A Good Church Constitution

There is a difference between the bylaws and the constitution. The constitution should identify us–tell who we are, what we believe and why we do the things we do. The bylaws, on the other hand, are the rules we have found necessary or convenient to establish in order to make our day-to-day operations more efficient.

Here is a copy of CBF’s constitution which is an adaptation of the “Lausanne Covenant.” This is truly an exciting and dynamic document. It is something you can sink your teeth into and can even form the basis of an evangelistic series of messages! It is positive in its outlook and scripturally based. I was excited to make this a part of our church.

The Constitution

of

Community Bible Fellowship

Aledo, Illinois

1. INTRODUCTION

Having recognized the leading of the Holy Spirit in bringing us together in order that we might be a more effective witness for Christ in the Aledo area, we do hereby unite and form Community Bible Fellowship on this day October 1, 1996.

2. OUR COVENANT

We praise God for His great salvation and rejoice in the fellowship He has given us with himself and with each other. We are deeply stirred by what God is doing in our day, moved to penitence by our failures and challenged by the unfinished task of evangelization. We believe the Gospel is God's good news for the whole world, and we are determined by His grace to obey Christ's commission to proclaim it to all mankind and to make disciples of every nation. We desire, therefore, to affirm our faith and our resolve, and to make public our covenant.

2.1. THE PURPOSE OF GOD

We affirm our belief in the one-eternal God, Creator and Lord of the world, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who governs all things according to the purpose of His will. He has been calling out from the world a people for Himself, and sending His people back into the world to be His servants and witnesses, for the extension of His kingdom, the building up of Christ's body, and the glory of His name. We confess with shame that we have often denied our calling and failed in our mission, by becoming conformed to the world or by withdrawing from it. Yet, we rejoice that even when borne by earthen vessels, the gospel is still a precious treasure. To the task of making that treasure known in the power of the Holy Spirit we desire to dedicate ourselves anew.

· Isaiah 40:28

· Matthew 28:19

· Ephesians 1:11

· Acts 15:14

· John 17:6, 18

· Ephesians 4:12

· 1 Corinthians 5:10

· Romans 12:2

· 2 Corinthians 4:7

2.2 THE AUTHORITY AND POWER OF THE BIBLE

We affirm the divine inspiration, truthfulness and authority of both Old and New Testament Scriptures in their entirety as the only written word of God, without error in all that it affirms, and the only infallible rule of faith and practice. We also affirm the power of God's word to accomplish his purpose of salvation. The message of the Bible is addressed to all men and women of all time for God's revelation in Christ and in Scripture is unchangeable. Through it the Holy Spirit still speaks today. He illumines the minds of God's people in every culture to perceive its truth freshly through their own eyes and thus discloses to the whole Church ever more the many-colored wisdom of God.

· 2 Timothy 3:16

· 2 Peter 1:21

· John 10:35

· Isaiah 55:11

· 1 Corinthians 1:21

· Romans 1:16

· Matthew 5:17-18

· Jude 3

· Ephesians 1:17-18

· Ephesians 3:10,18

2.3 THE UNIQUENESS AND UNIVERSALITY OF CHRIST

We affirm that there is only one Savior and only one gospel, although there is a wide diversity of evangelistic approaches. We recognize that everyone has some knowledge of God through his general revelation in nature. But we deny that this can save, for people suppress the truth by their unrighteousness. We also reject as derogatory to Christ and the gospel every kind of syncretism and dialogue which implies that Christ speaks equally through all religions and ideologies. Jesus Christ, being Himself the only God-man, who gave Himself as the only ransom for sinners, is the only mediator between God and people. There is no other name by which we must be saved. All men and women are perishing because of sin, but God loves everyone, not wishing that any should perish but that all should repent. Yet those who reject Christ repudiate the joy of salvation and condemn themselves to eternal separation from God. To proclaim Jesus as "the Savior of the world" is not to affirm that all people are either automatically or ultimately saved, still less to affirm that all religions offer salvation in Christ. Rather it is to proclaim God's love for a world of sinners and to invite everyone to respond to Him as Savior and Lord in the wholehearted personal commitment of repentance and faith. Jesus Christ has been exalted above every other name; we long for the day when every knee shall bow to Him and every tongue shall confess him Lord.

