Baptism

We believe that in the single God, there are three (hypostases) persons (Hebrews 1:3; 1 John 5:7): the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

The Father is God (1 Corinthians 8:6), and the Son is God (1 John 5:20; Titus 2:11-13; Romans 9:4-5), and the Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4; 1 Corinthians 3:16); and these three are one (1 John 5:7), inseparable (John 1:1; John 1:18; John 17:22-23; John 4:24) and equal among each other (Colossians 2:9-10,15-17; Job 33:4); in this Holy Trinity there is no first, nor last, nor greater, nor lesser. God is then three Persons in one Essence, not three distinct gods (1 Jn.5:7).

God is a loving God and at the same time a holy God, therefore, though He loves man, He hates sin. Because of the sin of man, the world today has rejected God and His Word. As a result, God required death as a payment for the sin of man and sent His Son to pay that price. (Rom.6:23, Jn.3:16, 2 Cor.5:21).

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).

Jesus Christ was conceived of the Holy Spirit without the intervention of a natural father and was borne of the Virgin Mary. He was the only one to have come to the world in this way. Jesus Christ was not only born in a miraculous way, but He lived here on earth absolutely without sin. He kept the Law to the last line and iota.

He not only lived a holy life, but He died a victorious death on Calvary for the redemption of sinful humanity. Jesus Christ not only died a substitutionary death, but rose again from the dead in the flesh and ascended into heaven in glory, to mediate for His children before the Father (1 Corinthians 15:3-8,14-18; Isaiah 53:9).

The Scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments, are verbally inspired of God and are the revelation of God to man, the infallible, authoritative rule of faith and conduct. (2 Timothy 3:15-17; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Peter 1:21)

The Holy Scriptures, in the Bible, is our only guide in the matter of salvation. It warns us about accepting any other guides and human traditions (Mark 7:3-8; Matthew 15:3; Galatians 1:8).

We recognize the Holy Scriptures exclusively in their canonical structure. The canon is understood to be the books recognized by the Christian Church. It consists of 39 books of the Old Testament, and 27 books of the New Testament. There are several apocryphal books which we do not recognize as inspired, nor do we take them for direction, as their origin is not known: they do not exist in the Hebrew, in which the books of the Old Testament are written; they can only be found in the Greek; and furthermore, in some cases, their content contradicts the content of other books of the Holy Writ.

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)

In order to save man from eternal perdition, God the Father in His mercy provided salvation in Jesus Christ. By redemption we understand the work performed by Christ on the cross of Calvary. In the death of God’s justice was fully satisfied (Isaiah 53:10), as Jesus Christ presented Himself as a sacrifice of atonement (Romans 3:25; Hebrews 2:17). By His death, Jesus reconciled man with God (Romans 5:10). Hence follows the justification of the believer by redemption in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:24; 5:9). Christ came to release the chains of bondage, by giving His life for our redemption (Matthew 20:28; Ephesians 1:7; Titus 2:14). The result of this redemption is true freedom for God’s children (John 8:36; Galatians 5:1) from guilt, death, and the power of the devil. Redemption is extended to all people (1 Timothy 2:6; 1 John 2:2; 2 Corinthians 5:15) and reaches all times (Hebrews 9:12). It is also written that Christ Jesus rose for our justification (Romans 4:25). Christ is the only Savior of the world (Acts 4:12); Christ is the mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5).

Jesus Christ provided salvation for all men, but man must accept it through repentance, faith, and rebirth. Repentance (Matthew 3:2; 4:17; Acts 2:38; 20:21; 26:20). True repentance consists of sorrow regarding sin (Luke 10:13; Joel 2:12,13; Job 42:5,6) confession of sin (Hosea 14:1; 2:34; Luke 18:13.14) and abandoning sin (Matthew 12:41; Ezekiel 14:6; Isaiah 55:7).

Faith – Saving faith accepts the work wrought by Christ (Acts 16:31) and gives assurance of forgiveness of sins (Romans 3:28; Ephesians 1:17) and of our full salvation (Ephesians 2:8,9).

Rebirth At the moment of true repentance and conversion an inner change called rebirth occurs. Thus, the gift of salvation is given by grace (Romans 3:24); Ephesians 2:8,9), but its acceptance by man depends on his conscious and free will. Children are not saved because they are sinless, but because they are not yet able to make conscious use of the will to refuse the salvation provided for all through the redeeming death of Christ (Matthew 18:3).

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)

We believe in the universality of God’s grace, for it is written: “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men” (Titus 2:11 NIV). God’s grace is offered to all men without exception, because Christ offered up Himself as an atoning sacrifice for all men (1 John 2:2). God did not predestine anyone to eternal condemnation, but in the power of His omniscience, He foresaw those who would refuse the grace offered them and would make themselves undeserving of eternal life (Acts 13:46). We, certainly believe that the Lord is able to save a believer from death, as Christ Himself said that no-one can snatch a believer from the hand of the Father (John 10:28,29; 2 Timothy 1:12; Colossians 1:21-23), however, man himself, in the power of his free will can reject Christ and love this world, and even die forever. (Luke 8:13; Galatians 5:4,7; Hebrews 2:1; 2 Timothy 4:10; et al.)

It is said of Jesus: “he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit, and with fire” (Matthew 3:11). Baptism by the Spirit and by fire is a specific experience of the believer completely separate from regeneration (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4; 2:38; 10:45-47; 19:1-6). This baptism is two-fold: by the Spirit and by fire. Everyone who has received the baptism by the Holy Spirit knows this as it is accompanied by “signs following”

The Lord baptizes His Church in the Holy Spirit to endow her with gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12:8-11: the gift of the word of wisdom, the gift of the word of knowledge, the gift of faith, the gift of healing, the gift of working miracles, the gift of prophecy, the gift of the discerning of spirits, the gift of various tongues, the gift of interpretation of tongues.

The Lord baptizes by fire to purify us from every sin already here on earth (1 John 3:6,9), and so that we would attain perfect love (1 John 4:18), without which, possessing all spiritual gifts does not bring any profit (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).

Therefore, we believe in and preach full sanctification of our body, spirit, and soul (1 Thessalonians 5:23). 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)