Statement of Faith
Our ambition at Hope in Christ Bible Church is to glorify our living God by loving, learning, and living out His truth. We pursue this in every aspect of our ministry, from the preaching of the Word of God, to our men’s, women’s, and children’s ministries, as well as ministering our hope in Christ to the lost world around us.
What We Teach at Hope in Christ Bible Church
“So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.”
II Peter 1:19
About Scripture
We teach that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the written revelation of God. Phrases such as the “word of the Lord” appear 3,800 times throughout the Bible! They are inerrant and infallible in whole and in part as written by the biblical writers (John 17:17); they are the complete Word of God (Matt. 5:18). The Bible, therefore, is entirely true and never false in all it affirms. This includes areas such as history and science (Gen. 1:31; Ex. 31:17; Job:26:7-10). It is the supreme and final authority on all matters for our lives, family, and church (Jer. 23:29; Rom. 3:4; I Thes. 2:13). Hence, we must study it and submit to it (II Tim. 2:15; Ezr. 7:10).
We teach that the Bible is verbally inspired by God (I Cor. 2:10; II Tim. 3:16-17; I Pet. 1:20-21). Inspiration is that work of God by which the Holy Spirit supernaturally directed the writers of Scripture without excluding their human intelligence, individuality, and literary style, to record with perfect accuracy God’s own complete and coherent message to men (II Sam. 23:2; Luke 1:1-3). The very words of the Bible bear the authority of this divine authorship (John 5:39; II Chron. 29:25).
1. We teach that the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments comprise the totality of Scripture. There is no other special revelation to be added to the canon which the church has historically recognized by the enablement of the Holy Spirit (Rev. 22:18-19).
2. We teach that the original autographs of Scripture were inerrant (expressing the words of God completely and accurately) and infallible (incapable of teaching error in any area) (Psalm 19:7).
3. We teach that although portions of Scripture may vary in degree of clarity, Scripture can only be fully understood by one who has the Spirit of God (I Cor. 1:18; Luke 24:32).
4. We teach the literal grammatical-historical method of interpretation. It is the duty of every believer to search and to study diligently the Scriptures depending on the Holy Spirit who illuminates Scripture’s significance (John 16:13-14). There is only one interpretation of Scripture which is determined by God for every text; Scripture never contradicts itself.
5. We teach the sufficiency of Scripture for all matters of faith and practice. Scripture is intended to change lives for God’s glory (II Tim. 3:15; John 20:31; Acts 20:32; II Cor. 3:18)!
About God
We teach that there is one true and living God (Deut. 6:4; Is. 45:5-6; I Cor. 8:4; Gal. 3:20), an infinite Spirit (John 4:24), perfect in all His attributes, one in essence and yet eternally existing in three Persons Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matt. 3:16-17; Matt. 28:19; I Cor. 12:4-6; II Cor. 13:14) deserving our worship and obedience.
About God the Father
We teach that God the Father orders and disposes all things according to His own purpose and grace. He is sovereign in creation (Gen. 1:1-31; Eph. 3:9), providence (Is. 45:7), and redemption (Eph. 1:7-10). His fatherhood involves both His designation within the Trinity (Luke 10:21) and His relationship with mankind (Acts 17:29). As Creator He is Father to all men (Eph. 4:6), but He is the spiritual Father only to believers (Rom. 8:14; II Cor. 6:18). He has decreed for His own glory all things that come to pass (Eph. 1:11). He continually upholds, directs, and governs all creatures and events (I Chron. 29:11; Heb. 1:3). In Hi sovereignty He is neither author nor approver of sin (Hab. 1:13), nor does He abridge the accountability of moral, intelligent creatures (I Pet. 1:17). He has graciously chosen from eternity past those whom He would have as His own (Eph. 1:4-6). He saves from sin all who come to Him through Jesus Christ; He adopts as His own all those who come to Him, and He becomes, upon adoption, heavenly Father to His own (John 1:12; Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:5; Heb. 12:5-9).
