STATEMENT OF FAITH
Lawrence Bowman and the Board of Directors of Mission Frontier accept the Scriptures as the revealed Will of God, the all-sufficient rule of faith and practice, and for the purpose of maintaining general unity, adopt these Statements of Fundamental Truths and Doctrines.
*Of the Scriptures
(A) Its Presentation. God has revealed Himself by general revelation—which manifests His eternal existence, power and glory (Psalm 19:1-3; Rom. 1:19-20)—and by special revelation—which manifests His character, grace, and program of redemption (John 1:1-5, 14, 18; 2 Tim. 3:15); that although special revelation has in times past been given by God through various means (Gen. 20:3, 32:28; Num. 27:21; 1 Sam. 3:10; 1 Chron. 24:5; Ezek. 1:1; Dan. 10:12; Mic. 6:5; Acts 3:21), it is now finally and preeminently given in the incarnate Word of God, the Lord Jesus Christ (Heb. 1:1-2), and the written Word of God, the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments known collectively as the Holy Scriptures, or the Bible (2 Tim. 3:15); that the Bible is the complete and final written revelation of God so that no other religious writings or supposed revelations (Num. 12:2) are to be accepted as divinely inspired or authoritative (2 Thess. 2:1-2); that the Holy Spirit superintended the writing of the Bible such that the writers, although their individual personalities and different styles of writing are evident, recorded the very words by which God desires to communicate to mankind (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21); that the Bible, in whole or in part, is equally and fully inerrant in relation to any subject addressed, either directly or indirectly (Psalm 119:140).
(B) Its Interpretation. The teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit is essential to properly understand the Bible (John 16:13; 1 Cor. 2:10-13); that the presence of the Holy Spirit in the believer guarantees the availability of His teaching ministry to all believers, not merely to an elite group (1 Cor. 3:16); that human weakness (John 16:12), carnality (1 Cor. 3:1-2), and unwillingness to obey the truth (John 7:17) can thwart the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit; that unbelievers, no matter how much they know about the Bible, cannot truly understand it (Acts 4:13-14; 1 Corinthians 2:14); that some passages are more difficult to understand than others (2 Peter 3:16); that incorrect interpretations of the Bible bring serious consequences (2 Peter 3:16); that God has gifted some believers with greater ability to teach the Bible for the benefit of all (Rom. 12:6-7; Eph. 4:11-12); that no matter how gifted a believer is, diligent study is necessary to understand the Bible (Isaiah 28:9-10; 2 Tim. 2:15); that those who teach the Bible will be held strictly accountable for their teaching (James 3:1); that there is but one true interpretation of scripture although there may be several applications; that the Bible is to be interpreted within a dispensational framework according to the normal grammatical-historical meaning of its words within the context and literary genre (narrative, poetry, parable, etc.) of the passage given; that the Bible helps interpret itself (1 Cor. 2:13); and that seeming contradictions are only so because of ignorance of all the facts (1 Cor. 13:12).
(C) Its Preservation. The written revelation of God, the Word of God, is true (Psalm 119:160) and pure (Psalm 12:6); that God has promised to preserve His Word (Psalm 12:7; 119:89; Matthew 5:18) and is well able to do so (Jeremiah 32:27); that the preservation promise extends to each and every word of His Word (Deuteronomy 8:3); that the many English translations available today, their words being demonstrably different—even contrary to one another—in hundreds of places, cannot be the true, pure, and preserved Word of God (Psalm 119:89-91); that Satan (Revelation 12:9) has sought to corrupt the Word of God from the beginning (Genesis 3:1-5); that God has expressly warned believers to keep His Word (Jude 1:3; Revelation 22:18-19) and to beware of corruption of it (1 Timothy 4:1); that, therefore, it is necessary to identify which translation is the true pure, and preserved Word of God; and that the King James Bible in the English language is the true, pure, and preserved Word of God because: (1) it was translated from a preserved Greek text (Matthew 12:33); (2) it has proven itself to be the quick and powerful Word of God (Hebrews 4:12) by the changed lives of untold millions of believers (John 8:31-32) for over four-hundred years; and (3) it teaches fundamental doctrines necessary for salvation and sanctification which are often weakened by, if not eliminated from, the texts of spurious bibles (1 Timothy 4:1).
