TENETS OF FAITH AND DOCTRINE
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Section 1. The Scriptures Inspired. The Bible is the inspired Word of God, a revelation from God to man, the infallible rule of faith and conduct, and is superior to conscience and reason, but not contrary to reason (2 Tim. 3:15-17; 1 Peter 1:23-25; Heb. 4:12).
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Section 2. The One True Godhead. The triune Godhead is comprised of three separate and distinct members, The Father, The Word, and The Holy Spirit, who are eternally self-existent, self-revealed and function as one (plural unity or ‘echad’ found in Strong’s Concordance #259 in the Hebrew). Jesus the Christ, who is God the Word manifested in the flesh (John 1:1), is the second member of the Godhead, coequal and coeternal with The Father and The Holy Spirit.
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Section 3. Man, His Fall and Redemption. Man was created good and upright, for God said, “Let us make man in Our image, after Our likeness.” But, man, by voluntary transgression, fell and his only hope of redemption is in Jesus Christ the Son of God (Genesis 1:26-31, 3:17; Romans 5:12-21).
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Section 4. The Salvation of Man.
(1) Man’s only hope of redemption is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. On the cross, Jesus Christ bore the fullness of sin and sickness providing both salvation and freedom from the curse for all mankind (Psalm 103:3, Gal. 3:12, 3 John 2, Eph. 2:8, Rom. 10:8-10, Romans 3:24).
(2) The Evidence of Salvation. The inward evidence to the believer of his salvation, is the direct witness of the Spirit (Romans 8:16). The outward evidence to all men is a life of righteousness and true holiness. 1 John 3:23
(3) Faith and Works. Salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ that we justified freely by his grace (Rom 3:24) therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law (Rom 3:28, Eph. 2:8-10). We are also justified by faith demonstrated by works (James 2:24-26) for faith without works is dead. These works of faith will determine the rewards in eternity at the Judgment Seat of Christ (Romans 10:9-11, and 2 Cor. 5:10).
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Section 5. Baptism in Water (a commandment/ordinance). 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. “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:4. (Matt. 28:19; Acts 10:47-48; Romans 6:4).
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Section 6. Communion, a.k.a. The Lord’s Supper (a commandment/ ordinance). 1Cor. 11:24-27
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Section 7. Foot Washing. John 13:14 “If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.”
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Section 8. The Promise of the Father. Acts 2:33 “Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.” All believers are entitled to, and should ardently expect and earnestly seek, the promise of the Father, the Baptism in the Holy Ghost and Fire, according to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ. This was the normal experience of all in the early Christian Church. With it comes the endowment of power for life and service, the bestowment of the gifts and their uses in the work of the ministry. (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:48; 1 Cor. 12:1-31). This experience is distinct from and subsequent to the experience of the new birth (Acts 2:38; 10:44-46; 11:14-16; 15:7-9).
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Section 9. The Evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. Includes all elements of the gifts found in 1Corinthians 12, 13 and 14 and includes instruction in application. (Acts 2:4; 10:44-46; 19:2, 6; 1:8).
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Section 10. The Church.
(1) Individual Believers. 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. 1Cor. 12:27-28: “Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
(2) Authority in the Church Resides in the 5-Fold Ministry. “And God hath set some in the Church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.” (1 Cor. 12:28; Ephesians 1:22; 2:19-22; Hebrews 12:23). The Association embraces the concept that spiritual authority in the Body of Christ, His Church, is expressed and governed through the five ministries described in Ephesians 4:11-12. Each member of the 5-Fold Ministry’s goal is to perfect and equip the church for service.
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Section 11. To Prosper or Flourish (3 John 2). God’s character is to bless and provide. He is the author of everything that is eternally good. Salvation through His Son and obedience to His Word are the foundation to receive a blessed life while in the body and in eternity. A believer's life should be characterized as a life of overcoming.
(1) Spiritual (pneuma). John 3:3; 2 Cor. 5:17-21; Rom. 10:9-10.
(2) Soul (psyche). 2 Tim. 1:7; Romans 12:2; Isaiah 26:3.
(3) Physical (soma). Isaiah 53:4, 5; Matt. 8:17; 1 Peter 2:24.
(4) Financial. Mal. 3:7-12; Luke 6:38; 2Cor. 9:6-10; Deut. 28:1-14.
(5) Social. Prov. 3:4, 17:17, 27:17.
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Section 12. Blessed Hope. Jesus is coming again (1st Resurrection) (1Cor. 15:51-52; 1Thess. 4:16-17; and 2 Thess. 2:1).