· Galatians 1:6-9

· Romans 1:18-32

· 1 Timothy 2:5-6

· Acts 4:12

· John 3:16-19

· 2 Peter 3:9

· 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9

· John 4:42

· Matthew 11:28

· Ephesians 1:20-21

· Philippians 2:9-11

2.4 THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

We believe in the power of the Holy Spirit. The Father sent His Spirit to bear witness to His Son; without His witness, ours is futile. Conviction of sin, faith in Christ, new birth and Christian growth are all His work. Further, the Holy Spirit is a missionary spirit; thus, evangelism should arise spontaneously from a Spirit-filled church. A church that is not a missionary church is contradicting itself and quenching the Spirit. Worldwide evangelization will become a realistic possibility only when the Spirit renews the Church in truth and wisdom, faith, holiness, love and power. We, therefore, call upon all Christians to pray for such a visitation of the sovereign Spirit of God that all His fruit may appear in all His people and that all His gifts may enrich the body of Christ. Only then will the whole church become a fit instrument in His hands, that the whole earth may hear His voice.

· 1 Corinthians 2:4

· John 15:26-27

· John 16:8-11

· 1 Corinthians 12:3

· John 3:6-8

· 2 Corinthians 3:18

· John 7:37-39

· 1 Thessalonians 5:19

· Acts 1:8

· Psalms 85:4-7

· Psalms 67:1-3

· Galatians 5:22-23

· 1 Corinthians 12:4-31

· Romans 12:3-8

2.5 THE NATURE OF EVANGELISM

To evangelize is to spread the good news that Jesus Christ died for our sins and was raised from the dead according to the Scriptures, and that as the reigning Lord He now offers the forgiveness of sins and the liberating gifts of the Spirit to all who repent and believe. Our Christian presence in the world is indispensable to evangelism, and so is that kind of dialogue whose purpose is to listen sensitively in order to understand. But evangelism itself is the proclamation of the historical, biblical Christ as Savior and Lord, with a view to persuading people to come to Him personally and so be reconciled to God. In issuing the gospel invitation, we have no liberty to conceal the cost of discipleship. Jesus still calls all who would follow Him to deny themselves, take up their cross, and identify themselves with His new community. The results of evangelism include obedience to Christ, incorporation into His Church and responsible service in the world.

· 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

· Acts 2:32-39

· John 20:21

· 1 Corinthians 1:23

· 2 Corinthians 4:5

· 2 Corinthians 5:11,20

· Luke 14:25-33

· Mark 8:34

· Acts 2:40,47

· Mark 10:43-45

2.6 CHRISTIAN SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

We affirm that God is both the Creator and the Judge of all men. We therefore should share His concern for justice and reconciliation throughout human society and for the liberation of men and women from every kind of oppression. Because men and women are made in the image of God, every person, regardless of race, religion, color, culture, class, sex or age, has an intrinsic dignity because of which he or she should be respected and served, not exploited. Here, too, we express penitence both for our neglect and for having sometimes regarded evangelism and social concern as mutually exclusive. Although reconciliation with other people is not reconciliation with God, nor is social action evangelism, nor is political liberation salvation, nevertheless we affirm that evangelism and socio-political involvement are both part of our Christian duty. For both are necessary expressions of our doctrines of God and man, our love for our neighbor and our obedience to Jesus Christ. The message of salvation implies also a message of judgment upon every form of alienation, oppression and discrimination, and we should not be afraid to denounce evil and injustice wherever they exist. When people receive Christ they are born again into His kingdom and must seek not only to exhibit but also to spread its righteousness in the midst of an unrighteous world. The salvation we claim should be transforming us in the totality of our personal and social responsibilities. Faith without works is dead.

· Acts 17:26,31

· Genesis 18:25

· Isaiah 1:17

· Psalms 45:7

· Gen. 1:26,27

· James 3:9

· Leviticus 19:18

· Luke 6:27,35

· James 2:14-26

· John 3:3,5

· Matthew 5:20

· Matthew 6:33

· 2 Corinthians 3:18

· James 2:20

2.7 THE CHURCH AND EVANGELISM

We affirm that Christ sends His redeemed people into the world as the Father sent Him, and that this calls for a similar deep and costly penetration of the world. We need to break out of our ecclesiastical ghettos and permeate non-Christian society. In the Church's mission of sacrificial service evangelism is primary. World evangelization requires the whole Church to take the whole gospel to the whole world. The Church is at the very center of God's cosmic purpose and is His appointed means of spreading the gospel. But a church which preaches the cross must itself be marked by the cross. It becomes a stumbling block to evangelism when it betrays the gospel or lacks a living faith in God, a genuine love for people, or scrupulous honesty in all things including promotion and finance. The church is the community of God's people rather than an institution, and must not be identified with any particular culture, social or political system, or human ideology.

