Salvation
We believe and teach in salvation by grace totally apart from any human merit. Salvation is the free gift of God. Salvation is bestowed by a gracious God upon unworthy man conditioned solely upon personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work on Calvary. (Ephesians 2:8,9 ; John 3:16 ; Titus 3:5,6)
1. God’s Offer of Salvation: We believe and teach that Jesus died for the sins of the whole world (unlimited atonement) and therefore offers salvation to the whole world; that His atonement
was sufficient for all but efficient only for those who believe. (John 3:16 ; I John 2:2 ; I Timothy 2:4 ; II Peter 3:9)
2. God’s Choice of Who Will Be Saved: We believe and teach in conditional election, that, according to I Peter 1:1-2, God chose from the masses of mankind those who would be saved on the basis of His foreknowledge of their faith. God’s foreknowledge was based on His omniscience, which allowed Him to know who would believe, thus He elected or chose to save them.
3. Man’s Response to God’s Gracious Offer: We believe and teach that an individual can say no to the convicting power of the Holy Spirit and be forever lost (resistible grace). When God extends a call to salvation, it is a legitimate call both to the elect and the non-elect, that the non-elect refuses because of his personal unbelief or rebellion and not because he was not one whom God chose to be saved. Every individual who receives a call of the Gospel also receives a divine enablement to believe. Yet, he can refuse.
4. Depravity: We believe and teach that man is born dead in trespasses and sin, and that apart from the divine enablement of the Holy Spirit, man left to his own will never and can never repent and believe. (Ephesians 2:1)
5. Security of The Believer: We believe and teach the security of the believer, that God will keep securely in His hand those who are trusting in Jesus Christ but offers absolutely no hope for that person who is not trusting in Him. The security of the believer is based upon a continuous faith in Jesus Christ. Scriptures presents the possibility of an authentic believer ceasing to believe but not the probability. We believe apostasy is committed by willful unbelief and is without remedy. (John 10:25-30 ; I Peter 1:5 ; Colossians 1:21-23 ; John 3:16 ; Hebrews 3:12-13 ; I John 2:24 ; Hebrews 6:4,9)
1. God’s Offer of Salvation: We believe and teach that Jesus died for the sins of the whole world (unlimited atonement) and therefore offers salvation to the whole world; that His atonement
was sufficient for all but efficient only for those who believe. (John 3:16 ; I John 2:2 ; I Timothy 2:4 ; II Peter 3:9)
2. God’s Choice of Who Will Be Saved: We believe and teach in conditional election, that, according to I Peter 1:1-2, God chose from the masses of mankind those who would be saved on the basis of His foreknowledge of their faith. God’s foreknowledge was based on His omniscience, which allowed Him to know who would believe, thus He elected or chose to save them.
3. Man’s Response to God’s Gracious Offer: We believe and teach that an individual can say no to the convicting power of the Holy Spirit and be forever lost (resistible grace). When God extends a call to salvation, it is a legitimate call both to the elect and the non-elect, that the non-elect refuses because of his personal unbelief or rebellion and not because he was not one whom God chose to be saved. Every individual who receives a call of the Gospel also receives a divine enablement to believe. Yet, he can refuse.
4. Depravity: We believe and teach that man is born dead in trespasses and sin, and that apart from the divine enablement of the Holy Spirit, man left to his own will never and can never repent and believe. (Ephesians 2:1)
5. Security of The Believer: We believe and teach the security of the believer, that God will keep securely in His hand those who are trusting in Jesus Christ but offers absolutely no hope for that person who is not trusting in Him. The security of the believer is based upon a continuous faith in Jesus Christ. Scriptures presents the possibility of an authentic believer ceasing to believe but not the probability. We believe apostasy is committed by willful unbelief and is without remedy. (John 10:25-30 ; I Peter 1:5 ; Colossians 1:21-23 ; John 3:16 ; Hebrews 3:12-13 ; I John 2:24 ; Hebrews 6:4,9)