A. Word of God.
The Bible (KJV) is the inspired (2 Timothy 3:15-17), preserved (Psalm 12:6-
7) Word of God. When I say inspired I mean every Word, and when I say
preserved I mean that it is kept for eternity. It is the only eternal thing mortal
man will hold. Because it was written by God we have a more sure word of
prophecy. (2 Peter 1:16-21) It is more sure than our own knowledge and
experiences. The Bible has many works. First it tells us how to be saved,
second it teaches us about doctrine, we learn what is wrong in our lives, then
we see what God says is right, and finally it tells us how to be right.
When we deal with the Word of God there is also the issue of the counterfeits
that are now available. Satan has tried to corrupt and counterfeit God’s
Word. He has done this through the other versions such as the NIV, NKJV,
etc. These “perversions” have changed God’s Word. This is done through
adding and deleting the very words of the Bible. This effects the many
doctrines and makes the Bible ineffective. This is why it is so important to
hold to the KJV for it is the perfect, powerful Word of God.
Spurgeon said, “The Bible is God’s word, and when I see it, I seem to hear a
voice saying, ‘I am the Book of God, man, read me; I am God’s writing: open
my leaves, for I was penned by God’… I plead with you, I beg of you, respect
your Bibles, and search them out. Go home and read your Bibles… O Book
of books! And wast thou written by my God? Then I will bow before thee, thou
Book of vast authority! For He has written this Book Himself… let us love it,
let us count it more precious than fine gold!”
B. Trinity
The Trinity is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. This
is not a description of three different gods, but one God. (Deuteronomy
6:4) The trinity is mentioned in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19), and
pictured at the baptism of Jesus. (Matthew 3:16-17) Each person of the
Godhead have the same nature and attributes therefore they are worthy of
the same worship and respect. (Jeremiah 10:10)
C. God the Father
God the Father is the first person in the Trinity. God is a Spirit. (John
4:24) He is omnipotent (Psalm 115:3), Omnipresent (Psalm 139:7-10), and
omniscient (Psalm 139:1-6) He is holy (1 Peter 1:16), righteous (1 John 2:29),
truth (John 14:6, and love (1 John 4:8, 16). He is the Creator of everything
(Genesis 1) He also designed salvation. (Ephesians 1:3-6)
D. Jesus Christ
He is the second person of the Godhead. He appeared in the Old Testament
in what we call Christophanies. (Genesis 16:10-13; Joshua 5:13-15) In the
New Testament He is God in the flesh. (John 1:1-7, 14) He was born of
the virgin Mary. (Isaiah 7:14; Luke 1:35) As a man He still had the same
attributes as God. (John 3:13) His mission on earth was to be our substitute
for sins payment. (Luke 19:10) His death was a one-time payment for the
sins of man. (Hebrews 9:13-14, 25-28) He will one day return for the saints
to rapture them away. (1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:4)
E. Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the third person in the Trinity. Unfortunately He is often the
most overlooked and is referred to as an “it.” But since He is the third person
of the Trinity and shares the same characteristics and attributes of God the
Father and the Son He should be viewed as coequal. He convicts man
of their sin (John 16:8-11), he comforts those who need comforting (John
14:16), He fills and controls believers (Ephesians 5:18), He leads us (Romans
8:14), and He teaches us. (John 14:26).
F. Salvation
Salvation was made possible by the shedding of Jesus’ blood. (Hebrews
9:13-14, 22-28) He did this because man is incapable of saving himself.
(Ephesians 2:9) It is provided by grace. (Ephesians 2:8) It is accomplished
by repentance of sin (Acts 2:38) and belief and acceptance of Jesus Christ.
(Romans 10:13; Acts 16:31) When a man is saved God declares him justified
which means the Jesus’s righteousness is imputed to man. (Romans 3:22-
26; Romans 5:1, 9, 18-19) God also sanctifies the man that is saved. This
means that God set man from sin unto Christ. (Hebrews 10:10; Ephesians
5:26) Finally God will one day glorify man. He will change the saved man. (1
Corinthians 15:51-54) Salvation can never be lost, it is eternal. (John 3:16)
God also intended that salvation is for whosoever, meaning anybody. (John
3:16) God does not force a man to be saved, but He longs for all men to be
saved. (2 Peter 3:9)
G. The church
The New Testament church is a local group of immersed believers who
voluntarily gather together to practice the ordinances, to carry out the
great commission, and worship God. The church is to be autonomous,
meaning self supporting and self governing. Jesus is the head of the church.
