Orwell Bible Church Constitution Document
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Doctrine and Declaration
Section 1: The Scriptures
Every word in the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek writings of the Old and New Testament scriptures is inspired of God and without error (1Cor. 2:13; 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:21).
Section 2: The True God
The Godhead eternally exists in three persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, all equal in divine perfection; these three are one God (Gen. 1:1; Deut 6:4, 4:24; Matt. 28:19; John 10:30;
2 Cor. 13:14).
Section 3: God the Father
God the Father is the Maker of heaven and earth and of all things. His is Sovereign
Authority. God is the one and only unchangeable, invisible, infinite, and perfect Spirit
being. He is holy, living, and truthful in all He does. He gave His Son for our redemption and the Holy Spirit for our sanctification. He is loving and just, “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance,” (Ps. 139:1 - 9; Is. 44:6; Jn. 4:24; Col. 1:15; James 1:17; I Peter 1:15,16; II Peter 3:9; I John 4:8-16).
Section 4: God the Son
The Son of God became incarnate in the Lord Jesus Christ, who is true God and true man, virgin-born and sinless in His life (Matt. 1:21-23; John 1:1, 14, 18; 1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 1: 6-8; Heb. 4:15; 1 John 5:20).
Section 5: God the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead who indwells, convicts, regenerates, baptizes and seals all true believers in Christ and fills those yielded to God. The Holy Spirit endows believers with service gifts upon conversion. (Matt. 28:19; John 1:13; John 3:3-6; John 7:39; John 14:16,17 & 26; Acts 1:5; Rom. 8:9; Rom. 12:3-8; 1Cor. 2:12; 1 Cor. 6:19; 1 Cor. 12: 8-13 & 28-31; 1 Cor. 13:8-12; 1 Cor. 14: 33-40; Eph. 1:13,14; Eph. 4:7-11 & 30; Heb. 2:3,4; Heb. 9:14; Rev. 22:18,19).
Section 6: The Devil or Satan
We believe in the personality of Satan. He is a fallen angel: the unholy god of this age, the authority over all the powers of darkness, the accuser of the saints and is destined to the judgement of an eternal justice in the Lake of Fire (Matt. 4:1-3; 2 Cor. 4:4; Rev. 12:9,10; Rev. 20:10).
Section 7: Mankind
We accept the literal Genesis account of creation and believe that man is a direct creation of God. Man was created in the image and likeness of God. In Adam, all mankind fell into sin with the result that all men are sinners, apart from the grace of God (Gen. 1:1; Gen. 1:27; Gen. 9:6; John 1:3; Rom. 3:23; Rom. 5:12; Eph. 2:1; Col 1:16,17).
Section 8: Salvation
God’s free gift of salvation from divine judgement is received by individual repentant sinners through faith in Christ alone. In love and grace He shed His blood and died as a substitute, was buried and rose again by the power of God. (Acts 4:12; Acts 13:38,39; Rom. 4:4,5; Rom. 5:1,9; 1 Cor. 15:1-4; 1 Tim. 2:4-6; 1 Pet. 1:18,19).
Section 9: Justification/ Sanctification
God justifies or declares righteous each person who receives salvation. Every true believer is promised sanctification:
a. positional - set apart from the penalty of sin
b. progressive - set apart from the power of sin
c. ultimate - set apart from the presence of sin
(John: 17:17; Eph. 5:26; 1 Thes. 4:3,4; 1 Thes. 5:27; Heb. 10:10-14; 1 John 3:2).
Section 10: Eternal Security
All who are born of the Spirit through faith in Christ are promised assurance of salvation and are eternally secure in Christ (John 3:5,6; John 10:28,29; John 17:12; Rom. 5:1; 2 Tim. 1:12; 1 John 5:13).
Section 11: The Church
The Church, composed of all true believers, is the body and bride of Christ, formed by baptism of the Holy Spirit. The local church is a self-governing body of believers whose duty is to worship God, observe the ordinances, edify itself, and evangelize the world.
(Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 4:24; 1 Cor. 12:12 & 27; Eph. 1:22,23; Eph. 4:12; Eph. 5:24,25,30; Phil. 1:1).
Section 12: Christian Service
Christians are called to a holy life of loving service and testimony in the power of the Holy Spirit, which includes scriptural giving and the propagation of the Gospel to the whole world. There is promised reward in heaven for faithfulness in such service (Mal. 3:10; John 12:25,26; 2 Cor. 8:7; Acts 1:8; 1 Cor. 3:12-15; 2 Cor. 9:6,7; 1 Pet. 1:15,16).
Section 13: Ordinances
The Scriptural ordinances of baptism by immersion (which is a public testimony of identification with Christ) and regular participation in the Lord’s Supper (which is for remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice) are for all true believers in Christ (Matt. 28:19,20; Mark 16:15,16; Acts 8:12, 26-38; Acts 9:18; Acts 10:47; 1 Cor. 1:16; 1 Cor. 11:23-26).
Section 14: Dispensations
God has revealed and worked through different dispensations or stewardships with corresponding rules of life, of which the present dispensation is the age of grace (Rom. 6:14; Eph. 3:2-6,9-11; Col. 1:25-27; Heb. 7:18,19).
Section 15: Position and Practice
We believe it is important to identify ourselves as being: fundamental, dispensational, pre-tribulational, premillennial, evangelistic, local church-oriented, separated, independent, and Baptistic (adhering to historic Baptist distinctives).
In contrast, we are opposed to all forms of theological compromise such as: liberalism, neo-orthodoxy, neo-evangelicalism, hyper-Calvinism, covenantalism, and movements such as the charismatic movement and the emergent church.
