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PREAMBLE:
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We, the members of the Auke Bay Bible Church, do ordain and establish the following articles, to which we voluntarily submit ourselves:
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ARTICLE I - NAME
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This organization shall be known as the Auke Bay Bible Church of Auke Bay, Alaska.
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ARTICLE II - FAITH AND DOCTRINE
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Section 1 - The Holy Scripture
We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the verbally inspired Word of God, the final authority for faith and life, inerrant in the original writing, infallible and God-breathed, and that the whole (or entire) Scripture centers around Christ. (Matthew 5:18; John 16:12, 13; II Tim. 3:16, 17; II Peter 1:20, 21)
Section 2 - The Godhead
(a) We believe in the triune Godhead, composed of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit; co-existent, eternal, omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent. (Matthew 28:19, 20; Mark 12:29; John 1:1-4; Acts 5:3-4; II Corinthians 13:14; Hebrews 1: 1-3; I John 5:1-8; Revelation 1:4-6)
(b) God the Father is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. (Genesis 1:1; Psalm 3:5; 19:1-4; Isaiah 44:2; John 1:3; Acts 17:24-28)
(c) God the Son is the only Savior for the world and the coming King who is to reign in righteousness. (Isaiah 9:6, 7; 11:1-12; Matthew 1:21; John 1:36; 3:16; Revelation 1:5; 11:15; 15:3; 19:1-6; 20:4-6)
(d) God the Holy Spirit is a divine Person, who indwells the believer from the moment he is born again, and enables the believer to live a godly life. He speaks not of himself but testifies of Christ. (John 3:16; 14:16-18; 16:7-11; 16:13, 14; Romans 8:9)
Section 3 - Total Depravity
(a) We believe that man, originally created in the image and after the likeness of God, fell from his high and holy estate by eating the forbidden fruit. The consequence of this disobedience was the threatened penalty of death which was then and there inflicted. Thus, man's moral nature was not only grievously injured by the fall, but he totally lost all spiritual life, becoming dead in trespasses and sins, and subject to the power of the devil. (Genesis 1:26; 2:17; John 5:40; 6:53; Ephesians 2:1-3; I Timothy 5:6; I John 3:8)
(b) We believe that this spiritual death, or total corruption of human nature, has been transmitted to the entire race of man, the man Jesus Christ alone excepted. Hence, every descendent of Adam is born into the world with a nature which not only possesses no spark of divine life, but is essentially and unchangeably bad. Man is thus at enmity against God, and incapable by any educational process whatever of subjection to His law. (Genesis 6:5; Psalm 14:1-3; 51:5; Jeremiah 17:9; John 3:6; Romans 5:12-19)
(c) We believe that, owing to this universal depravity and death in sin, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless born again. No degree of reformation, no attainment in morality, no culture, no humanitarian and philanthropic schemes and societies, no baptism or other ordinance, can help the sinner to take even one step toward heaven. A new nature imparted from above, and a new life implanted by the Holy Spirit through the Word, is absolutely essential to salvation. (Isaiah 64:6; John 3:5, 18; Galatians 6:15; Philippians 3:4-9; Titus 3:5; James 1:18; I Peter 1:23)
Section 4 - Salvation
(a) We believe that our redemption has been accomplished solely by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, who was made to be sin, and made a curse for us, dying in our place. No repentance, no feeling, no faith in any earthly or man-made organization, no good resolution, no sincere efforts, no submission to the rules and regulations of any church, can add in the very least to the value of that precious blood, or to the merit of the finished work wrought for us by Him who united in His Person true and proper Deity with perfect and sinless humanity. (Leviticus 17:11; Matthew 26:28; Romans 5:6-9; II Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:13; Ephesians 1:7; I Peter 1:18, 19)
(b) We believe that Christ is received by grace through faith alone. When we trust in Him as our Savior, we pass from death into everlasting life, being justified from all things, accepted by the Father, sharing in Christ's inheritance and being one with Him forever. (John 5:24; 17:23; Acts 13:39; Romans 5:1; Ephesians 2:4-6, 8, 9, 13; I John 4:17; 5:11, 12)
Section 5 - Assurance
(a) We believe that it is the privilege of all who are born again by the Spirit to be assured of their salvation from the moment they receive Him as Savior, and that this assurance is founded upon the testimony of God in His written Word. (Luke 10:20; 12:32; John 6:47; Romans 8:35-39; II Corinthians 5:1, 6-8; II Timothy 1:12; I John 5:13)
(b) We believe that a Christian may be out of fellowship with the Lord. (I John 1:6) Such fellowship may be regained according to I John 1:7, and 9, and Galatians 6:1.
