Doctrinal Statement

THE HOLY SCRIPTURES

We believe in the plenary-verbal (all words completely inspired) inspiration of the original manuscripts only. We believe the Bible is inspired of God, is the only infallible, authoritative Word of God, and is the supreme and final authority in faith and life. (I Thessalonians 2:13; II Timothy 3:13; II Peter 1:2-21).

THE GODHEAD

We believe that the Godhead eternally exists in three Persons—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit—and these three are one God, having the same nature, attributes and perfections, and worthy of the same worship, trust and obedience. (Matthew 28: 19-20; Mark 12:29; John 1:14; Acts 5:3-4; II Corinthians 15:3-9; I Thessalonians 4:13-18).

THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

We believe Jesus Christ was begotten by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin (Mary), and is true God and true Man. We believe in the deity of Christ, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His shed blood and His vicarious and reconciling death upon the cross. We further believe in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father as the believers’ High Priest and advocate, and in His personal return to take the Church to heaven. (Matthew 1:18; Luke 1:26-35; John 1:2; 20-31; I Corinthians 15:3-9; I Thessalonians 4:13-18).

THE HOLY SPIRIT

We believe in the Holy Spirit who came forth from God to convince men of Christ’s payment for man’s sin. We believe the Holy Spirit is the third member of the Godhead. He convicts men of sin and regenerates those who receive Christ as Savior. He gives gifts for service to each believer “as He wills” (I Corinthians 12:11), and He fills those yielded to God. Some gifts were for a sign such as speaking in tongues and healing and were temporary and have ceased (I Corinthians 13:8), after the establishment of the New Testament Church. The indwelling Holy Spirit enables the believer for sanctification and service. (John 16:7-15, 3:3-5; I Corinthians 3:16, 6:19, 12:12-13; II Corinthians 5:17; Colossians 3:1-2; Ephesians 1:13, 4:30).

MANKIND

We believe man was created in the image of God, that he sinned and thereby incurred not only physical death but also spiritual death, which is separation from God. Therefore, because of the exceeding sinfulness of human nature, and the total depravity of natural man, we believe it is absolutely necessary that man be born again (personal acceptance of Christ in complete reliance upon Him for salvation). (Genesis 1:26-27; Jeremiah 17:9; John 3:3-16, 14:6; Romans 1:18-32, 3:23, 6:23, 8:7-8).

SALVATION

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice, and that all who believe in Him are justified in the grounds of His shed blood. We believe that all who receive by faith the Lord Jesus Christ are born again of the Holy Spirit and thereby become the children of God. We believe that salvation is an irrevocable covenant which God makes with the individual believer, and that once bestowed, it is never withdrawn. A believer, who fails to live in fellowship with God may be disciplined in the life, even to the extent of being taken from this life, as God’s means of restoration to fellowship with Himself. (John 10:28-29; I Corinthians 11:30-32; Ephesians 1:13, 4:30; Hebrews 12:5-11; I John 1:8-10; I Corinthians 3:11-15).

THE CHURCH

We believe in the one true Church, a living organism, called in the Bible the Body and Bride of Christ, a mystery in ages past but now made known in the New Testament and all who have been born again by saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ are members of that Church of which Christ is the head and the only foundation. We believe, moreover, that the Great Commission given to the disciples is the Great Commission of the Church today. The local church is the manifestation of the universal Church on the local level and is to be self-governing. (Matthew 16:18, 28:19; Mark 16:15; I Corinthians 2:11; Ephesians 5:25-32).

END TIME EVENTS AND THE ETERNAL STATE

We believe in the rapture of the Church. The Church Age will end on earth with the catching away of believers of the Church Age to meet Christ in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (I Thessalonians 4:13-18; I Corinthians 15:31-54). This blessed hope is followed by the great tribulation and then by the return of Christ to the earth to establish His Kingdom for a reign of one thousand years. We believe in the eternal state of punishment for the wicked and the eternal state of blessing for the redeemed. (Titus 2:13; I Thessalonians 1:10, 4:13-18, 5:4-10; Revelation 3:10; Matthew 24:21, 29-30, 25:31; Revelation 2:1-6, 11-15; Matthew 25:46).

SATAN

We believe in the distinct personality of Satan. He is a fallen angel, is the god of this age, the author of all powers of sin and darkness, and he is destined to the judgment of an eternal justice in the lake of fire. (II Corinthians 11:3; Revelation 12:17; II Timothy 2:26; II Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2; Ezekial 28; Isaiah 14:12-15; Revelation 19:10).

ORDINANCES OF THE CHURCH

We believe that baptism is the total immersion of the believer, after conversion, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, in testimony of faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Christ, and in confession that the believer is to be dead to sin and risen to newness of life in Christ; and that the Lord’s Supper is a commemoration of the Lord’s death until He comes. (Matthew 28:19-20; Galatians 3:27; Colossians 2:12; Matthew 26:26-30; I Corinthians 11: 23-26).

METHOD OF BIBLE INTERPRETATION

We believe in the seven dispensations of time taught in the Bible, but we do not accept the hyper- or ultra – dispensational interpretation.

SEPARATION FROM THE WORLD

We believe that all Christians have the responsibility to separate from the world unto Christ. Moreover, Emmanuel Bible Church stands opposed to Modernism, the Cults, Secret Societies, Politically subversive groups, and any other organization that undermines the gospel. Moreover, we do not support any organization within Christianity that obscures the clear teaching of God’s Word. (II Corinthians 6:14; Ephesians 5:11,12; I John 2:15-17).

MARRIAGE AND SEXUALITY

We believe that "marriage" was created by God and that it is the joining together of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive covenant relationship as outlined in Scripture. We believe that God intends for sexual intimacy to only occur between a man and woman who are married to one another. We believe that any form of sexual immorality is a sin and is offensive to God. We believe that to preserve the function and integrity of the Church as the Body and Bride of Christ, it is imperative that all persons who are employed or who serve as vocational or lay ministers within this flock adhere to this statement of faith and practice. Failure to do so will result in discipline as outline in these By-laws. We believe that God offers redemption and forgiveness to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. We believe that hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are wrong and are not in accord with Scripture or the spirit of the this church. (Gen. 2:18-25; Mark 12:24-27; I Cor. 7; I Thess. 4:1-8)

THE NASHVILLE STATEMENT

We believe that the "Nashville Statement" is a Biblical summary of these doctrines and we as a church adhere to this statement.

The Nashville Statement in PDF format can be opened or downloaded here.

A complete copy of the Doctrinal Statement in PDF format can be downloaded here.