Soteriology

Soteriology

What we believe concerning salvation

We believe that salvation is wholly by the grace of God through the redemption of Jesus Christ, the merit of His shed blood and not on the basis of any human works. No works, religious or other, however good, make that salvation more secure (John 1:12; Eph. 1:7, 2:8-10; I Peter 1:18-19; Titus 3:4-7). We believe that Jesus Christ by His sufferings, death, and resurrection made full satisfaction to the justice of God for the sin of man (I Peter 1:18-19; Rom. 3:21-26, 5:18-19). Man must respond in repentance and faith to Christ's offer of salvation (John 3:16, 36; Acts 3:19, 16:31, 17:30).

We believe that regeneration is a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit by which the new birth is imparted (John 3:3-7). The divine life is given instantaneously, solely by the power of the Holy Spirit through the instrumentality of the Word of God (John 5:24) so as to secure voluntarily by obedience to the gospel. Regeneration will be manifested by obedience, repentance, faith, and righteous living. Good works are its proper evidence and fruit (I Cor. 6:19-20; Eph. 2:10, 4:20-24) and will be experienced to the extent that the believer submits to the control of the Holy Spirit in life through faithful obedience to the Word of God (Eph. 5:17-21; Phil. 2:12-13; Col. 3:16; II Peter 1:4-10). This obedience causes the believer to be increasingly conformed to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ (II Cor. 3:18, 5:17). This conformity is climaxed in the believer's glorification at Christ's coming (Rom. 8:17; I Peter 1:23; II Peter 1:4; I John 3:2-3).

We believe that election is the act of God by which, before the foundation of the world, He chose in Christ those whom He graciously regenerates, saves, and sanctifies (Mark 13:27; Eph. 1:4-11; II Thess. 2:13; II Tim. 2:10; I Peter 1:1-2; Rom. 8:28-33; John 15:16; Acts 13:48, 16:14). We believe that election is consistent with the responsibility of man. God knows who will be saved and the means of that salvation - hearing and believing in Christ (John 6:37, 44; Acts 13:44; I Thess. 1:4-6). In light of God's plan, it is man's responsibility to believe and accept the free gift of eternal life (Acts 16:31).

We believe that justification is a judicial act of God whereby God declares the believing sinner righteous (Rom. 8:33). This righteousness is apart from any virtue or work on man's part and is solely based on the imputation of our sins to Christ (Col. 2:14; I Peter 3:18) and the imputation of Christ's righteousness to us (Rom. 4:6; I Peter 3:18). By this means, God is enabled to "be just, and the One who justifies those who have faith in Jesus" (Rom. 3:20-26, 4:3-8).

We believe that every believer is "set apart" (sanctified) unto God by the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. Every believer is, therefore, declared to be holy and identified as a saint. This is sanctification due to the believer's standing in Christ given at salvation (Acts 20:32; I Cor. 1:2, 30, 6:11; II Thess. 2:13; I Peter 1:2). We believe that every believer is progressively sanctified (set apart from sin unto God) as our state on earth becomes more like our standing in heaven. Through obedience to the Word of God and the empowering of the Holy Spirit, the believer is enabled to live a life of increasing holiness in conformity to the will of God, becoming more like the Lord Jesus Christ (John 17:17, 19; Rom. 6:1-22; II Cor. 3:18; Eph. 5:26; I Thess. 4:3-4, 5:23). Eradication of sin is not possible in this life, but the Holy Spirit does provide for victory over sin (Gal. 5:16-25; Eph. 4:22-24; Col. 3:9-10; I John 3:4-9; Phil. 3:12). The struggle against sin remains with the believer throughout earthly life (Rom. 7:14-25).

We believe that all the redeemed are kept by God's power forever (John 5:24, 6:37-50, 10:27, 30, 17:15, 20; Rom. 5:9-10; 8:1, 31-39; Eph. 4:14, 4:30; Heb. 7:25, 13:5; I Peter 1:5; Jude 24). We believe that believers have the privilege of rejoicing in the assistance of their salvation through the testimony of the Word, the Holy Spirit, and a changed life (Rom. 6:15-22, 8:16-17; I John 5:13, 3:9, 14). God's Word clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion for sinful living and carnality (Rom. 13:13-14; Gal. 5:13, 25, 26; Titus 2:11-15).

We believe that separation from sin is taught throughout the Bible and that the Scriptures indicate that, in the last days, apostasy and worldliness will increase (II Tim. 3:1-5). We believe that all the saved should be separated from all religious apostasy (II Cor. 6:14-7:1; I John 4:1-6; II John 7-11) and worldly sinful practices (Rom. 14:13; I John 2:15-17; I Cor. 5:9-13). Believers should be separated unto the Lord Jesus Christ (Lev. 19:2; John 15:1-5; Rom. 12:12; Gal. 5:16; I Thess. 2:10-13, Heb. 12:1-2).