Statement of Faith & Beliefs
for the 21st Century Church
The 21st
Century Church – Statement of Faith and Beliefs follow:
STATEMENT OF FAITH
for the 21st Century Church
The Bible is our all-sufficient
rule for faith and practice. This statement of faith is intended simply as a
basis of fellowship among us (i.e., that we all speak the same thing, I Cor.
1:10; Acts 2:42). The phraseology employed in this statement is not inspired,
but the truth set forth is held to be essential to the ministry of the full
gospel. No claim is made that it contains all Biblical truth, only that it
covers our need as to these fundamental doctrines.
1.
WE BELIEVE The
Scriptures To Be The Inspired Word Of God
The
Scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments, are verbally inspired of God and
are the revelation of God to man, the infallible, authoritative rule of faith
and conduct (II Tim. 3:15-17; I Thess. 2:13; II Peter 1:21).
2.
we
believe There Is One True
God
The
one true God has revealed Himself as the eternally self-existent “I AM”, the
Creator of heaven and earth and the Redeemer of mankind. He has further
revealed Himself as embodying the principles of relationship and association as
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost (Deut. 6:4; Isaiah 43:10, 11; Matt. 28:19; Luke
3:22).
(a)
Terms Defined
The terms “trinity” and “persons”,
as related to the Godhead, while not found in the Scriptures, are words in
harmony with Scripture, whereby we may convey to others our immediate
understanding of the doctrine of Christ respecting the Being of God, as
distinguished from “gods many and lords many”. We therefore, may speak with
propriety of the Lord of God, who is One Lord, as Trinity or as one Being of
three persons and still be absolutely scriptural (examples, Matt. 28:19; II Cor.
13:14; John 14:16, 17).
(b)
Distinction and Relationship in the Godhead
Christ taught a distinction of
persons in the Godhead, which He expressed in specific terms of relationships as
Father, Son and Holy Ghost, but that this distinction and relationship, as to
its mode, is inscrutable and incomprehensible because unexplained (Luke 1:35; I
Cor. 1:24; Matt: 11:25-27; 2:19; II Cor. 13:14; I John 1:3,4).
(c)
Unity of the One Being of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
Accordingly, therefore, there is
that in the Father which constitutes Him the Father and not the Son, there is
that in the Son which constitutes Him the Son and not the Father; and there is
that in the Holy Ghost which constitutes Him the Holy Ghost and not either the
Father or the Son. Wherefore, the Father is the Begetter, the Son is the
Begotten, and the Holy Ghost is the One proceeding from the Father and the Son.
Therefore, because these three persons in the Godhead are in a state of unity,
there is but one Lord God Almighty, and His name one (John 1:18; 15:26;
17:11,21; Zech. 14:9).
(d)
Identity and Cooperation in the Godhead
The Father, the Son and the Holy
Ghost are never identical as to person, nor confused as to relation, nor divided
in respect to the Godhead, nor opposed as to cooperation. The Son is in the
Father and the Father is in the Son as to relationship. The Son is with the
Father and the Father is with the Son, as to fellowship. The Father is not from
the Son, but the Son is from the Father, as to authority. The Holy Ghost is
from the Father and the Son proceeding, as to nature, relationship, cooperation,
and authority. Hence, no person in the Godhead either exists or works
separately or independently of the others (John 5:17-30, 32, 37; John 8:17, 18).
(e)
The Title, Lord Jesus Christ
The appellation “Lord Jesus
Christ” is a proper name. It is never applied in the New Testament either to
the Father or to the Holy Ghost. It, therefore, belongs exclusively to the Son
of God (Rom. 1:1-3,7; II John 3).
(f)
The Lord Jesus Christ, God With Us
The Lord Jesus Christ, as to His
divine and eternal nature, is the proper and only Begotten of the Father, but as
to His human nature, He is the proper Son of Man. He is, therefore,
acknowledged to be both God and man, who because He is God and man, is
“Immanuel”, God with us Matt. 1:23; I John 4:2,10,14; Rev. 1:13, 17).
(g)
The Title, Son of God
Since the name “Immanuel” embraces
both God and man in the one person, our Lord Jesus Christ, it follows that the
title, “Son of God” describes His proper Deity, and the title “Son of Man” His
proper humanity. Therefore, the title “Son of God” belongs to the order of
eternity, and the title “Son of Man” to the order of time (Matt. 1:21-23; II
John 3; I John 3:8; Heb. 7:3; 1:1-13).
(h)
Transgression of the Doctrine of Christ
Wherefore, it is a transgression
of the doctrine of Christ to say that Jesus Christ derived the title “Son of
God” solely from the fact of the incarnation or because of His relation to the
economy of redemption. Therefore, to deny that the Father is a real and eternal
Father and that the Son is a real and eternal Son is a denial of the distinction
and relationship in the Being of God, a denial of the Father and the Son and a
displacement of the truth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh (II John 9;
John 1:1, 2, 14, 18, 29, 49; I John 2:22,23; 4:1-5; Heb. 12:2).
