NORTHERN MICHIGAN BAPTIST BIBLE CHURCH STATEMENT OF FAITH 1. OF THE SCRIPTURES We believe that the Holy Bible was written by men supernaturally inspired; that it is truth without any admixture of error for its matter and therefore is, and shall remain, to the end of the age, the only complete and final revelation of the will of God to man, the true center of Christian union and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions should be tried. a) By the "Holy Bible" we mean the collection of sixty-six books from Genesis to Revelation, which as originally written does not only contain and convey the Word of God, but IS the very Word of God. b) By "inspiration" we mean that the books of the Bible were written by holy men of old, as they were moved by the Holy Spirit, in such a definite way that their writings were supernaturally and verbally inspired and free from error, as no other writings have ever been or ever will be inspired. (II Tim. 3:16, 17; II Peter 1: 19-21; Ps. 119:160; Is. 8:20) 2. OF THE TRUE GOD We believe that there is one, and only one, living and true God, an infinite, intelligent Spirit the maker and supreme ruler of heaven and earth; inexpressibly glorious in holiness and worthy of all possible honor, confidence, and love; that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit - equal in every divine perfection, and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption. (Ex. 20:2,3; Gen. 17: 1; Rev. 4:11; Matt. 28:19) 3. OF THE PERSON AND WORK OF CHRIST We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ the eternal Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God and born of the virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem man. (John 1: 14) We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His voluntary death on the cross as representative vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and that our justification is made sure by His literal physical, resurrection from the dead. (I Peter 2:24; Eph. 1:7; Rom. 4:25) We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ ascended to heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Intercessor and Advocate. (Heb. 7:25; I John 2:1) 4. OF THE HOLY SPIRIT We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person; equal with God the Father and God the Son and of the same nature; that He was active in the creation; that in His relation to the to the unbelieving world He restrains the evil one until God's purpose is fulfilled; that He convicts of sin, of judgment and of righteousness; that He bears witness to the Truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony; that He is agent of the New Birth; that He seals, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies, and helps the believer. The gifts of tongues and healing were "sign-gifts" until the Scriptures were completed. The gifts ceased at that time. We believe that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit takes place at conversion and is the sovereign act by which the individual is organically and vitally joined into Christ and His body. We believe that the infilling of the Holy Spirit may occur many times and is essentially a matter of faith and yieldedness. (Jn. 14:16,17; Matt. 28:19; Heb. 9:14; Gen. 1:1-3; I Cor. 13:8-13) 5. OF THE DEVIL, OR SATAN We believe that Satan was once holy and enjoyed heavenly honors, but through pride and ambition to be as the Almighty, fell and drew after him one third of the host of angels; that he is now the malignant prince of the power of the air, and the unholy god of this world. We hold him to be man's great tempter, the enemy of God and His Christ, the accuser of the saints, the author of all false religions, the power back of the present apostasy, the lord of anti-christ, and the author of all power of darkness, destined, however, to final defeat at the hands of God's own Son, and to the judgment of an eternaI justice in hell, a place prepared for him and his angels. (Is. 14:12-15; Rev. 12:9; Eph. 2:2; I Peter 5:8) 6. OF CREATION We believe in the Genesis account of creation, and that it is to be accepted literally, and not allegorically or figuratively; that man was created directly in God's own image and after His own likeness; that man' s creation was not a matter of evolution or evolutionary change of species, or development through interminable periods of time from lower to higher forms, that all animal and vegetable life was made directly and God's established law was that they should bring forth only "after their kind." (Gen. 1:1; Jn. 1:3; Gen. 1:26,27) 7. OF THE FALL OF MAN We believe that man was creates in innocence under the law of the Maker, but by the voluntary transgression, fell from his sinless and happy state, in consequence of which all mankind are now sinners, not by constraint but by choice; and therefore under just condemnation without defense or excuse. (Gen. 3:1-6; Rom. 5:12; Ezek. 18:19,20; Rom. 1:32) 8. OF THE VIRGIN