STATEMENT OF FAITH

THE HOLY SCRIPTURES: We believe the Scriptures--both the Old and New Testaments--to be the verbally inspired Word of God, written by men in God's control. We believe that God, in His perfect providence, has faithfully preserved His revelation to man so that today we possess the complete, accurate, and reliable texts of both testaments (Deut. 4:2; 12:32; Prov. 30:5,6; Rev. 22:18,19; Eccl.3:14; Isa. 40:8; Psa. 12:6,7; 119:89,111,152,160; Matt. 5:18; 1 Pe. 1:23-25). And that those preserved texts, as contained in the King James Bible, are the only complete and accurate translation in the English language. That the original manuscripts (the Greek Textus Receptus and Hebrew Masoretic texts), from which the King James Bible was translated, are inerrant and infallible, in all areas (including creation, science, geography, chronology, history, and in all other matters in which it speaks). We believe the Bible to be the complete and final authority in all matters of faith, doctrine and life. We accept the historical record of the Bible as accurate and adequate. (1 Thes: 2:13; 2 Tim: 3:15-17; 2 Pe: 1:20,21; Psa: 19:7-9; Rev:22:18-19).
CREATION: We believe in the Biblical account of the creation of the universe in six literal, solar days; that God created by His Word the heavens, the earth, and all their hosts, without pre-existing materials; that man was created by a direct act of God; that each individual is a living person from the moment of conception; that all forms of evolutionary hypotheses are serious errors which strike at the very person and glory of God. (Gen: 1:1-31; 2:7; 5:3; Exo: 20:11; Heb: 11:13; Psa:. 139:13-16; Lk: 1:41,44;Jn: 1:3; Rom: 5:12-24; 1 Cor: 15:22; Col:1:15-19; Heb: 11:3). Evolutionary Hypotheses: We reject all of the "theological evolutionary" theories of creation (Gap Theory, Old-Earth theory, Day-Age Theory, Theistic Evolutionism/Progressive Creationism, etc.), as well as the theories of the secular evolutionists.
THE GODHEAD: We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit--who are identical in essence, equal in power and glory, and possess precisely the same attributes and perfection (Deut:6:4; Matt: 28:19; Lk: 3:22; 2 Cor:13:14).
THE CONDITION OF MAN: We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, in innocence and without sin. But in Adam's sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature, became spiritually dead and alienated from God so that man is a sinner by both nature and imputation, thereby justly condemned to eternal damnation without defense or excuse, and man, of himself, is incapable of remedying his lost and depraved condition by any means whatsoever (Gen: 1:26; 3:1-24; Rom:3:10-18; 5:12,19; Eph: 2:1-3).
THE PERSON AND THE WORK OF CHRIST: We believe that God demands a life of perfect obedience to His law; i.e., complete and total righteousness. Thus, God the Son had to become man in order to provide for us what God the Father's holy nature (and self-consistency) demanded-perfect righteousness. Thus, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God; having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man. He accomplished this redemption by voluntarily giving Himself as a sinless substitutionary sacrifice on the cross, thereby satisfying God's righteous judgement against sin. He gave proof that He accomplished that redemption by His bodily resurrection from the grave. He then ascended to the right hand of His Father where He intercedes on behalf of those who have believed on Him (Jn:1:1,2,14,18;Lk: 1:34,35; 24:36-43; Rom: 2:12,13; 3:24-26; 8:34; Heb: 4:14-16; 2 Cor:5:21).
THE PERSON AND THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT: We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Divine Person who convicts the world of sin; that He alone brings new life to those who are spiritually dead; that He baptizes (or places) all believers into the one true Church, which is the Body of Christ; that He indwells them permanently, seals them unto the day of redemption, bestows spiritual gifts upon them, and fills (controls) those who are yielding to Him to empower for Christian life and service. (Jn: 3:3-8; 16:7-11; Acts: 5:3,4; Eph: 4:5; 1 Cor: 12:13;Rom: 8:9; Jn:14:16,17; Eph: 4:30; 1 Cor: 12:7-11; 1 Pe: 4:10; Eph:3:16; 5:18; Gal. 5:22,23).
SALVATION: We believe that salvation is the gift of God's grace given to all who believe on the Son (i.e., to all whom God has sovereignly elected to salvation). It includes all that God does in saving the elect from the penalty, power, and presence of sin, and in restoring them to a right relationship with God. As such, it is solely the work of God from initiation to completion. It cannot be gained by good works, but is a free gift for all whom God has enabled to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross. All who so put their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord have been forgiven and saved from their sins and declared righteous before God, and have been born into the family of God by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. God's purpose for saving His elect is so that they bring glory to Him by their lives. (Rom:1:16; 10:17; Acts 16:14b; Eph: 1:7; 2:8,9; Jn:1:12,13; Rom:9:16; 2 Cor:5:21; Phil:1:6; Titus:2:11-14; 3:5-7; 1 Pe:1:18- 19; Jn: 5:40; 6:44; 3:36; 5:24; 1 Jn:5:1).