(i)
Exaltation of Jesus Christ as Lord
The Son of God, our Lord Jesus
Christ, having by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the
Majesty on high, angels and principalities and powers having been made subject
unto Him. And having been made both Lord and Christ, He sent the Holy Ghost
that we, in the name of Jesus, might bow our knees and confess that Jesus Christ
is Lord to the glory of God the Father until the end, when the Son shall become
subject to the Father, that God may be all in all (Heb. 1:3; I Peter 3:22; Acts
2:32-36; Rom. 14:11; I Cor. 15:24-28).
(j)
Equal Honor to the Father and to the Son
Wherefore, since the Father has
delivered all judgment unto the Son, it is not only the express duty of all in
heaven and on earth to bow the knee, but it is an unspeakable joy in the Holy
Ghost to ascribe unto the Son all the attributes of deity and to give Him all
the honor and the glory contained in all the names and titles of the Godhead
except those which express relationship, (see paragraphs b, c, and d) and thus
honor the Son even as we honor the Father (John 5:22, 23; I Peter 1:8; Rev.
5:6-14; Phil. 2:8, 9; Rev. 7:9, 10; 4:8-11).
3.
WE BELIEVE The
Deity Of The Lord Jesus Christ
The
Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. The Scriptures of the church
declare:
(a)
His virgin birth (Matt. 1:23; Luke 1:31,35).
(b)
His sinless life (Heb. 7:26; I Peter 2: 22).
(c)
His miracles (Acts 2:22; 10: 38).
(d)
His substitutionary work on the cross (I Cor. 15:3, 5: 21).
(e)
His bodily resurrection from the dead (Matt. 28: 6; Luke 24:39; I Cor.
15:4).
(f)
His exaltation to the right hand of God (Acts 1:9,11; 2:33; Phil. 2:9-11;
Heb. 1-3).
4.
WE BELIEVE God’s
Word About The Fall Of Man
Man
was created good and upright, for God said, “Let us make man in our image, after
our likeness.” However, man, by voluntary transgression, fell and thereby
incurred not only physical death but also spiritual death, which is separation
from God as declared in the scriptures of the church. (Gen. 1:26,27; 2:17; 3:6;
Rom. 5:12-19).
5.
WE BELIEVE God’s
Word to the Church About The Salvation Of Man
Man’s
only hope of redemption is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of
God.
(a)
Conditions of Salvation
Salvation is received through the
repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ. By the washing of
regeneration, a renewing of the Holy Ghost, being justified by grace through
faith, man becomes an heir of God according to the hope of eternal life as
spoken to the church (Luke 24:47; John 3:3; Rom. 10:13-15; Eph. 2:8; Titus 2:11;
3:5-7).
(b)
The Evidences of Salvation
The inward evidence of salvation
is the witness of the Spirit (Rom. 8:16). The outward evidence to all men is a
life of righteousness and true holiness as spoken to the church (Eph. 4:24;
Titus 2:12).
6.
WE BELIEVE There
Are Two Ordinances Of The Church
(a)
Baptism in water
The ordinance of baptism by
immersion is commanded in the Scriptures. All who repent and believe on Christ
as Savior and Lord are to be baptized. Thus, they declare to the world that
they have died with Christ and that they also have been raised with Him to walk
in newness of Life (Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:16; Acts 10:47,48; Rom. 6:4).
(b)
Holy Communion
The Lord’s Supper, consisting of
the elements – bread and the fruit of the vine – is the symbol expressing our
sharing the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ (II Peter 1:4); a memorial of
His suffering and death; and a prophecy of His second coming (I Cor. 11:26), and
is enjoined on all believers “till He come!”
7.
WE BELIEVE In The
Baptism Of The Holy Ghost
All
believers are entitled to, and should ardently expect and earnestly seek, the
promise of the Father, the baptism in the Holy Ghost, the enduement with power
from on high (Luke 24:33, 36, 49). This is the normal experience of all in the
early Christian church. This experience is distinct from, and subsequent to,
the experience of receiving the Holy Ghost with new birth at the time of
salvation (Acts 8: 12-17; 10:44-46; 11; 14-16; 15:7-9).
With
the baptism of the Holy Ghost comes:
(a)
The enduement of power for life and services, and the bestowment of the
gifts, and their uses, in the work of ministry (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4, 8; I Cor.
12:1-31).
(b)
An overflowing fullness of the Spirit (John 7:37-39; Acts 4:8).
(c)
A deepened reverence for God (Acts 2:43; Heb. 12:28).
(d)
An intensified consecration to God and dedication to His work (Acts
2:42).
(e)
A more active love for Christ, for His Word, and for the lost (Mark
16:20).
(f)
A possible physical sign which may be witnessed by the gift of
other tongues as the Spirit of God gives utterance (Acts 2:4). This speaking in
tongues, or prayer language, is the same, in essence, as the gift of tongues (I
Cor. 12:4-10, 29), but different in purpose and use.
8.
