STATEMENT OF FAITH
the following are the Biblical doctrines of SOUL WINNERS BIBLE CHURCH (SWBC). This statement of faith does not exhaust the extent of our faith. The Bible itself is the sole and final source of all that we believe.
I The Holy Scriptures – We believe the Christian Bible – the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, excluding the apocrypha – to be the only verbally inspired Word of God, God's supernatural revelation of Himself to man, the final authority for faith and life, inerrant in the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek writings, infallible, and God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16, 17; 2 Peter 1:20, 21). We believe in a literal (normal) interpretation of the Bible in light of the historical context and proper grammar, therefore:
II GOD – The Godhead is one Triune God, eternally existing in three Persons – Father, Word (Son), and Holy Spirit – Eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections. (Deut. 6:4; 2 Cor. 13:14; Titus 2:13; Acts 5:3, 4; Gen. 1:26).
III The Person and the Work of Christ
The eternal “WORD,” the “image” and “form” of GOD, “the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature,” temporarily “emptied Himself” of His original Glory and voluntary use of His attributes and “taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men” --Jesus the Christ, the Son of Man, the Son of God, while still God, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of Mary while she was still a virgin, in order that He might further reveal God and redeem sinful men (Isa. 9:6; John 1:1, 14; John 17:5; Luke 1:35; Phil. 2:6, 7; Col. 1:15; Heb. 1:3).
The Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as our representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead (Col. 2:13, 14; Rom. 3:24, 25; Rom. 4:25; 2 Cor. 5:21; Eph. 1:7; 1 Peter 1:3-5; 2:24).
The Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven, and is now seated at the right hand of God, where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Mediator, Intercessor, and Advocate (Acts 1:9-11; Heb. 9:24; 1 John. 2:1, 2).
IV The Person and Work of God the Holy Spirit
God the Holy Spirit is He who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and He is the supernatural agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them for the day of redemption (John 16:8-11; 2 Cor. 3:6; 5:5; 1 Cor.12:12-14; Rom. 8:9; Eph. 1:13, 14; 4:30).
He is the Divine Teacher who guides all believers in all truth; and it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with (controlled by) the Spirit (John 16:13; 1 John 2:20, 27: Eph. 5:18).
V The Sinfulness (Depravity) of Man
Man was created in the image and likeness of God, but because of sin the race fell, inheriting the sinful nature, and man thus became depraved and alienated from God. And thus there is no good thing that dwells in his flesh. Although man is now depraved (and through his own efforts in 'righteous works' is utterly unable to remedy his lost and fallen condition), God places a portion of truth within all men (Rom. 1:19), and expects each man to respond to this truth within by seeking the Lord (Acts 15:17; Acts 17:27). If a man suppresses this truth (Rom. 1:18), God declares that the man is “without excuse" (Rom. 1:20), and He is not obligated to provide more truth. Sinful man has the responsibility and God given ability to respond to the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit and place their faith in Christ (2 Thess. 2:13). He who seeks will find (Matt. 7:7). He who continues to reject the knowledge of God is given over in the lust of his heart, to vile passions, and to his debased (depraved) and darkened mind (Rom.1:21, 24, 26, 28).
VI Salvation
The eternal penalty for our sins is separation from God in a literal flaming torment (HADES–ABYSS, then the LAKE OF FIRE) (Rom. 3:23; 5:12; 6:23; Luke 16:19-31; Rev. 20:11-15). Salvation from this deserved penalty is provided as a "free gift” purchased by the suffering of the LORD JESUS CHRIST to the point of death on the cross (Rom. 5:8-10; Col. 2:13-14; Phil. 2:8-11). God's grace offers this "gift of eternal life" to ALL (Eph. 2:8-9; Rom. 5:15-18; Heb. 2:9; 1 Jn. 2:2). Man receives this “gift" when he exercises his responsibility to “BELIEVE" that he does and always will deserve to be in hell forever. He must then “BELIEVE” (have faith in, trust, rely on, rest in) the fact that Christ's suffering was sufficient payment of the eternal penalty for ALL of his sins – past, present, and future (John 3:16-18; 5:24; Heb. 9:12, 26; 10:10, 12, 14 ). No amount of “good works,” or “sacraments,” will get you saved, keep you saved, or prove that you are saved; salvation is received by faith in Jesus Christ APART from any works of any kind (Ps. 51:5; Rom. 3:10, 19-24, 28; 4:1-8; Ja. 2:10; Is. 64:6; Titus 3:5).