· John 17:18

· John 20:21

· Matthew 28:19-20

· Acts 1:8

· Acts 20:27

· Ephesians 1:9-10

· Ephesians 3:9-11

· Galatians 6:14,17

· 2 Corinthians 6:3-4

· 2 Timothy 2:19-21

· Philippians 1:27

2.8 COOPERATION IN EVANGELISM

We affirm that the Church's visible unity in truth is God's purpose. Evangelism also summons us to unity, because our oneness strengthens our witness, just as our disunity undermines our gospel of reconciliation. We recognize, however, that organizational unity may take many forms and does not necessarily forward evangelism. Yet, we who share the same biblical faith should be closely united in fellowship, work and witness. We confess that our testimony has sometimes been marred by a sinful individualism and needless duplication. We pledge ourselves to seek a deeper unity in truth, worship, holiness and mission. We urge the development of regional and functional cooperation for the furtherance of the Church's mission, for strategic planning, for mutual encouragement, and for the sharing of resources and experience.

· John 17:21,23

· Ephesians 4:3-4

· John 13:35

· Philippians 1:27

· John 17:11-23

2.9 CHURCHES IN EVANGELISTIC PARTNERSHIP

We rejoice that a new missionary era has dawned. The dominant role of western missions is fast disappearing. God is raising up from the younger churches a great new resource for world evangelization, and is thus demonstrating that the responsibility to evangelize belongs to the whole body of Christ. All churches should therefore be asking God and themselves what they should be doing both to reach their own area and to send missionaries to other parts of the world. A reevaluation of our missionary responsibility and role should be continuous. Thus a growing partnership of churches will develop and the universal character of Christ's Church will be more clearly exhibited. We also thank God for agencies which labor in Bible translation, theological education, the mass media, Christian literature, evangelism, missions, church renewal and other specialist fields. They too should engage in constant self-examination to evaluate their effectiveness as part of the Church's mission.

· Romans 1:8

· Philippians 1:5

· Philippians 4:15

· Acts 13:1-3

· 1 Thessalonians 1:6-8

2.10 THE URGENCY OF THE EVANGELISTIC TASK

More than 2,700 million people, which represent more than two-thirds of all humanity, have yet to be evangelized. We are ashamed that so many have been neglected; it is a standing rebuke to us and to the whole Church. There is now, however, in many parts of the world an unprecedented receptivity to the Lord Jesus Christ. We are convinced that this is the time for churches and para-church agencies to pray earnestly for the salvation of the unreached and to launch new efforts to achieve world evangelization. A reduction of foreign missionaries and money in an evangelized country may sometimes be necessary to facilitate the national church's growth in self-reliance and to release resources for unevangelized areas. Missionaries should flow ever more freely from and to all six continents in a spirit of humble service. The goal should be, by all available means and at the earliest possible time, that every person will have the opportunity to hear, understand, and to receive the good news. We cannot hope to attain this goal without sacrifice. All of us are shocked by the poverty of millions and disturbed by the injustices which cause it. Those of us who live in affluent circumstances accept our duty to develop a simple life-style in order to contribute more generously to both relief and evangelism.

· John 9:4

· Matthew 9:35-38

· Romans 9:1-3

· 1 Corinthians 9:19-23

· Mark 16:15

· Isaiah 58:6-7

· James 1:27

· James 2:1-9

· Matthew 25:31-46

· Acts 2:44-45

· Acts 4:34-35

2.11 EVANGELISM AND CULTURE

The development of strategies for world evangelization calls for imaginative pioneering methods. Under God, the result will be the rise of churches deeply rooted in Christ and closely related to their culture. Culture must always be tested and judged by Scripture. Because men and women are God's creatures, some of their culture is rich in beauty and goodness. Because they are fallen, all of it is tainted with sin and some of it is demonic. The gospel does not presuppose the superiority of any culture to another, but evaluates all cultures according to its own criteria of truth and righteousness, and insists on moral absolutes in every culture. Missions have all too frequently exported with the gospel an alien culture and churches have sometimes been in bondage to culture rather than to Scripture. Christ's evangelists must humbly seek to empty themselves of all but their personal authenticity in order to become the servants of others, and churches must seek to transform and enrich culture, all for the glory of God.