WE BELIEVE In
Sanctification
Sanctification is an act of separation from that which is evil, and of
dedication unto God (Rom. 12:1, 2; I Thess. 5:23; Heb. 13:12). The Scriptures
teach a life of “holiness without which no man shall see the Lord” (Heb.
12:14). By the power of the Holy Ghost, we are able to obey the command: “Be ye
holy, for I am holy” as spoken to the church (I Peter 1:15, 16).
Sanctification is realized in the believer by recognizing his identification
with Christ in His death and resurrection, and by faith reckoning daily upon the
fact of that union, and by offering every faculty continually to the dominion of
the Holy Spirit (Rom. 6:11, 13; 8:1, 2, 13; Gal. 2:20; Phil. 2:12, 13; I Peter
1:5).
9.
WE BELIEVE The
Church Is The Body Of Christ And Has A Mission
The
Church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with
divine appointments for the fulfillment of the Great Commission. Each believer,
born of the Spirit, is an integral part of the general assembly of believers and
the Church of the Firstborn, whose names are written in heaven as spoken to the
church (Eph. 1:22,23; 2:22; Heb. 12: 23).
Since
God’s purpose concerning man is (1) to seek and save that which is lost, (2) to
be worshiped by man, and (3) to build a body of believers in the image of His
Son, the priority reason for being of the 21st Century Church
as part of the Church is:
(a)
To be an agency of God for evangelizing the world (Acts 1:8; Matt
28:18-20; Mark 16:15,16).
(b)
To be a body in which man may worship God (I Cor. 12:13).
(c)
To be a channel of God’s purpose to build a body of saints being
perfected in the image of His Son (Eph. 4:11-16; I Cor. 12:28; 14:12).
An
important function of The 21st Century Church is to give
continuing emphasis to this reason-for-being in the New Testament apostolic
pattern by teaching and encouraging believers to be baptized in the Holy
Spirit. This experience:
(a)
Enables them to evangelize in the power of the Holy Spirit with
accompanying supernatural signs as spoken to the church (Mark 16:15-20; Acts
4:29-31; Heb. 2:3,4).
(b)
Adds a necessary dimension to worshipful relationship with God (I Cor.
2:10-16; 12-14).
(c)
Enables them to respond to the full working of the Holy Spirit in
expression of fruit and gifts and ministries, as in New Testament times, for the
edifying of the Body of Christ as spoken to the church (Gal. 5:22-26; I Cor.
14:12; Eph. 4:11,12; 12:28; Col. 1:29).
10.
WE BELIEVE The
Saints Are To Minister as the Church
Our
Lord has provided a divinely called ministry for the threefold purpose of
leading the Church, the Body of Christ, in:
(a)
Evangelization of the world (Matt. 29: 18-20; Mark 16:15-20).
(b)
Worship of God (John 4:23,24).
(c)
Building a Body of Saints, the church, being perfected in the image of
His Son (Eph. 4:11-16).
11.
WE BELIEVE In
Divine Healing And Deliverance
Divine healing is an integral part of the gospel. Deliverance from sickness,
bondages, curses and demonic oppression and possession is provided for in the
atonement, the shed blood of Jesus Christ, and is the privilege of all
believers, the church, (Isaiah 53:4,5; Matt 8:16, 17; James 5:14-16; Mark
16:15-17; Matt. 10:1; 12:43-45; Luke 9:1; 10:19; Mark 16:17)
12.
WE BELIEVE In The
Blessed Hope Or Rapture of the Church
The
resurrection of those who have fallen asleep in Christ and their translation,
together with those who are alive and remain, will be caught up together with
them in the clouds unto the coming of the Lord, is the imminent and blessed hope
of the Church. The Latin translation of the Bible translates the words “caught
up” as “rapiemur” which is translated as “rapture” in the English (I Thess.
4:13-17; Rom 8:23; Titus 2:13; I Cor. 15:51,52).
13.
WE BELIEVE There
Will Be A Millennial Reign Of Christ
The
second coming of Christ includes the rapture of the saints, which is our blessed
hope, followed by the visible return of Christ with His saints to reign on the
earth for one thousand years (Zech. 14:5; Matt 24:27, 30; Rev. 1:7; 19:11-14;
20:1-6). This millennial reign will bring the salvation of national Israel
(Ezekiel 37:21,22; Zeph. 3:19,20; Rom. 11:26,27) and the establishment of
universal peace (Isaiah 11:6-9; Ps. 72:3-8; Micah 4:3,4).
14.
WE BELIEVE There
Will Be A Final Judgment
There
will be a final judgment in which the dead will be raised and judged according
to their works. Whosoever is not found written in the Book Of Life, together
with the devil and his angels, the beast and the false prophet, will be
consigned to everlasting punishment in the lake which burneth with fire and
brimstone, which is the second death (Matt, 25:46; Mark 9:43-48; Rev. 19:20;
20:11-15; 21:8).
15.
WE BELIEVE There
Will Be New Heavens And A New Earth
“We,
according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth
righteousness.” (II Peter 3:13; Rev. 21, 22).