About God the Son, Jesus Christ
We teach that Jesus Christ, the eternal Word of God was made flesh (John 1:1,14) –conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary (Luke 1:35) and so is one Person with two natures, fully God (Matt. 1:23; Col. 2:8; Heb. 1:2-3,8-9; Phil. 2:5-6) and fully man(Phil. 2:7-8; Luke 24:39-40). We believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross (John 19:33) at Cavalry for our sins (I Pet. 2:24) and rose bodily from the dead on the third day (I Cor. 15:1-3), as seen by numerous eyewitnesses (I Cor. 15:5-8). We teach the bodily resurrection of our Lord (I Cor. 15:17), His ascension into heaven (Acts 1:9-11), and His present life there as High Priest and Advocate for us at the right hand of the Father (I John 2:1).
We teach that Jesus Christ is fully God and therefore indeed God with us (Is. 9:6).
We teach that Jesus is the eternal Word of God, the second Person of the triune God, who existed in perfect face-to-face fellowship with the Father and the Holy Spirit from eternity past (John 17:5). At the appropriate moment in time, the Word was made flesh and became a man (Gal. 4:4), and He remains both God and man (John 19:37, Rom.1:3-4).
We teach that in the incarnation (God becoming man) Christ surrendered only the prerogatives of deity but nothing of the divine essence (Phil. 2:5-8; Col. 2:9).
We teach that Jesus Christ, dying and rising from the grave, ascended into heaven to be seated at the right hand of the Most High. There He ministers as our appointed High Priest (Heb. 8:1) and waits until His enemies are made a footstool for His feet (Heb. 10:11-13).
We teach that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life and that no one can come to the Father but through Him (John 14:6). There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).
About God the Holy Spirit
We teach that God the Holy Spirit is one of the three co-equal Persons of the triune God(Matt. 28:19; Acts 5:3-4, 28:25-26; I Cor. 12:4-6; II Cor. 13:14; Jer. 31:31-34; Heb. 10:15-17), manifesting His Personhood through intellect, knowledge, mind, emotions, and will (I Cor.2:10-13; Eph. 4:30; I Cor. 12:11). In His ministry to the church, the Holy Spirit indwells (baptizes) each believer upon salvation (Rom. 8:9-11) and seals him unto the day of redemption (Eph. 1:14) (by death or rapture). We believe that only the Holy Spirit can open a man’s heart and mind to receive the Word of God (John 3:5-8) and that this is done as the Holy Spirit empowers the preaching and teaching of the gospel (Rom. 8:9-11; II Cor. 3:6).
We teach that the Spirit regenerates and baptizes into the church Body all believers (Titus 3:5; I Cor. 12:13)
We teach the believer is to be filled (controlled) by the Spirit by letting the word of Christ dwell within him richly (Eph. 5:18; Col. 3:16).
The Holy Spirit gifts each believer for service that builds the Body of Christ (Eph. 4:12; I Cor. 12:11)
About Salvation
We teach that all who repent of their sins, having received by faith the Lord Jesus Christ, are born again by the Holy Spirit and thereby become children of God and heirs of eternal life(John 1:12-13, 3:3-7; Acts 2:36-40, 3:18-21; Rom. 8:14-17; I John 5:12-13).We teach that salvation is wholly of God by grace through faith on the basis of the redemption of Jesus Christ, the merit of His shed blood, and not on the basis of human merit or works(John 6:43-47; Rom. 3:19-28, 4:16,18-25, 9:14-16,30-33, 11:6; Eph. 1:7, 2:8-9; Gal. 2:16;Titus 3:4-6). We teach that regeneration is a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit by which the divine nature and divine life are given (John 3:3-8, 6:44, 10:27-30; Eph. 2:1-6; Titus 3:4-6). It is instantaneous and is accomplished solely by the power of the Holy Spirit through the instrumentality of the Word of God, when the repentant sinner responds in faith to the divine provision of salvation (Luke 23:39-43; John 9; Acts 2:37-41; Rom. 10:8-10; Eph. 2:4-6,8-9; Col. 2:13; Titus 3:4-6).
