The Scriptures

I know and believe that the Bible, the authorized King James Bible 1611, is the inerrant, inspired, preserved Word of God for the English language; that the very words are the Spirit of God recorded by holy men of old; that divine inspiration is eternal, extends equally and fully to all parts of The Scriptures. The 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament are the complete and final revelation of the Word of God to man, and therefore are our only rule for faith and practice. II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:20,21; Mark 12:36; Matthew 5:18; Proverbs 30:5; Psalm 119:89; Revelation 22:18,1-9; Psalm 12:6,7; John 6:63

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The True God

I know and believe that there is one, and only one eternal, living and true God; an infinite, intelligent, perfect spirit and personal being; the creator, preserver, and supreme ruler of the universe; inexpressibly glorious in holiness and perfection, and worthy of all possible honour, confidence and love; that in the unity of the Godhead there are three (3) 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. John 4:24; Genesis 1:1; Jeremiah 10:10; Matthew 28:19; John 10:30; Exodus 15:11; Mark 12:30; Ephesians 2:18; Isaiah 43:10,11; 44:6-8; John 17:3; I John 5:7.

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The Person of Christ

I know and believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ; that He is eternal in His existence; He is the very God by whom and for Whom all things were created; that He was virgin born; that He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and is God manifest in the flesh; that He lived a perfect, sinless life and gave Himself as a perfect sacrifice for the sins of all men; and that He arose bodily from the grave. John 1:1-3,14; Matthew 1:18-25; II Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15; 9:14, 27; John 1:29; I Corinthians 15:4-8; Hebrews 7:3.

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The Holy Spirit

I know and believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person and not just an influence, equal with God the Father and God the Son; that He was active in creation; that He convicts of sin, judgment, and righteousness; that He seals, endues, guides, teaches, comforts, witnesses, sanctifies, and helps the believer; and that He calls individuals into Christian service and empowers and directs them in that service according to the Word of God. I reject the modern Charismatic Movement with its unscriptural emphasis on speaking in tongues and other sign gifts. I do not believe physical bodily healing is in the atonement. I acknowledge the continued existence of miracles performed by God according to his will. I know and believe that one is baptized and sealed with the Holy Spirit initially and directly at the instant they repent and believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. John 14:16,17; John 16:7-14; Genesis 1:2; Matthew 28:19; Luke 24:49; Ephesians 1:13; Romans 8:14-16-,26; II Thessalonians 2:13; Acts 13:2-4; I Corinthians 12-14; Gal. 3:2; 4:6.

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Satan

I know and believe that Satan was once a holy angel, and enjoyed heavenly honours, but through wicked pride fell and drew after him a host of other angels; that he is the enemy of God and every Christian; that he is the author of all false religions and present day apostasy; he is the father of all lies, a murderer from the beginning and the accuser of the brethren; that he shall be punished for ever and ever with his fallen angels in the Lake of Fire. Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:13-17; I Peter 5:8; Ephesians 6:11; Revelation 12:9,10; Matthew 4:1-3; II Corinthians 11:13-15; Revelation 20:10; John 8:44

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Creation

I know and believe that the Genesis account of creation is literal, and is the accurate historical record; that man, the universe, and all that is in it were created by God and not some process of evolution, that the six days of creation were literal twenty--four hour days. Genesis 1:1,7,11,14,20,24,26,27; Exodus 20:11; Colossians 1:16,17; Hebrews 11:3

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Man

I know and believe that man was created in innocence under the law of his maker, but by voluntary transgression fell from his sinless state, in consequence of which all mankind are now all sinners and out of fellowship with God, not by constraint, but by choice; being by nature utterly void of that holiness required by the law of God, positively inclined to evil, and therefore under just condemnation to eternal ruin without defense or excuse. Genesis 1:27,31; 3:6-24; Isaiah 53:6; Ezekiel 18:19,2-0; Jeremiah 17:9; Isaiah 64:6; Romans 1:20; 5:12,19,-20; Gen. 3:1-6; Rom. 1:18-32; Rom.3:10-13

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Salvation

I know and believe that God in His love and mercy has provided eternal salvation through the perfect redemptive and substitutionary blood atonement of our Lord Jesus Who bore all the sins of the whole world in His own body. The conditions of salvation are repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ; that it is totally of grace through faith, apart from any human works or effort, plus or minus nothing; that it is freely given to all who will receive it; and that men cannot obtain salvation apart from the convicting and renewing work of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. Salvation involves the full and free forgiveness of all the sins of any and all who receive the Lord Jesus Christ as their own personal Saviour. Romans 5:8; 1 Peter 2:24; I John 2:2; Acts 20:21; Ephesians 2:8,9;John 6:37,44; 3:5,16; Romans 10:17.