*Concerning God
(A) The Triune God—His Being. There is only one (Deut. 6:4; Isaiah 44:6) living and true God (Jer. 10:10); that He is a Spirit (1 Kings 8:27; John 4:24), infinite (Job 11:7-9), eternal (Deut. 33:27; Psalm 90:20), sovereign (Psalm 135:6), and unchanging (Mal. 3:6) in His being (Exod. 3:14), wisdom (Rom. 11:33), understanding (Psalm 147:5), power (Matt. 19:26), holiness (Isaiah 6:3), justice (Rev. 15:3), goodness (Psalm 31:19), and truth (Exod. 34:6-7); that He is to be addressed with language using the male gender (Gen. 1:31; Matt. 7:11; Mark 1:1; John 14:25); that He is self-existent and self-revealing in three distinct persons—the Father (John 6:27), the Son (Titus 2:13) and the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3-4), —each of whom is to be equally honored, worshiped, and obeyed as true God (Matt. 28:19); that as its Creator (Gen. 1:1), He is absolutely separate from and above creation (Eph. 4:6) yet everywhere present in creation (Psalm 139:8; Heb. 4:13) as the Preserver of all things (Neh. 9:6); and that He, according to the counsel of His own will (Dan. 4:35; Eph. 1:4, 11-12) and for His own glory (Rom. 15:4) and pleasure (Rev. 4:11), does whatever He desires in heaven and earth (Job 23:13-14), the knowledge of which enables His children to be patient in trouble (Rom. 5:3-4; James 1:2-4), thankful in prosperity (Phil. 4:10-13), and confident in the face of death (Rom. 8:38-39).
(B) The Triune God—God the Father. God the Father (Eph. 4:6) is the first Person of the Triune God (Matt. 28:19); that he orders and disposes all things according to His own purpose (Isaiah 14:24-27) and grace (Eph. 2:7); that He is sovereign in creation (Psalm 135:6), providence (2 Chron. 20:6; Psalm 89:9; Matt. 6:26), and redemption (Eph. 1:3-6); that He continually directs and governs all creatures and events (Isaiah 44:24-28); that He accomplishes His will without being in any way the author (Rom. 7:7, 12-14; 9:14) or approver (Psalm 5:4; Ezek. 18:23) of sin or abridging the accountability of human beings (Rom. 3:4-6); that through His foreknowledge He has graciously chosen from all eternity those whom He would have as His own (Rom. 8:28-30), yet saves from sin all who willingly come (Rev. 22:17) to Him through Jesus Christ (John 6:37-39); and that He relates Himself to His own as their Father (Matt. 6:8-9).
(C) The Triune God—God the Son. God the Son (Mark 1:1, John 1:34) is the second person of the Triune God (Matt. 28:19), that He is the eternal Word (John 1:1), and only begotten Son (John 1:18), our great God and Savior the Lord Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13); that He, while retaining His absolute deity as the eternal Son of God (John 1:14; Heb. 13:8), became man (Galatians 4:4) by the miracle of virgin birth (Matthew 1:23) to continue forever (Heb. 7:24) as both God and man (Col. 2:9), one person in two distinct natures (Luke 1:35; Rom. 9:5); that He, as man, was in all points tempted like as we are (Heb. 4:15), yet, because He, as God, had no sin nature (2 Cor. 5:21), He was constitutionally unable to sin (John 1:14; Heb. 7:26), and did not sin in fact (John 8:29; 1 Peter 2:22); that He, as the perfect lamb of God (1 Peter 1:19), gave Himself in death (Matt. 20:28; John 10:17) upon the cross (Phil. 2:8) to bear there in His own body (1 Peter 2:24) the sins of the whole world (Isaiah 53:6; John 2:2) and suffered the full penalty of divine wrath (Matt. 27:46; Gal. 3:13) in our stead—the Absolutely Just for the absolutely unjust (Isaiah 53:4-5; 1 Peter 3:18); that He actually died and was buried (Mark 14:44-46); that He arose from the dead (Matt. 28:6-7); 1 Cor. 14:4) in the same, though glorified—not immaterial—body (Luke 24:39) in which He had lived and died (John 20:25-28); that His resurrection body is the pattern of that body which ultimately will be given to all believers (Phil. 3:21); that He, as our great High Priest (Heb. 3:1), ascended into heaven (Acts 1:9-11) to sit at the right hand of God the Father (Mark 16:19; Heb. 1:3) as our Advocate (1 John 2:1) and Intercessor (Heb. 7:25); that He is the head of the church, His body (Eph. 1:22-23); and that He is the final Judge (John 5:22) of His own 2 Cor. 5:10) and of all who fail to place their trust in Him as their Savior from sin (John 3:18; 2 Thess. 1:8-9; Rev. 20:11-15).
