STATEMENT OF FAITH OF THE CHRISTIAN AND
MISSIONARY
1. There is one God,(1) who is infinitely perfect,(2)
existing eternally in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.(3)
([1] Deuteronomy 6:4, [2] Matthew 5:48, [3] Matthew 28:19)
2. Jesus Christ is the true God and the true man.(4) He was
conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.(5) He died upon the
cross, the Just for the unjust,(6) as a substitutionary sacrifice,(7) and all
who believe in Him are justified on the ground of His shed blood.(8) He arose
from the dead according to the Scriptures.(9) He is now at the right hand of
Majesty on high as our great High Priest.(10) He will come again to establish
His kingdom, righteousness and peace.(11)
([4] Philippians 2:6-11, [5] Luke 1:34-38, [6] I Peter
3:18, [7] Hebrews 2:9, [8] Romans 5:9, [9] Acts 2:23-24, [10] Hebrews 8:1, [11]
Matthew 26:64)
3. The Holy Spirit is a divine person,(12) sent to dwell,
guide, teach, empower the believer,(13) and convince the world of sin, of righteousness,
and of judgment.(14)
([12] John 14:15-18, [13] John 16:13, Acts 1:8, [14] John
16:7-11)
4. The Old and New Testaments, inerrant as originally
given, were verbally inspired by God and are a complete revelation of His will
for the salvation of men. They constitute the divine and only rule of Christian
faith and practice.(15)
([15] 2 Peter 1:20-21, 2 Timothy 3:15-16)
5. Man was originally created in the image and likeness of
God:(16) he fell through disobedience, incurring thereby both physical and
spiritual death. All men are born with a sinful nature,(17) are separated from
the life of God, and can be saved only through the atoning work of the Lord
Jesus Christ.(18) The portion of the unrepentant and unbelieving is existence
forever in conscious torment;(19) and that of the believer, in everlasting joy
and bliss.(20)
([16] Genesis 1:27, [17] Romans 3:23, [18] 1
Corinthians15:20-23, [19] Revelation 21:8, [20] Revelation 21:1-4)
6. Salvation has been provided through Jesus Christ for all
men; and those who repent and believe in Him are born again of the Holy Spirit,
receive the gift of eternal life, and become the children of God.(21) ([21] Titus 3:4-7)
7. It is the will of God that each believer should be
filled with the Holy Spirit and be sanctified wholly,(22) being separated from
sin and the world and fully dedicated to the will of God, thereby receiving
power for holy living and effective service.(23) This is both a crisis and a
progressive experience wrought in the life of the believer subsequent to
conversion.24
([22] 1 Thessalonians 5:23, [23] Acts 1:8, [24] Romans
6:1-14)
8. Provision is made in the redemptive work of the Lord
Jesus Christ for the healing of the mortal body.(25) Prayer for the sick and
anointing with oil are taught in the Scriptures and are privileges for the
Church in this present age.(26)
([25] Matthew 8:16-17, [26] James 5:13-16)
9. The Church consists of all those who believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ, are redeemed through His blood, and are born again of the Holy
Spirit. Christ is the Head of the Body, the Church, (27) which has been
commissioned by Him to go into all the world as a witness, preaching the gospel
to all nations.(28) The local church is a body of believers in Christ who are
joined together for the worship of God, for edification through the Word of
God, for prayer, fellowship, the proclamation of the gospel, and observance of
the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord's Supper.(29)
([27] Ephesians 1:22-23, [28] Matthew 28:19-20, [29] Acts
2:41-47)
10. There shall be a bodily resurrection of the just and of
the unjust; for the former, a resurrection unto life;(30) for the latter, a
resurrection unto judgment.(31)
([30] 1 Corinthians 15:20-23, [31] John 5:28-29)
11. The second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is
imminent(32) and will be personal, visible, and premillennial.(33) This is the
believer's blessed hope and is a vital truth which is an incentive to holy
living and faithful service.(34)
([32] Hebrews 10:37, [33] Luke 21:27, [34] Titus 2:11-14)