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Blessings of Salvation

I know and believe that all who are in Christ are justified, forgiven, imputed with Christ's righteousness, regenerated, given eternal life, adopted into the family of God, redeemed, given spiritual gift(s), sanctified, sealed, and eternally secure in Him. Therefore, all true believers will endure to the end. Romans 5:1,9; Hebrews 10:17; 1 John 1:9; Romans 4:5-7; Titus 3:5; John 3:3-5; 10:28; Ephesians 1:5,13; Colossians 1:14; I Corinthians 12:4-11; Hebrews 10:10; John 5:24; I John 5:4; Phil. 4:7; John 14:27

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The LocalChurch

I know and believe that the local New Testament church is a visible assembly of baptized believers, associated by common faith and fellowship in the Gospel; observing the ordinances of baptism by immersion and the Lord's supper, governed by his Word, exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word, that its only scriptural officers are pastors and deacons, whose qualifications, claims, and duties are defined in the epistles 1 Timothy and Titus; that the mission of the church is found in the Great Commission; that each local church has the absolute right of self-government with Christ as the Head, free from the interference of any hierarchy of any individuals, churches, or organizations. Matthew 18:17; Acts 2:41-47; I Corinthians 11:2; I Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9; Matthew 28:19,20; Ephesians 5:23,24; I Peter 5:1-4; Acts 6:3-5; 15:22

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Baptism and The Lord's Supper

I know and believe that Christian baptism is the immersion in water of a believer, in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost; that it is commanded by our Lord and shall be practiced by the church; that it pictures the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, and also the believer's death to sin and his resurrection to a new life. I know and believe that the communion of the Lord's supper is a privilege and responsibility intended only for those who are baptized believers in Christ; that the sacred use of bread and fruit of the vine are symbolic only, commemorating together the death of Christ, and is to be preceded by solemn self-examination. These ordinances are to be administered only under the authority of a local Bible believing New Testament Church. Acts 2:41,42; 8:36-39; 10:48; Matthew 28:19,20; Romans 6:3-6; Colossians 2:12; I Corinthians 11: 23-31

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Civil Government

I know and believe that civil government is of divine appointment, for the interests and good order of human society; God has appointed such authorities to uphold law and order and punish evil doers; that civil authorities are to be prayed for, honoured and obeyed, except only in the things opposed to the Word of God; and that the church and state should be separate. Romans 13:1-7; Matthew 22:21; Acts 5:29; Daniel 3:12,18; I Timothy 2:1,2; I Peter 2:13-16; Titus 3:1.

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The Righteous and Wicked

I know and believe all men will be judged by God in the person of Jesus Christ the righteous judge; and in the bodily resurrection of the righteous (saved) resulting in their everlasting blessedness with Christ, and that the faithful saints will be rewarded. Furthermore I know and believe in the bodily resurrection of the wicked (unsaved) for judgment and punishment for their rejection of Jesus Christ and all their sin, resulting in everlasting, conscious punishment in the Lake of Fire. I acknowledge the existence of a literal Heaven and Hell described as follows: Heaven as a real place of bliss and blessedness to which the righteous (saved) go and in which they will forever consciously enjoy God and His presence. Hell is a real place of torment to which the wicked (unsaved) go and in which they will consciously experience punishment and banishment from the presence of the Lord until their final judgment and sentence to the eternal lake of fire. I Corinthians 15:12-54; John 5:25,26; 14:2,3; Revelation 20:5,6,10-15; Luke 16:24; Hebrews 9:27; Matt. 25:21; I Corinthians 3:12-15.

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Things to Come

I know and believe in the personal, bodily, imminent, pre-tribulational, and pre-millennial coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for His redeemed ones (the Rapture); immediately followed by the tribulation, with a subsequent return to the earth, after the tribulation, with His saints, to establish His millennial kingdom which will conclude with Gods destruction of the present universe and the creation of a new heaven and earth where God and His holy city the New Jerusalem will dwell with the redeemed for all eternity. Acts 1:6,7,11; I Thessalonians 4:16,17; Matthew 24:15-31; Revelation 19:11-15; 20:1-3; I Thessalonians 1:10; II Peter 3:7,10-13; Revelation 21.

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Personal Separation

I know and believe that every believer ought to be separated from worldly and sinful practices unto a life of Christian influence and service; that it is the obligation and duty of every believer to abstain from all appearance of evil, to avoid all things whereby a brother is made weak or made to stumble, to give no offence in any thing, but by love to serve one another; in the necessity of maintaining, according to the Word of God, the purity of the church in life and doctrine. Rom.12:1,2; Eph.5:11; I Cor.10;23,29-33; 6:19,20; Rom.13:14;14:13-21.

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Ecclesiastical Separation

I know and believe that Biblically revealed principle given by God for the preservation and propagation of His people, isolating them from wickedness in all its forms, condemning all false religious relationships, associations and affiliations to maintain the identity, purity and integrity of the local church, its testimony and doctrines; I believe in and practice separation from the ecumenical movement, from modernism, from neo-orthodoxy, from ecumenical or cooperative evangelism, from new evangelicalism and other compromise, from the charismatic movement (another form of ecumenism), from unbiblical inter-denominationalism with its compromises, and from ministerial associations and any and all others who tolerate deviation from sound doctrine and practice. II Cor. 6:14-18; Rom.16:17,18; I Cor.16:22; Gal.1:8,9; I Thess. 3:6,14; I Tim.5:22b; Titus 3:10; II Jn.7-11; Rev.2:14-16.

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Maranatha!

Your Servant,
Michael Bader