We Believe
Statement of faith
Definition: When referring to “Scripture,” “Bible,” “Old Testament,” “New Testament,” or “Word of God” in this document, it should be understand that we refer to the oldest and most trustworthy copies of the original Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic Texts rather than any particular modern translation.
We Believe:
That God’s purpose concerning man is to: (a) seek and save all who are lost, (b) receive the worship of man, (c) build a body of believers in the image of His Son.
That these believers, saved and called out of the world, constitute the Body or Church of Jesus Christ, built and established upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets—Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief Cornerstone.
That the members of the Body, the Church of Jesus Christ, are encouraged to assemble themselves for worship, fellowship, counsel, and instruction in the Word of God, the work of the ministry, and for the exercise of those spiritual gifts and offices provided for in the New Testament Church order.
That it is evident the early apostolic Churches came together in fellowship as a representative Body of saved, Spirit-filled believers, who ordained and sent out evangelists and missionaries and, under the supervision of the Holy Spirit, set over the Church, pastors and teachers.
That the prime reason for being of Community Christian Fellowship is to be an agency of God for evangelizing the world, to be a corporate Body in which man may worship God, and to be a channel of God’s purpose to build a body of saints being perfected in the image of His Son.
That Community Christian Fellowship exists expressly to give continuing emphasis to this reason for being in the New Testament apostolic pattern by teaching and encouraging believers in the power of the Holy Spirit with accompanying supernatural signs, and enabling them to respond to the full working of the Holy Spirit in expression of fruits and gifts and ministries as in New Testament times for the edifying of the Body of Christ.
That we recognize and promote scriptural methods and order for worship, unity, fellowship, work, and business for God; and disapprove of unscriptural methods, doctrines, and conduct, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, “till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13).
Article I: Statement of Fundamental Truths
A. Rule of Practice
The Bible (Hebrew, Greek & Aramaic Text) is our all-sufficient rule and final authority for faith and practice. This Statement of Fundamental Truths is intended simply as a basis of fellowship among us “that we all speak the same thing” (1 Corinthians 1:10; Acts 2:42). The phraseology employed in this statement is not inspired nor contended for. But the truth set forth is held to be essential to a Full Gospel ministry. No claim is made that it contains all biblical truth, only that it covers our need as to these fundamental doctrines.
1. The Inspiration of Scripture
All Scripture, Old and New Testaments (Hebrew, Greek & Aramaic Text), is verbally inspired of God and the revelation of God to man. They are the infallible, authoritative rule of faith and conduct (2 Timothy 3:15-17; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Peter 1:21).
2. The Godhead
a. The One True God
The one true God reveals Himself as the eternally self-existent, “I Am,” the Creator of heaven and earth, and the Redeemer of mankind (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 43:10,11; Matthew 28:19; Luke 3:22).
b. Distinction and Relationship in the Godhead
Christ teaches a distinction of Persons in the Godhead that expresses itself in specific terms of relationship as: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This distinction and relationship, as to its mode is inscrutable and incomprehensible, because unexplained (Matthew 11:25-27; Luke 1:35; 1 Corinthians 1:24; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 John 1:3,4).
c. Unity of the One Being of Father, Son and Holy Spirit
Accordingly therefore, there is that in the Son which constitutes Him the Son and not the Father; there is that in the Holy Spirit which constitutes Him the Holy Spirit and not Father or Son. Wherefore the Father is the Begetter, the Son is the Begotten, and the Holy Spirit, the One proceeding from the Father and the Son. Because these three Persons in the Godhead are in a state of unity, there is but one Lord God Almighty and His name is One (Zechariah 14:9; John 1:18,15-26; 17:11,21).
d. Identity and Cooperation in the Godhead
The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are never identical as to Person, nor confused as to relationship, nor divided in respect to the Godhead, nor opposed as to cooperation. The Son is in the Father and the Father is in the Son as to relationship. The Son is with the Father and the Father is with the Son as to fellowship. The Father is not from the Son, but the Son is from the Father, as to authority. The Holy Spirit is from the Father and Son as to nature, relationship, cooperation and authority. The Godhead neither exists nor works separately or independently of each other (John 5:17-30,32,37; John 8:17,18).