VII The Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers
All the redeemed, once saved, are saved eternally by God's plan and power, and thus are secure in Christ forever. You cannot “sin away,” “lose,” “fall away from,” ‘reject,” or “return” that which is ETERNAL – your salvation. (John 6:37-40; John 10:27-30; Rom. 8:1, 38, 39; 1 Cor. 3:11-15; 1 Peter 1:5).
It is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God's Word; this privilege however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion for the flesh (Rom. 13:13,14; Gal. 5:13; Titus 2:11-15).
Those who do not understand or believe in eternal security do not understand or believe the GOSPEL. Eternal Security IS the necessary conclusion to truly believe the gospel of the GRACE of God. Those that reject this security are lost (John 10:28-29; Rom. 4:4-8; Gal. 2:4, 3:1-14, 5:1-4; Eph. 1:13-14; Col. 2:10-14; Titus 3:5-7; Heb. 11:1).
VIII Unbiblical Gospel Clichés
SWBC rejects the use of Christian clichés such as “accepting Jesus in your heart,” “making a commitment, “ “praying a sinner's prayer,” “giving your life to Jesus,” “asking Jesus into your heart,” etc., which are totally unbiblical in their origin. These clichés only serve to confuse the unbeliever and, since they are unbiblical, they must be viewed as distortions of the true gospel (Gal. 1:6-10; 2 Cor. 11:4).
IX The Two Natures of the Believer
Every saved person possesses two natures, with provision made for the victory of the new (divine) nature over the old (sinful) man, or “carnal” nature through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. All claims to the eradication of the old (sin) nature in this life are unscriptural (Rom. 6:13; Rom. 8:12-13; Rom. 6-8; Gal. 5:16; Eph. 4:22-24; Col. 3:1-15; 1 Peter 1:23; 1 John. 1:1-10). The saved person who is living carnal (according to the old nature) will be disciplined by their heavenly Father (Acts 5:1-10; 1 Cor. 11:29-32; Heb. 12:5-11).
X Separation – God commands believers to be separate:
The saved are not to be bound or yoked in relationships with unbelievers, e.g., marriage, false religions, business partnerships, etc., (2 Cor. 6:14-18: Rev. 18:4).
The saved are to “turn away, keep aloof, withdraw, avoid, reject, not associate with, and not even eat with," other saved who refuse correction in their morals or doctrines, yet they are not to be regarded as enemies, but admonished as brethren (Rom.16:17; 1 Cor. 5:11; 2 Thess. 3:6,14,15; 1 Tim. 6:3-5; 2 Tim. 3:1-5; Ti.3:10, 11).
XI Christian Liberty
We believe that the Scripture binds believers together around non-negotiables such as the gospel, fundamental doctrines, and clear biblical mandates, but that there are many areas in the Christian life that are not enumerated on in the Scripture (they are neither commanded or condemned); and therefore such areas are a matter of personal liberty, conscience, and conviction (Rom. 14:5-8, 22-23). In these matters all that we do should be done to the glory of God and giving no offense to others (1 Cor. 10:31-32). Believers are neither to be “despising” nor “judging” others because of different practices in “doubtful things,” but rather are to receive one another as fellow-servants (Rom. 14; 1 Cor. 8-10). We reject all attempts to elevate extra-biblical standards to the level of scriptural authority; such attempts often divide the Body of Christ and/or endeavor to establish one’s holiness apart from the work of Christ. Such practices lead to spiritual elitism, pride, and inauthentic holiness that stress the external over the internal. Believers must, therefore, be convinced in their own faith of the rightness or wrongness of a practice through their personal study of the Scriptures and stand before God in assurance of their faith while biblically loving those of differing persuasions.