· Mark 7:8-9, 13

· Genesis 4:21-22

· 1 Corinthians 9:19-23

· Philippians 2:5-7

· 2 Corinthians 4:5

2.12 EDUCATION AND LEADERSHIP

We confess that we have sometimes pursued church growth at the expense of church depth, and divorced evangelism from Christian nurture. We also acknowledge that some of our missions have been too slow to equip and encourage national leaders to assume their rightful responsibilities. Yet, we are committed to indigenous principles, and long that every church will have national leaders who manifest a Christian style of leadership in terms not of domination but of service. We recognize that there is a great need to improve theological education, especially for church leaders. In every nation and culture there should be an effective training program for pastors and laity in doctrine, discipleship, evangelism, nurture and service. Such training programs should not rely on any stereotyped methodology but should be developed by creative local initiatives according to biblical standards.

· Colossians 1:27-28

· Acts 14:23

· Titus 1:5,9

· Mark 10:42-45

· Ephesians 4:11-12

2.13 SPIRITUAL CONFLICT

We believe that we are engaged in constant spiritual warfare with the principalities and powers of evil, who are seeking to overthrow the Church and frustrate its task of world evangelization. We know our need to equip ourselves with God's armor and to fight this battle with the spiritual weapons of truth and prayer. For we detect the activity of our enemy, not only in false ideologies outside the Church, but also inside it in false gospels which twist Scripture and put people in the place of God. We need both watchfulness and discernment to safeguard the biblical gospel. We acknowledge that we ourselves are not immune to worldliness of thoughts and action, that is, to a surrender to secularism. For example, although careful studies of church growth, both numerical and spiritual, are right and valuable, we have sometimes neglected them. At other times, desirous to ensure a response to the gospel, we have compromised our message, manipulated our hearers through pressure techniques, and become unduly preoccupied with statistics or even dishonest in our use of them. All this is worldly. The Church must be in the world; the world must not be in the Church.

· Ephesians 6:12

· 2 Corinthians 4:3-4

· Ephesians 6:11,13-18

· 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

· 1 John 2:18-26

· 1 John 4:1-3

· Galatians 1:6-9

· 2 Corinthians 2:17

· 2 Corinthians 4:2

· John 17:15

2.14 FREEDOM AND PERSECUTION

It is the God-appointed duty of every government to secure conditions of peace, justice and liberty in which the Church may obey God, serve the Lord Jesus Christ, and preach the gospel without interference. We therefore pray for the leaders of nations and call upon them to guarantee freedom of thought and conscience, and freedom to practice and propagate religion in accordance with the will of God and as set forth in The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We also express our deep concern for all who have been unjustly imprisoned, and especially for those who are suffering for their testimony to the Lord Jesus. We promise to pray and work for their freedom. At the same time we refuse to be intimidated by their fate. God helping us, we too will seek to stand against injustice and to remain faithful to the gospel, whatever the cost. We do not forget the warnings of Jesus that persecution is inevitable.

· 1 Timothy 1:1-4

· Acts 4:19

· Acts 5:29

· Colossians 3:24

· Hebrews 13:1-3

· Luke 4:18

· Galatians 5:11

· Galatians 6:12

· Matthew 5:10-12

· John 15:18-21

2.15 THE RETURN OF CHRIST

We believe that Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly, in power and glory, to consummate His salvation and His judgment. This promise of His coming is a further spur to our evangelism, for we remember His words that the gospel must first be preached to all nations. We believe that the interim period between Christ's ascension and return is to be filled with the mission of the people of God, who have no liberty to stop before the end. We also remember His warning that false christs and false prophets will arise as precursors of the final Antichrist. We therefore reject as a proud, self-confident dream the notion that people can ever build a utopia on earth. Our Christian confidence is that God will perfect His kingdom, and we look forward with eager anticipation to that day, and to the new heaven and earth in which righteousness will dwell and God will reign forever. Meanwhile, we rededicate ourselves to the service of Christ and of people in joyful submission to His authority over the whole of our lives.