(D) The Triune God—God the Holy Spirit. God the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19, Acts 5:3-4) is the third Person of the Triune God, the divine agent in nature (Gen. 1:2), revelation (1 Cor. 2:10; 2 Peter 1:21), and redemption (2 Cor. 3:18); that He caused Mary, a virgin, to conceive the Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 1:35); that He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 15:8-11); that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration (John 3:5-7) and baptizes all believers into the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13); that He seals unto the day of redemption (Eph. 3:16), guides (Rom. 8:14), teaches (John 14:26), sanctifies (1 Cor. 6:11), and constantly works to conform to the image of Christ (2 Cor. 3:18) all who become children of God through Jesus Christ; that He distributes spiritual gifts to believers (1 Cor. 12:11) to glorify Christ (John 16:13-14) and edify the body of Christ (Eph. 4:11-12), not to glorify Himself, the gifts, or the recipients of the gifts.
*Of the Devil or Satan. Satan was once holy and enjoyed heavenly honors, but through pride and ambition to be as the Almighty, fell and drew after him a host of angels; that he is now the malignant prince of the power of the air and the unholy god of this world. We hold him to be man’s great tempter, the enemy of God and Christ, the accuser of the saints, the author of all false religions, the chief power back of the present apostasy, the lord of the Antichrist, and the author of all the powers of darkness-destined however to final defeat at the hands of God’s Son and the judgment of an eternal justice in hell, a place prepared for him and his angels. (Rev. 12:19; Ezek. 28:14-17; John 10:10)
*Of the Creation. The creations account is recorded in book of Genesis and it is to be accepted literally, not allegorically or figuratively; that man was created directly in God’s own image and after His own likeness; that man’s creation was not a matter of evolution or evolutionary change of species, or developments through interminable periods of time from lower to higher forms; that all animals and vegetable life were made directly; and that God’s established law was that they should bring forth only after their kind. (Col. 1:16-17)
*Of the Fall of Man. Man was created in innocence under the law of his Maker, but by voluntary transgression fell from his sinless and happy state, in consequence of which all mankind are now sinners-not by constraint, but by choice-and therefore under just condemnation without defense or excuse. (Gen. 3:1-7; 1 Tim. 2:13-14; Rom. 5:17; Isaiah 64:6)
*Of the Virgin Birth. Jesus Christ was begotten of the Holy Ghost in a miraculous manner-born of Mary, a virgin, as no other man was ever born or can ever be born of woman; and that He is both the Son of God and God the Son. (Isaiah 7:14; Matt. 1:23)
*Of the Atonement for Sin. The salvation of sinners is wholly of grace through the mediatorial offices of the Son of God who by appointment of the Father freely took upon Himself our nature-yet without sin, honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and by his death made a full and vicarious atonement for our sins; that his atonement consisted not in setting us an example by his death as a martyr, but was the voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner’s place, the just dying for the unjust, Christ the Lord bearing our sins in His own body on the tree; and that, having risen from the dead, He is now enthroned in heaven and uniting in His wonderful person the tenderest sympathies with divine perfection. He is every way qualified to be a suitable, a compassionate, and an all-sufficient Savior. (Lev. 17:11, Matt. 26:28; Eph. 1:7; 1 John 1:7)
*Of Grace in the New Creation. In order to be a saved sinner an individual must be born again; that the new birth is a new creation in Jesus Christ; that it is instantaneous and not a process; that 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; that the new creation is brought about in a manner above our comprehension, not by culture, not by character, nor by the will of man, but wholly and solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with Divine truth so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the Gospel; and that its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance and faith and newness of life. (John 3:3-7; Gal. 2:21)