Section 6 - The Church
(a) We believe that the Church, which is the body and bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born again persons of this present age of grace. (I Corinthians 12:12-14; II Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 1:22, 23; 5:25-27)
(b) We believe that the supreme task of the Church is evangelism at home and abroad. (Romans 1:16; Matthew 28:19, 20)
(c) We believe the ordinances left by Christ for the Church to observe are baptism following conversion, and the Lord's Supper. (Matthew 3:16; 28:19, 20; Acts 8:25-28; I Corinthians 11:23-29)
(d) We believe that Christians are responsible under God to support their local church with faithful stewardship of time, talent and wealth. (Matthew 25:15, 21; I Corinthians 16:2; II Corinthians 9:6, 7; Hebrews 10:25)
Section 7 - The Christian Life
(a) We believe that the Christian life is one with full provisions in Christ for abundant, joyful living; for victory over sin; and Christian growth. (John 10:10; 15:11; I Corinthians 10:13; Philippians 4:4; II Peter 3:18)
(b) We believe that the Christian's daily living should embody the habit of prayer, reading of the Scripture, and a personal Christian witness. The Christian's aim should be to fulfill the will of God, and to glorify Him in all things with a life lived in the power of the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 5:16; 6:7-11; 22:37-39; I Corinthians 6:19-20; Ephesians 5:17-18; I Thessalonians 5:17; II Timothy 2:15)
(c) We believe that the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord, and that separation from all worldly, sinful pleasures, practices and associations is commanded by God. (Romans 12:1, 2; 13:13, 14; 14:13; Colossians 1:18; II Timothy 3:1-5; Titus 2:11-15; I John 2:15-17; II John 9-11)
(d) We believe in the necessity of regularly assembling ourselves together for worship, study of God's Word and spiritual edification. (Romans 14:19; I Corinthians 14:12; II Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 10:25; I Peter 2:2)
(e) We believe that vital Christianity will express itself through involved and dedicated service to family, friends, church and community. And we further believe that the Christians of this country are responsible under God to be patriotic and law-abiding citizens. (Matthew 22:19; Romans 3:1-7; I Timothy 5:8; I John 3:11)
Section 8 - The Eternal State of Man
We believe that the souls of those who have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, do at death immediately pass into His presence. There they remain in conscious bliss until the resurrection of the body at His coming, when soul and body, reunited, shall be associated with Him forever in glory.
We believe that the souls of the unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious misery until the final judgment of the great white throne at the close of the millennium, when soul and body reunited shall be cast into the lake of fire, not to be annihilated, but to be punished with everlasting suffering and separation from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power. (Luke 16:19-26; 23:43; II Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23; II Thessalonians 1:7-9; Jude 5-7; Revelation 20:11-15)
Section 9 - The Second Coming of Jesus Christ
We believe that the Lord Jesus shall come personally, imminently, and pre millennially for his redeemed ones, and that this is the purifying hope for the Church. His initial appearance in the heavens shall be for the purpose of resurrecting the bodies of the deceased saints, and calling unto Himself living saints. After a seven year period of great tribulation upon earth, during which time awful apostasy will abound, and the Antichrist shall rise to power. Christ will return with the saints to defeat the Antichrist and his global forces. Israel restored to their own land shall accept Christ as Messiah, and Christ shall rule over the earth in a millennium of peace and righteousness. (Isaiah 2:1-4; 2:54; Zechariah 14:4-11; Matthew 24:15-31; Mark 13; Luke 12:35-40; 17:26-30; 18:18; Acts 15:14-17; I Thessalonians 1:10; 4:13-18; 5:9; II Thessalonians 2:3-12; 3:1-5; Revelation 3:10; 19:11-21; 20:1-6)
Section 10 - The Person and Work of Satan
We believe that Satan is a person, the author of sin and the cause of the fall; that he is historically and currently the declared enemy of God, the Church and man; that he is the arch deceiver of the world; that he is ever seeking to tear down and hinder Christian growth and testimony; that he is assisted by a vast network of fallen angels called demons; and that he and his angels shall be eternally punished in the lake of fire. (Job 1:6, 7; Isaiah 14:12-17; Matthew 4:2-11; 25:41; II Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 6:11; I Peter 5:8, 9; Revelation 20:10)
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