We are a traditional church that holds to the literal interpretation of Scripture. Therefore we teach that there is one God who is eternal and exists as three separate but equal persons: the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit, each all-powerful, all-knowing, holy, good, loving, and true, working together with different roles. Salvation is based solely on the belief that Jesus Christ died on behalf of our sins and was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures. He will return for His Church before the Tribulation period, and will reign on earth for 1,000 years after the Tribulation. The Bible is God’s breathed-out word, written by men borne along by the Holy Spirit, fully true and the only guide for faith and church life. The Church is all believers immersed by the Holy Spirit into Christ’s body since Pentecost.

The Scriptures

We believe the Scriptures teach that the Old and New Testaments are the divine revelation of God (1 Timothy 5:18) and thus constitute the Word of God. Men chosen by God wrote the Bible under the guidance and enabling of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:9–13). Therefore, every word of the entire original documents was inspired. This is commonly called verbal plenary inspiration (2 Timothy 3:16). Accordingly, the whole of Scripture is authoritative for the faith of every believer. Those sections of the New Testament dealing directly with the church are authoritative for the practice of the church (2 Timothy 3:16; 1 Corinthians 10:6–12; 1 Timothy 3:14–15). (See also Article VIII on the Church.)

The Godhead

We believe the Scriptures teach that God is infinite, self-existent Spirit, unchangeable in His nature, omnipotent, omniscient, holy, righteous, good, love, and truth (John 4:24; James 1:17; Hebrews 1:3; 1 John 1:5–7; 4:8, 16; Psalm 139:1–16). God exists eternally in three distinct yet inseparable Persons, revealed in Scripture as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Psalm 2:2, 7; Isaiah 63:10; Hebrews 1:13). These three are one in nature, essence, and attributes (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; Mark 12:29; John 10:30). Each is equally worthy of worship, trust, and obedience (2 Corinthians 13:14). Each of these divine Persons has a distinct function in the execution of the eternal purpose and glory of the Godhead (John 15:26; 16:7; 1 Corinthians 8:6).

The Father

We believe the Scriptures teach that God the Father is the ultimate source of all things (1 Corinthians 8:6), and that He began to assume a new expression of His Fatherhood relationship to the eternal Son in the council of the Godhead prior to creation and time (Psalm 2:7–10). This Fatherhood relationship to the Son denotes their equality of nature, while at the same time expressing the subordination of the Son to the Father in the execution of the divine purpose (John 1:1–2; 5:18). He also has a Fatherhood relationship to spirit beings, thus expressing His authoritative headship (Job 1:6; Hebrews 12:9).

He now forgives the sins of grace believers, entering a Fatherhood relationship with them through their spiritual birth, by which He indwells them, making them partakers of the divine nature and calling them His born ones (Titus 3:5; John 3:5–7; Ephesians 4:6; 2 Peter 1:4; 1 John 3:9). The Father, as the one to whom the saints address the majority of their communications (Philippians 4:6; Ephesians 5:20; Hebrews 13:15; 1 John 1:9; 1 Timothy 1:12), answers those requests that are in keeping with His will (John 16:23–26; 1 John 5:14–15).

The uniqueness of the Father is seen in that He is the one who sent the Son as His gift into the world (John 3:16). Moreover, He, in partnership with the Son, sent the Holy Spirit to be resident in the world on the Day of Pentecost (John 14:26; 15:26). Unlike the other Persons of the Godhead, He is the Sender and is not sent.

The Son

We believe the Scriptures teach that the second Person of the triune God is the eternal Son, the Logos, the I AM, who as the incarnate One became the Lord Jesus Christ (John 1:1–2; Romans 9:5; 2 Peter 1:1). As the preincarnate Son, He planned and made the ages (Isaiah 9:6; Hebrews 1:2; 11:3). As the Logos-Son, He was the agent of creation, and thus all things came into being by Him, through Him, and for Him (John 1:1–3; Colossians 1:16–19).

In the incarnation, He became a man through the miracle of His divine conception and virgin birth (John 1:14; Luke 1:31–35; 1 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 2:14), without change in His deity (Philippians 2:6–8; John 1:14). While on earth He lived a sinless life, died a substitutionary death for all men, was buried, and arose bodily from the grave on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:1–4; 2 Corinthians 5:14–15; Hebrews 4:15). He then ascended bodily into heaven and is presently fulfilling His intercessory and mediatorial ministry (Acts 1:9–11; Hebrews 4:14; 7:25; Romans 8:34; 1 Timothy 2:5).

