1. I believe the Bible to be the only inspired, infallible, and authoritative Word of God.
       

       2. I believe that there is ONE God, eternally existent in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
       

       3. I believe in the deity of Jesus Christ; in His virgin birth; in His sinless life; in His miracles; in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood; in His bodily resurrection; in His ascension to the right hand of the Father; and in His personal return in power and glory.

       4. I believe that for the salvation of lost and sinful man, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is essential, and that repentance from sin and acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is the only way to come into a relationship with God. Jesus said, "I an the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh to the Father, but by me." Either you believe it, or you don't.

       5. I believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, by Whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life. I further believe His power and gifts are available to believers today.

       6. I believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost: they that are saved unto the resurrection of life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.

       7. I believe it is important to uphold the Scriptural practices of the early church. Therefore, I hold to the practice of water baptism and the regular taking of communion. I do not believe that either of these practices is essential for salvation, but that they serve as a demonstration of our living faith in Christ.

Specifically:

The Holy Scriptures.

       1. I believe the Scriptures--both the Old and New Testaments--to be the verbally inspired Word of God, written by men in God's control, inerrant and infallible, in the whole and in the part, in all areas (including creation, science, geography, chronology, history, and in all other matters in which it speaks), in the original manuscripts, and the complete and final authority in faith and life. I accept the grammatical-historical-literal system of interpretation of the Scriptures, and accept the historical record of the Bible as accurate and adequate. I utilize the Authorized King James version of the Bible. (1 Thes. 2:13; 2 Tim. 3:15-17; 2 Pe. 1:20,21; Psa. 19:7-9; Rev. 22:18-19.)

Creation.

       2. I believe in the Biblical account of the creation of the universe in six literal, solar days; that God created by His Word the heavens, the earth, and all their hosts, without pre-existing materials; that man was created by a direct act of God; that all humans were present in Adam when he was created; that new individuals (in all their parts) come into existence today, not by a continuing creation, but through the laws of propogation established by God; that each individual is a living person from the moment of conception; that all forms of evolutionary hypotheses are serious errors which strike at the very person and glory of God (Gen. 1:1-31; 2:7; 5:3; Exo. 20:11; Heb. 11:13; Psa. 139:13-16; Lk. 1:41,44; Jn. 1:3; Rom. 5:12-24; 1 Cor. 15:22; Col. 1:15-19; Heb. 11:3).

The Godhead.

       3. I believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit--who are identical in essence, equal in power and glory, and possess precisely the same attributes and perfection (Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19; Lk. 3:22; 2 Cor. 13:14).

The Condition of Man.

       4. I believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, in innocence and without sin. But in Adam's sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature, became spiritually dead and alienated from God so that man is a sinner by both nature and imputation, thereby justly condemned to eternal damnation without defense or excuse, and man, of himself, is incapable of remedying his lost and depraved condition by any means whatsoever (Gen. 1:26; 3:1-24; Rom. 3:10-18; 5:12,19; Eph. 2:1-3).

The Person and Work of Christ.

       5. I believe that God demands a life of perfect obedience to His law; i.e., complete and total righteousness. Thus, God the Son had to become man in order to provide for us what God the Father's holy nature (and self-consistency) demanded--perfect righteousness. Thus, the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God; having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man. He accomplished this redemption by voluntarily giving Himself as a sinless substitutionary sacrifice on the cross, thereby satisfying God's righteous judgment against sin. He gave proof that He accomplished that redemption by His bodily resurrection from the grave. He then ascended to the right hand of His Father where He intercedes on behalf of those who have believed on Him (Jn. 1:1,2,14,18; Lk. 1:34, 35; 24:36-43; Rom. 2:12,13; 3:24-26; 8:34; Heb. 4:14-16; 2 Cor. 5:21).

The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit.

       6. I believe that the Holy Spirit is the Divine Person who convicts the world of sin; that He alone brings new life to those who are spiritually dead; that He baptizes (or places) all believers into the one true Church, which is the Body of Christ; that He indwells them permanently, seals them unto the day of redemption, bestows spiritual gifts upon them, and fills (controls) those who are yielding to Him to empower for Christian life and service (Jn. 3:3-8; 16:7-11; Acts 5:3,4; Eph. 4:5; 1 Cor. 12:13; Rom. 8:9; Jn. 14:16,17; Eph. 4:30; 1 Cor. 12:7-11; 1 Pe. 4:10; Eph. 3:16; 5:18; Gal. 5:22,23).

