THE BIBLE
The Bible is the word of God. "Given by inspiration of God" it is not the
product of human imagination or creativity. (II Timothy 3:16)
GOD
The Godhead eternally exists in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and
God the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is God manifest in the flesh; the image of the invisible
God. (John 1:1-18)
SIN
All men are sinners by nature and are unable to save themselves from the debt
and penalty of their sins by anything they can do. (Romans 1:18-3:20)
SALVATION
God, out of His great love for us, has provided complete redemption through
Christ's death, burial, and resurrection in our place. He offers to justify anyone freely
by His grace through faith in Christ as one's all-sufficient Savior. (Romans 3:21-26)
Faith in Christ is the issue of trusting exclusively in His redemptive work on the
cross for one's acceptance with God and not in any of one's own works of any kind. This
act of faith is the decision of one's own will in response to the gospel of Christ.
The purpose of God in election declares that it is the plan of God to provide salvation
for all men, but in accordance with men's own free will, to save those that believe.
ETERNAL SECURITY
Eternally secure salvation is the possession of all who trust the Lord Jesus
Christ as their Savior. (Romans 5:1-21)
JUDGMENT
Everlasting punishment is the lot of all those who know not God and obey not
the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. (II Thessalonians 1:7-9)
THE UNIQUE APOSTLESHIP OF PAUL
The present dispensation of the grace of God was a "mystery," not
made known before, but God kept it hid in Himself until He raised up the apostle Paul. To
Paul God committed the revelation of "the mystery of Christ." Until God raised
up Paul, His program and dealings with Israel were in effect. (Romans 16:25-27; Ephesians
2:11-3:12; Colossians 1:24-27)
THE CHURCH, THE BODY OF CHRIST
The church the body of Christ being formed in this dispensation of grace is
distinct from the nation of Israel and God's program with them. The church is not the
subject of prophecy nor the fulfiller of Israel's promises and covenants. (Romans 11:1-36)
THE RAPTURE
This dispensation of grace will end with the rapture of the body of Christ. It
will be followed by the resumption of God's program and dealings with Israel, including
the Lord's day of wrath and the kingdom reign of Christ on this earth. (I Thessalonians
4:13-5:10; II Thessalonians 2:1-17)
BAPTISMS
Of all the different kinds of baptisms spoken about in the Bible, only one is of any
importance to God, or has any application, in this present dispensation of His grace. That
baptism is the one God Himself performs when the Spirit of God baptizes the believer
"into Jesus Christ" at the moment of salvation, so identifying the believer with
Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection.
Water baptisms in particular are "rudiments of the world" that functioned in
accordance with the elementary purification, separation, and identification teachings of
the Law Covenant, and as such were a natural part of God's program and dealings with
Israel. As described in I Corinthians 1, at the beginning of this dispensation of grace in
connection with testifying to Israel outside of their land, the Apostle Paul used water
baptisms on certain occasions as a sign to unbelieving Israel. With the exception of this
limited use, water baptisms have no role or function in this present dispensation of
grace.
SPIRITUAL GIFTS
In accordance with Paul's teaching in I Corinthians 12-14, the temporary need
for spiritual gifts that existed at the beginning of this dispensation has been superceded
by the completion of the written word of God. The "perfect" written word of God
now having come, spiritual gifts have been "done away."
THE KING JAMES BIBLE
The preserved inerrant word of God has always existed, still exists, and is
identified today as the received text of the historic protestant reformation process. The
translation of the received text into the English language has produced the inerrant,
infallible word of God in English. Though a multitude of English Bible translations exist
at the present time, only the King James Version is translated from the received text. The
King James Version is identified as the inerrant, infallible, preserved word of God in the
English language.
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