*Of the Freeness of Salvation. God has an electing grace; that the blessings of salvation are made free to all by the Gospel; that it is the immediate duty of all to accept them by a cordial, penitent, and obedient faith; and that nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner on earth but his own inherent depravity and voluntary rejection of the Gospel, which rejection involves him in an aggravated condemnation. (Rom. 6:23)
*Of Justification. The great Gospel which Christ secures to such as believe in Him is justification; that justification includes the pardon of sin and the gift of eternal life on principles of righteousness; that His righteousness is imputed unto us not in consideration of any works or righteousness which we have done, but solely through faith in the Redeemer’s blood. (Rom. 4:25; 5:1, 16, 18)
*Of Repentance and Faith. Repentance and faith are solemn obligations and also inseparable graces wrought in our souls by the quickening Spirit of God; thereby, being deeply convicted of our guilt, danger, and helplessness, and of the way of salvation by Christ, we turn to God with unfeigned contrition, confession, and supplication for mercy-at the same time heartily receiving the Lord Jesus Christ and openly confessing Him as our only and all-sufficient Savior. (Acts 3:19, Acts 2:38)
*Of the Church. The church is the body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of her great commission. Each believer, born of the Spirit, is an integral part of the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in Heaven (Eph. 1:22; 2:19-22; Heb. 12:23).
*Of Baptism in Water. The ordinance of baptism by a burial with Christ should be observed as commanded in the Scriptures by all who have really repented and in their hearts have truly believed on Christ as Savior and Lord. In so doing, they declare to the world that they have died with Jesus and that they have also been raised with Him to walk in new of life (Matt. 28:19; Acts 10:47, 48; Rom. 6:4).
*Of the Lord’s Supper. It is a privilege for Christians to commemorate together the dying love of Christ, preceded always by solemn self-examination (1 Cor. 11:24-28).
*Of the Perseverance of the Saints. Such individuals only are real believers as endure unto the end; that their persevering attachment to Christ is the grand mark which distinguishes them from superficial professors; that a special providence watches over their welfare; and that they are kept by the power of God through faith unto eternal salvation. (Matt. 13:30; Eph. 6:18; Rev. 12:11)
*Of the Righteous and the Wicked. There is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that such only as through faith are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and sanctified by the spirit of our God are truly righteous in His esteem, while all such as continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight wicked and are under the curse, and that this distinction holds among men in and after death in the everlasting felicity of the saved and the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost. (Psalm 1:1-6)
*Of Civil Government. Civil government is a divine appointment for the interest and good order of human society; that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored, and obeyed-except only in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ who is the only Lord of the conscience and the coming Prince of the kings of earth. (Rom. 13:1-2; 2 Tim. 2:1-2)
*Of the Resurrection and Return of Christ and Related Events. The sacred Scriptures are believed and accepted upon these subjects at their face and full value. Of the resurrection, Christ arose bodily on the third day according to the Scriptures, He ascended to the right hand of the throne of God; that this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heavenly-bodily, personally and visibly; that the dead in Christ shall rise first; that the living saints shall be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; that the Lord God shall give unto Him the Throne of His father David; and that Christ shall reign a thousand years in righteousness until he hath put all enemies under His feet. (1 Thess. 4:16-17; 2 Cor. 5:10; Luke 19:15-19; Zech. 14:1-9; Rev. 19:11-16)
*Of Missions. The command to give the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world is clear and unmistakable and this commission was given to Christians (Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15).