Satan and the Fallen Angels.

       7. I believe that God created an innumerable company of spiritual beings, known as angels; that one, Lucifer, the highest in rank, sinned through pride, and thereby became Satan; that a great company of the angels followed him in his moral fall; that they became demons and are active as his agents and operatives in the prosecution of his unholy purposes; and that others who fell are "reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day" (Rev. 12:1-10; 2 Pe. 2:4; Jude 1:6). I believe that Satan is the author of sin and, under the permission of God, was the deceiver of Eve in the Fall; that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man; and that he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire (Job 1:6-7; Isa. 14:12-17; Ezek. 28:11-19; Matt. 4:2-11; Jn. 12:31; Rev. 20:10). In his warfare, he appears as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:13-15), counterfeiting the works of God by fostering religious movements and systems of doctrine (1 Tim. 4:1-3), and that these doctrines in every case are characterized by a denial of the efficacy of the atoning sacrifice of Christ and of salvation by grace ALONE.

Salvation.

       8. I believe that salvation is the gift of God's grace given to all who believe on the Son and the redeeming work of the Cross (i.e., to all whom God has sovereignly elected to salvation). It includes all that God does in saving the elect from the penalty, power, and presence of sin, and in restoring them to a right relationship with God. As such, it is solely the work of God from initiation to completion. It cannot be gained by good works, but is a free gift for all whom God has enabled to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross. All who so put their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, by the authority of the Word of God, have been forgiven and saved from their sins and declared righteous before God, and have been born into the family of God by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. God's purpose for saving His elect is so that they bring glory to Him by their lives (Rom. 1:16; 10:17; Acts 16:14b; Eph. 1:7; 2:8,9; Jn. 1:12,13; Rom. 9:16; 2 Cor. 5:21; Phil. 1:6; Titus 2:11-14; 3:5-7; 1 Pe. 1:18- 19; Jn. 5:40; 6:44; 3:36; 5:24; 1 Jn. 5:1).

Security, Assurance, and Human Responsibility.

       9. I believe that all the saved--those in whom God has accomplished His transforming work of grace--are kept by His power, and thus, are secure in Christ forever. This assurance, however, is not the occasion for sin, for God in holiness cannot tolerate willful and/or persistent sin in His children, and in infinite love He corrects them. True faith in Christ is always expressed by a fruitful, God-pleasing life. I believe people who "fall away," and permanently abandon Him, were never really saved in the first place.(Jn. 10:27-29; Rom. 8:29-39; 1 Jn. 5:13; Heb. 12:6; Matt. 7:20; Js. 2:20).

Sanctification.

       10. I believe that God, in the Scriptures, has given us everything pertaining to life and godliness. This includes the salvation from the penalty of sin, and just as surely, the provision of sanctification (separation) from sin. Sanctification from sin affects both the positional and practical aspects. Positional sanctification (i.e., justification) as a work of the Holy Spirit is complete and is without further growth; however, practical sanctification (i.e., progressive sanctification), a result of the work of the Spirit in regeneration using the Word of God, provides the nourishment for growth in maturity in Christ. While practical sanctification is assured by the Word and the Spirit, it is yet imperfect in this life. There is some element of corruption in every part of the fallen nature which is the source for the war between the flesh and the spirit. The maturing to obedience is possible for believers as they feed on the Word, submit to the Spirit of God, and are in fellowship with other believers for service and accountability (Jn. 17:17; 1 Cor. 1:30; Rom. 6:19,22; Heb. 10:25; 1 Pe. 2:2; 2 Pe. 1:3).

The Church.

       11. I believe that the TRUE Church, called in Scripture the "Body of Christ", is a SPIRITUAL organism, and NOT an INSTITUTION. Every person who has trusted Jesus Christ for salvation in this present age has been baptized (placed) into this organism by the Holy Spirit. The local church, as established in Scripture, is made up of redeemed individuals who have joined together for worship, instruction, fellowship, and service (Eph. 1:22,23; 5:25-32; 1 Cor. 12:12,13; Acts 2:42; 13:1,2), exhibiting the true love of God to each other.

The Christian Life.