We teach that man is totally passive in this work of regeneration. Prior to this, man is actually dead in sin and cannot respond to God (John 1:12-13, 6:44; Rom. 3:10-19, 9:15-16; Eph. 2:1-2; Col. 2:13-14). Man is not by nature a seeker; the only seeker is God (Psalm 14:1-3; Is. 53:6; Rom. 3:10-18).
We teach that all who receive by faith the Lord Jesus Christ are born again (born from above) by the Holy Spirit (John 3:3-7; Rom. 8:14-17; Gal. 4:4-7), are indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:11, I Cor. 3:16, 6:19; Eph. 1:13), and become the beloved children of God and heirs of everlasting life (Rom. 8:14-17; Gal. 4:1-7; Eph. 3:6; Titus 3:4-7; I Pet. 3:7). This new birth is the work of the Holy Spirit by which He creates within a person a new nature, a new heart, and a new spirit (Jer. 31:33; Ez. 36:26-27; II Cor.5:17). Faith is a gift of God and is produced by the Word of God (Eph. 2:8-9; Rom.1:16, 6:23, 10:11-17).
We teach that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures (I Cor.15:3-4) as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice (Is. 53:5-8, 11-12; John 1:29; Rom. 5:6-11; Gal. 3:13; Col. 1:19-22) acceptable to God the Father (Is. 53:10; Matt.3:16-17, 17:5; John 10:17; Eph. 5:2). All who believe in Christ are justified on the grounds of His shed blood (Lev. 17:11; Is. 53:4-6, 10-11; Matt. 26:27-28; Rom. 3:23-24, 4:25, 5:9, 8:29-30; Col. 1:19-22; Heb. 9:11-12). God took our sins and placed them upon Christ (II Cor. 5:21; Is. 53:6). Anyone who calls upon the Lord in repentance and believes in his heart that God has raised Him from the dead receives salvation (Rom.10:9-10). Apart from Christ, there is no salvation (John 14:6, Acts 4:12).
We teach that Jesus Christ is the propitiation for our sins (Rom. 3:25; Heb. 2:17; I John2:2). He satisfied the wrath of God that would otherwise have been directed toward us (Is. 53:6; Rom. 1:18, 5:9; Eph. 2:3-4; I Thes. 5:9-10). God’s wrath against sin is an eternal torment in a literal hell prepared for the devil and his angels (Matt. 25:41; Luke16:19-31; II Pet. 2:4; Rev. 20:14-15, 21:8).
We teach that salvation is the result of the completed work of Christ (John 19:30; Heb.9:24-28, 10:11-14; I Pet. 3:18). Salvation is by grace alone, not grace plus works (Gal.3:22-26). However, genuine faith necessarily leads to a changed life (II Cor. 5:14-17) evidenced by good works (Matt. 7:16-21; John 15:4-8; Eph. 2:10; Col. 1:9-10; Titus3:8,14; James 2:14-26) done in the power of the Holy Spirit (Mark 13:11; John 14:26;Acts 4:31; Rom. 8:13-14; Gal. 6:8; Eph. 3:16).
We teach that, at the moment of regeneration, the believer is instantly justified (Rom.3:21-28, 4:1-5; Gal. 2:16; Titus 3:5), declared righteous, and he has peace with God (Luke 23:42-43; Rom. 5:1,10; Eph. 2:13-14; Col. 1:19-20, 2:13-14). Christ’s righteousness is imputed to the believer (Is. 53:6; Rom. 4:5-6; II Cor. 5:21).
