What we  believe

(Wm and Laura)

 

Our Denomination

We believe that it is NOT our Lords will that we separate ourselves from one another because of titles and slight differences in beliefs. While we do not judge those who do call themselves by some certain title, we personally believe that all Christians who follow the core beliefs of our faith are our brethren and we are not to be separated from them, even if it is only a title we give ourselves. We believe in fellowship with ANY who call themselves by His name who are not in open sin or teaching heresies against the essentials of the faith. We, Laura and I, call ourselves by nothing more than simply believers and christians.

 

God

We believe in one triune God. We believe in the trinity, God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit.

 

Scriptures

We do not believe in ‘inspired’ translation.

We believe that the original autographs were ‘inspired’ and that God has since then ‘protected’ His holy word given to man down through the millennia. We believe that those autographs were inerrant and infallible and that any translation that conveys the meaning and intent of those autographs without adding to, taking away or otherwise altering that intent and meaning of those autographs would also be inerrant and infallible.

 

Creation

We believe in a literal, 6 earth rotation day creation. We believe that Adam was one man and that the one woman Eve was created from Adams own rib. We believe that this literal man Adam ate of a literal fruit, given to him by his wife Eve. We believe in a literal serpent, a form taken by satan, who tempted Eve.

We believe in the worldwide flood and that Noah and his wife and 6 other persons were all that were saved along with the animals on the ark.

 

Doctrine

We believe that the scriptures are the final authority in matters of teaching / Doctrine, not man.

We believe that the scriptures are to be harmonized as a complete whole to determine the complete truth.

We believe that relying solely on part of the truth results in a partial truth that may be filled with error.

We believe that no new Christian should teach on matters of doctrine, lacking in knowledge and in maturity.

 

Offices of the church

We believe that the offices of the church are reserved for those who are ‘blameless’ and whose reputations will not bring reproach upon His church.

We believe that, while there may be exceptions due to circumstances, that these leadership positions are to be filled by qualifying men as Paul presents.

We believe that adult men are to be taught by other men only unless that is not a viable option because of circumstances.

We believe that those who hold the offices of leadership in the church are to be compensated/supported by that church.

 

Spirit baptism and sign gifts

We believe that scripture teaches that every believer is baptised (dunked) into the Spirit at rebirth.

We believe that in Acts that the evidence that the Spirit had indeed come was tongues, tongues of fire and rushing winds, but that, as Paul shows to the Corinthians, that tongues is a sign, not to those who believe, but to those who believe not...or need proof.

This is evidenced and firmly backed by the reaction to tongue in Acts 2 and also when the gentiles had spoken in tongues and so it was understood that the gentiles too were included.

We believe, as Paul shows, that tongues is actually one of the lesser gifts and that other, greater gifts are to be more desired.

We believe that altho tongues are in existence today, that no christian is permitted to speak them to anyone save themselves and God unless someone else with the gift of intrepretation also interprets those tongues.

We believe that the rules laid out for tongues is for any and all types of tongues that some claim exist. We do not believe Paul made any distinction in his rules for different types of tongues but that the rules apply evenly.

We believe that the individual believer can deepen their walk with Christ by asking for more of the Spirit of God as His word proclaims, and that this will naturally bring the believer into a closer relationship with God, just as any wife would be closer to her husband by asking for more of his time, more of his interest, more of his love.

 

Predestination

We believe that scripture teaches that, knowing all things from eternity past, that God foreknows men's hearts and then ordains their lives based on that foreknowledge.

We believe that scripture teaches that the ‘elect’ are those whom God has foreknown from eternity past who will love and obey Him and so He ‘predestines’ them to be conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ.

 

Marriage

We believe that marriage was created to be for the life of both parties and that except for a breach of covenant that neither spouse should abandon the marriage.

We believe that all marriages not deemed ‘unlawful’ (incestuous, etc) by Gods word are acknowledged and accepted by Him, Christian or not, and that He expects that covenant to be honored by both parties.

We do not believe that any marriage is called to be separated to rejoin a previous one as no New Testament scripture gives such a commandment.

We do not believe that same sex relationships can ever be deemed by God as anything other than ‘abomination’. We do not believe these abominable relationships are comparable to any marriage between a man and woman in any way.

 

Salvation

We believe that scripture teaches that salvation is a free gift of God. We can do no ‘work’ to deserve it.

We believe that scripture teaches that man does have a responsibility in his own salvation though, to ‘work out our own salvation with fear and trembling”. We can do nothing to deserve salvation, it is a gift of God, but there are requirements, obligations, that go along with salvation.

We do not believe in salvation without condition, or that Gods forgiveness is unconditional. The scriptures show that this is not the case.

 

Atonement

We believe that scripture teaches , as under the old covenant, that death and blood is what atones for sin, thus it is the death, the blood of our Lord Jesus that atones for the sin of the believer.

 

Eternal Life

We believe that scripture teaches that Christ’s atonement for sins saves those who believe in Him from punishment as spoken of in God’s word.

We believe that scripture teaches that at the resurrection all will come forth from their graves, some to eternal life and some to eternal damnation.

We believe that scripture teaches that eternal damnation is the lake of fire created for Satan and his fallen angels where the unrepentant will also be placed.

We believe that scripture teaches that that place is eternal and no one will leave it once placed there.

 

Free Will

We believe that our sovereign God has bestowed upon man a limited free will with which he can either follow the God who calls him or deny the God who might save him.

We believe that God forces no one to follow Him or to accept His love or salvation.

We believe that the eternal Creator desired in man a being who could, when the presence of his Creator is made known, could freely offer his love to the Creator, not being forced which is not love at all.

 

Tithing/Giving

We believe that the tithe was a mere type and shadow of giving and is not ‘law’ in this covenant, but is a good guideline for the church to go by.

We believe that New Testament giving is not confined by numbers and laws, but in cheerfulness of heart and willingness to help our brethren in those things that they need.

We believe that it is not just the first fruits that belong to God, but all the fruit, the branches, the trunk and roots and the ground as well.

We believe that we are to be good stewards of the things we’ve borrowed from Gods library and to use them responsibly until such time as He calls on us to return them.

We believe that we are accountable for the use of the money we give to others, to know that it is being used in a godly fashion, not being wasted, and that we should give to causes only where we can confirm its use.