STATEMENT OF FAITH
The Bible is the inspired Word of God, the product of holy
men of old who spoke and wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. The New Covenant, as
recorded in the New Testament, we accept as our infallible guide in matters pertaining to
conduct and doctrine. (II Tim. 3:16, I Thess. 2:13, II Peter 1:21).
Our God is one, but manifested in three persons - The
Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit, being co-equal (Phil. 2:6). God the Father is
greater than all; the sender of the Word (Logos) and the Begotten(John 14:28, John 16:28,
John 1:14). The Son is the Word flesh-covered, the One Begotten, and has existed with the
Father from the beginning (John 1:1, John 1:18, John 1:14). The Holy Spirit proceeds forth
from both the Father and the Son and is eternal (John 15:26).
Man is a created being, made in the likeness and image of
God, but, through Adam's transgression and fall, sin came into the world. "All have
sinned and come short of the glory of God." As it is written, "There is none
righteous, no, not one." Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was manifested to undo the
work of the devil and gave His life and shed His blood to redeem and restore man back to
God (Rom. 5:14, Rom. 3:10, Rom. 3:23, I John 3:8). Salvation is the gift of God to man,
separate from works and the law, and is made operative by grace through faith in Jesus
Christ, producing works acceptable to God (Eph. 2:8).
ETERNAL LIFE AND THE NEW BIRTH
Man's first step toward salvation is godly sorrow that
worketh repentance. The New Birth is necessary to all men, and when experienced, produces
eternal life (II Cor. 7:10, I Jn. 5:12, Jn. 3:3-5).
Baptism in water is by immersion, is a direct commandment
of our Lord, and is for believers only. The ordinance is a symbol of the Christian's
identification with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection (Rom. 6:4, Col. 2:12,
Acts 2:38, Acts 8:36-39). The following recommendations regarding the water baptismal
formula is adopted: to wit: "On the confession of your faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ, the Son of God, and by his authority, I baptize you in the Name of Jesus.
Amen."
The Baptism in the Holy Ghost and fire is a gift from God
as promised by the Lord Jesus Christ to all believers in this dispensation and is received
subsequent to the New Birth. This experience is accompanied by the initial evidence of
speaking in other tongues as the Holy Spirit Himself gives utterance (Matt. 3:11, John
14:16-17, Acts 1:9, Acts 2:38-39, Acts 19:1-7, Acts 2:4).
The Bible teaches that without holiness no man can see the
Lord. We believe in the Doctrine of Sanctification as a definite, yet progressive work of
grace, commencing at the time of regeneration and continuing until the consummation of
salvation at Christ's return (Heb. 12:14, I Thess. 5:23, II Peter 3:18, II Cor. 3:18,
Phil. 3:12-14, I Cor. 1:30).
Healing is for the physical ills of the human body and is
wrought by the power of God through the prayer of faith, and by the laying on of hands. It
is provided for in the atonement of Christ, and is the privilege of every member of the
Church today (Mark 16:18, James 5:14-15, I Peter 2:24, Matt 8:1-17, Isa. 53:4-5).
RESURRECTION OF THE JUST AND THE
RETURN OF
OUR LORD
The angels said to Jesus' disciples, "This same Jesus
shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven." His coming is
imminent. When He comes, "...the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we which are
alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in
the air...." (Acts 1:11, I Thess. 4:16-17). Following the Tribulation, He shall
return to earth as King of kings and Lord of lords, and together with His saints, who
shall be kings and priests, He shall reign a thousand years (Rev. 20:6).
The one who physically dies in his sins without accepting
Christ is hopelessly and eternally lost in the Lake of Fire and therefore has no further
opportunity of hearing the Gospel or repenting. The Lake of Fire is literal. The terms
"eternal" and "everlasting" used in describing the duration of the
punishment of the damned in the Lake of Fire, carry the same thought and meaning of
endless existence as used in denoting the duration of joy and ecstasy of saints in the
presence of God (Heb. 9:27, Rev. 19:20).
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Freedom Christian Center
PO Box 1448
Fort Mill, SC 29716
803-548-5464
© Copyright 2006 Freedom Christian Center