We teach that sanctification is a lifelong process (Rom. 6:19-22, 8:9-11; I Cor. 6:11; Phil. 3:12-14; I Thes. 4:3-8; Heb. 12:14; I Pet. 1:2,13-16) whereby the Holy Spirit matures the believer and enables a life of personal holiness and a walk of obedience to the will of God (II Pet. 3:18). As members of His family we not only have fellowship with our Father in heaven (I John 1:3), but we are being transformed by the Holy Spirit into the image of Christ (Rom. 12:1-2; II Cor. 3:1-6, 18), and when Christ returns we will be completely changed in body and spirit to be like Jesus Christ (I Cor. 15:49, 51-56; I John 3:2-3). This experience of the life of Jesus Christ within us now by the presence of the Holy Spirit and then in the heavenly presence of Jesus Christ is “eternal life” (John 17:3; Gal. 2:20, 6:8; Eph. 1:13-14; Col. 1:27; I John 5:11-13).
We teach that all who are truly born from above and received the Spirit of Christ are “kept by the power of God” (John 10:12,27-30; I Pet. 1:5) and “sealed by the Spirit” (Eph. 1:13-14, 4:30; II Cor. 1:20-22; I John 4:11-15), therefore, are incapable of losing their salvation (Rom. 8:35-39; I Thes. 5:23-24).
We teach that a person, having been moved by the Spirit of God, comes to salvation in Christ by:
Admitting his sinful ways and desiring to turn from them in repentance and be delivered from the judgment they bring (Luke 13:1-5; John 5:24; Acts 2:36-39, 3:18-20, 17:30, 26:19-20; Rom. 3:10,23).
Acknowledging that Christ died for sinners on the cross and that God raised Christ from the dead (John 11:25; Rom. 5:8, 10:9; I Cor. 15:1-3).
Receiving Christ as the only means of eternal life (John 1:12, 6:40; Acts 4:12; Eph. 2:8-9).
Appropriating Christ’s rightful claim as both Lord and Savior of his life (Rom.10:9; Phil. 2:10-11).
About the Church
We teach that the church is the Body of Christ and the Bride of Christ, comprised of all Spirit-baptized believers in heaven or on earth (Eph. 1:22-23, 5:23; Col. 1:24; I Cor. 10:16-17,12:12-13). The Body of Christ exists under the authority of Christ’s headship mediated through the Scriptures in each local congregation (II Tim. 4:1-2; Col. 1:18; II Pet. 1:3-4, 19-21).The local church is the visible expression of the Body of Christ in any one place on earth(Rom. 16:23; Philem. 2), comprised of believers who have been baptized by water as a symbol of regeneration (Acts 2:41, 15:3-4, 20:20; Titus 3:5; I Pet. 3:21; Rev. 1:11).
We teach that the church exists to glorify God through worship, prayer, proclamation of the gospel to the lost world, edification of the believers, fellowship, and ministry (Acts2:42-47; Rom. 10:13-15; Eph. 3:10-12, 4:11-13, 6:18-19; I Thes. 2:7-12, 5:17; Heb.10:24-25; I John 1:3; Jude 23).
The church has a mission to proclaim the Scriptures to all the world (Matt. 28:18-20; John 20:21; Acts 1:8). The church is to be guided by a plurality of biblically qualified elders (Acts 14:23, 20:28; I Tim. 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9; Heb. 13:17; I Pet. 5:1-3). The church is to be supported by the wise stewardship of God’s people in each local congregation (I Cor. 16:1-2; II Cor. 9:1-15). We teach that the ordinances of the church given by our Lord are baptism by immersion (Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 8:38-39, 10:48) and the Lord ’s table (Communion) (Luke 22:17-20; I Cor. 11:23-26).
We teach that the formation of the church began on the Day of Pentecost (Matt. 16:18; John 7:39; Acts 1:8, 2:41, 5:11) and will be complete at the coming of Christ for His own at the rapture (Eph. 3:20-21; Phil. 1:6; I Thes. 4:15-18; James 1:3). The church is distinct from Israel (Gen. 12:1-3, Deut. 30:1-6; Jer. 30, 31, 33; Ez. 36-37; Zeph. 3:14-20; Zech. 12-14; Matt. 19:28, 23:37-39, 24:15; Luke 21:24; Acts 1:3-7,19-21; Rom. 9:3-4, 11:7-29; II Thes. 2:3-4; Rev. 7:4-8).
