Introduction
We believe that God has ordained various governments among men. The three basic
governments are civil government, church government, and family government as
foundational to the first two. To fulfill their proper function, all of these governments are dependent on the grace of God, common or special, working in individuals to bring about self-government. Without such self-control, no other government can function according to the Word of God.
We deny that the authority of these governments should be set against one another.
God has ordained them all, and assigned to them differing responsibilities. We further deny that any form of human government can be considered absolute.
We believe that a man is saved in truth when in an effectual call the Holy Spirit regenerates him and he consequently submits, in faith, to the Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:5). As a follower of Jesus Christ, seeks to live in submission to His Word.
We deny that Christ can be received as Savior and rejected as Lord (Matt. 7:21).
We believe that the elect were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world to live holy and blameless lives (Eph. 1:4).
We deny that holiness can be defined by the authority of the word of man. Our only standard of holiness is the law of God, found in the Old and New Testaments (2 Tim. 3:16).
We believe that God will always complete any saving work He has begun. A regenerated man will not fall away from God’s work of salvation (Rom. 8:29-31). The basis for this is God’s faithfulness and not the faithfulness of the believer (1 Cor. 1:8-9).
We deny that faith in God’s sustaining faithfulness is in any way a cushion for sin. A life
characterized by sin is inconsistent with the assurance of salvation (Rom. 6:1-6; 1 John).
We believe that a follower of Christ has an obligation to regularly and honestly confess his sins before God (1 Jn. 1:9; Prov. 28:13). In honest confession, the quality of a man’s relationship with God is maintained and protected.
We deny that confession of sin is the foundation of the believer’s relationship to God. Salvation does not depend on ongoing confession of sin; the joy of salvation does (Ps. 51:10-13).
We believe that God commands all men everywhere to repent and believe the gospel. All
unregenerate men therefore have a true obligation to do so (Acts 17:30; 2 Thess. 1:8).
We deny that unregenerate men are unjustly excluded from grace. Because they are dead in their sins, they have no desire for God’s grace apart from the quickening influence of that grace (Eph. 2:1; Rom. 8:6-8; 1 Cor. 2:14). They are therefore responsible for remaining in sin.
We believe that at regeneration God creates each true believer a new man, created to grow in love and good works (Eph. 2:10; 2 Cor. 5:17). We deny that this new man exists alongside the old man inherited from Adam. The old man was crucified in Christ (Rom. 6:1-11; Gal. 2:20). We deny that the crucifixion of the old man eliminates an ongoing struggle against the flesh (Gal. 5:17) We believe that God has given to each individual various gifts of varying worth (1 Cor. 12:7- 24). Each believer has an obligation to understand accurately what his gifts are and to put them to work in the worship of God ( Eph. 4:11-16). We deny that equality in Christ (Col. 3:10,11) nullifies God-assigned roles and stations (Col. 3:12-22; Phil. 2:3).
APOSTLES’ CREED
I believe in God the Father Almighty;
Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of the virgin, Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into Hades.
On the third day, He rose again, from the dead, ascended into Heaven,
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the
forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.
Amen.