He indwells all believers of this dispensation, imparting a quality of His life, which constitutes their possession of eternal life (Colossians 1:27; 1 John 5:11–12). He has promised to rapture the church prior to the seventieth week of Daniel (Revelation 3:10). After the Tribulation, He will return to earth and institute His millennial Davidic reign (Matthew 24:29–31; Luke 1:32; Revelation 20:4). After the millennial reign, He will turn the kingdom over to the Father. In the Father’s kingdom the authority of the Godhead will again be equalized, so that the Son will co-reign into the ages of the ages (1 Corinthians 15:24–28; Revelation 11:15).

The Holy Spirit

We believe the Scriptures teach that the Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Godhead, co-eternal and co-equal with the Father and the Son (Matthew 28:19; Acts 5:3–4; Hebrews 9:14). The Holy Spirit was a co-agent in creation and the divine agent in the supernatural conception of the humanity of the Son (Matthew 1:18; Luke 1:35; 2 Peter 1:21; Job 26:13). He became resident in the world on the Day of Pentecost as a result of being sent by the Father and the Son (John 14:26; 15:26). The Holy Spirit will continue to be resident on earth until the Rapture (John 14:16; 2 Thessalonians 2:7).

Since that time, He is the co-witness through the believer concerning Christ, taking the things of Christ and glorifying Him (John 15:26; 16:13–14). He convicts the unsaved of their need of Christ, then regenerates, baptizes, indwells, and seals those who respond by believing (John 3:5; 16:8–11; Titus 3:5; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 6:19; 12:13; Ephesians 4:30). He is the Anointer, the divine Teacher of the believer, whom He seeks to lead into spiritual maturity through the knowledge of Christ and to empower through His filling ministry (1 Corinthians 2:10–12; Ephesians 5:18; 1 John 2:20, 27).

Salvation

We believe the Scriptures teach that salvation in all three tenses is by the grace of God through His free gift, which is neither merited nor secured in part or in whole by any virtue or work of man (Ephesians 2:8–9). The gospel that the Holy Spirit uses as the basis for His conviction of a sinner to bring him to faith in Christ is a specific, limited area of truth (Romans 1:16). The facts that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again physically after three days are the essential parts of the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1–4; 2 Timothy 2:8–10). Any part that is changed or omitted hinders the convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit.

The sole ground of salvation is the death of our Lord Jesus Christ in His human nature on the cross. He became personally separated in His human nature from the Father when the Father made the Son’s Person (human body and sinless human nature) an offering for sin. Thereby, the Father’s outraged holiness against man’s sin nature was propitiated (Isaiah 53:10; Matthew 27:46; Romans 3:25; 1 John 2:2; 4:10). Because of His infinite character, His blood was a sufficient redemption for all mankind (Romans 3:24; 2 Peter 2:1). Since the death of Christ was sufficient for all the world, the world is now positionally reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:18–19; Romans 5:10). God, therefore, urges all men to be reconciled to Him (2 Corinthians 5:20).

The single condition whereby the value of these propitiatory, redemptive, and reconciling works of the cross may be applied by the Holy Spirit to the individual is personal faith in the crucified and risen Son of God (Acts 16:31; Ephesians 2:8–9). At salvation, the believer is called, regenerated, forgiven of all sin, justified, sanctified, made eternally secure, and endowed with every spiritual blessing (Romans 3:24; 5:1; Ephesians 1:3, 13–14; 4:32; Titus 3:5; 1 Corinthians 1:30). Positionally, the believer is glorified and seated in the heavenlies in Christ (Romans 8:29–30; Ephesians 2:6–7).

Man

Scripture teaches that Adam was created in the image and likeness of God, immediately and apart from any process of evolution (Genesis 1:26–27; 2:7). Adam, by personal disobedience to the will of God, became a sinner (Genesis 3:5–7); he became depraved in nature and subject to Satan’s power (2 Corinthians 4:3–4; Ephesians 2:2–3). This sin nature and depravity have been transmitted to the entire human race, so that man is a sinner by nature, by choice, and by practice—guilty before God and possessing within himself no means of recovery or salvation (Psalm 51:5; Romans 3:10–12; 5:12, 19). Scripture further teaches that man is a tripartite being, consisting of body, soul, and spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 4:12).