BIRTH We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten of the Holy Spirit in a miraculous manner, born of Mary, a virgin, as no other man was ever born or can ever be born of a woman, and that He is both the Son of God and God, the Son. (Gen. 3:15; Is. 7:14; Matt. 1: 18-25; I Jn. 5:20) 9. OF THE ATONEMENT FOR SIN We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace; through the mediatorial offices of the Son of God, who by appointment of the Father freely took upon Him our nature, yet without sin, honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and by His death made a full and vicarious atonement for our sins; that His atonement consisted not in setting us an example by His death as a martyr, but as the voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner's place, the Just dying for the unjust, Christ the Lord, bearing our sins in His own body on the tree; That, having risen from the dead, He is now enthroned in heaven and uniting in His wonderful person the tenderest sympathies with divine perfection, He is every way qualified to be a suitable, a compassionate and all-sufficient Savior. (Eph. 2:8; Matt. 18:11; Phil 2:7; Is. 53: 4-7,11,12) 10. OF THE GRACE IN THE NEW CREATION We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be born again, that the new birth is a new creation in Christ Jesus; that it is instantaneous and not a process, that in the new birth the one dead in trespasses and in sins is made a partaker of the divine nature and receives eternal life, the free gift of God; that the new creation is brought about in a manner above our comprehension, not by culture, not by character, nor by the will of man, but wholly and solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with divine truth, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the gospel, that its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance and faith and newness of life. (Jn. 3:3; II Cor. 5:17; Luke 5:27; II Peter 1:4) 11. OF THE FREENESS OF SALVATION We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins. (Eph. 2:8-10; Jn. 1:12; I Peter 1:18,19) 12. OF JUSTIFICATION We believe that the great gospel blessing which Christ secures to such as believe in Him is Justification; that justification includes the pardon of sin and the gift eternal life on principles of righteousness; that it is bestowed not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done but solely through faith in die Redeemer's blood, His righteousness is imputed unto us. (Acts 13:39; Is. 53:11; Titus 3:5-7; Rom. 1:17) 13. OF REPENTANCE AND FAITH We believe that Repentance and Faith are solemn obligations and also inseparable graces, wrought in our souls by the quickening Spirit of God; thereby, being deeply convicted of our guilt, danger and helplessness, and of the way of salvation, by Christ, we turn to God with unfeigned contrition, confession and supplication for mercy; at the same time heartily receiving the Lord Jesus Christ and openly confessing Him as our only and all-sufficient Savior. (Acts 20-21; Mark 1:15; Acts 2:37,38; Rom. 10:9-11) 14. OF THE CHURCH We believe that a church of Christ is a congregation of immersed believers associated by a covenant of faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ governed by His laws; exercising the gifts, lights and privileges invested in them by His Word, that its offices of ordination are pastors (Elders, Bishops) and deacons, whose qualifications, claims and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures; we believe the true mission of the church is found in the Great Commission; First to make individual disciples, Second, to build up the church, Third, to teach and instruct as He has commanded. We do not believe in the reversal of this order, we hold the local church has the absolute right of self government, free from the interference of hierarchy of individuals or organizations; and that the one and only superintendent is Christ through the Holy Spirit; that it is scriptural for true churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith, and for the furtherance of the gospel; that every church is on all matters of membership, of policy and government, of discipline, of benevolence, the will of the local church is final. (Acts 2:41,42; I Cor. 11:2; Matt. 28:19,20; Col. 1:18) 15. OF BAPTISM AND THE LORD'S SUPPER We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion in water of a believer, in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit with the authority of the local church, to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem our faith in the crucified buried and risen Savior with its effect in our death to sin and resurrection to a new life; that it is a prerequisite to church membership. The Lord's supper is the sacred use of bread and the grape juice to commemorate together the dying love of Christ, preceded always by solemn self-examination. (Acts 8:36-39; Matt. 28:19; Rom. 6:3-5; I Cor. 