*Of the Scriptures
(A) Its Presentation. God has revealed Himself by general revelation—which manifests His eternal existence, power and glory (Psalm 19:1-3; Rom. 1:19-20)—and by special revelation—which manifests His character, grace, and program of redemption (John 1:1-5, 14, 18; 2 Tim. 3:15); that although special revelation has in times past been given by God through various means (Gen. 20:3, 32:28; Num. 27:21; 1 Sam. 3:10; 1 Chron. 24:5; Ezek. 1:1; Dan. 10:12; Mic. 6:5; Acts 3:21), it is now finally and preeminently given in the incarnate Word of God, the Lord Jesus Christ (Heb. 1:1-2), and the written Word of God, the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments known collectively as the Holy Scriptures, or the Bible (2 Tim. 3:15); that the Bible is the complete and final written revelation of God so that no other religious writings or supposed revelations (Num. 12:2) are to be accepted as divinely inspired or authoritative (2 Thess. 2:1-2); that the Holy Spirit superintended the writing of the Bible such that the writers, although their individual personalities and different styles of writing are evident, recorded the very words by which God desires to communicate to mankind (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21); that the Bible, in whole or in part, is equally and fully inerrant in relation to any subject addressed, either directly or indirectly (Psalm 119:140).
(B) Its Interpretation. The teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit is essential to properly understand the Bible (John 16:13; 1 Cor. 2:10-13); that the presence of the Holy Spirit in the believer guarantees the availability of His teaching ministry to all believers, not merely to an elite group (1 Cor. 3:16); that human weakness (John 16:12), carnality (1 Cor. 3:1-2), and unwillingness to obey the truth (John 7:17) can thwart the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit; that unbelievers, no matter how much they know about the Bible, cannot truly understand it (Acts 4:13-14; 1 Corinthians 2:14); that some passages are more difficult to understand than others (2 Peter 3:16); that incorrect interpretations of the Bible bring serious consequences (2 Peter 3:16); that God has gifted some believers with greater ability to teach the Bible for the benefit of all (Rom. 12:6-7; Eph. 4:11-12); that no matter how gifted a believer is, diligent study is necessary to understand the Bible (Isaiah 28:9-10; 2 Tim. 2:15); that those who teach the Bible will be held strictly accountable for their teaching (James 3:1); that there is but one true interpretation of scripture although there may be several applications; that the Bible is to be interpreted within a dispensational framework according to the normal grammatical-historical meaning of its words within the context and literary genre (narrative, poetry, parable, etc.) of the passage given; that the Bible helps interpret itself (1 Cor. 2:13); and that seeming contradictions are only so because of ignorance of all the facts (1 Cor. 13:12).
(C) Its Preservation. The written revelation of God, the Word of God, is true (Psalm 119:160) and pure (Psalm 12:6); that God has promised to preserve His Word (Psalm 12:7; 119:89; Matthew 5:18) and is well able to do so (Jeremiah 32:27); that the preservation promise extends to each and every word of His Word (Deuteronomy 8:3); that the many English translations available today, their words being demonstrably different—even contrary to one another—in hundreds of places, cannot be the true, pure, and preserved Word of God (Psalm 119:89-91); that Satan (Revelation 12:9) has sought to corrupt the Word of God from the beginning (Genesis 3:1-5); that God has expressly warned believers to keep His Word (Jude 1:3; Revelation 22:18-19) and to beware of corruption of it (1 Timothy 4:1); that, therefore, it is necessary to identify which translation is the true pure, and preserved Word of God; and that the King James Bible in the English language is the true, pure, and preserved Word of God because: (1) it was translated from a preserved Greek text (Matthew 12:33); (2) it has proven itself to be the quick and powerful Word of God (Hebrews 4:12) by the changed lives of untold millions of believers (John 8:31-32) for over four-hundred years; and (3) it teaches fundamental doctrines necessary for salvation and sanctification which are often weakened by, if not eliminated from, the texts of spurious bibles (1 Timothy 4:1).
