DOCTRINAL STATEMENT

 THE BIBLE The Entire Bible (all 66 books) is inerrant and verbally inspired of God and has been preserved for us in the “Masoretic Text” of the Old Testament and in the “Received Text” of the New Testament. It is the full and complete authority in all matters of faith and practice.  (NOTE: The King James Bible is the only English translation of these texts at the present time.)
 (ref.: Psalms 12:6-7, Romans 15:4, 1Thess.2:13, 2Tim.3:16-17, 2Peter 1:21)
 THE GODHEAD There is one God, eternally existing in three Persons; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
 (ref.: Deuteronomy 6:4, Isaiah 45:21-22, John 10:30-33, 2Cor.13:14, Eph.4:4-6, Philippians 2:5-6, Col.2:9, 1Tim.2:5)
 THE PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST Jesus Christ is true God and true man in one Person. He is the Eternal Word incarnate. He was begotten of the Holy Ghost and born of the virgin, Mary, and is without sin/sins.
 (ref.: Isaiah 7:14, Matt.1:20-25, Luke 1:31-35, John 1:1-3, Rom.1:3-4, Col.1:15-17) THE HOLY SPIRIT The Holy Spirit is the Person of the Godhead who convicts the world of sin and who regenerates, baptizes, indwells, seals, enlightens and empowers believers by grace through faith.
 (ref.: John 16:18, 1Cor.2:9-13, 6:19, 12:13, Eph.1:13, 3:16-20, Titus 3:5)
 
 MAN’S NATURE All men by nature are dead in trespasses and sins and are therefore unable to do anything pleasing to God by their own wisdom or strength.
 (ref.: Rom.3:9-20, 8:5-8, Eph.2:1-3)
 
 REDEMPTION God justifies ungodly sinners by His grace through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ on the ground of His blood that was shed on Calvary’s cross.  This salvation is bestowed as the free gift of God to all who believe, apart from man’s works.
 (ref.: Rom. 4:4-5, 8:21-28, Eph.2:4-9, Col.1:14)
 
 ETERNAL SECURITY All of the saved are eternally secure in Jesus Christ.
 (ref.: Rom.8:28-29, Eph.1:13-14, 4:30, 1Thess.5:23, 2Tim.1:12)
 
 RESURRECTION Jesus Christ was resurrected bodily from the dead. Therefore, all men will have a bodily resurrection; the saved to everlasting glory, and the unsaved, in a separate resurrection to everlasting punishment.
 (ref.:John 5:29,Luke 24:36-43, Rev.20:4-5, 1Cor.15:20-23, 51-53,Philippians 3:20-21,1Thess.4:13-18)
 