The Church

We believe the Scriptures teach that the Church is the Body of Christ, begun on the Day of Pentecost, into which all true believers of this dispensation are baptized by the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4–5; 11:15–17; 1 Corinthians 12:13). Accompanying this baptism is the giving of spiritual gifts for the edification of the Church (1 Corinthians 12:1–14; Ephesians 4:7–13). The exalted Christ is the only Head of the Church (Ephesians 1:22; 5:23–24).

The local expression of this Church is a company of regenerated, baptized believers in a local assembly, independent in character and autonomous in function, yet having fellowship with other churches of like faith and order (Acts 15; 1 Corinthians 5:4). To these churches are committed the ordinances of baptism (Matthew 28:19–20) and the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:23–34).

Baptism, obligatory upon every believer, is by immersion in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, as a sign of union with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection, and is a prerequisite for local church membership (Matthew 28:19; Acts 8:35–39). The Lord’s Supper is a commemoration of the Person of Christ, His Body which is the Church, and the new covenant in His blood (1 Corinthians 10:16–22; 11:23–29).

The officers of the local church are pastors (the term being interchangeable with elder and bishop) and deacons (Acts 20:17, 28; 1 Timothy 3:1–13; Titus 1:6–9). The responsibilities of the local church include worship, self-edification through teaching and equipping each saint for the work of ministry, exhorting and provoking one another to love and good works, and exercising spiritual gifts (Matthew 28:20; Ephesians 4:11–16; Hebrews 10:24–25).

Spiritual Gifts

We believe the Scriptures teach that every believer since the beginning of the Church at Pentecost receives one spiritual gift (1 Peter 4:10–11; 1 Corinthians 12:7, 11, 18–19). This gift is the result of the Spirit baptizing the believer into the Body of Christ and corresponds to the functions of the members of the Body (1 Corinthians 12:12–13). This gift is given for the edification and good of the local church, not the individual recipient (1 Corinthians 12:15–25; Ephesians 4:11–13).

In the beginning of the Church, some gifts were given that were of a temporary nature and are no longer given (1 Corinthians 13:8–12; Hebrews 2:2–3). Some of these temporary gifts were revelatory, providing oral revelation while the New Testament was being completed (1 Corinthians 14:25–26). These include the gifts of apostle, discerning of spirits, tongues, interpretation of tongues, a word of knowledge, a word of wisdom, and prophecy. Others were confirmatory sign gifts, vindicating the spokesman of God while the New Testament was incomplete (1 Corinthians 14:22; Hebrews 2:2–4). These include tongues, healing, and miracles (1 Corinthians 14:22).

However, all other gifts mentioned in the New Testament should remain operative in the local church today (Romans 12:7–8; 1 Corinthians 12:9, 28; Ephesians 4:11). These are: pastor-teacher, teacher, evangelist, helps, ministry, exhortation, mercy, giving, faith, administration, and organization.

Spirit Beings

We believe the Scriptures teach that prior to the creation of the material universe, the triune God created a great host of varied spirit beings (Job 38:4–7; Colossians 1:16–17). The holy angels serve God as His messengers and minister to those who are the elect among the human race (Hebrews 1:14).

Lucifer (Satan), the highest of the cherubim, fell by sinning against the Most High God and took with him one-third of the angels (Isaiah 14:12–14; Ezekiel 28:14; Revelation 12:7). Satan is the author of sin and the one who brought about the fall of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:5). He is the enemy of God, the accuser of God’s people, and is constantly active in opposing the works and people of God (1 Peter 5:8; Revelation 12:10). Satan was judged at the cross, and his ultimate destiny is the Lake of Fire (John 12:31; 16:11; Revelation 20:7, 10).

Future Events

We believe the Scriptures teach that at death the spirit and soul of the believer pass instantly into the presence of Christ and remain in conscious joy until the resurrection of the body when Christ comes for His own (1 Corinthians 15:51–57; 2 Corinthians 5:8). The blessed hope of the believer is the imminent, personal, pretribulational, premillennial appearance of Christ to rapture (Greek: harpazō — to snatch away by force) the Church (1 Thessalonians 4:14–17; Titus 2:13).

