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Statement of FaithWe believe that the original Hebrew and Greek manuscripts have perished, but that God promised to keep His words (Psalm 12:6-7) and did so as represented in the Masoretic Hebrew Old Testament and Textus Receptus Greek New Testament used to produce our Authorized King James Version of the Bible. When God's word speaks of "Scripture", it NEVER refers to any "original autographs", but always refers to the preserved written words in the possession of believers (2 Timothy 3:16, cf. Luke 4:16-21, Acts 17:2 & 11, Acts 18:28, Romans 15:4, 2 Timothy 3:15, etc.). There has never been a single moment in time when any man ever possessed all 66 original autographs in a single scroll or book. We believe God purified His words through the work of seven English translations--Tyndale, Matthews, Coverdale, the Great Bible (printed by Whitechurch), Geneva, Bishops and in final, perfect form in the Authorized King James Bible in 1611 (Psalm 12:6). The AV 1611 preserves the very words of God in the form in which He wishes them to be represented in the universal language of these last days: English (Proverbs 30:6). All accurate translations must be in agreement with and conformity to the infallible Authorized Version. The so-called revisions of the KJV are of typographical nature and not comparible to the virtual rape of God's word as found in Alexandrian translations. Each word of the King James Version is, therefore, sacred and as such is, in our minds, exempted from the pilferage of ANY presumptuous scholar, whether he or she be of the Alexandrian variety or of the "conservative," Traditional (Byzantine) type (Revelation 22:18-19). II) We believe that the Bible Believer must rightly divide the "word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15), recognizing the several dispensations (economy-ages) in which God has worked. We do not identify with the extreme Hyper-dispensationalists who reject water baptism, repentance, confession of sin and local church fellowship, making the word of God of none effect by their extra-biblical "traditions". We also do not identify with those dispensationalists who have embraced additional end-time error such as the "progressives" who betray Israel or the "normatives" who embrace the Alexandrian Cult. III) We believe that salvation during our present age (the Church Age or Age of Grace) is by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9) in the shed blood and finished atonement of Jesus Christ at Calvary. Salvation is all of God and of His grace (2 Timothy 1:8-9). We are created unto good works (Ephesians 2:10) but our works do nothing to save us (John 6:28-29, Titus 3:5 & 2 Timothy 1:8-9). Salvation is instantaneous and not a progressive work (2 Corinthians 5:17). The believer is born again the moment he or she believes the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, trusting in the Gospel alone for eternal salvation (1 Peter 1:23). There is no sacrament or sinners prayer required to be saved. The sinner must only believe and he or she, whether young or old, rich or poor, and regardless of race, nation of origin or other status in life (Galatians 3:28), is eternally saved (Acts 16:31). IV) We believe that baptism is only for mature, born again believers and that each believer should be immersed in water after being saved (Acts 8:36-38). Believers are to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). This does not mean that there is to be any particular "statement", "rite" or ritual pronouncement, but that baptism is to be administered in the presence of eyewitnesses by the profession of the faith of the new believer in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and in agreement with the body of a trinitarian local New Testament church. Such believers baptism is an ordinance but is not a means of grace (Titus 3:5). Believers who do not follow the Lord's commandment to be baptized by immersion cause us to doubt their profession (Luke 6:46) and place them in a state of disobedience to the commandment of Jesus Christ, but the only thing that can eternally damn the soul is to not believe in the Gospel (Mark 16:15-16). V) We believe the other ordinance to be the Lord's Supper or Communion (Luke 22:19). This is a memorial and, again, not a means of grace (Matthew 26:26-30). The believer does not ingest the flesh and blood of Jesus in any material sense (Deuteronomy 12:16, see also Acts 15:20, 29, 21:25). But, as Paul said, "...as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come." (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). VI) We believe in a premillenial, pretribulational translation or rapture of the Church (Revelation 3:10 & 4:1). "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and 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: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) We reject any position that would place Church Age Christians within the Time of Jacob’s Trouble (Jeremiah 30:7 & Psalm 20), which is the final week of Daniel's 70 weeks of seven years (490 years in Daniel 9:24-27). This final week (seven years) completes the chastising work of God upon the Jew and ends with the outpouring of His wrath upon all of His enemies (Joel 3:1-2). The Church Age saint is not appointed to wrath but to obtain salvation (1 Thessalonians 5:9). VII) We believe in a universal and invisible Church which is entered into by an individual at the moment of salvation (1 Corinthians 12:13). The agent of this transaction is the Holy Spirit who baptizes the believer spiritually into the Church invisible: the Body of Christ (Galatians 3:27). All believers make up "the church", divided only by geographical location and/or specific affiliation with a particular local church. All true blievers should seek fellowship with a Bible believing New Testament church and all who do not do so when able are in a state of disobedience. However, church attendance is not required for salvation. We reject any theory of "successionism", whether the papal, Orthodox, Baptist or other claim of succession, other than to recognize the historical reality that there has been a remnant of Bible Believers who have existed outside of and been persecuted by the established State Churches, from the time of the Apostles to this present day (Matthew 16:16-18). The