CHURCH COVENANT

Having given ourselves to God, we now give ourselves to His church, and covenant with it and with each other, as also with God.

1. That we will forsake all unrighteousness, even the appearance of evil. We will abstain from all questionable pursuits and pleasures; we will forego all hurtful habits, we will avoid all evil association.

2. That we will follow earnestly after righteousness, and true holiness in the fear and love of God. We will seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, trusting that all needful and helpful things will be added to us; we will seek entire consecration to god; we will live a life of prayer; and we will seek the constant abiding of the Divine Life within us; and we will be satisfied only when we have evidence that we please God and are accepted of Him.

3. That we will faithfully improve all the means of grace. We will attend and support the services of the church, the preaching, the social services, the business meetings; we will contribute freely of our means for the advancement of the Gospel; and we will cooperate with our brethren in every enterprise having for its end the glory of God and the salvation of men.

4. That we will be Christlike in all our deportment. We will be tender and affectionate toward each other; we will be careful of each other’s reputation, thinking no evil, and backbiting not with our tongues; we will return good for evil; we will be just and honest, truthful and honorable in all our dealings; we will do unto others as we would be done by; we will be meek, loving, and forgiving as we desire and hope to be forgiven.

5. That we will be faithful Christian workers. We will do whatever Christian work comes to hand, shunning no cross, shirking no duty; we will even seek opportunities to do good, glorify God and save souls; we will study to win our associates, our neighbors, our families, all whom we may influence, to become Christians; we will count it more than our meat and our drink, more than all things else, to do the will of our Father in heaven, to lead souls from sin and death, and lead them to God and heaven.

6. That when we remove from this place, we will, as soon as possible, unite with another church where we can continue to live by the spirit of this covenant and the principles of the Bible.

STATEMENTS OF FAITH

I. GOD

We believe that there is only one true, living and eternal God and that the Godhead is revealed as Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. (A) One true and eternal God: Deut.6:4; 33:27; Jer.10:10; Matt. 3:15-16; 28:19, Mk. 12:28; Jn. 14:9-11; 10:30; Rom. 8:9-11; I Cor.8:4-6; II Cor.3:17; I Thess. 1:9; I Tim. 1:17; 2:5; 6:17; Heb.1:1-13; 3:12 (B) The Godhead: 1. God as Father: Gen 1:1; Matt 6:9; Eph. 4:6. 2. God as Son: Isa. 9:6; Mat. 16:16; Jn. 1:1; 3:14; 16; 14:28; I Cor. 15:28; Heb. 1:8; Virgin Birth of Jesus: Matt. 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38. God as Holy Spirit: Jn. 14:16; 26; Acts 1:5; 8; 2:1-4; Rom. 8:14.

II. THE BIBLE
We believe that the Holy Scriptures are the Old and New Testaments; the inspired and infallible Word of God and therein is found the only reliable guide of Christian faith and conduct. (A) The inspired Revelations: Lk. 24:44-46; Rom. 16:25-26; II Tim. 3:15-17; Heb. 1:1-2; II Pet. 1:20-21. (B) The Infallible Word: Isa. 40:8; Lk. 21:33; Jn. 17:17; Titus 1:2; I Pet. 1:25. (C) The Reliable Guide: Deut. 6:6-9; Ps. 19:7-10; 119:105, 140; Jn. 5:39; Acts 17:11-12; Rom. 10:14-15; 15:4; II Tim. 3:16-17.

III. MAN
We believe that God created man in His own image to bring Him honor through obedience, and that when man disobeyed, he became a fallen and sinful creature, unable to save himself. We believe that infants are in the covenant of God’s grace and that all persons become accountable to God when they reach a state of moral responsibility. (A) Man’s Origin: Gen. 1:26-27; 2:7; Ps. 8:5. (B) Man’s Purpose: Gen. 1:28-31; 2:15-25; Isa. 43:7. (C) man’s Sin: Gen. 3:1-24; Ps. 51:5; Jer. 12:23; Rom. 1:18; 3:23; 5:12 –21; 7:1-225. (D) Man’s Accountability: Matt. 19:13-15; Rom.4:15; 5:13; 6:16; Heb. 11:24-26.

IV. SALVATION
We believe that Salvation (regeneration, sanctification, justification and redemption, has been provided for all mankind through the redemptive work (life, death, resurrection, ascension, and intercession) of Jesus Christ, and that this Salvation can be received only through repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation: Heb. 5:9; I Thess. 5:9; I Pet. 1:9; Heb. 7:25. Regeneration: Jn. 3 3-8; 1:11-13; I Pet. 1:23; Eph. 2:1-10; II Cor. 5:17; II Pet. 1:4; Titus 3; 5. Sanctification: I Cor. 1:30; Eph. 5:26; Heb. 10:9-10, 29; II Tim. 2:21; Heb. 13:12; Rom. 12:1-2; I Pet. 1:2. Justification: Rom. 3:20-24, 5:1-2, 18; 8:30-33; Acts 13:38-39; I Cor. 6:11; II Cor. 5:21. Redemption: Matt. 20:28; Isa. 53:6; Col. 1;14; Titus 2:14; I Pet. 1:188-19; Rev. 5:9. Christ’s Redemptive Work: Jn. 3:16; Rom. 6:23; Heb. 2:9; Rev. 22:17; II Pet. 3:9; Jn. 14:6; Acts 4:12; Rom. 6:23; Eph. 2:8-9. Life and Death: Rom. 5:10; Heb. 9:12-15; Jn. 10:11; I Jn. 3:16. Resurrection: Rom. 4:25; I Pet. 1:3; I Cor. 15:14, 17. Ascension: Heb. 4:14-16, 19-20; 9:24; 10:11-12. Intercession: Rom. 8:34; Heb. 9:15; Isa. 53:12, I Tim. 2:5. Repentance: Isa. 55:6-7; Lk. 24:47; 13:3-5; Acts 2:38; I Thess. 1:9-10. Faith: Jn. 3:16-18; Heb. 11:1, 6; I Pet. 1:5

