Of The Righteous And The Wicked
We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that such only as through faith are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and sanctified by the Spirit of our God, are truly righteous in His esteem; while all such as continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight wicked, and under the curse, and this distinction holds among men both in and after death, in the everlasting felicity of the saved and the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost.
Genesis 18:23 ; Proverbs 11:31 ; 14:32; Malachi 3:18 ; Matthew 7:13-14 ; 25:34; Luke 9:26 ; 16:25; John 8:21 ; 12:25; Acts 10:34-35 ; Romans 1:17 ; 6:16-18,23; 7:6; 1Corinthians 15:22; Galatians 3:10 ; 1Peter 4:18; 1John 2:7,29; 5:19
Of Civil Government
We believe that civil government is of divine appointment, for the interests and good order of human society; that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored and obeyed; except only in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ; who is the only Lord of the conscience, and the coming Prince of the kings of the earth.
Exodus 18:21-22 ; 2Samuel 23:3; Psalm 72:11 ; Daniel 3:17-18 ; Matthew 10:28 ; 22:21; 23:10; Acts 4:19-20 ; 23:5; Romans 13:7 ; Philippians 2:10-11 ; Titus 3:1 ; 1Peter 2:13-14,17
Of The Resurrection And Return Of Christ And Related Events
We believe in and accept the sacred Scriptures upon these subjects at their face and full value. Of the Resurrection, we believe that Christ rose bodily “The third day according to the Scriptures”; that He ascended “to the right hand of the throne of God”; that He alone is our “merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God”; “that this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven,” bodily, personally, and visibly; that the “dead in Christ shall rise first”; that the living saints “shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump”; “that the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David”; and that “Christ shall reign a thousand years in righteousness until He hath put all enemies under His feet.”
Psalm 72:8 ; Isaiah 11:4-5 ; Matthew 24:27 ,42; Matthew 28:6-7 ; Mark 16:6 ,19; Luke 1:32 ; Luke 24:2 ,4-6,39,51; John 14:3 ; John 20:27 ; Acts 1:9 ,11; 1Corinthians 15:4; Philippians 4:20 ; 1Thessalonians 4:16; 1Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 2:17 ; 5:9; 8:1; 9:28; 12:2
Of Missions
The command to give the gospel to the world is clear and unmistakable and this Commission was given to the churches.
Matthew 28:18-20 , “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and, lo I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
Mark 16:15 , “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”
John 20:21 , “As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.”
Acts 1:8 , “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
Romans 10:13-15 , “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”
Of The Grace Of Giving
Scriptural giving is one of the fundamentals of the Faith.
2Corinthians 8:7, “Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.”
We are commanded to bring our gifts into the storehouse (common treasury of the church) upon the first day of the week.
1Corinthians 16:2, “Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.”
Under Grace we give, and do not pay, the tithe – “Abraham GAVE the tenth of the spoils,” – Hebrews 7:2 ,4 – and this was four hundred years before the law, and is confirmed in the new Testament; Jesus said concerning the tithe, “these ought ye to have done”, Matthew 23:23 .
We are commanded to bring the tithe into the common treasury of the church.
Leviticus 27:30 , “The tithe … is the Lord’s.”
Malachi 3:10 , “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”
In the New Testament it was the common treasury of the church.
Acts 4:34 ,35,37, “And brought the prices of the things that were sold and laid them down at the apostles’ feet … Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it AT THE APOSTLES’ FEET.”