e. The Title, Lord Jesus Christ
The appellation, “Lord Jesus Christ,” is a proper name. It is never applied in the New Testament to the Father or to the Holy Spirit. It belongs, therefore, exclusively to the Son of God (Romans 1:1-3,7; 2 John 3).
f. The Title, God With Us
The Lord Jesus Christ, as to His Divine and eternal nature, is the proper and only-begotten Son of the Father, but as to His human nature, He is the proper Son of Man. He is, therefore, acknowledged to be both God and man; Who, because He is God and man, is עִמָּנוּ אֵל Im·maw·noo·ale “God with us” (Matthew 1:23; 1 John 4:2,10,14).
g. The Title, Son of God
Since the name Im·maw·noo·ale embraces both God and man in the one Person, our Lord Jesus Christ, it follows that the title, Son of God, describes His proper deity, and the title, Son of Man, His proper humanity. The title, Son of God, therefore, belongs to the order of eternity, and the title, Son of Man, to the order of time (Matthew 1:21-23; Hebrews 1:1-13; 7:3; 1 John 3:8; 1 Peter 3:22).
h. Exaltation of Jesus Christ
The Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, having by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on High; angels and principalities and powers having been made subject unto Him. And having been made both Lord and Christ, He sent the Holy Spirit that we, in the name of Jesus, might bow our knees and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father until the end, when the Son shall become subject to the Father that God may be all-in-all (Acts 3:32-36; Romans 14:11; 1 Corinthians 15:24-28; Hebrews 1:3; 1 Peter 3:22).
i. Equal Honor to the Father and to the Son
Wherefore, since the Father has delivered all judgment unto the Son, it is not only the express duty of all in heaven and on earth to bow the knee, but it is an unspeakable joy in the Holy Spirit to ascribe unto the Son all the attributes of Deity; and to give Him all the honor and glory contained in all the names and titles of the Godhead (except those that express relationship. See paragraphs b, c, & d), and thus honor the Son even as we honor the Father (John 5:22, 23; Philippians 2:8; 1 Peter 1:8; Revelation 5:6-14; 7:9,10).
3. The Lord Jesus Christ
The Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. The scriptures declare:
a. His Virgin Birth (Matthew 1:23; Luke 1:31,35)
b. His Sinless Life (Hebrews 7:26; 1 Peter 2:22)
c. His Miracles (Acts 2:22; 10:38)
d. His Substitutionary Work on the Cross (1 Corinthians 15:3; 2 Corinthians 5:21)
e. His Bodily Resurrection From the Dead (Matthew 28:6; Luke 24:39; 1 Corinthians 15:4)
f. His Exaltation to the Right Hand of God (Acts 1:9,11; 2:33; Philippians 2:9-11; Hebrews 1-3)
4. The Fall of Man
Man was created good and upright; for God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness.” However, man by voluntary transgression, fell and thereby incurred not only physical death, but also spiritual death, that is separation from God. (Genesis 1:26,27; 2:17; 3:16; Romans 5:12-19).
5. The Salvation of Man
Man’s only hope of redemption is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God.
a. Conditions to Salvation
Salvation is received through repentance toward sin and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ. By the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, being justified by grace through faith, man becomes an heir of God, according to the hope of eternal life (Luke 24:47; John 3:3; Romans 10:13-15; Ephesians 2:8; Titus 2:11; 3:5-7).
b. The Evidence of Salvation
The inward evidence of salvation is the direct witness of the Spirit (Romans 8:16). The outward evidence to all men is a life of righteousness and true holiness (Ephesians 4:24; Titus 2:12).