V. ASSURANCE AND ENDURANCE

We believe that those who abide in Christ have the assurance of salvation. However, we believe that the Christian retains his freedom of choice; therefore, it is possible for him to turn away from God and be finally lost. (A) Assurance: Matt 28:20; I Cor. 10:13; Heb. 5:9. (B) Endurance: Matt. 10:22, Lk. 9:62; Col. 1:23; Rev. 2:10-11; 3:3-5. (C) Warnings: Jn. 15:6; Rom. 11:20-23; Gal. 5:4; Heb. 3:12; 10:26-29; II Pet. 2:20-21. (D) Finally Lost: Jn. 15:6; I Cor. 9:27; Heb. 6:4-6

VI. CHRISTIAN DUTIES
We believe that Christians should live faithfully by serving in and through the local church, praying diligently, witnessing and earnestly, practicing tolerance, showing loving kindness, giving as God prospers and conducting themselves in such a way as to bring glory to God. (A) Faithful Service: I Chron. 16:11; Ps. 101:6; Matt.28:18-20; Jn. 15:7-14; Rom. 12:14; I Cor. 13; II Cor. 8, 9: Eph. 4, 6;Heb. 12:1. (B) Prayer: II Chron. 7:14; Dan 6:10; Matt. 6:1-13; 26:41; Lk. 18:1; I Thess. 5:17. (C) Witnessing: Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 1:8. (D) Tolerance: Matt 18:15-17; Lk. 10:27; Gal. 5:22-23; II Pet. 1:5-9. (E) Loving Kindness: Jn. 13:35; I Jn. 3:11; 4:7; 11-12. (F) Financial Stewardship: Matt. 23:23; I Cor. 16:2; II Cor. 9:6-7.

VII. THE CHURCH

We believe that the Church Universal is the Body of Christ, the fellowship of all believers, and that its members have been called out from the world to come under the dominion and authority of Christ, its head. We believe that a local church is a fellowship of Christians, a part of the body of Christ, voluntarily banded together for worship, nurture, and service. (A) The Church Universal: Matt16:18; Jn. 10:10; I Cor. 3:16; 12:12-14, 27; Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1:18, 24; Heb. 12:23. (B) The Local Church: Matt. 18:17, Acts 2:38-47; 11:19-30; Rev. 1:4; 3:22. 1. Worship and Service: Rom. 12:1; I Cor. 14:12, 23-25; Heb. 10:25; Jas. 1:26-27. 2. Nurture: Eph. 4; II Pet. 1:2-8; 3:18.

VIII. ORDINANCES

We believe that baptism and the Lord’s Supper are ordinances instituted by Christ to be observed by Christians only. We also believe that the Biblical mode of baptism is immersion and that participation in the Lord’s Supper should be open to all Christians. (Note: Several associations and local churches recognize feet washing as an ordinance. We believe that this should be left to the individual, and that neither the practice nor the non-practice of it should be any bar to fellowship, either in the church, the local association, the Presbytery, or the General Association, Jn. 13; I Tim 5:10). (A) Baptism: 1. Instituted: Matt. 3:13-15; 28:19. 2.Subjects: Acts 2:41; 8:12, 37-38; 10:47-48; 16:30-33; 19:5. 3. Biblical Mode: Rom. 6:3-5; Col. 2:12. 4. Purpose: Matt. 3:14; I Pet. 3:21. (B) Communion: 1. Instituted: Matt. 26: 26-29; Mk. 14:22-25; Lk. 22:19-20; I Cor. 11:23-25. 2. Subject: I Cor. 11:27-29. 3. Purpose: I Cor. 11:26

IX. THE LORD’S DAY

We believe in the sanctity of the Lord’s Day, the first day of the week, and that this day ought to be observed by worshipping God, witnessing for Christ, and ministering to the needs of humanity. We believe that secular work on Sunday should be limited to cases of necessity or mercy. (A) Sanctity: Ex. 20:8; Isa. 58:13-14. (B) Observances: Mk. 2:27-28; Lk. 4:16; Acts 20:7; I Cor. 16:2; Rev. 1:10.

X. LAST THINGS

We believe in the personal return of Jesus Christ, and in the bodily resurrection of the dead. We believe that God will judge all mankind by Jesus Christ; that He will reward the righteous with eternal life in Heaven, and that He will banish the unrighteous to everlasting punishment in Hell. (A) Return: Matt 24, 25; Lk. 12:40; Jn. 14:3; Acts 1:11; I Jn. 3:2; Rev. 1:7. (B) Resurrection: Jn. 525,28-29; 6:40; 11:24-25; Rom. 8:11; I Cor. 15; Phil. 3:21; I Thess. 4:16-17; Rev. 20:4-6. (C) Judgment and Reward: Matt. 25:21; Mk. 9:43-48; Jn. 5:27; Acts 17:31; Rom. 2:16; 14:12; II Cor. 5:1, 10; Col. 3:24; II Thess. 1:7-10; Heb. 9:27; II Pet. 3:9-13; Jude 21; Rev. 2:7; 14:13; 20:10-15; 22:12.

ROMANS ROAD TO SALVATION

Romans 3:10 – 11
As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.

Romans 3:23
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates His own love for in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 10:9-13
That is you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God Raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, ”Anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile – same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on Him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”