The Bible.
The Bible is the inspired Word of God, giving a true history
of the creation of heaven, earth, and humanity and containing a
correct prophecy of the ages to come regarding heaven, earth, and
the destiny of humanity. Moreover, there is no salvation outside of
what is taught in its pages.
God.
There is only one God (Deuteronomy 6:4). He is the creator of
heaven and earth, and of all living beings. He has revealed Himself
to humanity as the Father (Creator), in the son (Savior), and as the
Holy Ghost (indwelling Spirit). There is none other god beside Him,
not one.
Sin.
Sin is the transgression of the law, or commandments of God
(I John 3:4). The guilt of sin has fallen upon all humanity from
Adam until now (Romans 3:23). The wages of sin is eternal death
(Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:14) to all those who refuse to accept
salvation as set forth in the Word of God.
Holiness.
After we are saved from sin, we are commanded, "Go, and sin
no more" (John 8:11). We are commanded to live soberly, righteously,
and godly in this present world (Titus 2:12) and warned that without
holiness no one shall see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). We must present
ourselves as holy unto God (Romans 12:1), cleanse ourselves from all
filthiness of the flesh and spirit (II Corinthians 7:1), and
separate ourselves from all worldliness (James 4:4). If the
righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner
appear? (I Peter 4:18). No one can live a holy life by his own
power, but only through the Holy Spirit. "Ye shall receive power,
after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you" (Acts 1:8).
Offering and
Tithes. A tithe is a tenth
part of one's wages or income or increase; and offering is what is
given of free will in honor and sacrifice to God in addition to
one's tithes. Offerings may be received by ministers, deacons,
faithful brethren and workers in the field, wherever and whenever
given without begging. Malachi 3:8-10; Matthew 23:23; Hebrews
7:5-10. Having programs to entertain folks with quartettes and
charging a fee at the door to enter God's house is not God's plan.
Divine Healing.
God has made Himself known through the ages by miraculous
healings and has made special provisions in the age of grace to heal
all who will come to Him in faith and obedience. Divine healing was
purchased for us by the blood of Jesus Christ, especially by His
stripes (Isaiah 53:5; Matthew 8:16-17; I Peter 2:24). Jesus went
everywhere healing those who were sick (Matthew 4:23-24), and He
commanded His disciples to do the same (Matthew 10:8). We believe
that there is no sickness or disease too hard for God. Any of us,
our children, or our friends can be healed by the power of God. "Is
any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and
let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the
Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord
shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be
forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for
another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a
righteous man availeth much." (James 5:14-16).
Resurrection.
One day there
will be a resurrection of all of the dead, both just and unjust. He
will catch away a holy people (His bride, His church) who have
accepted redemption through His blood, by birth of water and of the
Spirit, and who are found faithful when He comes. "For the Lord
himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of
the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ
shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught
up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air:
and so shall we ever be with the Lord" (I Thessalonians 4:16-17)
Second Coming of Christ.
Jesus Christ is coming back
to earth in bodily form, just as He went away (Acts 1:11). "One
shall be taken and the other left" (Luke 17:36). Will we be ready?
The signs of His coming are everywhere. The days of peril are here
indeed, with forms of godliness void of the power of God; society
and politics corrupted; and people's hearts filled with pride,
blasphemies, un-holiness, love of evil, and love of pleasures (II
Timothy 3:1-13). These things, together with multitudes running to
and fro, the increase of knowledge (Daniel 12:4), the persecution of
the Jews and their return to Palestine (Luke 21:24), and scores of
other things are starting signs that Jesus' coming is drawing near.
Wars, rumors of wars, famines, earthquakes, storms, floods, distress
of nations, perplexity, and people's hearts failing them for fear
are sounding the solemn alarm that Jesus' coming is at hand (Matthew
24:6; Luke 21:25-28). "Prepare to meet thy God" (Amos 4:12).
Judgment.
"It is appointed unto men
once to die, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27). For this
reason there will be a resurrection for everyone. "For we must all
appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may
receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done,
whether it be good or bad" (II Corinthians 5:10). The eternal
destiny of every soul shall be determined by a just God who knows
the secrets of everyone's heart. "And before him shall be gathered
all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a
shepherd divides his sheep from the goats: and he shall set the
sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the
King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father,
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the
world. . . .Then shall he also say unto them on the left hand,
Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the
devil and his angels. . . . And these shall go away into everlasting
punishment; but the righteous into life eternal" (Matthew 25:32-34,
41, 46
