What We Believe

There is one God eternally existing in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Not a trinity, but a triune Godhead.  [Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 45:21, 22; 1 Corinthians 8:4, 6; 1 Timothy 2:5; Ephesians 4:4-6; Matthew 13:14; 2 Corinthians 13:14]

The Holy Bible is the Word of God, written.  It is only through the Bible and the ministry of the Holy Spirit that we come to know the Living Word of God, the Lord Jesus Christ.  The Bible is the Holy, Verbally-Inspired, Perfect, Inerrant, Infallible, Eternal, Unchangeable Word of the Living God, and the only Authority for faith and practice.  [2 Timothy 3:16-17; Romans 15:4; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Peter 1:21; Psalm 12:6-7; Romans 3:4]

We believe and hold that God’s design, particularly in our Dispensation of Grace, is to have all people, without distinction, have His inspired Word in written form in their native tongue.  Inspiration first, then preservation of what was inspired, and an accurate translation.  We believe and hold that what God breathed and preserved in the original languages has been accurately translated without error for the English speaking people in the Authorized King James Version of the Holy Bible.

Jesus Christ was begotten by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary and is True God and True Man.  [Luke 1:35; Philippians 2:6-9; Romans 1:3-4; John 1:1-2, 14]

All men by nature are dead in trespasses and sins and are, therefore, totally unable, by their own wisdom or strength, to do anything pleasing to God.  Being unable is not the same as being unwilling. [Ephesians 2:1-3; Romans 3:9-20]

God justifies ungodly sinners by His Grace upon the ground of the blood of Jesus Christ through the means of faith.  This complete salvation is bestowed as the free gift of God apart from man’s works.  The exercising of faith, taking God as His Word, is not a work.  Faith is a non-meritorious response.  All the merit goes to the object of faith (Christ’s Crosswork) not the subject (you).  Faith is the only thing compatible with God’s grace and justice.  [Romans 3:24-28; 4:5; 5:1, 9; Ephesians 2:4-5, 8-9; Titus 3:5]

All members of the One Body of Christ are eternally secure IN CHRIST and cannot, by any means or any one, be removed from their position in Christ and the love of God which is in Christ Jesus.  Once a person believes the gospel of the grace of God they are justified unto eternal life, which is irrevocable. [Colossians 3:1-4; Philippians 1:6; Romans 8:1, 29-34, 38-39; Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30; 2 Timothy 1:11-13]

The Holy Spirit is a Person of the triune Godhead, Who convicts the world of sin and Who regenerates, baptizes, dwells, enlightens, empowers and seals believers of the Gospel of the Grace of God.  [John 16:8; Titus 3:5; 1 Corinthians 2:6-13; 12:13; Ephesians 1:13-14, 17-18; 3:16-20; 4:30]

In the present dispensation there is only ONE true Church, which is called the Body of Christ separate and distinct from the prophesied, earthly kingdom of Christ vested in redeemed National Israel as a called-out nation or church, assembly or congregation, above all other nations.

The historical beginning of this One Church, the Body of Christ, began with the Apostle Paul before he wrote his first epistles.  [1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1:22-23; 3:6; 4:4; Romans 12:4-5; Matthew 16:18; Acts 2:41-47; 7:3; Galatians 6:15; 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16, cf. Acts 13:45-46; Philippians 1:5-6, cf. Acts 16; 1 Corinthians 12:13 & 27, cf. Acts 18; 1 Timothy 1:14-16]

Presently and until the catching away of the One Body, there are various offices in the Body of Christ Church.  Many of these offices were once filled by believers with spiritual gifts, but now are filled by the effectual working of God’s word working in the believer.  Some of the offices no longer exist, but others do.  The offices that do exist are chosen to be occupied by the individual believer exercising their sonship liberty to participate in the local expression of the Body of Christ Church.  Fundamentally, these offices are categorized in two categories: edificational offices and practical need offices.   Men who hold fast the faithful word as taught by the Apostle Paul hold these edificational offices.  [1 Timothy 3:1-13; 5:17; 2 Timothy 2:2; Titus 1:5-9]  The saints at large have the privilege of holding and functioning in the practical need offices to sustain the local assembly and maintain orderliness and soundness therein.

The 1 Corinthians 12:28 and Ephesians 4:11 gifts that God gave unto men have all ceased.  Those gifts unto men are no longer necessary nor a prerequisite for serving Christ since God gave all Scriptures to be studied rightly divided with the Scriptures now possessing and performing that which formerly resided within the gifts God gave, which was for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.  [Ephesians 4:13; 1 Timothy 4:6-13; 2 Timothy 2:15-21; 3:16; 4:13]

The greatest gift is the gift of eternal life.  All the sign gifts of the Acts period, such as tongues, including the spiritual gifts of prophecy, and healing, being temporary in character, have ceased, failed, and vanished and are presently not being operated by the Creator God.  Therefore, the Body of Christ should not seek such charismatic renewal experiences, but follow after charity and excel to edifying; for now abideth faith, hope, and charity, these three, but the greatest of these is charity.  [1 Corinthians 12:1-31; 13:9-13; 14:1; Ephesians 4:15-16; Galatians 5:13]