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Section 13. The Lake of Fire. Those who have not accepted the redemptive work of Jesus Christ will suffer eternal separation from the Godhead. The devil and his angels, the beast and the false prophet, and anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life, shall be consigned to everlasting punishment in the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire (Rev. 19:20; 20:10-15).
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Section 14. The Millennial Reign of Jesus and Eternal Life. The return of our Lord Jesus Christ with His Saints, who have successfully made it through the Judgement Seat of Christ, rule and reign for one thousand years on earth as the Scriptures promised in Rev. 5:9-10 (Romans 11:25, 27; 2 Thes.1:7; Rev. 19:11-16; 20:17). After this, there shall be a new heaven and a new earth (Rev. 21). Eternal fellowship with the Godhead is conditional on obedience to His laws of eternal life. Rev. 21:6-8 “And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” Rev. 22:14-15 “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.” Those that are habitual doers of these things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God as warned in Gal. 5:21.
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Section 15. Christian Life and Scriptural Conduct.
(1) Personal Ethics. “And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.” In other words, what you would do in action when everyone is watching is what you should do when no one is taking notice. All decisions in every department will be made with the success of the organization and the best interests of the Members in mind and in accordance with the vision given by leadership. Some of the guiding Scriptures that inform the Association’s position of personal ethics include: (a) Matt. 7:12 (b) 1Cor. 6:12 (c) Prov. 16:2 (d) Heb. 5:14 (e) 1 Cor. 8:9
(2) Obedience to Laws of the Land. We are not above the law. We recognize God’s ordination of the civil authority and the legitimate laws in support of that authority and the Association shall uphold the laws of the civil authority provided such laws are not in conflict with the Holy Scriptures or with the doctrines of the Association. We will conduct ourselves with respect to the Scriptures and with respect to the local, state and federal government that allows for freedom to exercise the Kingdom of God in peace. (Ro 13:1-2, Acts 5:27-29)
(3) Moderation. Lack of moderation gets us into trouble in our relationships with God, self and others. God has given this guideline of moderation so that we are not controlled by the things of this world. (2 Pet. 2:19; Rom. 6:16 ; Matt. 6:21)
(4) Adultery; Fornication; Immorality. God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other. (1 Cor 6:18; 7:2-5; Heb 13:4.) All other forms of sexual activity, including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual behavior, bestiality and incest, and other deviant behavior, are characterized as immoral and sinful and against God’s design for the human race. (Matt 15:18-20; 1 Cor 6:9-10.) We respect each other as brothers and sisters in the Lord according to His Word. We do not conduct ourselves in relationships that would put the other person or ourselves in judgment with God or the laws of the land. These areas of misconduct violate God’s example of covenant in the earth. (Ex. 20:14; 2 Pet. 2:14; Matt. 5:27-28; 1 Cor. 6:9; 1 Cor. 5:11)
(5) Drunkenness; Drugs. The use of substances that alter the cognitive and spiritual choices we make are dangerous to our lives and others. This involves all substances both legal and illegal. (Deut. 21:20-21; Gal. 5:21; 1 Cor. 6:10; Eph. 5:18; Proverbs 23:21)
(6) Gender. God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. (Gen 1:26-27.) Rejection of the gender assigned at birth is a rejection of the image of God within that person. Gender confusion, when it is translated into actions and lifestyles, including, but not limited to, those that are homosexual, transgendered, agender, transsexual and transvestite, etc. is against God’s ordering of His creation and His express will, as revealed in Scripture. The Association recognizes the distinction between orientation and action and does not condemn a person who possesses but struggles against an orientation that is a manifestation of gender confusion and seeks to assist such a person in his or her struggle, to the glory of God. (Lev. 18:22; Rom. 1:23-32; 1 Cor 6:9)
(7) Definition of Marriage. (a) Because God Himself, and not man, ordained marriage Page 13 of 16 and defined it as an exclusive covenant relationship between a man and a woman, the Association recognizes only marriages between a man and a woman and, specifically, between two individuals whose genders have remained unchanged since birth. The basis of this understanding of marriage is found in Genesis 2:18, 22-24
(b) This arrangement of marriage is brought forward into the New Testament church in 1 Corinthians 7:1-2 (c) The overarching significance of marriage as the union of a man and a woman is found in its modeling of the eternal union between Christ and His Bride, as the New Testament clearly teaches in Ephesians 5. Any other model of marriage, therefore, both distorts and perverts the spiritual truth God has purposed to portray through marriage and offends His ordering of His creation.
(9) Other Practices Including but Not Limited to Practices Found In:
(a) Rom. 1:23
(b) Gal. 5:19-21
(c) Col. 3:5