His righteous judgments will then be poured out on an unbelieving world during the Tribulation (the seventieth week of Daniel), the last half of which is the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21). The climax of this fearful era will be the physical return of Jesus Christ to the earth in great glory to establish the Davidic kingdom (Revelation 19:11–16). A remnant of Israel will be saved and restored as a nation (Romans 11:26–27). Satan will be bound, and the curse will be lifted from the physical creation. He will be released for a short time at the end of the millennium and lead a final rebellion against God (Romans 8:19–23; Revelation 20:2–3, 7–8).

Following the millennium, Satan will be cast into the Lake of Fire. The Great White Throne Judgment will then occur, at which time the spirits and souls of the wicked in Hades shall be reunited with resurrected bodies and cast into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:11–15).

Dispensations and Ages

A consistent literal interpretation of Scripture results in Dispensationalism. Therefore, Dispensationalism is not merely an approach to the Bible or a view of the Bible, but the result of a consistent literal interpretation. This same literal method of interpretation distinguishes between ages and dispensations.

Ages may exist in eternity past (Ephesians 3:9, Gr.), in time (Galatians 1:4, Gr.; 1 Corinthians 2:8, Gr.), or in eternity future (Ephesians 2:7). Dispensations can exist only in time (Ephesians 3:2; 1:10; 3:9, Gr.).

An age is a phase in the present decree whereby certain events are designed to show God’s rational creatures something about Himself by comparison or contrast (Ephesians 2:7; 3:21, Gr.; Hebrews 1:2, Gr.; 11:3, Gr.).

A dispensation is a phase in God’s program for mankind in which He, through a steward or stewards, imposes on some or all of mankind specific rules to regulate their daily lives and to reveal something to man about himself (Ephesians 3:2; Colossians 1:25; Ephesians 3:9, Gr.; Galatians 3:10–12; 1 Timothy 1:4, Gr.; Ephesians 1:10).

Christian Life and Sin

At the time of past-tense, or initial, salvation, the believer is given all things that pertain to spiritual life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). By regeneration, he shares in a quality of the divine nature and eternal life (John 3:6, 15; 1 John 3:9–10; 2 Peter 1:4; 1 John 5:11–12). Because the believer shares in a quality of the divine nature, he has new desires and abilities. These new desires and abilities constitute the believer’s new nature (Romans 7:19–23).

Since the believer still possesses the old dominant fallen Adamic sin nature, he needs the filling of the indwelling Holy Spirit to manifest the new nature (Romans 7:23–8:4; Ephesians 5:18–25; Galatians 5:16–18, 22–23, 25; 2 Corinthians 3:18). The Spirit-filled believer, or spiritual believer, can manifest the fruit of the Spirit and thus Christlikeness. The requirements to be Spirit-filled, and thus spiritual, are that the believer must reckon himself dead to the sin nature and alive to God in the sphere of his position in Christ (Romans 6:10–11; Colossians 3:1–5) and yield his members as instruments of righteousness to God (Romans 6:13).

Besides the flesh, or sin nature, the believer has two other spiritual enemies: the world and Satan. The spiritual saint is able to discern the difference between the lusts from the flesh, the world, and Satan (Romans 6:12; Ephesians 2:3; Galatians 5:24; 1 John 2:15–17; John 8:44). He who is spiritual can say no to these lusts before they become a temptation (Titus 2:12–13). When a lust is allowed to become a temptation, the believer must endure it while taking the way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13; James 1:13–15). If the mentally considered temptation is acted upon with a corresponding action, it results in an act of sin against God (James 1:13–15; 4:11; 1 Corinthians 6:18; 1 John 3:4; Matthew 15:17–20; Psalm 41:4; 51:4).

The spiritual saint overcomes the world by using it as a means to an end without loving or befriending it (1 John 2:15–17; James 4:4; 1 Corinthians 7:29–31). The spiritual Christian has an armor that he is to put on mentally each time he discerns an attack by Satan or his demons (1 Peter 5:8–9; James 4:7–8; Ephesians 6:12–18). The spiritual believer who is overcoming the three enemies grows to maturity by grace and is increasingly conformed to the image of Christ (2 Peter 3:18; 2 Corinthians 3:18; 4:6–7; 2 Timothy 2:1).