SECURITY, ASSURANCE, and HUMAN RESPONSIBILTY: We believe that all the saved--those in whom God has accomplished His transforming work of grace--are kept by His power, and thus, are secure in Christ forever. This assurance, however, is not the occasion for sin, for God in holiness cannot tolerate willful and/or persistent sin in His children, and in infinite love He corrects them. True faith in Christ is always expressed by a fruitful, God-pleasing life. (Jn:10:27-29; Rom:8:29-39; 1 Jn: 5:13; Heb:12:6; Matt: 7:20; Js:2:20).
THE CHURCH: We believe that the true Church, called in Scripture the Body of Christ, is all collective believers. Every person who has trusted Jesus Christ for salvation has been baptized (placed) into this Body by the Holy Spirit. The local church, as established in Scripture, is made up of redeemed individuals who have joined together for worship, instruction, fellowship, and service; exhibiting the true love of God to each other. (Eph: 1:22,23; 5:25-32; 1 Cor:12:12,13; Acts:2:42; 13:1,2).
THE CHRISTIAN LIFE: We believe that a Christian should desire to live a life of righteousness, good works, and separation unto God from the evil ways of the world (Rom:12:1,2), manifested by speaking the truth (Js: 5:12), maintaining the sanctity of the home (Eph:5:22-6:4), settling differences between Christians in accordance with the Word of God (1 Cor: 6:1-8), not engaging in carnal strife but showing a Christ-like attitude toward all men (Rom:12:17-21), exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit (Gal:5:22,23), and maintaining a life of prayer and Christian servitude (Eph:6:18; Phil. 4:6).
NEW LIFE: The life given by the Holy Spirit is more than simply "forgiven" with a continuing dead faith. It is a life that is of God which transforms the person into a totally new creation. God, very God, in the person of the Holy Spirit has taken up residence in the life. The life that is lived henceforth is truly changed from the inside out. This person will be marked off by others as different form "before" (2 Cor. 5:17). This is true "Lordship salvation"--the evidence of a faith bestowed by God results in the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22,23; Acts 26:20).
MISSIONS/EVANGELISM: We believe that it is the obligation of the saved to witness by life and by word to the truths of Holy Scripture and to seek to proclaim the Gospel to all mankind (Mk. 16:15; Acts 1:8; 2 Cor. 5:19,20). We also believe that the sending of missionaries is a local church function (just as it is the responsibility of the local church to conduct church discipline and believer's baptism) and, thereby, cannot be delegated to a mission board or agency.
THE MINISTRY AND SPIRITUAL GIFTS: We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowment of all His gifts; and, that the gifts of evangelists, pastors, and teachers are sufficient for the perfecting of the saints today; and, that speaking in tongues and the working of sign miracles gradually ceased as the New Testament Scriptures were completed and their authority became established (1 Cor:12:4-11; 2 Cor:12:12; Eph:4:7-12).
MOVEMENTS CONTRARY TO THE FAITH: We are opposed to all forms of theological compromise, apostasy, liberalism, modernism, ecumenical evangelism, neo-orthodoxy, neo-evangelicalism, and the charismatic and ecumenical movements of our day. We believe that all are out of harmony with the Word of God and the official doctrine and position of Living Sacrifice Ministries, and are inimical to the Word of God.
SEPERATION: Since we believe that evil, false doctrine, and spiritual compromise are all contagious, we thereby believe that the only way the purity, peace, and reputation of the church can be maintained is by separation--both personal and ecclesiastical. Christians are to be in the world, but not of it, having no friendship, affiliation, nor identification with it (personal separation). Likewise, Christians should not attempt to "Christianize" the world's principles and practices and bring them into the Church as part of Christian worship, fellowship, prayer, preaching, or communion. We also believe in the separation from detractors of orthodox doctrine; unbiblical ecclesiastical practices (i.e., neo-evangelicalism, ecumenism, ecclesiastical apostasy, modernism/liberalism, and the charismatic movement), and immoral unrepentant believers. Moreover, we believe that Christians are commanded by Scripture to withdraw from professing brethren who enter into memberships, affiliations, and fellowships (including evangelistic crusades, youth movements, mission agencies, schools, etc.) which seek to unite separatist fundamentalists with those who do not obey the biblical teachings on separation (i.e., with those who refuse to obey the biblical doctrine of separation) [secondary separation] (1 Cor: 5:11; Acts:2:42; Hag: 2:11-13; Amos:3:3; 2 Chron: 19:2; Psa: 1:1; 1 Tim:6:3-5; 2 Tim: 2:20,21; Js: 1:27; 4:4; Jn:17:15,16; 1 Jn: 2:15-17; 2 Cor: 6:14,17-7:1; 1;Cor: 10:18-21; Gal: 1:8,9; Rom: 16:17; Titus:3:10; Matt: 8:17; 2 Tim: 3:1,2,5; 1 Cor:15:33; Eph: 5:11; Rev: 18:4; 2 Thes:3:6,14,15; 2 Jn. 10,11).
