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We
Believe
1. The Scriptures Inspired
The Scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments, are verbally
inspired of God and are the revelation of God to man. They are the
inspired, inerrant and infallible, authoritative rule of faith and
conduct.
· 2 Timothy 3:15-17
· 1 Thessalonians 2:13
· 2 Peter 1:21
2. The One True God
The one true God has revealed Himself as the eternally
self-existent "I AM," the Creator of heaven and earth and the
Redeemer of mankind. He has further revealed Himself as embodying
the principles of relationship and association as Father, Son and
Holy Ghost.
· Deuteronomy 6:4
· Isaiah 43:10,11
· Matthew 28:19
· Luke 3:22
The Adorable Godhead
a.
Terms Defined
The terms "Trinity" and "persons" as related to the Godhead,
while not found in the Scriptures, are words in harmony with
Scripture, whereby we may convey to others our immediate
understanding of the doctrine of Christ respecting the Being of God,
as distinguished from "gods many and lords many." We therefore may
speak with propriety of the Lord our God who is One Lord, as a
trinity or as one Being of three persons, and still be absolutely
scriptural.
· Matthew 28:19
· 2 Corinthians 13:14
· John 14:16-17
b.
Distinction and Relationship in the Godhead
Christ taught a distinction of Persons in the Godhead which He
expressed in specific terms of relationship, as Father, Son, and
Holy Ghost, but that this distinction and relationship, as to its
mode is inscrutable and incomprehensible, because unexplained.
· Luke 1:35
· 1 Corinthians 1:24
· Matthew 11:25-27
· Matthew 28:19
· 2 Corinthians 13:14
· 1 John 1:3-4
c.
Unity of the One Being of Father, Son and Holy Ghost
Accordingly, therefore, there is that in the Father which
constitutes him the Father and not the Son; there is that in the Son
which constitutes Him the Son and not the Father; and there is that
in the Holy Ghost which constitutes Him the Holy Ghost and not
either the Father or the Son. Wherefore the Father is the Begetter,
the Son is the Begotten, and the Holy Ghost is the one proceeding
from the Father and the Son. Therefore, because these three persons
in the Godhead are in a state of unity, there is but one Lord God
Almighty and His name one.
· John 1:18
· John 15:26
· John 17:11
· John 17:21
· Zechariah 14:9
d.
Identity and Cooperation in the Godhead
The Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost are never identical as to
Person; nor confused as to relation; 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 Ghost is from the Father and the Son proceeding,
as to nature, relationship, cooperation and authority. Hence,
neither Person in the Godhead either exists or works separately or
independently of the others.
· John 5:17-30
· John 5:32
· John 5:37
· 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, either to the Father or to the Holy
Ghost. It therefore belongs exclusively to the Son of God.
· Romans 1:1-3
· 2 John 1:3
f. The
Lord Jesus Christ, God with Us
The
Lord Jesus Christ, as to His divine and eternal nature, is the
proper and only Begotten 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 "Immanuel," God
with us.
· Matthew 1:23
· 1 John 4:2
· 1 John 4:10
· 1 John 4:14
· Revelation 1:13
· Revelation 1:17
g. The
Title, Son of God
Since
the name "Immanuel" 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.
Therefore, the title Son of God, belongs to the order of eternity,
and the title, Son of Man, to the order of time.
· Matthew 1:21-23
· 2 John 1:3
· 1 John 3:8
· Hebrews 7:3
· Hebrews 1:1-13
h.
Transgression of the Doctrine of Christ
Wherefore, it is a transgression of the Doctrine of
Christ to say that Jesus Christ derived the title, Son of God,
solely from the fact of the incarnation, or because of His relation
to the economy of redemption. Therefore, to deny that the Father is
a real and eternal Father, and that the Son is a real and eternal
Son, is a denial of the distinction and relationship in the Being of
God; a denial of the Father, and the Son; and a displacement of the
truth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh.
· 2 John 1:9
· John 1:1
· John 1:2
· John 1:14
· John 1:18
· John 1:29
· John 1:49
· 1 John 2:22,23
· 1 John 4:1-5
· Hebrews 12:2
i.
Exaltation of Jesus Christ as Lord
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 Ghost 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.
· Hebrews 1:3
· 1 Peter 3:22
· Acts 2:32-36
· Romans 14:11
· 1 Corinthians 15:24-28
j.
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
Ghost to ascribe unto the Son all the attributes of Deity, and to
give Him all honor and the glory contained in all the names and
titles of the Godhead except those which express relationship (see
Distinction and Relationship in the Godhead, Unity of the One Being
of Father, Son and Holy Ghost , and Identity and Cooperation in the
Godhead) and thus honor the Son even as we honor the Father.
· John 5:22,23
· 1 Peter 1:8
· Revelation 5:6-14
· Philippians 2:8,9
· Revelation 7:9-10
· Revelation 4:8-11
3. The Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ
The Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. The Scriptures
declare:
His virgin birth,
· Matthew 1:23
· Luke 1:31
· Luke 1:35
His sinless life,
· Hebrews 7:26
· 1 Peter 2:22
His miracles,
· Acts 2:22
· Acts 10:38
His substitutionary work
on the cross,
· 1 Corinthians 15:3
· 2 Corinthians 5:21
His bodily resurrection
from the dead,
· Matthew 28:6
· Luke 24:39
· 1 Corinthians 15:4
His exaltation to the
right hand of God.