We teach that Christ being the Head of the church has willed for biblically qualified elders to lead the local congregation as His servants (Acts 20:28; I Tim. 3:1-7; Heb.13:17; Titus 1:5-9; I Pet. 5:1-3). These men are to exercise unanimity in all decisions (Acts 15:25; John 17:20-23; I Cor. 1:10, 2:16; Eph. 4:3; James 3:17-18). The biblical qualifications for elders and deacons are found in I Timothy 3 and Titus 1. The congregation’s responsibility is to submit to the biblical leading of the elders and lovingly confront elders who continue in sin (Heb. 13:17; I Tim. 5:19-20).
We teach that each member of the Body of Christ has at least one spiritual gift distributed by the Holy Spirit as God wills to be used for the proper functioning and edification of the local church (I Pet. 4:10; I Cor. 12:4-11,28-31; Rom. 12:6-8; Eph.4:11-13). All members are to declare and make known God’s truth through the testimony of their lives, in addition to the formal proclamation of the Word of God (Matt.5:16; Col. 1:28; I Pet. 3:15).
Some gifts mentioned in the New Testament (such as revelatory prophecy, healing, miracles, and tongues) were for the purpose of authenticating the messengers of God’s revelation (Heb. 2:3-4; II Cor. 12:12; Rom. 15:18-19), and these gifts ceased with the completion of Scripture (I Cor. 13:8-11; II Pet. 1:19-21).
We teach that baptism is the outward demonstration of the believer’s inner regeneration by the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:18-20; Acts. 2:41, 9:18, 19:1-5). Baptism in the early church was by immersion (Acts 8:38-39). Baptism itself does nothing to save us (Rom. 3:28; Titus 3:5; Acts 2:41; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38, 10:48; I Pet. 5:21. Note: In Acts 2:38 the Greek preposition 'eis' that follows the command, “Be baptized…” is best translated, “on the basis or ground of” forgiveness of sins. Mark 16:16 teaches that all who believe and are baptized are saved. But the text does not say that baptism saves or that it is required for salvation. In I Pet. 5:21 the context demonstrates that the baptism in view is not water baptism but an “appeal to God for a good conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”) Yet it should be the desire of every new believer to be obedient to this command and identify with his Savior (Rom. 6:3-7). The pattern of the book of Acts indicates the widespread practice of water baptism for believers (Acts 8:12, 36, 10:47-48, 19:4-5).
We teach that the Lord’s table (Communion) calls each believer to remember the death of our Savior upon the cross until He comes again (Luke 22:17-20; I Cor. 11:23-26).The bread and cup are only representative of the flesh and blood of Christ, although participation in the Lord’s Supper is nevertheless an actual communion with the risen Christ, who indwells every believer (I Cor. 10:16-17). Hence, every believer must examine himself prior to taking Communion so as not to partake in a manner that is unworthy (I Cor. 11:28-34).
We teach the primacy of proclaiming God’s Word in our worship (Acts 2:42; II Tim.3:16-17, 4:1-2). Theology drives our worship (Psalm 145).
About Mankind
We teach that mankind was created in the very image of God (Gen. 1:26-27, 31, 5:1, 9:6; James 3:9; I Cor. 11:7). Man’s creation was a direct act of God that took place on the sixth day of Creation (Gen. 1:27, 31, 2:7). All men are descended from the historical Adam and Eve (Acts 17:26), first parents of the entire human race (Rom. 5:12-19). Though created in an original state of holiness, Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden and incurred not only physical death, but also spiritual death, which is separation from God (Gen. 2:15-17, 3:1-7,5:5; Rom. 5:12-19, 6:23, 8:2; I Cor. 15:21-22). All human beings are born with an inherited sin nature and are sinners in thought, word, and deed (Gen. 6:5; Psalm 51:4-5; Is. 53;6). All people therefore justly deserve God’s eternal condemnation (Eph. 2:1-3; Rom. 5:16-18; 8:1-4).