ATTITUDE TOWARD CIVIL GOVERNMENT: We believe that civil government is ordained of God for the welfare of human society to promote and protect the good and to restrain and punish evil. Therefore, we consider it the duty of Christians to pray for rulers and for those that are in authority over them and to give due loyalty, respect, and obedience to them. However, where the demands of civil law would militate against the supreme law and will of God, Christians should obey God rather than man (Dan. 4:17; Matt. 22:17-21; Acts 4:19, 5:29; Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Tim 2:1-4; Acts 23:5; Titus 3:1; 1 Pe. 2:13,14).
ORDINANCES: We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ instituted two ordinances to be observed by all believers until His return--water baptism by immersion) to show forth our identification with the crucified, buried, and risen Savior (Matt. 28:19; Rom. 6:3-5; Col. 2:12), and the Lord's Supper as the commemoration of His death until He comes (1 Cor. 11:23-26).
THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST: We believe in the personal coming of the Lord Jesus Christ with His saints for His Church and the "catching up" in the air of all believers, dead and living, to meet Him, immediately after the tribulation. (Matt 24:29; 1 Thes: 1:10; 4:13-18; Rev:3:10; Zech:14:4-11; Rev: 19:11- 16; 20:1-6).
THE ETERNAL STATE: We believe that at death the souls of those who have trusted Christ for salvation pass immediately into His presence and remain there in conscious bliss until the resurrection of the body at Christ's coming for the Church, when soul and body will be reunited. We then shall be with Him forever in glory. We also believe that at death the souls of unbelievers remain in conscious misery until the final judgment of the Great White Throne at the close of the Millennium when the soul and body will be reunited and cast into the lake of fire--not to be annihilated, but to be separated from God forever in conscious punishment (Lk:16:19-26; 2 Cor: 5:8; Phil:1:21-23; Jn:5:28-29; 2 Thes: 1:7-9; Matt: 25:46; Rev:20:11-15).
SCRIPTURAL INTERPRETATION: A passage of Holy Scripture is to be taken as true in its natural, literal sense unless the context of the passage itself indicates otherwise, or unless an article of faith established elsewhere in Scripture requires a broader understanding of the text. There is, therefore, a distinction between Israel (Gal:3:15-18; Rom: 11:25-26,29) and the Church (Acts: 2; 2 Cor: 11:2; Eph:5:23; 1 Cor: 12:13; Gal:3:26-29) regarding God's promises and purpose.] Extra-biblical linguistic and cultural considerations must never decide the interpretation of a text, and any use of extra-biblical material to arrive at an interpretation inconsistent with the internal truth of a Scriptural passage is to be rejected. The overriding principle must always be to let Scripture interpret Scripture.
ADDENDUM TO STATEMENT OF FAITH:

Spiritually Dead: Man possesses no "spark of divinity" that simply needs to be fanned; he is spiritually dead and, thereby, is blind to spiritual truth. He has a natural enmity against God and needs to be made alive by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit that comes solely by grace through faith in the substitutionary work of Jesus Christ (Psa. 51:5; Isa 64:6; 1 Cor. 2:14; 2 Cor. 4:4; Rom. 3:10-18; Eph. 2:1-10; Rom. 8:6-8).
Depraved and Fallen: The Fall of man was complete. There is no godly virtue left in man after the Fall. The difficulty of belief, therefore, lies rooted in sin, not in intellect; belief in the biblical sense is not difficult--it is impossible. The will to respond to God's grace is beyond man's ability, albeit his duty (Psa: 51:5; Isa: 64:6; Eph:4:18; Jn:6:44; Rom:3:19).
Resurrection: The resurrection of Christ is the basis for the resurrection of the body of all believers. It is not figurative nor spiritual, but real (i.e., literal and physical) in time and space (Jn: 20:27).
