What we believe at Charity
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In Regard to the BibleEvery word in the original writings of the Holy Scriptures was inspired by God and is without error.
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In regard to the GodheadThat God is One in Divine nature and that He exists eternally in three persons, The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
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In regard to creationWe believe the literal account of the Genesis creation by God. Additionally, we believe that man was created directly by God in His image and that mankind are not the product any form of evolution. Additionally, we believe that because of Adam’s sin, all mankind are sinners and can only be redeemed by trust in Jesus Christ.
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In regard to Jesus ChristWe believe that the eternal Son of God took on Human Flesh (became Incarnate), born of the virgin Mary is wholly God and wholly man.
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In regard to SalvationWe believe that man cannot be saved by any work of his own and is only saved by trust in Jesus Christ alone. Additionally we are sanctified positionally, progressively and ultimately by God and that our salvation is eternally secure and may not be lost.
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In regard to the Holy SpiritWe believe The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead, who regenerates, indwells, baptizes and seals all true believers in Christ immediately upon
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In regard to the Local ChurchWe believe that all true believers should unite and fellowship in the teaching of the Scriptures, Worship of the Eternal Godhead and for the purpose of being equipped to do the work of ministry.
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In regard to family & marriageWe believe that God has ordained the marriage union to be between one man and one woman. Additionally, we believe the Scriptures teach that God only created two human genders which are male and female. We believe that should God choose to bless a husband and wife with children that both parents are responsible to bring up those children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
Full Constitutional Version
- Bible — Every word in the original writings of the Holy Scriptures was inspired by God and without error
- God — The Godhead exists eternally in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one God. (Gen. 1:1; Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19; John 4:24, 10:30; II Cor. 13:14)
- Creation — We believe the Genesis account of creation literally, and not allegorically or figuratively; that man was created directly in God’s image and likeness; that creation of man was not a matter of evolutionary change of species or development through intermediate periods of time from lower to higher forms; that all animal and vegetable life was created directly by God, and that God’s established law was and is that they should bring forth only “after their kind”; that the entire human race is descended from Adam and Eve, its first parents. (Gen. 1‑3; Ex. 20:11; Neh. 9:6; Ps. 33:6; John 1:3; Acts 4:24, 17:23‑26; Gal. 1:16‑17; Heb. 11:3; Rev. 10:6)
- Man — Man was created in the image and likeness of God; but in Adam all mankind fell into sin, with the result that all men are sinners, hopelessly sinful in themselves, apart from the grace of God. (Gen. 1:27, 9:6; Rom. 5:12, 3:23; Eph. 2:1)
- Jesus Christ — The eternal Son of God became incarnate in the Lord Jesus Christ, being born of the virgin Mary, and is true God and true man. (John 1:1, 14, 18; I Tim. 2:5; Heb. 1:6, 8; I John 5:20)
- Salvation — Salvation is received by grace through faith alone in the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for our sins and rose again. (Acts 4:12, 13:38‑39; Rom. 4:4‑5, 5:1; I Cor. 15:14; Eph. 2:8‑9) Salvation is received altogether apart from works. (Tit. 3:5)
- Sanctification — Every true believer is promised positional, progressive and ultimate sanctification. (John 17:17; Eph 5:26‑27; I Thes. 4:3‑4; Heb. 10:10, 14; I John 3:2)
- Assurance — All who are born of the Spirit through faith in Christ are assured of salvation and are eternally secure in Christ. (John 3:5‑6, 10:28‑29, 17:12; Rom. 5:1; II Tim. 1:12; I John 5:13)