· Acts 1:9
· Acts 1:11
· Acts 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 own image, after our likeness." However, man by voluntary
transgression fell and thereby incurred not only physical death but
also spiritual death, which is separation from God.
· Genesis 1:26,27
· Genesis 2:17
· Genesis 3:6
· 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.
Conditions to Salvation
Salvation
is received through repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord
Jesus Christ. By the washing of regeneration and renewing of the
Holy Ghost, 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
· Titus 3:5-7
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. The Ordinances of the Church
Baptism in Water
The
ordinance of baptism by immersion is commanded by the Scriptures.
All who repent and believe on Christ as Saviour and Lord are to be
baptized. 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
Holy Communion
The Lord's Supper, consisting of the elements --bread and the fruit
of the vine-- is the symbol expressing our sharing the divine nature
of our Lord Jesus Christ (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 and fire, 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 enduement 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
· Acts 1:8
· 1 Corinthians 12:1-31
This experience is distinct from and subsequent to the experience of
the new birth.
· Acts 8:12-17
· Acts 10:44-46
· Acts 11:14-16
· Acts 15:7-9
With the baptism in the Holy Spirit come 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
· an intensified consecration to God 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. The Initial Physical Evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit
The baptism of believers in the Holy Spirit is witnessed by the
initial physical sign of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit
of God gives them utterance.
· Acts 2:4
The speaking in tongues in this instance is the same in essence as
the gift of tongues, but is different in purpose and use.
· 1 Corinthians 12:4-10
· 1 Corinthians 12:28
9. Sanctification
Sanctification is an act of separation from that which is evil, and
of dedication unto God.
· Romans 12:1,2
· 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 Ghost we are able to obey the command: "Be
ye holy, for I am holy."
· 1 Peter 1:15,16
Sanctification is realized in the believer by recognizing his
identification with Christ in His death and resurrection, and by the
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
· Romans 6:13
· Romans 8:1,2
· Romans 8:13
· Galatians 2:20
· Philippians 2:12,13
· 1 Peter 1:5
10. 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 Church of the Firstborn, which are written in heaven.
· Ephesians 1:22,23
· Ephesians 2:22
· 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 priority reason for being of Cross
River Church is:
1. To be an agency of God for evangelizing the world.
· Acts 1:8
· Matthew 28:19,20
· Mark 16:15,16
2. To be a corporate body in which man may worship God.
· 1 Corinthians 12:13
3. 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 12:28
· 1 Corinthians 14:12
Cross River Church exists expressly to give continuing emphasis to
this reason for being in the New Testament apostolic pattern by
teaching and encouraging believers to be baptized in the Holy
Spirit. This experience:
1. Enables them to evangelize in the power of the Spirit with
accompanying supernatural signs.
· Mark 16:15-20
· Acts 4:29-31
· Hebrews 2:3,4
2. Adds a necessary dimension to worshipful relationship with God.
· 1 Corinthians 2:10-16
· 1 Corinthians 12
· 1 Corinthians 13
· 1 Corinthians 14
3. Enables them to respond to the full working of the Holy Spirit in
expression of fruit and gifts and ministries as in New Testament
times for the edifying of the body of Christ.
Galatians 5:22-26
· 1 Corinthians 14:12
· Ephesians 4:11,12
· 1 Corinthians 12:28
· Colossians 1:29
11. The Ministry
A divinely called and scripturally ordained ministry has been
provided by our Lord for the threefold purpose of leading the Church
in:
Evangelization of the world.
· Mark 16:15-20
Worship of God.
· John 4:23,24
Building a body of saints being perfected in the image of His Son.
· Ephesians 4:11-16
12. Divine Healing
Divine healing is an integral part of the gospel. Deliverance from
sickness is provided for in the atonement, and is the privilege of
all believers.
· Isaiah 53:4,5
· Matthew 8:16,17
· James 5:14-16
13. God's Will for Provision
It is the Father's will for believers to become whole, healthy and
successful in all areas of life. Therefore every believer should
seek the full benefits of Christ's provision in order to better
serve others.
· Spiritual - John 3:3-11
· Mental & Emotional - II Timothy 1:7
· Physical - Isaiah 53:4, 5
· Financial - Joshua 1:8
14. 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
15. 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 earth for one thousand years.
· Zechariah 14:5
· Matthew 24:27
· Matthew 24:30
· Revelation 1:7
· Revelation 19:11-14
· Revelation 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.
· Isaiah 11:6-9
· Psalms 72:3-8
· Micah 4:3,4
16. The 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 the
everlasting punishment in the lake which burneth with fire and
brimstone, which is the second death.
· Matthew 25:46
· Mark 9:43-48
· Revelation 19:20
· Revelation 20:11-15
· Revelation 21:8
17. The New Heavens and the New Earth
"We, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth
wherein dwelleth righteousness."
· 2 Peter 3:13
· Revelation 21
· Revelation 22
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