 THE CHURCH The one true Church of the present dispensation of God’s grace is identified as the “Body of Christ”. The Body of Christ Church had its historical beginning with the ministry of the Apostle Paul before he wrote his first epistle.
 (ref.: Acts 13:45-46, Acts 16, 1Cor.12:13, Eph.1:22-23, 2:11-16, Philippians 1:5-6,1Thess. 2:14-16, 1Tim.3:14-16)
 LOCAL CHURCH GOVERNMENT Presently, and until the catching away of the Body of Christ, there are only two offices in the local church.  In particular, these are identified as those of bishops (also known as elders) and deacons.  Faithful men are to hold these offices of trust and responsibility as overseers of the spiritual welfare   of the local church.
 (ref.: Acts 20:28, 1Tim.3:1-13, 5:17, 2Tim.2:2, Titus 1:5-9)
 GIFTS All of the “sign” gifts of the Acts period, such as tongues, healing, and prophecy have ceased, as they were temporary in character and only necessary so long as God was dealing with the “sign nation” Israel.
 (ref.: Isaiah 28:9-13, Acts 8:5-11, 1Cor.1:22, 13:8-13, 14:20-22)
 CHRISTIAN WALK AND SEPARATION By reason of Christ’s victory over sin, by His finished work on the cross, all saved persons may experience deliverance from the power of sin as they yield themselves to the control of the indwelling Holy Spirit. It is understood that man’s sin nature is not eradicated during this life. As saints and members of the Body of Christ, we are called of God to maintain a Christ honoring testimony, as we depend on His power at work in us. We are to be separate from all ungodliness, apostasy, and disobedient brethren. We reject any form of ecumenicalism and regard it as a dangerous philosophy. We are to manifest obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ and to love all men.
 (ref.: Rom.6:1-14, 7:15-25, 12:1-2, 16:17-18, 2Cor.10:3-5, Gal.5:16-25, Philippians 2:13, Col.2:8,    18-23, 1Thess.3:12, 2Thess.3:6, 14-15, 2Tim.1:9, Titus 2:11-13, 3:10)
 THE LORD’S SUPPER The communion of the Lord’s Supper, as revealed through the Apostle Paul from the ascended Lord Jesus Christ, is for the members of the Body of Christ as a memorial observance of the Lord’s death, “til He come”. There is no place in the Holy Scriptures where the Lord’s Supper is identified as an enforced decree or sacrament for the Church, the Body of Christ.
 (ref.: 1Cor.11:23-26, Col.2:9-10, 14-17, 20-23)
 BAPTISM All saved persons have been made members of the Body of Christ by the baptizing work of the Holy Spirit. This is a spiritual operation whereby the believer is identified and placed into union with the Body of Christ and with Christ, Who is the Head of that Body. By that one baptism, every true believer is identified with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection.    
 
  (cont.’) With regard to water baptism, we conclude that although this rite was once required by God as a manifestation of faith, it has no place in God’s spiritual program for the Body of Christ in the present Dispensation of Grace. The practice of water baptism, along with such practices as healing, tongues, and handling of serpents, passed with the setting aside of Israel, as indicated in Act 28.
 (ref.: Acts 2:38, 28:25-28, Rom.6:3-4, 1Cor.1:17, 12:13, Gal.3:26-28, Eph.4:5, Col.2:12)
 THE RAPTURE The rapture, or catching away of the Church, which is Christ’s Body, is pre-tribulational and   pre-millennial. The Lord Jesus Christ will come to receive all members of His Body to Himself “in the air” and so shall they ever be with the Lord. The dead in Christ shall rise first, and they that are alive then follow. All will receive a resurrection body that is immortal and incorruptible, like unto the Lord’s own body.
 (ref.: 1Cor.15:51-53, Philippians 3:20-21, Col.3:4, 1Thess.1:10, 4:13-18)
 THE SECOND COMING The second coming of Christ to the earth will be pre-millennial. His return, following the time of the Tribulation, will mark the establishment of the Millennial Kingdom, over which He (Christ) will reign with redeemed national Israel.
 (ref.: Jeremiah 31:31-34, Zechariah 14:4-9, Revelation 19:11-20:6, Acts 1:10-11)
 THE STATE OF THE DEAD Nowhere does the Scripture extend the hope of salvation to the unsaved dead, but instead reveals that they will ever continue to exist in a state of conscious suffering.  The teaching of universalism,   of probation after death, of the annihilation of the unsaved dead, or of the unconscious state of the dead are opposed by us as thoroughly unscriptural and dangerous.
 (ref.:Matt.25:31-46, Mark 9:42-48, Luke 16:23-28, John 3:36, Rev.19:20, 2Cor.5:6-8, Philippians 1:23, 2Thess.1:8-9)
 THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH The mission and commission of the Church, the Body of Christ, is to proclaim the message of reconciliation, by the preaching of the cross of Christ according to the revelation of the Mystery (that body of truth that was committed to the Apostle Paul for the Body of Christ in the Dispensation of Grace). We, like Paul, must preach the entire Word of God in the light of this message (also identified as “my gospel”, the Gospel of the Grace of God, the Word of His Grace, and the Gospel of the Uncircumcision).
 (ref.: Acts 20:24, Rom.2:16,16:25, 1Cor.11:1, 2Cor.5:14-21, Gal.1:8-9, Eph.3:3-9, 1Tim.1:11-16)