11:23-28) 16. OF THE PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS We believe that those who are genuine possessors of the "Salvation of God" are those who show it by their persevering attachment to Christ, being the distinguishing mark between superficial professors and genuine possessors; that the saints have a special Providence watching over their welfare; and that they are kept by the power of God through faith unto that glorious day of His appearing. (Jn. 8:31-32; I Jn. 2:19; Rom. 8:28; Jn. 10:28,29; Rom. 8:35-59) 17. OF THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE WICKED We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that such only as through faith are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and sanctified by the Spirit of our God, are truly righteous in His esteem; while all such as continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight wicked, and under the curse; and that this distinction holds among men both in and after death, in the everlasting felicity of the saved and the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost. (Mal. 3:18-1 Gen. 18:23; Rom. 1:17; Matt. 25:34) 18. OF CIVIL GOVERNMENT We believe that civil government is of divine appointment, for the interests and good order of human society; that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored and obeyed; except only in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ; who is the only Lord of the conscience, and the coming Prince of the kings of the earth. (Rom. 13:1-7; II Sam. 23:3; Dan. 3:7-12; Acts 5:29) 19. OF THE RESURRECTION AND RETURN OF CHRIST AND RELATED EVENTS We believe in and accept the Scriptures upon these subjects at their face and full value. Of the resurrection, we believe that Christ rose bodily "The third day according to the Scriptures"; that He ascended "to the right hand of the throne of God" that this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into Heaven-bodily, personally and visibly, that the "dead in Christ shall rise first', that the living saints "shall all be changed in a moment~ in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump"; "that the Lord God shall give unto thin the Throne of His Father-David", and the "Christ shall reign a thousand years in righteousness until He hath put all enemies under His feet". (Matt. 28:6,7; Acts 1:9; Heb. 8:6; Jn. 14:3; I Thess. 4:16; I Cor. 15:51-53; Luke 1:32; I Cor. 15:25) 20. OF MISSIONS We believe that the command to give the gospel to the world is clear and unmistakable and that this Commission was given to His church. (Matt. 28:19,20, Mark 16:15; Jn. 20:21; Acts 1:8; Rom. 10:13-15) 21. OF THE GRACE OF GIVING We believe Scriptural giving is one of the fundamentals of the Faith in which we are commanded to bring His tithes and encouraged to bring our gifts into the treasury of the church upon the first day of the week. From there is distributed as God directs. (Lev. 27:30; Mal.3:8-11; Matt. 23:23; Acts 4:34-37; Acts 20:35; I Cor. 9:7-14; Heb. 7: 1-10) 22. OF SEPARATION FROM THE WORLD We believe in personal separation from the world, that since our citizenship is in Heaven, as the children of God we should walk in separation from this present world, abstaining from worldly amusements "abstain from the appearance of evil", and unclean habits which defile mind and body, from memberships in secret societies, from the use of unbelieving courts for the settlement of disputes between Christians, and from taking personal vengeance in carnal strife. (II Cor. 6:14-18; I Cor. 6:1-9; I Thess. 5:22; Rom. 12:18-21) 23. OF ISRAEL We believe in the sovereign selection of Israel as God's eternal covenant people, that she is now dispersed because of her disobedience and rejection of Christ, and that she will be regathered in the Holy Land and after completion of the Church, will be saved as a nation at the second advent of Christ. (Gen. 13:14-17; Rom. 11:1-32; Ezek. 37) 24. OF THE RAPTURE AND SUBSEQUENT EVENTS We believe in the definite, physical, pre-millennial return of Christ for His Church, and that at that moment the dead in Christ shall be raised in glorified bodies, and the living in Christ shall be given glorified bodies, without tasting death, and shall meet the Lord in the air. II Thess. 4:13-18; I Cor. 15:42-44; 51-54; Phil. 3:20-21; Rev. 3:10) 25. THE ETERNAL SECURITY OF THE BELIEVER We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by Gods power and are thus secure in Christ forever. (Jn. 10:27-30; Rom. 8:1,38,39; I Cor. 1:4-8) 26. THE MINISTRY AND SPIRITUAL GIFTS We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowment of all gifts; and that the gifts of evangelists, pastors, and teachers are sufficient for the perfecting of the saints today; and, that speaking in tongues and the working of sign-miracles gradually ceased as the New Testament Scriptures were completed and their authority became established. (I Cor. 12:11; II Cor. 12:12; Eph. 4:7-12)