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We believe the Bible is the verbally inspired Word of God, inerrant in the original manuscripts, and preserved by God throughout the ages, and that it is the final authority for our faith and practice. (II Tim. 3:16-17, II Peter 1:20-21, Matt. 5:18, and John 16:12-13.)
We believe in one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, identical in nature, equal in power and glory, and possessing the same attributes and perfection. (Deut. 6:4, and II Cor. 13-14)
We believe the Lord Jesus Christ took upon Himself the form of man, and bore our sin to Calvary, where He laid down His life to redeem us from our just punishment. Conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, and having lived a sinless life, He made propitiation for the sin of all mankind. He was dead, buried, and on the third day He rose from the grave and sits at the right hand of God the Father. At the end of the age, He will return for His own, and we will be with Him throughout eternity. (John 1:1-2, 1:14, Luke 1:35, Rom. 3:24-25, I Peter 1:3-5, 2:24, Eph. 1:7, Acts 1:9-10, Heb. 7:25, 9:24, and I John 1:1-2.)
We believe that God, in the person of the Holy Spirit, serves to convict of sin, righteousness and judgment, and is the agent of regeneration, baptizing believers into the body of Christ, indwelling, and sealing their salvation. He is our divine teacher, guiding us into all truth, and filling and empowering us for our calling. (John 16:8-11, 13, II Cor. 3:6, I Cor. 12:12-14. Rom. 8:9, Eph. 1:13-14, Eph. 5:18, and I John 2:20,27.)
We believe that man was created in a perfect estate, and in the image of God, but in the sin of Adam, mankind fell, and inherited the sinful nature; that he is separated from God, totally depraved, and unable, in and of himself, to remedy his lost condition. (Gen. 1:26-27, Rom. 3:22-23, 5:12, Eph. 2:1-3, 12.)
We believe that salvation is a free gift of God, made available to man by God's grace, solely by personal faith in the crucified, and risen, Jesus Christ. (Eph. 1:8, 2-8-10,John 1:12, I Peter 1:18-19.)
We believe that the redeemed of Christ are sealed by the Holy Spirit, and are thus secured in Christ forever. (John 6:27-40, John 10:27-30, Rom. 8:1, Rom. 8:38-39, I Cor. 1:4-8, and I Peter 1:5.)
We believe that the Church, the body and bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism consisting of all true believers throughout the Church Age. (Eph. 1:22-23, Eph. 5:25-27, I Cor. 12:12-14, II Cor. 11:2.)
We further believe that the local church is to be autonomous, under the headship of Jesus Christ, as detailed in the written Word of God, and free of regulation by any outside authority. (Acts 13:1-4, Acts 15:19-31, 20-28, Rom. 16:1, 4, I Cor. 3:9, 16, 5:4-7, 13, and I Peter 5:1-4.)
We believe in the imminent, pre-tribulational, pre-millennial return of the Lord Jesus Christ, first to call His Church out of the world, to be with Him in the air, and finally, at the end of the Tribulation period, to set foot on the earth again, to bind Satan and his minions, and to establish His reign upon the earth for a thousand years. (I Thess. 1:10, 4:13-18, I Thess. 5:9, Zech. 14:4-11, Rev. 3:10, 19:11-16, and 20:1-6.)
In summation, our faith is established on the sure foundation of the crucified and risen Jesus Christ, and we stand firm on these doctrines, as they are taught in the Holy Word of God. Amen, and amen!
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| Copyright 2010 Shelton Bible Church. All Rights Reserved. |
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