We Believe The Gospel
Allegan Bible Church Statement of Faith
We, Allegan Bible Church, believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, light from light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father; through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation, he came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became truly human. For our sake, he was crucified, suffered death and was buried. On the third day, he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father [and the Son], who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy universal and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.
We expound our Christian faith in more detail in these categories:
Holy Scriptures
We believe that the Holy Scriptures—the Old and New Testaments [66 books in total]—are the verbally inspired Word of God, the final authority for faith and life, inerrant in the original writings, infallible and God-breathed. We believe that the biblical narrative shapes the faith and lives of Christians, as well as the mission of the Church. (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Matthew 5:18; John 16:12-13)
God
We believe that there is One God who, in a special way, exists eternally in Three distinct Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but the Three are One in essence. We believe that God is a Spirit; He is the Creator who created all visible and invisible things out of nothing. (Deuteronomy 6:4; 2 Corinthians 13:14)
Jesus Christ
We believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Trinity, the Savior of all people, who was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, true God and true Man. (John 1:1-2, 14; Luke 1:35) We believe that Christ died for our sins, was buried and bodily rose again on the third day, and physically appeared to His disciples. (Romans 3:24-25, 4:25; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Timothy 4:10,; Hebrews 2:9; 1 Peter 1:3-5, 2:24; 2 Peter 2:1) We believe in the bodily ascension of Jesus to heaven where He is exalted at the right hand of the Father. We believe that Christ is personally and bodily coming again in glory to judge all people and to reveal His Kingdom in fullness. (Acts 1:9-10; Hebrews 7:25, 9:24; Romans 8:34; 1 John 2:1-2)
Holy Spirit
We believe the Holy Spirit is God, the Third Person of the Trinity; He is the supernatural agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption. (John 16:8-11; 2 Corinthians 3:6; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 1:13-14) We believe that He is the divine teacher who guides believers into all truth; and, that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the Spirit. (John 16:13; 1 John 2:20, 27; Ephesians 5:18) We believe He gives gifts to the Church. These spiritual gifts are given to various members of the Church to build up the Body of Christ.
Mankind
We believe that first humans, Adam and Eve, were created by God in His image and were originally innocent, but rebelled against God's will and fell into sin. All of their descendants inherit the sinful nature, which hinders them to be fully human, which is to reflect God’s image and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition. (Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 3:22-23, 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3, 12)
Salvation
We believe that salvation is a gift from God by grace through faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins. A person receives salvation through repentance before God by believing that good news and putting their trust in Christ for their redemption and right standing before God the Father. We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever. We believe that a natural outflow of the love and gratitude one has toward God because of this salvation will increasing lead one to practicing the teaching of Jesus Christ that is recorded in the 27 books of the New Testament. (Ephesians 1:7, 2:8-10; John 1:12; 1 Peter 1:18-19)
Sanctification
We believe that every saved person possesses two natures, with provision made for victory of the new nature over the old nature through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit; and, that all claims to the eradication of the old nature in this life are unscriptural. We believe in the responsibility of every believer to embody the Christian message by practicing good works, which form our spiritual being and confirm our salvation. We believe that God calls us to live in holiness and in His will, which we are able to fulfill only with the help of the Holy Spirit and through growing in the knowledge of God. (Romans 6:13, 8:12-13; Galatians 5:16-25; Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:10; 1 Peter 1:14-16; 1 John 3:5-9)
Church
We believe in the universality and the locality of the Church. (Acts 14:27, 20:17, 28-32; 1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11). The universal Church is the Body of Christ, His Bride, consisting of a multitude of Christians from different traditions, denominations, languages and cultures. (Ephesians 1:22-23, 5:25-27; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; 2 Corinthians 11:2). The local church is an active cell in the body; every Christian should be planted in a local church for fellowship and service. We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any external authority or control. (Acts 13:1-4, 15:19-31, 20:28; Romans 16:1-4; 1 Corinthians 3:9, 16, 5:4-7, 13; 1 Peter 5:1-4) We believe in the Great Commission for the Church to spread the Gospel and to manifest the Kingdom of God by tangible acts of love. We believe that it is the obligation of the saved to witness by life and by word to the truths of Holy Scripture and to seek to proclaim the Gospel to all mankind. (Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8; 2 Corinthians 5:19-20)
Sacraments
We believe that all who have repented and who believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord should be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit by means of full immersion into water, according to the commandment of Jesus Christ. In water baptism, believers proclaim to the world their death to sin and resurrection with Christ to the new life. We believe that the Lords Supper (Communion), consisting of bread and wine, symbolizes unity of the Church, reminds us about Christ’s sufferings and death, and proclaims His Second Coming; all baptized believers in Christ should participate in the Lords Supper “until He comes.” (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42, 18:8; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26)
Church Authority
We believe that Church authority is instituted by God and given to individuals who are endowed by the Spirit for ministry; church members must be respectful and obedient to the authoritative ministers who faithfully take care of God's people.
Eternal State
We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life [Heaven], and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment [Hell]. (Matthew 25:46; John 5:28,29; 11:25,26; Revelation 20:5-6, 12-13).
Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality
We believe that God in His sovereign wisdom has decided to create humans with one of two biological genders. One can be male or female only by the divine decree of the creator which was predetermined for each person even before their birth. Marriage is defined in the Bible as a covenant, a sacred bond between one man and one woman instituted by and publicly entered into before God. This union is symbolic of the union of Christ and the church, and that any sexuality choices outside of this including but not limited to fornication, adultery, homosexuality, gender reassignment, and transvestitism, are all a sinful perversion of God’s design for sexuality. (Ephesians 5:31; Exodus 20:14; Romans 1:18-32)
We expound our Christian faith in more detail in these categories:
Holy Scriptures
We believe that the Holy Scriptures—the Old and New Testaments [66 books in total]—are the verbally inspired Word of God, the final authority for faith and life, inerrant in the original writings, infallible and God-breathed. We believe that the biblical narrative shapes the faith and lives of Christians, as well as the mission of the Church. (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Matthew 5:18; John 16:12-13)
God
We believe that there is One God who, in a special way, exists eternally in Three distinct Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but the Three are One in essence. We believe that God is a Spirit; He is the Creator who created all visible and invisible things out of nothing. (Deuteronomy 6:4; 2 Corinthians 13:14)
Jesus Christ
We believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Trinity, the Savior of all people, who was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, true God and true Man. (John 1:1-2, 14; Luke 1:35) We believe that Christ died for our sins, was buried and bodily rose again on the third day, and physically appeared to His disciples. (Romans 3:24-25, 4:25; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Timothy 4:10,; Hebrews 2:9; 1 Peter 1:3-5, 2:24; 2 Peter 2:1) We believe in the bodily ascension of Jesus to heaven where He is exalted at the right hand of the Father. We believe that Christ is personally and bodily coming again in glory to judge all people and to reveal His Kingdom in fullness. (Acts 1:9-10; Hebrews 7:25, 9:24; Romans 8:34; 1 John 2:1-2)
Holy Spirit
We believe the Holy Spirit is God, the Third Person of the Trinity; He is the supernatural agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption. (John 16:8-11; 2 Corinthians 3:6; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 1:13-14) We believe that He is the divine teacher who guides believers into all truth; and, that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the Spirit. (John 16:13; 1 John 2:20, 27; Ephesians 5:18) We believe He gives gifts to the Church. These spiritual gifts are given to various members of the Church to build up the Body of Christ.
Mankind
We believe that first humans, Adam and Eve, were created by God in His image and were originally innocent, but rebelled against God's will and fell into sin. All of their descendants inherit the sinful nature, which hinders them to be fully human, which is to reflect God’s image and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition. (Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 3:22-23, 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3, 12)
Salvation
We believe that salvation is a gift from God by grace through faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins. A person receives salvation through repentance before God by believing that good news and putting their trust in Christ for their redemption and right standing before God the Father. We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever. We believe that a natural outflow of the love and gratitude one has toward God because of this salvation will increasing lead one to practicing the teaching of Jesus Christ that is recorded in the 27 books of the New Testament. (Ephesians 1:7, 2:8-10; John 1:12; 1 Peter 1:18-19)
Sanctification
We believe that every saved person possesses two natures, with provision made for victory of the new nature over the old nature through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit; and, that all claims to the eradication of the old nature in this life are unscriptural. We believe in the responsibility of every believer to embody the Christian message by practicing good works, which form our spiritual being and confirm our salvation. We believe that God calls us to live in holiness and in His will, which we are able to fulfill only with the help of the Holy Spirit and through growing in the knowledge of God. (Romans 6:13, 8:12-13; Galatians 5:16-25; Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:10; 1 Peter 1:14-16; 1 John 3:5-9)
Church
We believe in the universality and the locality of the Church. (Acts 14:27, 20:17, 28-32; 1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11). The universal Church is the Body of Christ, His Bride, consisting of a multitude of Christians from different traditions, denominations, languages and cultures. (Ephesians 1:22-23, 5:25-27; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; 2 Corinthians 11:2). The local church is an active cell in the body; every Christian should be planted in a local church for fellowship and service. We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any external authority or control. (Acts 13:1-4, 15:19-31, 20:28; Romans 16:1-4; 1 Corinthians 3:9, 16, 5:4-7, 13; 1 Peter 5:1-4) We believe in the Great Commission for the Church to spread the Gospel and to manifest the Kingdom of God by tangible acts of love. We believe that it is the obligation of the saved to witness by life and by word to the truths of Holy Scripture and to seek to proclaim the Gospel to all mankind. (Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8; 2 Corinthians 5:19-20)
Sacraments
We believe that all who have repented and who believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord should be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit by means of full immersion into water, according to the commandment of Jesus Christ. In water baptism, believers proclaim to the world their death to sin and resurrection with Christ to the new life. We believe that the Lords Supper (Communion), consisting of bread and wine, symbolizes unity of the Church, reminds us about Christ’s sufferings and death, and proclaims His Second Coming; all baptized believers in Christ should participate in the Lords Supper “until He comes.” (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42, 18:8; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26)
Church Authority
We believe that Church authority is instituted by God and given to individuals who are endowed by the Spirit for ministry; church members must be respectful and obedient to the authoritative ministers who faithfully take care of God's people.
Eternal State
We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life [Heaven], and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment [Hell]. (Matthew 25:46; John 5:28,29; 11:25,26; Revelation 20:5-6, 12-13).
Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality
We believe that God in His sovereign wisdom has decided to create humans with one of two biological genders. One can be male or female only by the divine decree of the creator which was predetermined for each person even before their birth. Marriage is defined in the Bible as a covenant, a sacred bond between one man and one woman instituted by and publicly entered into before God. This union is symbolic of the union of Christ and the church, and that any sexuality choices outside of this including but not limited to fornication, adultery, homosexuality, gender reassignment, and transvestitism, are all a sinful perversion of God’s design for sexuality. (Ephesians 5:31; Exodus 20:14; Romans 1:18-32)