*Concerning God
(A) The Triune God—His Being. There is only one (Deut. 6:4; Isaiah 44:6) living and true God (Jer. 10:10); that He is a Spirit (1 Kings 8:27; John 4:24), infinite (Job 11:7-9), eternal (Deut. 33:27; Psalm 90:20), sovereign (Psalm 135:6), and unchanging (Mal. 3:6) in His being (Exod. 3:14), wisdom (Rom. 11:33), understanding (Psalm 147:5), power (Matt. 19:26), holiness (Isaiah 6:3), justice (Rev. 15:3), goodness (Psalm 31:19), and truth (Exod. 34:6-7); that He is to be addressed with language using the male gender (Gen. 1:31; Matt. 7:11; Mark 1:1; John 14:25); that He is self-existent and self-revealing in three distinct persons—the Father (John 6:27), the Son (Titus 2:13) and the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3-4), —each of whom is to be equally honored, worshiped, and obeyed as true God (Matt. 28:19); that as its Creator (Gen. 1:1), He is absolutely separate from and above creation (Eph. 4:6) yet everywhere present in creation (Psalm 139:8; Heb. 4:13) as the Preserver of all things (Neh. 9:6); and that He, according to the counsel of His own will (Dan. 4:35; Eph. 1:4, 11-12) and for His own glory (Rom. 15:4) and pleasure (Rev. 4:11), does whatever He desires in heaven and earth (Job 23:13-14), the knowledge of which enables His children to be patient in trouble (Rom. 5:3-4; James 1:2-4), thankful in prosperity (Phil. 4:10-13), and confident in the face of death (Rom. 8:38-39).
(B) The Triune God—God the Father. God the Father (Eph. 4:6) is the first Person of the Triune God (Matt. 28:19); that he orders and disposes all things according to His own purpose (Isaiah 14:24-27) and grace (Eph. 2:7); that He is sovereign in creation (Psalm 135:6), providence (2 Chron. 20:6; Psalm 89:9; Matt. 6:26), and redemption (Eph. 1:3-6); that He continually directs and governs all creatures and events (Isaiah 44:24-28); that He accomplishes His will without being in any way the author (Rom. 7:7, 12-14; 9:14) or approver (Psalm 5:4; Ezek. 18:23) of sin or abridging the accountability of human beings (Rom. 3:4-6); that through His foreknowledge He has graciously chosen from all eternity those whom He would have as His own (Rom. 8:28-30), yet saves from sin all who willingly come (Rev. 22:17) to Him through Jesus Christ (John 6:37-39); and that He relates Himself to His own as their Father (Matt. 6:8-9).
(C) The Triune God—God the Son. God the Son (Mark 1:1, John 1:34) is the second person of the Triune God (Matt. 28:19), that He is the eternal Word (John 1:1), and only begotten Son (John 1:18), our great God and Savior the Lord Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13); that He, while retaining His absolute deity as the eternal Son of God (John 1:14; Heb. 13:8), became man (Galatians 4:4) by the miracle of virgin birth (Matthew 1:23) to continue forever (Heb. 7:24) as both God and man (Col. 2:9), one person in two distinct natures (Luke 1:35; Rom. 9:5); that He, as man, was in all points tempted like as we are (Heb. 4:15), yet, because He, as God, had no sin nature (2 Cor. 5:21), He was constitutionally unable to sin (John 1:14; Heb. 7:26), and did not sin in fact (John 8:29; 1 Peter 2:22); that He, as the perfect lamb of God (1 Peter 1:19), gave Himself in death (Matt. 20:28; John 10:17) upon the cross (Phil. 2:8) to bear there in His own body (1 Peter 2:24) the sins of the whole world (Isaiah 53:6; John 2:2) and suffered the full penalty of divine wrath (Matt. 27:46; Gal. 3:13) in our stead—the Absolutely Just for the absolutely unjust (Isaiah 53:4-5; 1 Peter 3:18); that He actually died and was buried (Mark 14:44-46); that He arose from the dead (Matt. 28:6-7); 1 Cor. 14:4) in the same, though glorified—not immaterial—body (Luke 24:39) in which He had lived and died (John 20:25-28); that His resurrection body is the pattern of that body which ultimately will be given to all believers (Phil. 3:21); that He, as our great High Priest (Heb. 3:1), ascended into heaven (Acts 1:9-11) to sit at the right hand of God the Father (Mark 16:19; Heb. 1:3) as our Advocate (1 John 2:1) and Intercessor (Heb. 7:25); that He is the head of the church, His body (Eph. 1:22-23); and that He is the final Judge (John 5:22) of His own 2 Cor. 5:10) and of all who fail to place their trust in Him as their Savior from sin (John 3:18; 2 Thess. 1:8-9; Rev. 20:11-15).