       12. I believe that a Christian should desire to live a life of righteousness, good works, and separation unto God from the evil ways of the world (Rom. 12:1,2), manifested by speaking the truth (Js. 5:12), maintaining the sanctity of the home (Eph. 5:22-6:4), settling differences between Christians in accordance with the Word of God (1 Cor. 6:1-8), not engaging in carnal strife but showing a Christ-like attitude toward all men (Rom. 12:17-21), exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22,23), and maintaining a life of prayer (Eph. 6:18; Phil. 4:6).

Giving.

       13. I believe that believers are to be generous in their giving, and as they are able, and that all giving should preferably be done in secret according to the Lord's command. Also, the local church the believer attends has TOP PRIORITY as the recipient. (Matt. 6:1-4).

Missions/Evangelism.

       14. I believe that it is the obligation of the saved to witness by life and by word to the truths of Holy Scripture and to seek to proclaim the Gospel to all mankind (Mk. 16:15; Acts 1:8; 2 Cor. 5:19,20).

Movements Contrary to the Faith

       15. I am opposed to all forms of theological compromise, apostasy, liberalism, modernism, and ecumenical evangelism if it compromises the Truth. I believe that all are out of harmony with the Word of God, and are inimical to the Word of God.

Attitude Toward Civil Government.

       16. I believe that the American civil government is ordained of God for the welfare of human society to promote and protect the good and to restrain and punish evil. Therefore, I consider it the duty of Christians to pray for our elected representatives and for those that are in authority over them and to give due loyalty, respect, and obedience to them. God Bless the Cops.

However, where the demands of civil law would militate against the supreme law and will of God, Christians should obey God rather than man. (Dan. 4:17; Matt. 22:17-21; Acts 4:19, 5:29; Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Tim 2:1-4; Acts 23:5; Titus 3:1; 1 Pe. 2:13,14.)

Ordinances.

       17. I believe that our Lord Jesus Christ instituted two ordinances to be observed by all believers until His return--water baptism (by immersion) to show forth our identification with the crucified, buried, and risen Savior (Matt. 28:19; Rom. 6:3-5; Col. 2:12) and the Lord's Supper as the commemoration of His death until He comes (1 Cor. 11:23-26).

Biblical Dispensations.

       18. I believe that the dispensations are divinely ordered stewardships, or rules of life (not ways of salvation), by which God administers His purpose on Earth through man under varying responsibilities in successive ages. Each dispensation begins with man being divinely placed in a new position of privilege and responsibility, and each closes with a failure of man resulting in righteous judgment from God. Three of these dispensations, or rules of life, are the subject of extended revelation in Scripture. They are the dispensation of the Mosaic Law, the present dispensation of Grace (the Church age), and the future dispensation of the Millennial Kingdom. They are distinct and are not to be intermingled or confused, as they are chronologically successive. Thereby, Covenant Theology as found in Reformed Theology is unscriptural. (Jn. 1:17; 1 Cor. 9:17; 2 Cor. 3:9-18; Gal. 3:13-25; Eph. 1:10; Col. 1:24,25; Heb. 7:19; Rev. 20.:2-6.)

The Second Coming of Christ.

       19. I believe in the imminent, personal, pre-tribulational coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for His Church and His subsequent premillennial return to earth with His saints to establish His Millennial Kingdom upon the earth. I don't debate this subject (Well, okay, maybe with Cindy W. but that was different). (1 Thes. 1:10; 4:13-18; Rev. 3:10; Zech. 14:4-11; Rev. 19:11- 16; 20:1-6.)

The Eternal State.

       20. I believe that at death the souls of those who have trusted Christ for salvation pass immediately into His presence and remain there in conscious bliss until the resurrection of the body at Christ's coming for the Church, when soul and body will be reunited. We then shall be with Him forever in glory. I also believe that at death the souls of unbelievers remain in conscious misery until the final judgment of the Great White Throne at the close of the Millennium when the soul and body will be reunited and cast into the lake of fire--not to be annihilated, but to be separated from God forever in conscious punishment. (Lk. 16:19-26; 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:21-23; Jn. 5:28-29; 2 Thes. 1:7-9; Matt. 25:46; Rev. 20:11-15.)

       Well, that's about it for all the legal stuff. I know it's important these days for people to know what they believe, and for other people to know for sure what you believe. I hope I have covered pretty much everything. If not, just ask. info@salemthesoldier.us

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