Doctrines

Note: This is an abridged doctrinal statement. If you would like to receive the full 10-page copy, please contact me at australia.freeman@gmail.com

Doctrinal Statement

The Scriptures
The Bible is the inerrant, infallible, inspired Word of God preserved through the ages and that it is our final authority in all matters of faith and practice. (Matthew 5:18; II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:19-21)

God
There is only one true God. He alone is God and there is no other. God must be known, for there is no salvation outside of God. God is a spirit, eternally existing, as a Trinity in unity – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, – three Persons, yet one God. (Genesis 1:1; I Kings 8:23; Isaiah 45:18, 37:16; Nehemiah 9:6; John 4:24, 14:6, 17:3; I Corinthians 8:6; I John 5:7, 20)

Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ, eternally existing, is the only begotten Son of God, who became a sinless man to redeem us. He was born of a virgin and is both completely God and completely man. He died on a cross to pay for our sins, and was raised again the third day. (Matthew 1:20; Luke 2:26-28; John 1:1-2; Romans 4:24-25; I John 5:20)

The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is a Person, eternally existing, and is equal with God the Father and God the Son. He is present in the world to convict of sin and of the judgment to come. He lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation and provides the Christian with power for holy living. (John 14:16-17, 16:7-8; Romans 8:14-27; II Corinthians 13:14)

Man
Man is the direct and immediate creation of God. Both male and female were created in the image and likeness of God which includes intellect, emotion, morality, holiness, will, and conscience (Genesis 1:26-27; Ephesians 1:17-18; Galatians 5:22; I Peter 1:16; Philippians 2:13; Romans 7:18; I Timothy 4:2)

Freewill
Man possesses a free will. In relation to this, God is in control of creation. That control guarantees His plans will come to pass, but it does not eliminate man’s ability to make choices (II Chronicles 20:26; Psalm 24:1; Isaiah 46:9-11; Ezekiel 12:15; Daniel 4:35; Matthew 8:27; Romans 10:13; Proverbs 14:12; Joshua 24:15)

Marriage
Marriage is between one man and one woman for one lifetime. Marriage is instituted by God, monogamous, heterosexual, a physical and spiritual union, and permanent (Genesis 1:18, 2:23-24; Matthew 19:6; Ephesians 5:21-33; I Timothy 3:2)

Sin
Sin is anything that displeases God or breaks His laws. For every sin there is a consequence. The sinner has no means by which to save himself from sin. The nature of sin is coming short of what God intended. Sin is manifested in man’s heart, mind, actions, and inaction. Each man and woman is a sinner from birth and is in need of salvation. Man’s sin separates him from his God. God’s nature demands that sin be punished, but God gives grace in offering salvation (Genesis 3:14-19; Exodus 20:17; Psalms 14:3, 51:5, 66:18; Proverbs 4:23; Isaiah 59:2; Jeremiah 17:9; Matthew 5:27-28, 15:19; Romans 3:10, 23, 5:12, 6:23, 7:18, 14:23; Galatians 6:7-9; Ephesians 2:8; James 4:17)

Salvation
Salvation is the free gift of God, neither earned nor secured by any work of man, but received only by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a recognition of personal sin that is punishable by death, both physical and spiritual. Christ, in His great love, died as a substitute for man to pay the penalty for his sin. Salvation is believing in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection as that substitute, and confessing it with that individual’s mouth. It is in Christ that all true believers have, as a present possession, the gift of eternal life. Apart from Jesus Christ there is no possible salvation. (John 14:6; Romans 3:10, 23; 5:7-8; 6:23; 10:9-10, 13; II Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:8-9)

The Church
The church has two aspects: the local body of believers and the whole of all believers in the Body of Christ. It began at Pentecost after the completed work of Christ and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Christ is the head of the church and He is the Savior of the body. The church is to be a separate called out local body of believers, holy and without blemish, unified together, transformed by Christ and not conformed to the world. (Romans 12:1-2; I Corinthians 1:2, 12:12-13; II Corinthians 6:24 Ephesians 4:3, 5:23, 27)

End Times
The purpose of the revelation of the end times is not to reveal the future, but to reveal the person of Jesus Christ and the character of God. We believe in a pre-tribulation rapture of the church. There are two separate judgments for believers and unbelievers. The Judgment Seat of Christ is a commendation of believers only and takes place sometime after the rapture of the church. We believe in a literal millennium as well as the pre-millennial return of Christ to rule and reign during that millennium. Also, following the millennium, the Great White Throne judgment will take place for unbelievers. The Bible gives clear evidence of a literal Heaven and a literal Hell (Luke 16:23 19:11-27; Mark 9:43-44; II Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 1,  19:11-16, 20:2, 6-7, 11, 14-15, 21:1)