(D) The Triune God—God the Holy Spirit. God the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19, Acts 5:3-4) is the third Person of the Triune God, the divine agent in nature (Gen. 1:2), revelation (1 Cor. 2:10; 2 Peter 1:21), and redemption (2 Cor. 3:18); that He caused Mary, a virgin, to conceive the Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 1:35); that He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 15:8-11); that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration (John 3:5-7) and baptizes all believers into the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13); that He seals unto the day of redemption (Eph. 3:16), guides (Rom. 8:14), teaches (John 14:26), sanctifies (1 Cor. 6:11), and constantly works to conform to the image of Christ (2 Cor. 3:18) all who become children of God through Jesus Christ; that He distributes spiritual gifts to believers (1 Cor. 12:11) to glorify Christ (John 16:13-14) and edify the body of Christ (Eph. 4:11-12), not to glorify Himself, the gifts, or the recipients of the gifts.
*Of the Devil or Satan. Satan was once holy and enjoyed heavenly honors, but through pride and ambition to be as the Almighty, fell and drew after him a host of angels; that he is now the malignant prince of the power of the air and the unholy god of this world. We hold him to be man’s great tempter, the enemy of God and Christ, the accuser of the saints, the author of all false religions, the chief power back of the present apostasy, the lord of the Antichrist, and the author of all the powers of darkness-destined however to final defeat at the hands of God’s Son and the judgment of an eternal justice in hell, a place prepared for him and his angels. (Rev. 12:19; Ezek. 28:14-17; John 10:10)
*Of the Creation. The creations account is recorded in book of Genesis and it is to be accepted literally, not allegorically or figuratively; that man was created directly in God’s own image and after His own likeness; that man’s creation was not a matter of evolution or evolutionary change of species, or developments through interminable periods of time from lower to higher forms; that all animals and vegetable life were made directly; and that God’s established law was that they should bring forth only after their kind. (Col. 1:16-17)
*Of the Fall of Man. Man was created in innocence under the law of his Maker, but by voluntary transgression fell from his sinless and happy state, in consequence of which all mankind are now sinners-not by constraint, but by choice-and therefore under just condemnation without defense or excuse. (Gen. 3:1-7; 1 Tim. 2:13-14; Rom. 5:17; Isaiah 64:6)
*Of the Virgin Birth. Jesus Christ was begotten of the Holy Ghost in a miraculous manner-born of Mary, a virgin, as no other man was ever born or can ever be born of woman; and that He is both the Son of God and God the Son. (Isaiah 7:14; Matt. 1:23)
*Of the Atonement for Sin. The salvation of sinners is wholly of grace through the mediatorial offices of the Son of God who by appointment of the Father freely took upon Himself our nature-yet without sin, honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and by his death made a full and vicarious atonement for our sins; that his atonement consisted not in setting us an example by his death as a martyr, but was the voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner’s place, the just dying for the unjust, Christ the Lord bearing our sins in His own body on the tree; and that, having risen from the dead, He is now enthroned in heaven and uniting in His wonderful person the tenderest sympathies with divine perfection. He is every way qualified to be a suitable, a compassionate, and an all-sufficient Savior. (Lev. 17:11, Matt. 26:28; Eph. 1:7; 1 John 1:7)
*Of Grace in the New Creation. In order to be a saved sinner an individual must be born again; that the new birth is a new creation in Jesus Christ; that it is instantaneous and not a process; that 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; that the new creation is brought about in a manner above our comprehension, not by culture, not by character, nor by the will of man, but wholly and solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with Divine truth so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the Gospel; and that its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance and faith and newness of life. (John 3:3-7; Gal. 2:21)