- Holy Spirit — The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead, who regenerates, indwells, baptizes and seals all true believers in Christ immediately upon salvation. The Holy Spirit fills (controls) those yielded to God. (John 3:3‑6; Rom. 8:9; I Cor. 2:12, 6:19, 12:13; Eph. 4:30, 5:18)
- Spiritual Gifts — While acknowledging that God has given to all true believers a spiritual gift (or gifts) and to the church gifted men, it is recognized that some gifts of the Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and miraculous healings, were given to the apostolic church temporarily, and are not bestowed today. (I Cor. 12:11‑12, 18, 13:18, 14:22; Eph. 4:11‑12; Heb. 2:3‑4)
- The Invisible Church — The Invisible Church, composed of all true believers, is the body and bride of Christ, formed through the baptism of the Holy Spirit. (I Cor. 12:12‑13, 27; Eph. 1:22‑23, 5:24‑25, 30)
- The Local Church — The Local Church is composed of an assembly of born‑again, baptized believers of like precious faith who regularly gather to carry out the purposes stated in Article I, Section 2. (Heb. 10:25)
- Separation — The Scriptures teach that all believers should be experientially separated from the world unto God; that believers are in the world, but not of it; that believers are not to love the world, nor to be conformed thereto; that they are pilgrims, strangers and ambassadors, and should not walk after the flesh but after the Spirit. We believe that Bible-believing churches, in obedience to scriptural commands, should separate themselves entirely from worldliness and ecclesiastical apostasy. (Rom. 12:2, 16:17; II Cor. 6:14‑7:11; Col. 3:1‑10; I Tim. 6:3‑5; I John 2:15‑17; II John 9‑11)
- Christian Life — Christians are called to a holy life of service and testimony in the power of the Holy Spirit, which service includes the propagation of the Gospel message to the whole world. There is promised reward in Heaven for faithfulness in such service. (John 12:25‑26; Acts 1:8; I Cor. 3:12; I Pet. 1:15‑16)
- Ordinances — Two scriptural ordinances are commanded for all true believers in Christ: baptism by immersion (excluding all other modes) and the observance of the Lord’s Supper (Communion). Believers’ baptism explicitly excludes the baptism of infants. (Matt. 28:19‑20; Mark 16:15; Acts 8:12, 36‑38, 9:18, 10:47; I Cor. 1:16, 11:23‑26)
- Angels — All Angels were originally created holy, but now exist as fallen (including Satan) and unfallen Angels. (Neh. 9:6; Ps. 148:2‑5; Matt. 25:41; Eph. 6:11‑12; Col. 1:16; Jude 6; Rev. 12:9)
- Dispensations — God has revealed, throughout history, different dispensations with corresponding rules of life, of which the present dispensation is the Church Age. (Rom. 6:14; Eph. 3:2‑6, 9:11; Col. 1:25‑27; Heb. 7:18‑19)
- Second Coming — The blessed hope of the imminent return of the Lord for His Church (the rapture) is to be followed in order by: the tribulation; the second coming of Christ to the Earth; the establishment of the reign of Christ on Earth for one thousand years; the eternal state of punishment for the unsaved and the eternal state of blessing for the saved. (I Thes. 1:10, 4:13‑18, 5:4‑10; Tit. 2:13)
- Heaven — The Scriptures teach a literal Heaven, a place of blessedness to which the saved go and forever consciously enjoy God’s presence. (John 14:2‑3; II Cor. 5:1; Heb. 11:16, 12:22‑23; I Pet. 1:3‑5; Rev. 21:1‑2)
- Hell — The Scriptures teach a literal Hell, a place of torment to which the unsaved go and forever consciously experience punishment and banishment from God’s presence. (Matt. 5:22, 10:28, 23:15, 23:33; Mark 9:43, 45, 47; Luke 16:19‑31; James 3:6; Rev. 20:10, 20:14‑15, 21:8)
- Marriage and Family — Marriage is the union of one man and one woman instituted in the garden of Eden by God. Since the fall of man in the garden, God intends the marriage relationship to last until one spouse dies. God intends the expression of sexual intimacy only for the marriage relationship. All forms of sexual immorality, including adultery, fornication, same-sex unions, bestiality and pornography are forbidden by God. The Scripture states that God despises divorce, however, due to our sinful nature, He also regulates it. For this reason, the family bond is special and sacred and is to be a primary concern of the local church. (Genesis 2:21-25; Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 6:6-7; Psalm 127:3-5; Proverbs 22:6; Jeremiah 3:1-2; Malachi 2:13-16; Matthew 5:31-32; Matthew 19:1-12; Romans 1:26-27; Romans 7:1-4; 1 Corinthians 6:9; 1 Corinthians 7:1-40; Matthew 19:19; Ephesians 6:4; Hebrews 13:4)