|
The sole basis of our beliefs is the Bible, God's infallible written Word, the
66 books of the Old and New Testaments. We believe that it was uniquely,
verbally and fully inspired by the Holy Spirit, and that it was written without
error (inerrant) in the original manuscripts. It is the supreme and final
authority in all matters on which it speaks.
We accept those areas of
doctrinal teaching on which, historically, there has been general agreement
among all true Christians. Because of the specialized calling of our movement,
we desire to allow for freedom of conviction on other doctrinal matters,
provided that any interpretation is based upon the Bible alone, and that no such
interpretation shall become an issue which hinders the ministry to which God has
called us.
• There is one true God,
eternally existing in three persons--Father, Son and Holy Spirit--each of whom
possesses equally all the attributes of Deity and the characteristics of
personality.
• Jesus Christ is God, the living Word,
who became flesh through His miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit and His
virgin birth. Hence, He is perfect Deity and true humanity united in one person
forever.
• He lived a sinless life and voluntarily
atoned for the sins of men by dying on the cross as their substitute, thus
satisfying divine justice and accomplishing salvation for all who trust in Him
alone.
• He rose from the dead in the same body,
though glorified, in which He lived and died.
• He ascended bodily into heaven and sat
down at the right hand of God the Father, where He, the only mediator between
God and man, continually makes intercession for His own.
• Man was originally created in the image
of God. He sinned by disobeying God; thus, he was alienated from his Creator.
That historic fall brought all mankind under divine
condemnation.
• Man's nature is corrupted, and he is
thus totally unable to please God. Every man is in need of regeneration and
renewal by the Holy Spirit.
• The salvation of man is wholly a work of
God's free grace and is not the work, in whole or in part, of human works or
goodness or religious ceremony. God imputes His righteousness to those who put
their faith in Christ alone for their salvation, and thereby justifies them in
His sight.
• It is the privilege of all who are born
again of the Spirit to be assured of their salvation from the very moment in
which they trust Christ as their Savior. This assurance is not based upon any
kind of human merit, but is produced by the witness of the Holy Spirit, who
confirms in the believer the testimony of God in His written
word.
• The Holy Spirit has come into the world
to reveal and glorify Christ and toapply the saving work of Christ to men. He
convicts and draws sinners to Christ, imparts new life to them, continually
indwells them from the moment of spiritual birth and seals them until the day of
redemption. His fullness, power and control are appropriated in the believer's
life by faith.
• Every believer is called to live so in
the power of the indwelling Spirit that he will not fulfill the lust of the
flesh but will bear fruit to the glory of God.
• Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church,
His Body, which is composed of all men and women, living and dead, who have been
joined to Him through saving faith.
• God admonishes His people to assemble
together regularly for worship, for participation in ordinances, for edification
through the Scriptures and for mutual encouragement.
• At physical death the believer enters
immediately into eternal, conscious fellowship with the Lord and awaits the
resurrection of his body to everlasting glory and blessing.
• At physical death the unbeliever enters
immediately into eternal, conscious separation from the Lord and awaits the
resurrection of his body to everlasting judgment and
condemnation.
• Jesus Christ will come again to the
earth--personally, visibly and bodily--to consummate history and the eternal
plan of God.
• The Lord Jesus Christ commanded all
believers to proclaim the gospel throughout the world and to disciple men of
every nation. The fulfillment of that Great Commission requires that all worldly
and personal ambitions be subordinated to a total commitment to "Him who loved
us and gave Himself for us.
[ taken from uscm.org ]
|