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IX. Justification,
Regeneration, and Adoption
9. We believe that justification
is the gracious and judicial act of God by which He grants full
pardon of all guilt and complete release from the penalty of sins
committed, and acceptance as righteous, to all who believe on Jesus
Christ and receive Him as Lord and Savior.
10. We believe that regeneration, or
the new birth, is that gracious work of God whereby the moral
nature of the repentant believer is spiritually quickened and given
a distinctively spiritual life, capable of faith, love, and
obedience.
11. We believe that adoption is
that gracious act of God by which the justified and regenerated
believer is constituted a son of God.
12. We believe that justification,
regeneration, and adoption are simultaneous in the experience of
seekers after God and are obtained upon the condition of faith,
preceded by repentance; and that to this work and state of grace
the Holy Spirit bears witness.
(Luke 18:14;
John 1:12-13; 3:3-8; 5:24; Acts 13:39; Romans 1:17; 3:21-26, 28;
4:5-9, 17-25; 5:1, 16-19; 6:4; 7:6; 8:1, 15-17; 1 Corinthians 1:30;
6:11; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Galatians 2:16-21; 3:1-14, 26; 4:4-7;
Ephesians 1:6-7; 2:1, 4-5; Philippians 3:3-9; Colossians 2:13;
Titus 3:4-7; 1 Peter 1:23; 1 John 1:9; 3:1-2, 9; 4:7; 5:1, 9-13,
18)
X. Entire Sanctification
13. We believe that entire
sanctification is that act of God, subsequent to regeneration, by
which believers are made free from original sin, or depravity, and
brought into a state of entire devotement to God, and the holy
obedience of love made perfect.
It is wrought by the baptism with
the Holy Spirit, and comprehends in one experience the cleansing of
the heart from sin and the abiding, indwelling presence of the Holy
Spirit, empowering the believer for life and service.
Entire sanctification is provided
by the blood of Jesus, is wrought instantaneously by faith,
preceded by entire consecration; and to this work and state of
grace the Holy Spirit bears witness.
This experience is also known by
various terms representing its different phases, such as
"Christian perfection," "perfect love,"
"heart purity," "the baptism with the Holy
Spirit," "the fullness of the blessing," and
"Christian holiness."
14. We believe that there is a
marked distinction between a pure heart and a mature character. The
former is obtained in an instant, the result of entire
sanctification; the latter is the result of growth in grace.
We believe that the grace of
entire sanctification includes the impulse to grow in grace.
However, this impulse must be consciously nurtured, and careful
attention given to the requisites and processes of spiritual
development and improvement in Christlikeness of character and
personality. Without such purposeful endeavor one’s witness may
be impaired and the grace itself frustrated and ultimately lost.
(Jeremiah
31:31-34; Ezekiel 36:25-27; Malachi 3:2-3; Matthew 3:11-12; Luke
3:16-17; John 7:37-39; 14:15-23; 17:6-20; Acts 1:5; 2:1-4; 15:8-9;
Romans 6:11-13, 19; 8:1-4, 8-14; 12:1-2; 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1;
Galatians 2:20; 5:16-25; Ephesians 3:14-21; 5:17-18, 25-27;
Philippians 3:10-15; Colossians 3:1-17; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24;
Hebrews 4:9-11; 10:10-17; 12:1-2; 13:12; 1 John 1:7, 9)
("Christian
perfection," "perfect love": Deuteronomy 30:6;
Matthew 5:43-48; 22:37-40; Romans 12:9-21; 13:8-10; 1 Corinthians
13; Philippians 3:10-15; Hebrews 6:1; 1 John 4:17-18
"Heart
purity": Matthew 5:8; Acts 15:8-9; 1 Peter 1:22; 1 John 3:3
"Baptism
with the Holy Spirit": Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezekiel 36:25-27;
Malachi 3:2-3; Matthew 3:11-12; Luke 3:16-17; Acts 1:5; 2:1-4;
15:8-9
"Fullness
of the blessing": Romans 15:29
"Christian
holiness": Matthew 5:1-7:29; John 15:1-11; Romans 12:1-15:3; 2
Corinthians 7:1; Ephesians 4:17-5:20; Philippians 1:9-11; 3:12-15;
Colossians 2:20-3:17; 1 Thessalonians 3:13; 4:7-8; 5:23; 2 Timothy
2:19-22; Hebrews 10:19-25; 12:14; 13:20-21; 1 Peter 1:15-16; 2
Peter 1:1-11; 3:18; Jude 20-21)
XI. The Church
15. We believe in the Church, the
community that confesses Jesus Christ as Lord, the covenant people
of God made new in Christ, the Body of Christ called together by
the Holy Spirit through the Word.