· Mark 14:62

· Hebrews 9:28

· Mark 13:10

· Acts 1:8-11

· Matthew 28:20

· Mark 13:21-23

· John 2:18

· John 4:1-3

· Luke 12:32

· Revelation 21:1-5

· 2 Peter 3:13

· Matthew 28:18

3. CONCLUSION

Therefore, in the light of this our faith and our resolve, we enter into a solemn covenant with God and with each other, to pray, to plan and to work together for the evangelization of the whole world. We call upon others to join us. May God help us by His grace and for His glory to be faithful to this our covenant! Amen, Alleluia!

4. Statement of Faith

4.1 The Inspiration of the Bible

We believe the Holy Scriptures, composed of the thirty-nine books of the Old Testament and the twenty-seven books of the New Testament, are the verbally inspired Word and Revelation of God. The Bible, in its original writings, is inerrant, infallible and God-breathed. The initial miracle of divine inspiration of the original autographs also extends to the divine preservation of a pure text to this day. We have, therefore, the very Word of God preserved through the ages. The Word of God is the complete revelation of God’s will for the salvation of mankind, and the Divine and final authority for all Christian faith and life.

· Psalm 19:7-11

· 2 Timothy 3:16-17

· 2 Peter 1:16-21

· Luke 24:13-28

· John 16:12-16

· Psalm 12:6-7

· Isaiah 40:8

· Psalm 138:2

4.2 The Trinity

We believe in the Triune God-God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit-coequal and coeternal. Each has His individual identity and separate responsibilities for the purposes of redemption, yet perfectly united as three Persons in One.

· Deuteronomy 6:4

· Matthew 3:16-17

· 1 Corinthians 8:6

· 2 Corinthians 13:14

· 1 John 5:1-8

· John 16:7-18

· Matthew 28:19

· Genesis 1:26

4.3 The Deity and Virgin Birth of Christ

We believe in Deity of Jesus Christ. He is fully God and fully man, the only begotten, virgin born Son of God, the second Person in the Blessed Trinity, God the Son, God manifest in the flesh. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins according to the Scriptures. Further, He rose bodily from the dead, ascended into Heaven where at the right hand of the Majesty on High, He is now our High Priest and Advocate.

· 1 Timothy 3:16

· John 1:1-14

· John 14:9

· Acts 1:9

· 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

· Luke 1:35

· Hebrews 4:14

· Isaiah 7:14

· Matthew 1:18-25

· John 10:36

4.4 The Holy Spirit

We believe that the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ, and during this age to convict men, regenerate the believing sinner, and indwell, guide, instruct and empower the believer for Godly living and service.

· John 14:16-17, 26

· John 15:26

· John 6:7-8, 13-14

· Romans 8:9-11

· Ephesians 5:18

We believe all regenerated people are baptized into the Body of Christ by the Holy Spirit the moment they receive Christ as their Savior.

· 1 Corinthians 12:13

· 1 Corinthians 10:32

· Ephesians 2:13-18

The Holy Spirit indwells all who have been born again from above. Also, the baptism of the Spirit is not a separate event apart from the reception of the gift of the Holy Spirit upon believing on Christ unto salvation.

· Acts 15:6-11

· Galatians 3:2,14

· Romans 10:13-17

· Romans 8:9

4.5 Creation and Man's Fall

We believe God created all things. Man was created by a direct act of God in His own image but subsequently fell into sin in the Garden of Eden. Man’s original state was one of sinless innocence and all of creation was declared “good” by the Godhead. However Adam, and all humanity through and after him, willfully chose to disobey God, failing to trust in the goodness and provision of his Creator. We therefore believe in the universality and exceeding sinfulness of sin. In Adam, all have sinned and, therefore, are guilty before God by nature as well as by deed, and are lost. Only through regeneration by the Holy Spirit can salvation and spiritual life be obtained.

· Romans 5:12-21

· Ezekiel 18:4

· Romans 3:10-26

· Romans 6:23

· Psalm 51:5

· Genesis 1-3

· Titus 3:4-7

4.6 Heaven and Hell

We believe that Heaven is a real place of eternal blessedness. Hell is a real place of eternal suffering for those whose names have been blotted from the "book of life." There is no intermediate state in which the unsaved can atone for his own sins.

· John 14:1-6

· Revelation 7:13-17

· Revelation 20:11-15

· Revelation 21:22-27

· 2 Corinthians 5:1-10

· Luke 16:19-31

4.7 The Blood Atonement

We believe in the substitutionary atonement of the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. He, by the grace of God, tasted death for every man, and all must be born again or be forever lost. Those who admit their sinfulness, confess and repent of them, submit their will to the Master’s and trust His finished work to get them to heaven are born of the Holy Spirit and thus become the adopted children of God.