Baptism: The baptism of the Spirit occurs at salvation and is a once for all time event (1 Cor:12:13; Rom: 8:9). A subsequent spiritual baptism after salvation for the purposes of enablement, giving some sign, or for other reasons (i.e., second blessing, crisis sanctification, etc.) is not supported by the Scripture. Since the baptism of the Spirit occurs in the realm of the spirit, there are no accompanying visible manifestations as there were in some instances in the early church (Acts: 2:4; 19:6). The sign gifts were given to validate the ministry of the Apostles (2 Cor:12:12; Heb: 2:3,4) who for the most part were the writers of the New Testament. Once these writings were complete, the sign gifts disappeared with the Apostles and with those to whom they personally ministered.
Regeneration/Born Again: A "Christian" is the result of the creative act which Scripture calls regeneration--a new birth. In order to be saved, sinners must be "born again" (Jn: 3:3,5; Eph: 2:1,5; 1 Jn: 5:1), which is the new creation in Christ Jesus (2Cor: 5:17; Col 2:13; Jn: 3:8). It occurs the instant a person believes on and receives the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord (Acts:16:30,31); i.e., it is not a process (Jn: 5:24). In the new birth, the one dead in trespasses and in sins is made a partaker of the divine nature and receives eternal life, the free gift of God (Rom: 3:23; 6:23).
Secure: The salvation of the elect is secured from before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4). The electing work of Christ secures not only the elect to salvation for this life but also to eternity (Rom:11:29; Jn: 6:37-40; 1 Cor:3:14,15; Eph:1:13,14).
God-pleasing Life: This does not mean that believers never sin. The believer as a new creature continues to struggle against the flesh, which continues to war against the spirit and cause a life in conflict, imperfect in performance in comparison to his new character (Rom: 7:7-25). However, believers who do sin do not form a distinctive group identifiable as "carnal (fleshly) Christians" as set apart from "non-carnal Christians." No doubt, all Christians commit acts of carnality. Sinful conduct finds its source in the flesh (1 Cor: 3:3; 1 Pe:2:11; 2 Pe: 2:18) and these individuals can be said to be guilty of carnality or acting according to the flesh. Acts: 11:26 records the beginning of the term Christian being applied to followers (disciples) of Christ.
Word of God and the Wisdom of the World: The wisdom of the world, which is presented by various disciplines of secular study that purport to explain certain human behavior, is inadequate and positions itself against the revelation of God. Allowing for organic and mental development factors, all believers are responsible for their own actions. The idea of two "minds" (conscious and the "subconscious" or "unconscious") is not found in Scripture. The motivation for our moral conduct and conduct based on our values is seated in the consciousness alone. Motivation for actions that spring from a hidden source, causing irresponsible and uncontrollable action, is rejected as unbiblical (Jn. 14:16; 1 Cor:1:18,21,26-29; 2:4-8,13-15a; 3:18-20; Col. 2:3,8-10; Js. 1:5; Jer:17:5-7; Isa: 2:22; Psa: 119:99,100; Ezek: 18).
Salvation: The Church itself serves no function in the "new birth" experience. The moment a lost sinner is led by the Holy Spirit to hear and believe the pure Gospel, he is reconciled to God through saving faith (John: 5:24). The Church is never seen in the Word in an intermediary role, dispensing grace. God himself effects the miracle of the new birth apart from the works of men (Acts:10:43-48 cf. Acts: 15:7-11).
Instruction: The teaching duties are given to the men of the church except as prescribed in Titus: 2:3-5. Though completely and entirely man's spiritual equal (Gal:3:28), God has specific roles/functions for women that are distinct and different from man's (1 Tim:3:14,15; 2:11-15; 5:9,10,14; 1 Cor:11:3-10; 14:33b-35; 1 Pe:3:1-6).
Ecumenism/Ecumenical Evangelism: Ecumenism is that movement which seeks the organizational unity of all Christianity and ultimately of all religions. Its principal advocates are the World Council of Churches and the National Council of Churches in the United States of America. Ecumenical Evangelism is that effort to promote the Gospel by bringing fundamentalists into an unequal yoke with theological liberals and/or Roman Catholics and other divergent groups, and is thoroughly rejected
Believers in the World: Separation is required from all forms of worldliness in activities, conduct, and appearance in order to be an example of a believer to an unbelieving world (Rom:12:2; Js. 4:4; 1 Jn: 2:15,16; 1 Cor: 10:18-21; 2 Cor:10:2-5; Jn:15:17-20; 17:15,16).
Separation: We separate ourselves from all ecclesiastical apostasy and modernism as exhibited in such religious organizations as the National Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches, as well as the ungodly and unbiblical religious programs respected by society. In addition, other forms of ecumenism as they are practiced today (inclusive evangelism, neo-evangelicalism, the charismatic movement, etc.) will not be part of our practice or alliances.

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STATEMENT OF FAITH

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