:2, 6-8; I Chron. 29:11-12; Psalms 22:3; 47:8; 50:10; 85:10; 111:9; Isaiah 6:3; 40:12-20; Matt. 6:13; John 3:16; 4:8; Rom. 3:4, 25-26; 9:15,18; II Cor. 1:3; Eph. 2:4, 5; I Tim. 1:3; Heb. 4:16; James 1:17; I John 1:5; Rev. 4:8) GOD THE SON We believe that God the Son, Jesus the Christ, the Messiah, being equal to God the Father and God the Holy Spirit, was born of a virgin named Mary. We believe that the Old Testament Scriptures point to His coming, and that the New Testament Scriptures are the fulfillment of those prophecies. We believe that He is the God-man, being totally God and totally man, having humbled Himself, being conceived by the Holy Spirit through Mary, coming in the flesh to ultimately die on the cross for the sins of all mankind. We believe that three days after His death He physically resurrected from His grave and today is seated at the right hand of the Father. We believe that He will rapture the church before the tribulation period and will come to earth a second time for the purpose of setting up a literal 1000 year kingdom on earth after which He will judge all the living and the dead who never trusted in Him as their Savior. (Gen. 3:15; Psalms 22:1-18; Isaiah 7:14-16; 9:6-7; 53:1-12; Dan. 7:13-14; Micah 5:2-5; Matt. 25:31-46; 26:47-28:20; Mark 16:19; Luke 1:26-38; 2:1-7, 21; John 1:1; 10:25-30; I Cor. 15:1-8; I Thes. 4:13-18; Rev. 1:8, 18; 19:11-21; 20:11-15) GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT We believe that the Holy Spirit has a specific ministry during the Church age. Being equal to God the Father and God the Son, God the Holy Spirit's main emphasis is that of bringing glory to Jesus Christ and not to Himself as many emphasize and practice. We believe that He is also involved in convicting the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment through which He brings people into a relationship with Jesus Christ. To do this the Holy Spirit regenerates, indwells, seals and baptizes them at conversion. The Holy Spirit then teaches, fills, intercedes for, guides, convicts and comforts believers during their life on earth. (John 3:3-16; 14:16-17, 26; 15:26; 16:8-11,14; Acts 9:31; 13:4; Rom. 6:1-10; 8:14, 26; I Cor. 2:12; 3:16; 6:19; 12:13; II Cor. 1:22; Gal. 5:16-25; Eph. 1:13-14, 22-23; 4:3; 5:18-21, 23; Titus 3:5; I John 2:27) MAN'S POSITION We believe that man was created as righteous and in the image and likeness of God. We believe that he fell through personal sin, the consequences being that he is now spiritually dead and subject to the power of Satan. We believe that from and through Adam his sin nature was passed to all mankind and that every human born, except Jesus Christ, recieves this fallen nature at conception. We believe that only through the new birth can a person's sins be forgiven and their bondage to sin be broken as they receive their new divine nature. (Gen. 1:26; 2:17; 6:5; Psalms 14:1-3; 51:5; Jer. 17:9; John 3:6; 5:40; 6:35; Rom. 3:10-19; 3:23; 6:23; 8:6-7; Eph. 2:1-3; I Tim. 5:6; I John 3:8) MAN'S ONLY WAY OF SALVATION We believe that all mankind is in need of salvation and can only receive it by being born again. We believe that it is by grace that we are saved through our faith and not of anything that we ourselves do, but that it is a gift of God, not as a result of our works or good deeds that anyone should brag. We believe that our faith which saves us must be in only one thing, that being our Savior Jesus Christ who died on the cross for our sins, and that only by believing in Him is one saved. We believe that His death and His death alone is the sufficiency for our salvation and that there is no other thing that has ever been or will ever be that could in any manner add to one's salvation. (Lev. 17:11; Isaiah. 64:6; Matt. 26:28; John 3:7-18; Rom. 5:6-9; II Cor. 5:21; Gal. 3:13; 6:15; Eph. 1:7; 2:8-9; Phil. 3:4-9; Titus 3:5; James 1:18; I Pet. 1:18-19, 23; I John 5:11-12) ETERNAL SECURITY We believe that once we are saved that we are always saved and that there is no sin so great that a believer could commit that could jeopardize his salvation. We believe that at salvation we receive a new nature that is in emnity with our old sin nature, and it is the choice of the believer which will reign in his life at any moment in time. We believe that with our salvation comes a commitment and responsibility to our heavenly Father of living a life that strives toward godliness and holiness, not lawlessness. But when a Christian decides to follow a life of lawlessness, he will be disciplined for his disobedience. (Luke 10:20; 22:32; John 5:24; 6:37-39; 10:28; 13:1; 14:16-17; 17:11; Rom. 8:29, 38-39; I Cor. 6:19; II Cor. 5:1, 6-8; Eph. 1:4-14; II Tim. 1:12; Heb. 7:25; 10:22; I John 2:1-2; 5:13; Jude 24) THE CHURCH We believe that the church is made up of all believers in the body of Christ and that it began on the day of Pentecost. We believe that the church is to live in unity since all believers that make up the body of Christ were baptized by the same Spirit. We believe that the church should have no barriers, either denominational or racial, and that we as a body are to come together for the purpose of worship, edification, evangelization, to care for its own and to do good in the world. We believe that the elders in the church are there for the spiritual guidence and service of the body and that the deacons are to serve the elders and the body. We believe that the church is also the bride of Christ and will be raptured before the millinnial kingdom is set up on earth. (Matt. 16:16-18; Acts 2:42-47; 6:1-6; Rom. 12:5; I Cor. 12:12-27; Gal. 6:10; Eph. 1:20-23; 3:10; 4:3-10; Col. 1:18; 3:14-15; I Thes. 4:13-18; I Tim. 3:1-13; 5; Titus 1:5-9; Rev. 19:7-9.) THE GREAT COMMISSION We believe that it is our commission as Christians to spread the message of our Lord Jesus Christ to those who have not heard and believed in Him. It is then our responsibility when one believes to have him baptized and to teach him all that Christ commanded. (Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; John 17:18; Acts 1:8; Rom. 10:9-15; II Cor. 5:18-20; I Pet. 1:17; 2:11.) THE ORDINANCES We believe that water baptism and the Lord's supper are the only two ordinances of the church. We believe that they are commandments for the believers to follow as given by our Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that baptism is by immersion whenever possible. (Matt. 28:19; Luke 1:10; 22:19-20; Acts 10:47-48; 16:32-33; 18:7-8; I Cor. 11:23-32)