We teach that man is born in sin and in this complete depravity is guilty before God for not conforming to God’s moral law (Rom. 3:9-18). Although a man might have choice as to which sinful acts to commit, he cannot stop sinning (I John 1:8, 10; James 2:10; John 8:34). There is no one righteous and no one who seeks after the true and living God (Rom. 3:10-12). Even our righteousness (the best we can do) is contaminated with sin (Is. 64:6). Man is enslaved to sin and cannot free himself (Jer. 13:23; John8:34-36; Rom. 7:18-25; Eph. 2:1-3).
We teach that man is born with an eternal soul/spirit in unity with a physical body (I Thes. 5:23; Heb. 4:12; Matt. 10:28; James 2:26). We teach that mankind is incapable of saving himself (Rom. 5:6-9; Gal. 2:21; Eph. 2:1-10; Titus 3:4-7). His only hope is in Jesus Christ (II Cor. 1:9-10; I Thes. 1:3; II Thes. 2:16; I Tim. 1:1).
We teach that since man is made in the image of God, the Bible upholds the sanctity of human life and the equality of the human race (Gen. 9:6; Ex. 20:13; James 3:9).
About Creation
We teach that in the beginning God created the entire physical universe for His glory (Psalm33:6-9, 148:5; Rev. 4:11, 14:6-7) out of nothing (Gen. 1:1; Psalm 100:3; Is. 42:5-6; Col. 1:16; Acts 14:14-15; Rom. 11:36). This creation was complete and pristine, free of sin and death, and within the age of man (Gen. 1:31, 3:1-7; Psalm 104:24; Rom. 5:12-19). He accomplished that creative work in a period of six sequential twenty-four hour days (Gen. 1:31; Ex. 31:17) and then rested on the seventh day (Gen. 2:1-3; Ex. 20:9-11).
We teach that God sustains His creation and yet is self-sufficient, in need of nothing (Psalm 50:7-13; Col. 1:18; Psalm 104:24-30; Is. 40:25-28, 66:1-2; Heb. 11:3; Acts17:24-26).
We teach that God is the Creator of the entire physical universe and all of its contents as well as the spiritual realm of angels (John 1:3; Col. 1:16; Rom. 11:36). All things are accountable to God and sustained by God (Col. 1:17; Rom. 2:6-11; Psalm 51:1-4; Rev.20).
We teach that although certain attributes of God can be deduced by examining the creation (God’s general revelation) (Job 38:1-11; II Pet. 1:3-4,19-21), this derived understanding cannot be elevated to the same level of authority as Scripture (Job 12:7-10; Psalm 19:7-14, 119:9-16; Rom. 1:18-25; Job 38:1-11; Rev. 4:11; II Tim. 3:16-17;Jer. 5:21-23, 10:11-16). Indeed, mankind has consistently misinterpreted the evidence because of his hatred of the true God (Deut. 1:43; Rom. 1:21-22; Jer. 5:21-31, 10:11-16).
We teach that the history chronicled in Genesis is accurate and literal; hence, the flood of Noah’s day was universal and destroyed all mankind and all land creatures except those kept alive in the ark (Gen. 7:19-24; Heb. 11:7). This flood destroyed the world that then was and has made a significant impact upon the natural world (II Pet. 3:3-7; Rom. 8:20-22).
About Marriage
We teach Biblical standards for marriage and human sexuality. We teach that marriage is a gift created by God and is designed to be a lifelong covenant relationship between one man and one woman under God and that Scripture opposes any form of sexual intimacy outside this relationship.
We teach that Adam and Eve were created in God’s image (Gen. 1:26-27), equal before God as persons and yet distinct in their manhood and womanhood (Gen. 2:20-24).