Roman Church is the Whore of Revelation 17 and all who follow her pattern of church polity and tradition must be considered as daughters of the whore, ready to return to their "Mother Church" as we approach the time of the Rapture of the Saints (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17) and the subsequent appearance of the Man of Sin (2 Thessalonians 2:3) who will rule as the last Pope, with the False Prophet, to deceive the world (Revelation 13:12-15). VIII) We believe that the miraculous signs and charisma gifts belong primarily to Israel (the Jews, 1 Corinthians 1:22), dispensationally speaking (Hebrews 2:3-4), and that these sign gifts served a distinct purpose of establishing the testimony of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ (Acts 4:30-33) and authenticating the office of Apostle (2 Corinthians 12:12) prior to the completion of the canon of Scripture (John 16:13 & 1 Corinthians 13:10). We believe that the modern "signs and wonders movement", as practiced by the modern Charismatics and anti-Trinitarian Apostolics (Revelation 2:2), is exercised mainly in the flesh (Philippians 3:18-19), are most often fraudulent (2 Timothy 3:6), and sometimes demonic and devilish in nature (Acts 8:18-23 & 13:9-10). A true sign that we are, indeed, living in the end times is this fradulent, fleshly, false movement with it's leaders making merchandise of their followers (2 Peter 2:3). The Antichrist will be brought to power by a False Prophet who will work signs and lying wonders (2 Timothy 3:8 & Revelation 13:12-15). IX) We believe in the depravity of man (Romans 7:18). All men are conceived in sin (Psalm 51:5) and are children of wrath (Ephesians 2:3). But a naturally dead spirit does not hinder a man from being a free moral agent who is made capable by the word of God (James 1:21) and expected by the requirement of God to will (Revelation 22:17) and believe (Acts 16:31) and respond to the admonitions of the Gospel (Luke 13:1-5). Election is conditioned upon our freely believing the Gospel (2 Peter 1:10). The atonement of Jesus Christ is sufficient payment for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2), but is only appropriated to those who receive the Gospel by faith (Romans 4:24 & Ephesians 2:8-9). God's grace has appeared to all men (Titus 2:11) but can be resisted by those who willfully reject the Gospel (Jeremiah 29:19 & Matthew 23:37). God will not leave or forsake any who come to Him (Hebrews 13:5), but will confirm those of us who believe in His Gospel unto the end (1 Corinthians 1:8). X) We believe a man is secured in his salvation eternally (John 10:27-30) and unconditionally in this age (Romans 8:37-39) at the moment he believes (1 John 5:12). This condition is secured by the numerous irreversible works of God and the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30). We have not believed in something that we must keep, but we have believed in Someone who will keep us (2 Timothy 1:12 & 1 Peter 1:3-5). To deny that we can know that we are eternally saved and secure is to deny the word of God (1 John 5:13). XI) We believe that the saints should be separate from the world as pilgrims and sojourners (1 John 2:15-17 & 1 John 5:4-5). This world is fallen, cursed and evil in its nature. Satan is the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4) and the prince and the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2). Biblical Separation does not involve hating others, but does involve hating sin and every false way (2 Corinthians 6:16). We believe that separation should effect our relationships and affiliations, as well as our choices of entertainment and education (James 4:4). We reject the ecumenical movement (2 Corinthians 6:14-15) and all associations that would clearly compromise our Biblical convictions (Titus 3:10). We reject Christian "higher education" with it's Alexandrian foundations and emphasis on philosophy, pragmatism and worldly methods and compromise (Colossians 2:8 & 1 Timothy 6:20) We condemn the practice of and membership in the Masonic Lodge (Freemasonry), secret societies, other occultic lodges and fraternities (Ezekiel 21:23, Matthew 5:33-37, Romans 12:17, James 5:12). We will not knowingly allow any active member of such associations to hold a leadership, teaching position or active fellowship within Bible Believers Baptist Fellowship (1 Corinthians 5:4-5). We believe that all who live Spirit-filled lives will be hated by this world (John 15:18 & 1 John 3:1) and all who will live godly will suffer persecution (2 Timothy 3:12 & 1 John 3:13). XII) We believe in the active and vigorous pursuit of lost sinners by every means possible without violating God's standards. We believe all Bible Believers should be involved in some form of evangelism including but not limited to street preaching, radio and TV ministry, tract distribution, door-to-door witnessing, internet ministry and any other reasonable and appropriate method of sowing the seed of the word of God. Evangelism is required in obedience to God's word and performed only by the empowerment of His Holy Spirit. XIII) We believe that God is one God and that He exists eternally as a Godhead of three seperate but equal persons of the same essence. The Father is God. Jesus Christ is not only the Son of God but also God the Son. As God, Jesus is the image of God and God manifest in the flesh. The Holy Spirit is God, being the Spirit of Christ and Spirit of God. The Holy Ghost speaks, is personable, can be grieved and lied to. The three persons of the Godhead are not three gods but are the one, true God Who bear record in Heaven.
XIV) We believe in a literal, hot and burning Hell where all those who reject the Gospel of Jesus Christ dwell from the moment of death until the time of the final judgment at the Great White throne. All who suffer in Hell are damned, not having their names written in the Lamb's Book of Life and will be judged by the Book in their unbelief. Jesus Christ will command each to depart from Him saying, "I never knew you," and will order each lost sinner to be cast into an everlasting Lake of Fire where they will suffer torment and separation from God, the angels, Heaven, the saints and all that is holy forever, world without end. Amen.
The Remnant: Special EditionView Newsletter (.PDF)
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