(Ephesians 1:22-23) The final authority if the church is the Bible. (2 Timothy
3:14-17) The membership is made up of saved, baptized people. (Acts 2:38,
41) There are only two offices: the pastor and the deacon. (1 Timothy 3)
Each church should be actively involved in reproducing themselves. (Acts
13:1-5)
H. Church ordinances
There are only two church ordinances: baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
Baptism is administered after salvation. There are four requirements for
baptism. 1) The proper subject. (Acts 8:36-38) 2) The proper mode:
immersion. (Mark 1:10; Acts 8:38) 3) The proper authority. (Matthew 28:19-
20; Acts 2:41) 4) The proper administrator. (John 4:2; Acts 9:18) Baptism
places one into the membership of the church. (Acts 2:41; 1 Corinthians
12:13)
The Lord’s Supper is a memorial of the broken body and shed blood of Jesus
Christ. (Luke 22:19-20) Only those who are saved and right with God can
participate in it. (1 Corinthians 11:27-31)
There is no saving value in either of these ordinances. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
I. Christian service
Christian service is the duty of each believer. (Matthew 20:26-28) It is how
we show others that we love God. It is the act of being involved in the life and
ministry of the local church. There are many opportunities in which we can
serve God. The most abundant is soul winning. The community a church is
in has a great spiritual need of hearing about Jesus. We serve them by trying
to meet this need. For a church to be successful the whole body should
involved in service, instead of waiting for another to do it. Being a servant
requires humility. (Mathew 23:11) We should place the needs of another
above our own. (1 Corinthians 9:18-22)
J. Separation
Separation is taught throughout the Bible and is mandated for all believers.
(Joshua 24:15; 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1) 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. Separation is not
isolation. The purpose of separation is to be separated from the world unto
the Lord so that we may be an effective tool for God to use.
K. Missions
It is the duty of every believer to be involved in the preaching of the gospel.
(Matthew 28:18-20) Missions is often thought of in terms of worldwide
missions, however if we are not involved in local missions then we are not
really participating in the great commission. As far as worldwide missions
we should be financially and prayerfully supporting missionaries which are
families that go to the people that we cannot go to.
L. Stewardship
We have been given much by the Lord. He has placed things in our care and
holds us accountable for all that he has given us. Therefore we should seek
to cheerfully give to the Lord in a systematic fashion. We do this through
the tithe (Malachi 3:10), giving of offerings (Luke 6:38), and using the gifts or
talents God has given us. When we use what God has given us He will meet
our needs. (Philippians 4:10-19)
M. Eschatology
There will come a day when Jesus will return for His saints. We have come
to call the first part of His return the rapture. This is when all believers
will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. (1 Corinthians 15:51-58;
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) We do not know when He will return. (1
Thessalonians 5:2) We do know that it will be before the tribulation. Paul
expected to be one of the ones raptured. (1 Thessalonians 4:17) It is
not comforting to know that we would have to go through any part of the
tribulation before the rapture occurred. (1 Thessalonians 4:18) The second
part of His return is when He will be victorious against all that oppose Him.
(Revelation 19:11-21), and He will establish the millennial reign on the earth.
(Revelation 20:1-6) After this reign the lost will stand before God at “the
Great White Throne Judgment.” They will be judged and then cast into the
Lake of Fire for all eternity. (Revelation 20:11-15) In between the two parts
of Jesus’ return the unbelievers will go through what is called “the Great
Tribulation.” This is a period of seven years of absolute horror. During this
time the antichrist will reign on this earth. It is during this period of time
the believers that have been raptured away will stand before God at the
Judgment seat. (2 Corinthians 5:10) This judgment will be the judgment of
the works that we have done.
N. Israel
Israel is God’s chosen people. There is a great blessing promised to those
people that bless God’s people. (Genesis 12:3)