· Hebrews 2:9

· John 6:44-69

· John 1: 11-12

· John 3:11-18

· Romans 3:25

· Revelation 1:5

· Hebrews 9:22

· 1 Peter 1:18-19

· Ephesians 2:8-10

· Hebrews 9:22

· Romans 5:1,8-9

The Lord's atonement was not limited with respect to whom God's salvation is offered, i.e., His shed blood is sufficient for all sin and, therefore, "who so ever will" may believe and be saved to the uttermost.

· 1 John 2:2

· Hebrews 7:22-25

· Revelation 22:17

4.8 The Resurrection

We believe in the physical resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. He ascended bodily into the heavens and is now at the right hand of God as our Mediator, Priest, and Advocate.

· Acts 3:12-26

· John 20

· Hebrews 9:24

· 1 Corinthians 15:12-28

· 1 John 2:1

4.9 Justification by Faith

We believe that man is justified on the single ground of faith in the shed blood and bodily resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

· Romans 5:1

· Ephesians 2:8-9

The all-sufficient and completed work of Redemption accomplished through His death and resurrection is fully appropriated at the moment in time those who receive by faith the free gift of salvation offered in the one true Gospel. The adding of works, baptism, sacraments, or any other condition placed upon man in order to obtain God's gift of salvation by faith alone in the finished work of Christ results in "another gospel" that is under God's curse.

· Galatians 1:6-10

· Romans 1:16

· 1 Corinthians 15:1-4

· John 5:24

· Ephesians 5:8

4.10 Eternal Security

We believe in the eternal security of all believers in our Lord Jesus Christ. Once a lost sinner has be come a "new creature in Christ," he can never lose that new relationship in the family of God which is based upon Christ's imputed righteousness and not his own. The life that God imparts to the believing sinner is not "eternal life" if it can be terminated.

· 2 Corinthians 5:14-21

· John 10:25-29

Sin in the life of the believer affects his fellowship with the Father not sonship. All who are truly born of the Spirit and who continue in sin will be dealt with by the chastening hand of God.

· 1 John 1:5-10

· Hebrews 12:6-13

· 1 Corinthians 3:11-15

All who are in Christ are sealed unto the day of redemption and will be glorified. We are to "work out" our salvation not "work for" our salvation.

· Philippians 2:12

Texts used to supposedly teach one can lose his salvation are speaking of loss of reward, not the loss of salvation or the right to be called a child of God.

· 1 Corinthians 3:8-15

· 2 John 8

· Revelation 3:11

· Romans 8:29-30

· 1 Timothy 1:12

· Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30

4.11 The Second Coming

We believe in the Rapture-the personal, premillennial and imminent return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ "in the air." This has been the "Blessed Hope" of every born-again believer in the Church Age and has a vital bearing on the personal life and service of the believer. At that time, He will receive to Himself the resurrected bodies of those who have "died in Christ" and also all those who are presently alive and "in Christ."

· 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

· 1 Thessalonians 5:6-10

· 1 Corinthians 15:50-55

· Acts 1:11; Titus 2:11-14

· James 5:8

· Revelation 19:11

· Revelation 20:1-6

He will then return "with His saints" thereafter to execute judgment upon the ungodly nations before the inauguration of His earthly millennial reign at His second coming to the earth.

· Jude 14-15

· Matthew 25:31-46

The Lord will cast the antichrist and the false prophet into the lake of fire, send Satan into the abyss and establish His earthly kingdom. The Lord Jesus Christ will reign one thousand years, thus literally fulfilling the covenant promises made to a believing remnant of Israel through the Patriarchs of the Old Testament.

· Isaiah 11:1-16

· Revelation 19:19-20; 20:1-6

After the earthly reign of one thousand years, He will bring all the unsaved dead to the judgment of the Great White Throne and all who stand before that Throne will be cast into the lake of fire forever.

· Revelation 20:11-15

· Matthew 7:21-23

Satan will also be cast into the lake of fire at that time.

· Revelation 20:10

4.12 The Personality of Satan

We believe in a real, personal Satan, "that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world." He is actively opposing the cause of Christ on every hand and is the arch enemy of every true believer. His warfare incorporates the deception of mixing error and truth as well as that which is flagrantly vile and evil.