Section 1: The Scriptures
Every word in the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek writings of the Old and New Testament scriptures is inspired of God and without error (1Cor. 2:13; 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:21).
Section 2: The True God
The Godhead eternally exists in three persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, all equal in divine perfection; these three are one God (Gen. 1:1; Deut 6:4, 4:24; Matt. 28:19; John 10:30;
2 Cor. 13:14).
Section 3: God the Father
God the Father is the Maker of heaven and earth and of all things. His is Sovereign
Authority. God is the one and only unchangeable, invisible, infinite, and perfect Spirit
being. He is holy, living, and truthful in all He does. He gave His Son for our redemption and the Holy Spirit for our sanctification. He is loving and just, “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance,” (Ps. 139:1 - 9; Is. 44:6; Jn. 4:24; Col. 1:15; James 1:17; I Peter 1:15,16; II Peter 3:9; I John 4:8-16).
Section 4: God the Son
The Son of God became incarnate in the Lord Jesus Christ, who is true God and true man, virgin-born and sinless in His life (Matt. 1:21-23; John 1:1, 14, 18; 1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 1: 6-8; Heb. 4:15; 1 John 5:20).
Section 5: God the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead who indwells, convicts, regenerates, baptizes and seals all true believers in Christ and fills those yielded to God. The Holy Spirit endows believers with service gifts upon conversion. (Matt. 28:19; John 1:13; John 3:3-6; John 7:39; John 14:16,17 & 26; Acts 1:5; Rom. 8:9; Rom. 12:3-8; 1Cor. 2:12; 1 Cor. 6:19; 1 Cor. 12: 8-13 & 28-31; 1 Cor. 13:8-12; 1 Cor. 14: 33-40; Eph. 1:13,14; Eph. 4:7-11 & 30; Heb. 2:3,4; Heb. 9:14; Rev. 22:18,19).
Section 6: The Devil or Satan
We believe in the personality of Satan. He is a fallen angel: the unholy god of this age, the authority over all the powers of darkness, the accuser of the saints and is destined to the judgement of an eternal justice in the Lake of Fire (Matt. 4:1-3; 2 Cor. 4:4; Rev. 12:9,10; Rev. 20:10).
Section 7: Mankind
We accept the literal Genesis account of creation and believe that man is a direct creation of God. Man was created in the image and likeness of God. In Adam, all mankind fell into sin with the result that all men are sinners, apart from the grace of God (Gen. 1:1; Gen. 1:27; Gen. 9:6; John 1:3; Rom. 3:23; Rom. 5:12; Eph. 2:1; Col 1:16,17).
Section 8: Salvation
God’s free gift of salvation from divine judgement is received by individual repentant sinners through faith in Christ alone. In love and grace He shed His blood and died as a substitute, was buried and rose again by the power of God. (Acts 4:12; Acts 13:38,39; Rom. 4:4,5; Rom. 5:1,9; 1 Cor. 15:1-4; 1 Tim. 2:4-6; 1 Pet. 1:18,19).
Section 9: Justification/ Sanctification
God justifies or declares righteous each person who receives salvation. Every true believer is promised sanctification:
a. positional - set apart from the penalty of sin
b. progressive - set apart from the power of sin
c. ultimate - set apart from the presence of sin
(John: 17:17; Eph. 5:26; 1 Thes. 4:3,4; 1 Thes. 5:27; Heb. 10:10-14; 1 John 3:2).
Section 10: Eternal Security
All who are born of the Spirit through faith in Christ are promised assurance of salvation and are eternally secure in Christ (John 3:5,6; John 10:28,29; John 17:12; Rom. 5:1; 2 Tim. 1:12; 1 John 5:13).
Section 11: The Church
The Church, composed of all true believers, is the body and bride of Christ, formed by baptism of the Holy Spirit. The local church is a self-governing body of believers whose duty is to worship God, observe the ordinances, edify itself, and evangelize the world.
(Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 4:24; 1 Cor. 12:12 & 27; Eph. 1:22,23; Eph. 4:12; Eph. 5:24,25,30; Phil. 1:1).
Section 12: Christian Service
Christians are called to a holy life of loving service and testimony in the power of the Holy Spirit, which includes scriptural giving and the propagation of the Gospel to the whole world. There is promised reward in heaven for faithfulness in such service (Mal. 3:10; John 12:25,26; 2 Cor. 8:7; Acts 1:8; 1 Cor. 3:12-15; 2 Cor. 9:6,7; 1 Pet. 1:15,16).
Section 13: Ordinances
The Scriptural ordinances of baptism by immersion (which is a public testimony of identification with Christ) and regular participation in the Lord’s Supper (which is for remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice) are for all true believers in Christ (Matt. 28:19,20; Mark 16:15,16; Acts 8:12, 26-38; Acts 9:18; Acts 10:47; 1 Cor. 1:16; 1 Cor. 11:23-26).
Section 14: Dispensations
God has revealed and worked through different dispensations or stewardships with corresponding rules of life, of which the present dispensation is the age of grace (Rom. 6:14; Eph. 3:2-6,9-11; Col. 1:25-27; Heb. 7:18,19).
Section 15: Position and Practice
We believe it is important to identify ourselves as being: fundamental, dispensational, pre-tribulational, premillennial, evangelistic, local church-oriented, separated, independent, and Baptistic (adhering to historic Baptist distinctives).
In contrast, we are opposed to all forms of theological compromise such as: liberalism, neo-orthodoxy, neo-evangelicalism, hyper-Calvinism, covenantalism, and movements such as the charismatic movement and the emergent church.