 |
|||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
|
|||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
| Abortion We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being with an eternal soul. Abortion is murder, the unjustifiable and ungodly killing of an innocent child. Job 3:16; Psalm 51:5; 139:14-16; Isaiah 44:24; 49:1,5; Jeremiah 1:5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:44. Bible Translation Controversy We believe that the Bible—the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments—is the verbally, plenarily inspired Word of God; is without error in the autographs (original writings); is the sole authority for faith and practice; is forever settled; and is providentially preserved as God’s eternal Word. We believe that the current controversy over the King James Version of 1611 is of satanic origin, a divisive ploy to divide Godly men and to hinder the work of God. We still stand where fundamentalism has historically stood on the doctrine of the Scriptures—absolute inspiration in the original writings and Divine preservation of the Word for God’s people. We oppose all forms of "Ruckmanism" and deplore the mean-spirited and ill-mannered behavior sometimes associated with the brethren who passionately hold to the "King James Only" position. While we are not part of the so-called King James Only "movement," we use only the KJV in all services, classes, Bible studies, fellowship meetings, Academy studies and programs, and offer the KJV as the only English translation in THE BOOKSTORE. We have the Word of God! II Timothy 3:16,17; I Peter 1:23; II Peter 1:21 Creation We believe the Biblical account of creation, that the world and all that are in the world, including man, were created in six literal days at the will of and by the direct act of God. We therefore reject the theory of evolution, theistic evolution, and all other substitutions of so-called science that are in conflict with the clear teachings of Scripture. Genesis 1 & 2; Colossians 1:16 Education We believe that all truth is God’s truth and that there is no true education without God’s truth, the Word of God. It is the God-given responsibility of parents to rear their children and to diligently educate their children from the Biblical perspective. We reject humanism as an ungodly and corrupt philosophy in opposition to the Word of God and intolerable to obedient followers of Jesus Christ. Deuteronomy 6:4-14; Psalm 119: 9,11,105,130; Proverbs 22:6; John 17:17; II Timothy 2:15; 3:16,17 Family We believe that men and women are of equal importance and value before God, and that God has assigned distinct and different roles for the husband and for the wife in the home. The husband is commanded to be the leader of the home, to love and give himself for his wife, and to be the provider for the family. The wife is to be in a position of submission to the husband as the head of their home, to be a helpmeet to the husband, and to be the keeper of the home. Children are to be obedient to parents and to honor their parents. It is the God-given responsibility of the parents to educate and to discipline their children. Genesis 2:18; Proverbs 19:18; 22:6,15; 23:13,14; Ephesians 5:22-6:4; Galatians 3:28; Colossians 3:18-21; I Timothy 3:4-5, 12; 5:8; Titus 2:4,5 Lawsuits We believe that Christians should not bring civil lawsuits against other Christians or the local church to resolve personal disputes. We believe that the Lord has given the authority and the ability to the local church to resolve personal disputes between members and that members should submit to the authority of the Word and counsel of the local church in such disputes. I Corinthians 6:1-8; Ephesians 4:31-32 Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage We believe that marriage is the holy union ordained of God between one man and one woman. God commands that believers marry only other believers. God intends for the marriage to continue until the husband and wife are separated by death, at which time the surviving partner is free to remarry. We believe that God hates divorce, and that divorce and remarriage are regarded as adultery except in circumstances involving fornication. We further hold that men and women who have been divorced, or are divorced and remarried, are not second-class Christians, that they may and should diligently and faithfully serve the Lord in local church ministry, except that a man who is divorced, divorced and remarried, or married to a woman who is divorced may not hold the leadership offices of pastor (bishop, elder) or deacon. Malachi 2:11-17; Matthew 19:3-12; Romans 7:1-3; II Corinthians 6:14-15; I Timothy 3:1-13 Music We believe that the purpose of music is to glorify God. Music is not amoral, and by its very structure and presentation can either arouse base and carnal passions of man or can minister to edify man and glorify God. We believe that regenerated man must have a new song that departs from the world and identifies with the Lord. God-honoring music requires the verbal message of music to be doctrinally pure and prominent while the musical construction of melody, harmony, movement, and rhythm support the presentation of that message rather than compete with it. We believe that Christian music is not for performance but for ministry, and that those who minister in Christian music should exemplify a changed life in Christ in both physical appearance and in demeanor. We oppose the unequal yoke of the Gospel message with the world’s sound. We believe that there is no place in the local church for the music of the world. We oppose any and all music by whatever title that does not edify man or glorify God, including but not limited to rock ‘n roll, heavy metal, rap, country, and Contemporary Christian Music. Exodus 32:17-18; I Samuel 16:23; Psalm 40:3; 100:1,2; I Corinthians 10:31; Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16; Philippians 4:8 Politics We believe that it is the privilege and responsibility of every individual Christian to be active in the civic and political processes of our land. Rights guaranteed by our Founding Fathers and responsibilities mandated by our Heavenly Father demand the whole-hearted investment of ourselves and our resources in defining our values and defending our freedoms, including but not limited to campaigning, financial support, personal endorsements, voting, and the holding of political office. Ecclesiastes 9:10; Matthew 5:13-16 Separation We believe that the principle and practice of separation is taught throughout the Bible and is mandated for all believers, individually and corporately. Personal separation is the separation of the individual believer from worldly attitudes and activities that are contrary to the will and Word of God. Ecclesiastical separation is the separation of the autonomous local church from all forms of apostasy. Joshua 24:15; Ephesians 5:15-17; II Corinthians 6:14-7:1; II Timothy 4:2-4; Titus 3:10; I John 2:15-16; II John 10-11 Sexual Purity We believe that God has created human sexuality and has established sexual relations as an honorable part of the marriage relationship between one man and one woman. God has commanded that there be no sexual activity outside of marriage. We believe that adultery, bestiality, bisexuality, fornication, homosexuality, incest, lesbianism, pornography, rape, and all other sexual actions or relations outside of the marriage relationship between one man and one woman are perversions of human sexuality and are sin. Genesis 2:22-25; Genesis 19:4-13; Exodus 20:14; Leviticus 18:1-30; Romans 1:26-32; 7:2; I Corinthians 5:1-2; 6:9-10; 7:1-40; I Thessalonians 4:1-7; Hebrews 13:4; Ephesians 5:22-28 |
|||||||||
