Tenets of Faith and Doctrines
The Church 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.
- We believe in the one God, eternally existent, revealed in three persons; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:16,17; John 17)
- We believe that man, in his natural state, is a sinner, lost, undone, without hope, and without God (Romans 3:19-23; Galatians 3:22; Ephesians 2:1,2, 12).
- We believe that Jesus is God come in the flesh, was born of a virgin, and that He is both divine and human (Isaiah 7:14; Luke 1:26-28; John 14:1-3; Acts 2:36, 3:14-15; Philippians 2:5-12).
- We believe in the saving power of the Blood of Jesus and His imputed righteousness (Acts 4:12; Romans 4:1-9, 5:1-11; Ephesians 1:3-15).
- We believe in the bodily resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 24:39-43; John 20:24-29).
- We believe that Christ Jesus ascended to the Father and is presently engaged in preparing Heaven and interceding for the saints. (John 14:1-6; Romans 8:34)
- We believe in the visible, bodily return of Christ Jesus to this earth to claim His Church (Bride) and judge the world (Acts 1:10-11; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; II Thessalonians 1:7-10; James 5:8; Revelation 1:7). (It is not necessary that we all believe alike concerning whether He is coming before, during, or after the Great Tribulation.)
- We believe that the terms of salvation are repentance toward God for sin, and a personal, heartfelt faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, which results in regeneration of the person. This salvation is entirely by the grace of our Lord and not of works. Works are excluded except as fruit of salvation (Acts 3:19-20; Romans 4:1-5, 5:1; Ephesians 2:8-10).
- We believe the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ is a body of believers who, after repentance, commit themselves to baptism in the Name of Jesus Christ; who are under recognized, delegated authorities; and who assemble to worship, carry forth the Great Commission, and minister as the Holy Spirit leads (Matthew 16:18, 28:19; Acts 2:40-47, 20:28, Ephesians 5:22-32; I Timothy 3:15).
- We believe in the verbal inspiration of the Bible, both the Old and New Testaments, as a revelation from God to man, the infallible, authoritative rule of faith and conduct, accurate in its description of Creation and subsequent history (II Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 4:12; I Peter 1:23-25; II Peter 1:19-21).
- We believe that the two ordinances of the Church are Water Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
Water Baptism
Immersion in water in the Name of Jesus Christ in the manner which He prescribed, in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:15-16, 28:19-20; Acts 8:38, 10:47-48; Romans 6:1-4).
Lord’s Supper:
A memorial of the death, resurrection, and Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 22:13-18; I Corinthians 11:24-25, 28)
- We believe we should seek, as the early disciples did, to practice a separated lifestyle from the world and unto Christ and to set standards of conduct which shall exalt our Lord and His Church (Romans 12:1-3; II Corinthians 6:17; Galatians 6:14; Ephesians 5:11; Colossians 3:17).
- We believe the Scriptures clearly set forth the doctrines of eternal damnation for the lost and eternal bliss for the saved (Matthew 25:34, 41, 46; Luke 16:19-31; John 14:1-3; Revelation 19:20; 20:10-15).
- We believe the Holy Spirit to be the third person of the Trinity whose purpose in the redemption of man is to convict men of sin, regenerate the repentant believer, guide the believer into all truth indwell and give gifts to believers as He wills, that they may minister as Christ would to men.
- We believe that the manifestations of the Holy Spirit recorded in I Corinthians 12:8-11 shall operate in present-day Churches which yield to the Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 11:13; John 7:37-39, 14:16, 16:7-14; Acts 2:39-48).
- We believe that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, with the evidence of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance, is for all believers as promised by John the Baptist (Matthew 3:11) and Jesus (Acts 1:4, 5, 8) and Peter (Acts 2:38-41), provides power in public testimony and service, was witnessed by the early disciples of Christ (Acts 2:4, 10:44-47, 19:1-6), and is evidenced by many present-day disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.
- We believe that God has used doctors, medicines, and other material means for healing; but divine healing was also provided for in the Atonement (Isaiah 53:4-5) and may be appropriated by laying on of hands by elders (James 5:14-16), laying on of hands by the believers (Mark 16:18), by the prayer of an anointed person gifted for healing the sick (I Corinthians 12:9), or by a direct act of receiving this provision by faith (Mark 11:23).
- We believe that each believer is a priest of the Lord (Revelation 1:6) and has direct access to the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ. Each person must believe for himself, be baptized for himself, obey for himself, and answer to his Creator for himself.