By reason of Christ’s victory over sin and of His dwelling Spirit, all of the members of His Body may and should experience deliverance from the power of sin by obedience to Romans 6:11, but we deny that man’s nature of sin is ever eradicated during this life.  As saints (Lit., set-apart ones) and member of the true Church (Lit., called-out ones) we are to demonstrate obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ and love to all men.  [Romans 6:6-14; 8:37; 12:1-2, 9-14; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; 2 Corinthians 2:14; 10:2-5; Galatians 5:16-25; Ephesians 5:11; 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 14-15; 1 Timothy 6:20-21; Titus 3:10]

We believe the marriage relationship was ordained by God in the garden when He instituted the first marriage between one man (Adam) and one woman (Eve) and thus set the pattern for the institution of marriage.  Any other kind of relationship that is not joined together in matrimony between one man and one woman is not God’s design for marriage.

In the present Dispensation of the Grace of God all believers of the Gospel of the Grace of God have been made members of the Body of Christ by the One Divine Baptism.  All members are united, being members one of another.  By this One baptism, every member of the Body of Christ is identified with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection.  In light of the statement concerning the one baptism in Ephesians 4:5, the statements concerning baptism in Colossians 2:12 and Romans 6:3-6, and Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians 1:17 that, “…Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel…”, we conclude that water baptism has no place in God’s spiritual program for the Body of Christ in the Dispensation of Grace.  [1 Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 3:26-28; Romans 12:4-5; Ephesians 4:5]

We believe “the Lord’s table” is to be commemorated on a regular basis in this dispensation of God’s grace as we are “able ministers of the new testament” and partakers of the spiritual things of the New Testament.  Therefore the order of the communion of 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 is to be followed as Paul “received of the Lord that which he also delivered” unto us as members of the body of Christ; this is done “in remembrance” of the perfect sacrificial death of the Lord Jesus Christ in complete payment of the debt and penalty of our sins, and this is done in a deep understanding and appreciation that we do “shew the Lord’s death till He come”.  Hence, we have the honour and privilege of making an impact by displaying or shewing to “the principalities and powers in heavenly places” “the Lord’s death” on a regular basis.  This “open shew” is made on a continual basis when a church gathers together and feasts at the table of God's Word, as well as, when bless the bread and cup.  This “open shew” manifests what they thought was their greatest moment of glory and wisdom was really their ultimate demise, for God caught them in their craftiness when they crucified the Lord of glory.  [1 Cor. 2:7-8; 11:17-34; 2 Cor. 3:6; Col. 2:15]

Jesus Christ was resurrected bodily from the dead.  Therefore, all men will have a bodily resurrection: the saved to everlasting glory and the unsaved to everlasting punishment.  [Luke 24:39-43; 1 Corinthians 15:21; Acts 24:15; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10; John 5:29; Revelation 20:11-15]

The rapture of the Church which is His Body is pre-tribulation, and the second coming of Christ will be pre-millennial.  He will come first to receive the members of His body to Himself before the seven-year Tribulation.  Then after the seven-year Tribulation, to receive His millennial Kingdom, over which he will reign on the earth for 1,000 years.  Due to the Mystery of Christ and the nature of the Body of Christ Church with its resurrection at Christ’s appearance in the air/clouds, this catching away or rapture will take place before the seven-year Tribulation.  The resurrection of the other saved will occur after the Tribulation.  [1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Philippians 3:20-21; Colossians 3:4; Zechariah 14:4, 9; Acts 1:10-11; Revelation 19:11-16; 20:4-6, 12-15; Jeremiah 30:7; Matthew 24:15-31; Titus 2:13-14; 1 Corinthians 15:51-53]

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 teachings of universalism, of probation after death, of annihilation of the unsaved dead, and of the unconscious state of the dead, saved or unsaved, are opposed by us being thoroughly unscriptural and dangerous doctrines.  [Luke 16:23-28; Revelation 14:11; 20:14-15; Isaiah 66:22-24; Colossians 3:6; Romans 1:21-32; 2:8-8, 16; John 3:36; Philippians 1:23; 3:19; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; 2 Corinthians 5:6-8]

The primary objective of the mission of the church is to execute the Heavenly Father’s will as expressed in 1 Timothy 2:4….get sinners saved and educate the believer in the full-knowledge of the truth.  We do so by preaching Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the Mystery.  That distinct message which Paul the Apostle calls “my gospel” also called the Gospel of the Grace of God has a built in edification process that conforms us to the image of Christ and prepares us for our vocation of the new creature in the life to come.  [2 Corinthians 5:14-21; Romans 11:13; 15:14, 16-18; 16:25; Ephesians 3:3-9; 4:12-16; 1 Corinthians 4:16; 11:1; Philippians 3:17; 1 Timothy 1:11-16; 2 Timothy 2:2, 15; 4:2; Acts 20:24, 32; 28:31; Galatians 1:8-9; 2:7; Colossians 1:28]