ARTICLES OF FAITH
Introduction to Articles of Faith
Since the Scriptures declare that in the last days many shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, and many shall be engaged in scattering the fatal seeds of error directly affecting the honor of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the destiny of precious souls, we feel constrained by fidelity to Him to adopt the statement of Doctrine herein contained, to which we ask the assent of all applicants for membership.
Of Inspiration of the Scriptures
We believe in the verbal and plenary inspiration of the Scriptures, both of the OLD and NEW TESTAMENT, that holy men of old wrote as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. (II Timothy 3:16-17, II Peter 1:21, I Corinthians 2:13, Acts 1:16)
Of One True God
We believe in one god eternal and self-existing and consisting of three persons in the God-Head: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. (Mark 12:29, John 1:1-4, Matthew 28:18-30, Acts 5:3-4, II Corinthians 13:14, Hebrews 1:1-3)
Of Deity of Christ
We believe in the Deity of Jesus Christ, that he is very God manifested, in the flesh. We believe in His virgin birth, His sinless life, His substitution and vicarious death, His blood atonement on the cross, His bodily resurrection, His ascension and present intercession at the right hand of God in behalf of believers. We believe in His personal, immanent and pre-millennial coming again, the rapture, the judgment of nations and His glorious reign of one thousand years upon the earth. (Matthew 11:27, Luke 1:3-35, John 8:46, II Peter 1:21-22, Ephesians 1:7, Matthew 28:7, Acts 1:8-11, Hebrews 7:25, I Thessalonians 4:14-18, I Corinthians 16:51-52, Zechariah 14:4-9, Isaiah 11:6-9, and Revelation 20:6)
Of The Holy Spirit
We believe in the Holy Ghost, the third person of the God-head as eternally existing with the Father and Son: that He is a real person, and not merely an influence, the source of all power and acceptable worship and service, is out abiding Comforter, that he never takes His departure from the Church, nor from the feeblest of the saints, but is ever-present to testify of Christ, seeking to occupy us with Him and not with ourselves or experiences. We believe that he leads man to repentance toward God and to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ unto salvation, by whom such saved ones are added to the body, that he indwells and seals from the moment of our acceptance of Christ. (John 7:38-39, 14:16-17, 15:16, 16:13-14, I Corinthians 3:16, Acts 1:8, Romans 8:9, Philippians 3:3, Ephesians 1:13-14)
Of The Fall of Man
We believe that man created in the image and likeness of God, has fallen under complete temptation through sin and is now totally depraved in his natural state. (Genesis 1:26-27, 3:7-10, 6:5, 6:11-13, Psalms 51:2-5, Romans 5:12-18, Ephesians 2:2-5)
Of Grace In Regeneration
We believe in salvation though the New Birth, and that this is possible only through faith in the substitutive death and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Savior. (John 3:3-7, Romans 3:20-26, 4:24-25, 5:19-21, II Corinthians 5:19-21, Ephesians 1:5-7, I Peter 1:23, I Peter 2:2-24)
Of The Way of Salvation
We believe that salvation is by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and without any works or the law, but that them which have believed should be careful to maintain good works. (Acts 16:31, Romans 4:1-5, Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:5, 7-8, Ephesians 2:10, James 2:18-22, Galatians 5:6)
Of The Security of True Believers
We believe that those who are born again are secure in the eternal salvation of divine provision, and are kept by the unlimited power of God, the unbounded love of Christ, and the unbreakable seal of the Spirit. (Hebrews 5:9, 9:12-15, I Peter 1:3-5, Romans 8:35-39, Ephesians 1:13-14, 4:30)
Of Sanctification
We believe that Scriptural sanctification is a setting apart unto a holy use, that it is perfect in Christ for the believer’s standing, and that its’ progressive in the consecrated believer through the Word of God, and the work of the Holy Spirit. (I Corinthians 1:2-30, Hebrews 10:10-14, II Corinthians 7:1, I Corinthians 6:9-11, I Peter 1-2, I Thessalonians 2:13, 3;13, 5:23-24, Ephesians 5:25-27)
Of the True Church
We believe in the Devine Institution and the unity of the True Church, which is composed of all true believers, and which constitutes the mystical Body of Christ. (Matthew 16:18, I Corinthians 12:12-24, Ephesians 1:22-23, 2:14-22, 4:1-4, 5:25-27)
Of the Local Church
We believe the Local Church is an assembly of baptized believers, associated by the covenant in the faith and fellowship of the Gospel observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws, and exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word. (II Corinthians 1:1, Galatians 1:2, Acts 5:11, Revelation 2:1, 8, 12, 18)
Church Ordinances
We believe that the Ordinances enjoined by the Gospel, given to the church by Christ and to be observed by the church, are two (2): Baptism and the Lords’ Supper; that these are positive and sacred institutions of Christ who appointed them. (Luke 22:17-20, I Corinthians 11:23-30)
Of the Duty of the Church
We believe that it is the duty of the Church to give the Gospel of the Grace of God to all the world, as the only message of Salvation to man. (Mark 16:15, Acts 20:24, Romans 1:5, 14:16, Acts 1:8, 4:12)
Of Satan
We believe in the personality of Satan as a fallen created being; that the course of this world under him as its prince and as the prince of power of the air, and that he will finally be cast into everlasting, endless torment in the Lake of Fire. (Isaiah 14:12-15, Ezekiel 28:12-15, I Corinthians 11:13-14, Genesis 3:1, 4:14, Job 1:6-12, John 12:31, John 14:30, John 16:11, Ephesians 2:2, Revelation 20:2, 7, 10)
Of The Judgment of Lost
We believe that all who reject the Gospel of Christ in the present, and only way of grace, have nothing to await but the righteous judgment of God in the endless retribution of the impenitent. (II Corinthians 6:1-2, II Thessalonians 1:7-10, mark 9:43-48, Matthew 25:46, Revelation 20:11-15)
Of the Apostasy
We believe that the Apostasy of the present age will culminate in the judgment of the nations at the Lord’s Second Coming. (Matthew 24:14, 15:21, I Timothy 4:1-3, II Timothy 3:1-5, 4:1-4, II Thessalonians 2:3-12, Revelations 15:1, 16:1-21, 19:11-16, Matthew 25:31-46)
Of the Resurrection
We believe in the Resurrection of the body; the just at the coming of Christ, to be caught up in the air the living saints, and to enjoy everlasting peace with the Lord. That the unjust live not again until the thousand years are finished. (Revelation 20:15). Then to be judged at the White Throne Judgment and suffer eternal separation from God in the Lake of Fire.
Of Baptism
We believe in the Scriptural form of Baptism for all Believers and that they be immersed without delay. We do not believe a Christian is in complete obedience to Christ when he refuses to be baptized. Baptism by immersion is necessary for membership into this fellowship. We further believe that the Lord’s Supper be observed as often as the Pastor directs.
Aroney Community of DeKalb County, AL