We teach that the headship of the family resides in the husband as established by God as part of the created order before the fall of man and is not a result of sin (Eph. 5:22-33; I Tim. 2:11-15; I Pet. 3:7).
We teach that all believers must honor the Lord in body and in spirit; namely, living completely faithful to a spouse or living a pure life in the gift of singleness (I Cor. 6:15-20; Heb. 13:4).
We teach that a man and a woman become one flesh when joined in marriage and are inseparable in God’s eyes (Matt. 19:3-9; I Cor. 7:1-16).
In light of these biblical convictions concerning God’s beautiful plan as revealed in the Bible, we will only marry those who embrace these truths of God’s design for marriage and are members of Hope In Christ Bible Church.
About Angels
We teach that before the seventh day of creation God created spiritual beings called angels (Gen. 1:31; Ex. 20:11; Job 38:4-7), all of whom were originally holy and were created to serve God and to worship Him (Neh. 9:6; Psalm 103:20-21, 148:2,5; Is. 6:1-3; Luke 2:9-14, 15:10;Col. 1:16). Before the fall of man, as chronicled in Genesis 3, Satan rebelled against God and incurred judgment upon himself and numerous other angels who aligned themselves with him (Eph.2:1-2; II Cor. 4:3-4; Jude 6; II Pet. 2:4,9). These fallen angels are called demons (Matt. 8:16; Mark 5:1-17; Luke 8:1-2). Righteous angels are confirmed in holiness as ministers for God (I Tim. 5:21; Heb. 1:13-14).
We teach that all angels are created beings, hence are not to be worshiped (Col. 2:18-19; Rev. 19:10).
We teach that angels, although very powerful beings, are not divine and are not all-powerful (Dan. 10:13-21).
We teach that all angels (both holy and fallen), like all men, are accountable to God and subject to Him (Col. 2:15; II Pet. 2:4, 9; Rev. 5:13).
We teach that Satan is a defeated foe of God, defeated through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Is. 14:12-15; Luke 10:18; Eph. 6:12; Heb. 2:9,14-16; James 4:7) As a result of Christ’s victory, Satan and the other demons shall be eternally punished in hell at the close of the millennial kingdom (Matt. 25:41; Rev.20:10).
About the Last Things
We teach that at physical death there is no loss of our immaterial consciousness, that the soul of the redeemed passes immediately into the presence of Christ (Phil. 1:21-23; II Cor. 5:6-8). The souls of the redeemed will receive resurrection bodies at the time of the rapture (I Cor. 15:41-44; I John 3:2). We teach the imminent return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ when all believers on earth will be raptured (caught up) to meet Him in the air (I Thes. 4:13-18). All believers should be waiting expectantly for that blessed day when we shall see our Savior face to face (John 14:3; Titus 2:13; Jude21). This hope motivates us to live lives that would bring glory to our Lord (I Tim. 6:13-14; I John 3:1-3).
We teach the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment (Matt 7:21-23, 25:31-46; Luke 16:19-31; John5:28-29).
We teach the futurist interpretation of Revelation, namely, that Revelation chapters 4-19 describe events in the tribulation period, future to the Church Age (Rev. 22:10).
We teach that the rapture of the church will likely occur just prior to the seven-year tribulation period, which is the last week of Daniel’s seventy weeks of years (Dan. 9:24-27; I Thes. 1:9-10, 4:13-18; Rev. 1:3, 3:10-11). Then the righteous judgments of God will be poured out upon an unbelieving world (Rev. 6-19; Matt. 24:3-31), climaxing in the physical return of Christ in glory to the earth to establish the millennial kingdom (Zech. 14:15-17, Is. 11:6-9, 65:20; I Cor. 15:23-25; Rev. 2:26-27, 20:1-6). After this comes the eternal state when all the redeemed will dwell in the presence of the Holy God (Dan. 7:13-22; Rev. 21:22).
We teach that all those that God has graciously redeemed will serve as a kingdom of priests forever worshiping Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God and Lord of all (Rev. 22:3).