Of Redemption

We believe that at the fall of man, God at once began fulfilling His plan of redemption which was conceived in divine love according to his foreknowledge before He had created man (Rom. 8:29, 30; Ephesians 1:4, 5; Revelation 13:8); that the central theme of the Scriptures is the working out of this redemption through the Lord Jesus Christ who was the Redeemer promised to Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:15), who, with all the Old Testament saints, looked with faith toward Christ’s redemptive work (Heb. 11:13; Rom. 4:20-25), whereas, we with like faith are privilege to look backward with greater insight to this same redemption wrought on Calvary (Heb. 11:39, 40; Rom. 4:16; Gal. 3:8, 13, 14).

 

Atonement For Sins

  • We believe the central work of God in redemption was the providing of Himself in the person of Jesus Christ as an atonement for the sins of mankind (John 12:27; Mark 10:45; I Tim. 1:15);
  • that this act was wholly of grace (Heb. 2:9), wherein Christ, yet without sin, freely took upon Himself our nature, wherein He honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and wherein He made a full and vicarious atonement for our sins by his death (II Cor. 5:21).
  • We believe furthermore that His atonement did not consist of the mere setting of an example by His death as a martyr, but of the voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner’s place, the just dying for the unjust (I Peter 3:18)–that is, Christ the Lord bearing our sins in His own body on the tree;
  • that this work was essential so that God, while pardoning the guilty, might remain just, vindicating His holy nature (Rom. 3:26).
 

Salvation By Grace

  • We believe that salvation is totally of grace apart from merit or works on man’s part (Eph. 2:8-10; Rom. 4:4-8, 16);
  • that the blessings of salvation are made free to all through the Gospel of Christ (Rom. 1:16; 3:24; Isa. 55:1, I John 2:2; Heb. 2:9; Rev. 22:17);
  • that it is the immediate duty of all to receive salvation by a sincere, penitent, and obedient faith (Rom. 16:26; Mark 1:15; Rom. 1:16, 17);
  • and that nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner on earth buy his own inherent depravity and voluntary rejection of the Gospel of Christ (John 5:40; Rom. 9:32; I John 5:10), which rejection involves him in an aggravated condemnation (John 3:19; Matt. 11:20; Heb. 10:29).
 

Regeneration

  • We believe that upon repentance and faith, God immediately acts through the Holy Spirit to bring into being by the New Birth a new spiritual creation in Christ (II Cor. 5:17);
  • that, in order to be saved, sinners must be born again (John 3:3-5);
  • that the new birth is an instantaneous act of God and not a process;
  • that in the new birth one dead in trespasses and sins is made to be a son of God (Rom. 8:14, 16; Gal. 4:5-7) and becomes a partaker of the divine nature (II Peter 1:4), receiving eternal life (I John 5:1, 11, 13), the free gift of God (Rom. 6:23);
  • that the new creation is brought about in a manner above our comprehension, not by culture, not by character, not by natural birth, nor by the will of man (John 1:13), but wholly by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with divine truth (Titus 3:4-7; I Peter 1:23), so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the Gospel;
  • that the proper evidence of the new birth appears in the holy fruits of a new life (Gal. 5:22, 23; I Peter 1:2, 22);
  • that this new life is worked out continuously in the heart through sanctification of the believer by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit (II Thess. 2:13; II Cor. 3:17, 18);
  • that the believer receives justification through the pardon of sins and the imputed righteousness of Christ (Rom. 4:5; 5:1, 2, 9).
 

Security of the Believer

  • We believe that the work of regeneration is by nature an eternal transaction wherein God imparts everlasting life to the believer so that he will never come into condemnation (John 5:24);
  • that he is sealed by the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption (Eph. 1:13, 14) and is kept by the power of God through faith unto eternal salvation (II Tim. 1:12; John 6:39, 40);
  • that all true believers will continue in the faith of Christ (John 10:27, 28; I John 5:4) and such faithful continuance is the grand mark that distinguishes them from those who superficially and falsely profess to be Christians (I John 2:19).