God calls the Church to express
its life in the unity and fellowship of the Spirit; in worship
through the preaching of the Word, observance of the sacraments,
and ministry in His name; by obedience to Christ and mutual
accountability.
The mission of the Church in the
world is to continue the redemptive work of Christ in the power of
the Spirit through holy living, evangelism, discipleship, and
service.
The Church is a historical
reality, which organizes itself in culturally conditioned forms;
exists both as local congregations and as a universal body; sets
apart persons called of God for specific ministries. God calls the
Church to live under His rule in anticipation of the consummation
at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(Exodus 19:3;
Jeremiah 31:33; Matthew 8:11; 10:7; 16:13-19, 24; 18:15-20;
28:19-20; John 17:14-26; 20:21-23; Acts 1:7-8; 2:32-47; 6:1-2;
13:1; 14:23; Romans 2:28-29; 4:16; 10:9-15; 11:13-32; 12:1-8;
15:1-3; 1 Corinthians 3:5-9; 7:17; 11:1, 17-33; 12:3, 12-31;
14:26-40; 2 Corinthians 5:11-6:1; Galatians 5:6, 13-14; 6:1-5, 15;
Ephesians 4:1-17; 5:25-27; Philippians 2:1-16; 1 Thessalonians
4:1-12; 1 Timothy 4:13; Hebrews 10:19-25; 1 Peter 1:1-2, 13;
2:4-12, 21; 4:1-2, 10-11; 1 John 4:17; Jude 24; Revelation 5:9-10)
XII. Baptism
16. We believe that Christian
baptism, commanded by our Lord, is a sacrament signifying
acceptance of the benefits of the atonement of Jesus Christ, to be
administered to believers and declarative of their faith in Jesus
Christ as their Savior, and full purpose of obedience in holiness
and righteousness.
Baptism being a symbol of the new
covenant, young children may be baptized, upon request of parents
or guardians who shall give assurance for them of necessary
Christian training.
Baptism may be administered by
sprinkling, pouring, or immersion, according to the choice of the
applicant.
(Matthew 3:1-7;
28:16-20; Acts 2:37-41; 8:35-39; 10:44-48; 16:29-34; 19:1-6; Romans
6:3-4; Galatians 3:26-28; Colossians 2:12; 1 Peter 3:18-22)
XIII. The Lord’s Supper
17. We believe that the Memorial
and Communion Supper instituted by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
is essentially a New Testament sacrament, declarative of His
sacrificial death, through the merits of which believers have life
and salvation and promise of all spiritual blessings in Christ. It
is distinctively for those who are prepared for reverent
appreciation of its significance, and by it they show forth the
Lord’s death till He come again. It being the Communion feast,
only those who have faith in Christ and love for the saints should
be called to participate therein.
(Exodus
12:1-14; Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:17-20; John
6:28-58; 1 Corinthians 10:14-21; 11:23-32)
XIV. Divine Healing
18. We believe in the Bible
doctrine of divine healing and urge our people to seek to offer the
prayer of faith for the healing of the sick. We also believe God
heals through the means of medical science.
(2 Kings
5:1-19; Psalm 103:1-5; Matthew 4:23-24; 9:18-35; John 4:46-54; Acts
5:12-16; 9:32-42; 14:8-15; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; 2 Corinthians
12:7-10; James 5:13-16)
XV. Second Coming of
Christ
19. We believe that the Lord Jesus
Christ will come again; that we who are alive at His coming shall
not precede them that are asleep in Christ Jesus; but that, if we
are abiding in Him, we shall be caught up with the risen saints to
meet the Lord in the air, so that we shall ever be with the Lord.
(Matthew
25:31-46; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:9-11; Philippians 3:20-21; 1
Thessalonians 4:13-18; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 9:26-28; 2 Peter
3:3-15; Revelation 1:7-8; 22:7-20)
XVI. Resurrection,
Judgment, and Destiny
20. We believe in the resurrection
of the dead, that the bodies both of the just and of the unjust
shall be raised to life and united with their spirits-"they
that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that
have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."
21. We believe in future judgment
in which every person shall appear before God to be judged
according to his or her deeds in this life.
22. We believe that glorious and
everlasting life is assured to all who savingly believe in, and
obediently follow, Jesus Christ our Lord; and that the finally
impenitent shall suffer eternally in hell.
(Genesis 18:25;
1 Samuel 2:10; Psalm 50:6; Isaiah 26:19; Daniel 12:2-3; Matthew
25:31-46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-31; 20:27-38; John 3:16-18;
5:25-29; 11:21-27; Acts 17:30-31; Romans 2:1-16; 14:7-12; 1
Corinthians 15:12-58; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10;
Revelation 20:11-15; 22:1-15)
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