· 2 Corinthians 11:1-15

· 1 Peter 5:8-9

· Revelation 12:9-10

· Matthew 4:2-11

· Isaiah 14:12-17

· John 8:24

He marshals a host of fallen angels that can also serve to deceive the unsuspecting by "transforming themselves into...apostles of Christ [and] ministers of righteousness..." (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). These false spirits can influence the unfaithful servant to say helpful and even true things and can also themselves energize ones to do the miraculous. Therefore, every experience and teaching must be examined in light of the Word of God to determine its true source.

· Isaiah 8:20

· 1 John 4:1

4.13 The Body of Christ

We believe that the true Church is composed of all such persons who, through saving faith in Jesus Christ, having made Him their Savior and Lord, have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit and are united together in the body of Christ, of which He is the Head.

· 1 Corinthians 12:12-14

· Colossians 1:18

· Romans 8:14-27

· James 1:18

· John 1:12

· 1 Corinthians 1:2

· Matthew 16:16-19

We believe that only those who are thus members of the true Church shall be eligible for membership in the local church.

· Acts 2:41, 47b, 11:24

· Colossians 1:2

4.14 The Local Church and Its Mission

We believe God has ordained the ministry of local assemblies of believers to accomplish His work in this age extending from Pentecost to the Translation of Christ's Body at His appearing. The church's membership is to be composed of regenerated, baptized believers. The two ordinances of the local church are believer's baptism by immersion, and the memorial of the Lord's Supper until He returns. The church is to be missionary and evangelistic in spreading the Gospel into all the world. It is to strive together for the faith of the Gospel, proclaim and maintain purity of doctrine and practice, and worship and serve the Lord in "spirit and truth."

· Acts 2:41-47; 20:17-32

· Matthew 28:16-20

· Ephesians 4:11-16

· 1 Corinthians 11:23-34

4.15 Lord’s Supper and Water Baptism

We believe that the Lord’s Supper and Water Baptism are ordinances to be observed by the church during this present age. They are, however, not to be regarded as means of salvation.

· 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

· Matthew 3:15-16; 28:19

4.16 Good Works

We believe that all followers of the Lord Jesus Christ should maintain good works, a "good work" being that which is done in obedience to the will of God as revealed in the Word of God. Works will determine the reward or loss of reward at the Judgment Seat of Christ before which every Christian will stand. Every believer must realize his responsibility before God to "maintain good works," i.e., walk in the light of the Word of God. The Bible is the believer's absolute Standard of faith and practice, his perfect Counsel. The Word provides him with "all things that pertain unto life and godliness" (2 Peter 1:3-4). The Bible, rather than any form of psychological counseling or therapy, is the answer.

· Ephesians 2:8-10

· Titus 2:11-14; 3:1-11

· 1 Thessalonians 5:23

· 1 Corinthians 1:18-29; 3:8-15

· 2 Corinthians 5:9-11

4.17 Separation

We believe that all Christians are first to be separated wholly unto the Lord, and as a necessary result, they must be:

1) separated from worldly and sinful practices. They are to be holy, even as He is holy, and this desired behavior will always be diametrically opposed to the course of this present age.

· 1 Peter 1:13-16

· 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

· Romans 12:1-2

· 1 John 2:15-17

2) separated from apostasy and unbelief. A believer must not be "unequally yoked together with unbelievers," thereby being identified with unbelief by association, whether in ministry, worship, or by joint religious activities.

· 2 Corinthians 6:14-18

· 1 Timothy 6:3-5

· 2 Timothy 2:19-22; 3:1-5

· Amos 3:3

3) separated from disobedient brethren and compromise of essential doctrine with respect to all ministry and service. A believer is identified with the doctrinal positions and practices of those he is in fellowship with, both before God and man. Separation from those who are not walking according to truth deters the leavening effect of compromise, and gives a faithful warning to the erring brother.

· Romans 16:17

· 2 Thessalonians 3:6,14-15

· 2 John 10-11

· Galatians 2:9-11

· 1 Corinthians 15:33

5. AMENDMENTS

We have endeavored to base this constitution on the principles taught in God’s Word. However, if there is shown to be an inconsistency between this constitution and the Bible, we hold the Bible to be our final authority. Amendments to this constitution may be made at any time, so long as the proposed amendment(s) is presented in writing to the members at least two weeks before the vote is to be held. Two-thirds of the voting members must approve any amendments to this constitution.