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Page 10 Constitution
and by-laws
6:6; Rom. 5:1, 9; Phil. 4:7; Rom.
8:31-33; Gen. 15:6; Heb. 2:4
.
We believe that salvation by grace is
everlasting; that the saved shall not be brought into judgment of the wrath of
God but are kept by the power of God; that no one can lay anything to the
charge of God’s elect, that true believers cannot apostatize and will be kept
until the coming of Christ.
John 3:16; I Thess. 5:9; Jude 24;
Rom. 8:33,34; Eph. 1:13, 4:30; John 10:28, 29.
VIII. The New Testament Church
We believe that the New Testament
Church is the sole institution to accomplish God’s purpose in this age of
grace, and is the product of the death, burial and resurrection of His Son,
Christ the Lord; that Christ is the first, the founder, and the fullness; that
He is pre-eminent, the very head; that there is no concept of the church
universal; but that it is both physical and spiritual, yet one in substance;
that the physical existence on earth is manifested in local, visible,
indigenous and autonomous assemblies of born-again, baptized believers
associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the Gospel; that there
are two scriptural offices – pastor and deacons; that it exercises two orders –
baptism and the Lord’s Supper; that the church received and is responsible for
the great commission, being in existence at the time it was given; that we, as
the Church, are to disciple all nations, identifying our converts through
believer’s baptism and to teach all things pertaining to the believer’s walk in
life.
Matt. 16:18; Eph. 2:20; Col. 1:18;
Heb. 9:16; Rom. 4:25; Rev. 1:20-3:22; Acts 2:41; Phil. 1:5; Matt. 28:18-20;
Mark 16:15; Matt. 26:26.
A.
Ordinances
1. Baptism
We believe
that Christian baptism
is commanded by