6. Ordinances of the Church
a. Water Baptism
The ordinance of baptism by immersion is commanded in Scripture. All who believe on Christ as Savior, and repent of their sins, and confess Jesus Christ as Lord before men, are to be immersed. Thus they declare to the world that they have died with Christ and that they also have been raised with Him to walk in newness of life (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16; Acts 10:47,48; Romans 6:4).
b. The Lord’s Supper
The communion supper, consisting of the elements—unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine—is the symbol expressing our sharing the Divine nature of our Lord Jesus (2 Peter 1:4); a memorial of His suffering and death (1 Corinthians 11:26); and a prophecy of His second coming (1 Corinthians 11:26); and is enjoined on all believers “till He come.”
7. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit
All believers are entitled to and should ardently expect and earnestly seek the promise of the Father—the baptism in the Holy Spirit—according to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ. This was the normal experience of all in the early Christian Church. With it comes the endowment of power for life and service; the bestowment of the gifts and their uses in the work of the ministry (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4,8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-3). This experience is distinct from and subsequent to the experience of the new birth (Acts 8:12-17; 10:44-46; 15:7-9). With the baptism in the Holy Spirit comes such experiences as an overflowing fullness of the Spirit (John 7:37-39; Acts 4:8), a deepened reverence for God (Acts 2:43; Hebrews 12:28), and intensified consecration and dedication to His work (Acts 2:42), and a more active love for Christ, for His Word and for the lost (Mark 16:20).
8. Sanctification
Sanctification is an act of separation from that which is evil, and of dedication unto God (Romans 12:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 13:12). The Scriptures teach a life of “holiness without which no man shall see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). By the power of the Holy Spirit, we are able to obey the command: “Be ye holy, for I am holy” (I Peter 1:15,16).
Sanctification is realized in the believer by recognizing his identification with Christ in His death and resurrection, and by faith reckoning daily upon the fact of that union, and by offering every faculty continually to the dominion of the Holy Spirit (Romans 6:1-11,13; 8:1,2,13; Galatians 2:20; Philippians 2:12,13; 1 Peter 1:5).
9. The Church and Its Mission
The Church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with Divine appointments for the fulfillment of her great commission. Each believer; born of the Spirit, is an integral part of the General Assembly and Church of the Firstborn, which are written in heaven (Ephesians 1:22,23; Hebrews 12:23).
Since God’s purpose concerning man is to seek and to save that which is lost, to be worshipped by man, and to build a body of believers in the image of His Son, the prime reason for being of Community Christian Fellowship as part of the Church is:
a. To be an agency of God for evangelizing the world (Acts 1:8; Matthew 28:19,20; Mark 16:15,16).
b. To be a corporate body in which man may worship God (1 Corinthians 12:13).
c. To be a channel of God’s purpose to build a body of saints being perfected in the image of His Son (Ephesians 4:11-16; 1 Corinthians 14:12).
Community Christian Fellowship exists expressly to give continuing emphasis to this reason for being in the New Testament apostolic pattern by teaching and encouraging the spread of the Gospel.
10. The Blessed Hope
The resurrection of those who have fallen asleep in Christ and their translation together with those who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord is the imminent and blessed hope of the Church (1 Thessalonians 4:16,17; Romans 8:23; Titus 2:13; 1 Corinthians 15:51,52).
11. The Millennial Reign of Christ
The second coming of Christ includes the rapture of the saints, which is our blessed hope, followed by the visible return of Christ with His saints to reign on the earth for one thousand years (Zechariah 14:5; Matthew 24:27,30; Revelation 1:7; 19:11-14; 20:1-6). This millennial reign will bring the salvation of national Israel (Ezekiel 37:21,22; Zephaniah 3:19,20; Romans 11:26,27) and the establishment of universal peace (Psalm 72:3-8; Isaiah 11:6-9; Micah 4:3,4).
12. Final Judgment
There will be a final judgment in which the wicked dead will be raised and judged according to their works. Whosoever is not found written in the Book of Life, together with the devil and his angels, the beast and the false prophet, will be consigned to everlasting punishment in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death (Matthew 25:46; Mark9:43-48; Revelation 19:20; 20:11-15; 21:8).
13. The New Heavens and Earth
“We according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:22).