*Of the Freeness of Salvation. God has an electing grace; that the blessings of salvation are made free to all by the Gospel; that it is the immediate duty of all to accept them by a cordial, penitent, and obedient faith; and that nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner on earth but his own inherent depravity and voluntary rejection of the Gospel, which rejection involves him in an aggravated condemnation. (Rom. 6:23)
*Of Justification. The great Gospel which Christ secures to such as believe in Him is justification; that justification includes the pardon of sin and the gift of eternal life on principles of righteousness; that His righteousness is imputed unto us not in consideration of any works or righteousness which we have done, but solely through faith in the Redeemer’s blood. (Rom. 4:25; 5:1, 16, 18)
*Of Repentance and Faith. Repentance and faith are solemn obligations and also inseparable graces wrought in our souls by the quickening Spirit of God; thereby, being deeply convicted of our guilt, danger, and helplessness, and of the way of salvation by Christ, we turn to God with unfeigned contrition, confession, and supplication for mercy-at the same time heartily receiving the Lord Jesus Christ and openly confessing Him as our only and all-sufficient Savior. (Acts 3:19, Acts 2:38)
*Of the Church. The church is the body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of her great commission. Each believer, born of the Spirit, is an integral part of the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in Heaven (Eph. 1:22; 2:19-22; Heb. 12:23).
*Of Baptism in Water. The ordinance of baptism by a burial with Christ should be observed as commanded in the Scriptures by all who have really repented and in their hearts have truly believed on Christ as Savior and Lord. In so doing, they declare to the world that they have died with Jesus and that they have also been raised with Him to walk in new of life (Matt. 28:19; Acts 10:47, 48; Rom. 6:4).
*Of the Lord’s Supper. It is a privilege for Christians to commemorate together the dying love of Christ, preceded always by solemn self-examination (1 Cor. 11:24-28).
*Of the Perseverance of the Saints. Such individuals only are real believers as endure unto the end; that their persevering attachment to Christ is the grand mark which distinguishes them from superficial professors; that a special providence watches over their welfare; and that they are kept by the power of God through faith unto eternal salvation. (Matt. 13:30; Eph. 6:18; Rev. 12:11)
*Of the Righteous and the Wicked. There is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that such only as through faith are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and sanctified by the spirit of our God are truly righteous in His esteem, while all such as continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight wicked and are under the curse, and that this distinction holds among men in and after death in the everlasting felicity of the saved and the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost. (Psalm 1:1-6)
*Of Civil Government. Civil government is a divine appointment for the interest and good order of human society; that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored, and obeyed-except only in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ who is the only Lord of the conscience and the coming Prince of the kings of earth. (Rom. 13:1-2; 2 Tim. 2:1-2)
*Of the Resurrection and Return of Christ and Related Events. The sacred Scriptures are believed and accepted upon these subjects at their face and full value. Of the resurrection, Christ arose bodily on the third day according to the Scriptures, He ascended to the right hand of the throne of God; that this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heavenly-bodily, personally and visibly; that the dead in Christ shall rise first; that the living saints shall be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; that the Lord God shall give unto Him the Throne of His father David; and that Christ shall reign a thousand years in righteousness until he hath put all enemies under His feet. (1 Thess. 4:16-17; 2 Cor. 5:10; Luke 19:15-19; Zech. 14:1-9; Rev. 19:11-16)
*Of Missions. The command to give the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world is clear and unmistakable and this commission was given to Christians (Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15).
*This Statement of Faith does not exhaust the extent of our faith. The Holy Bible itself is the sole and final source of all that we believe. I do believe, however, that the foregoing Statement of Faith accurately represents the teaching of the Bible.