XII Spiritual Gifts
God is sovereign in the bestowment of all His gifts. The elders’ teaching gifts of evangelist and pastor are necessary for the equipping of the saints today (Eph. 4:11-13). However, God has given other gifts to the saints that include: teaching, service, exhortation, giving, leadership, and mercy, (Rom. 12.6-8). It is the proper working of all these gifts that causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love (1 Cor. 12:12-27). The Spirit gifts listed in I Cor. 12:7-11, along with the gifts of apostle and prophet, gradually ceased with the completion of the Bible (1 Cor. 12:4-11, 13:8-10; 2Cor. 12:12; Eph. 4:7-12).
God hears and answers the prayers of faith for the sick and afflicted in accord with His own will (John 15:7; 1 John 5:14,15; James 5:14-16).
XIII The Church
The universal church, which is the body and espoused bride of Christ, is a spiritual assembly made up of all those who have put their faith in the blood of Christ (His sacrificial death) as their only means of salvation and thus forever possess eternal life (Acts 2:23-31; Eph. 1:22, 23; 5:24-27; 1 Cor. 12:12-14; 2 Cor. 11:2).
The establishment of local churches with elders as leaders is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament scriptures (Acts 14:27; 20:17; 1 Tim. 3:1 - 13, Titus 1:5-11). The local church elders are responsible to equip the saints for the work of service (Acts 14:23; Eph. 3:10; 4:11-14; Tit. 1:5).
Believers are commanded to submit to and obey church elders (Heb. 13:17).
XIII Church Titles – Jesus commands us to not be called, or to address anyone, as (our spiritual) "father," "rabbi," "master," "leader," "teacher," or "doctor." Leaders in the church are never to be referred to by any of these titles, although they may hold such a position and/or be gifted as a leader or teacher. The following reasons are given: (1) Christ is our Teacher and our Leader--to be replaced later by the Holy Spirit, (2) all saints are brothers (the early church leaders were addressed as brothers or fellow bond-servants), and (3) God is our Father. The elders in the church are to be "teachers," and they are to be "leaders.” They are to fulfill the position, but reject the title. A fourth reason given is that titles of honor often produce haughtiness and arrogance. That is why Jesus condemned them in the church; yet, in the world, these titles are acceptable. We have earthly fathers and grandfathers. We also have those in the medical professions whom we refer to as doctors, and those who are master plumbers and electricians, trail guides and leaders (Matt. 23:6-12; Luke 2:46; Jn. 1:38; 14:16, 17; 16:12-14; Eph. 4:11; Col. 4:7,9,10,11; 1 Tim. 3:2; Heb. 13:17,23; 1 Pet. 5:12; 2 Pet. 3:15; Rev. 1:9).
XIV Church Ordinances
There are two ordinances instituted by Jesus Christ for the Church Age believers:
Water baptism is the immersion, in water, of believers, as a public testimony to their faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior. The believer must be able to communicate an understanding of these truths before baptism. That is why there is no mention of infants or young children being baptized found in the Bible (Rom. 6:4, 5; Acts 8:12; 36-38; 10:47, 48).
The Lord's Supper is the commemoration of the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. It should always be preceded by solemn self- examination, and we should continue to remember Him this way until He comes (1Cor.11:23 -28). These ordinances are not in any way part of the salvation plan, as erroneously taught by Calvin, Luther, the Roman Catholic Church, and others. There are no other memorials commanded by Christ, taught in the scriptures, or practiced by the apostles.
XVI The Personality of Satan
atan is a fallen angel, the author of sin. He is the open and declared enemy of God and man, and he shall be eternally punished in the lake of fire (Job 1:6, 7; Isaiah 14:12-17; Ezek. 28:11-19; Matt. 4:2-11; Matt. 25:41; Rev. 20:10).
XVII Dispensationalism
The Bible can only be accurately interpreted, “rightly dividing the Word of Truth,” by using the dispensational approach. Dispensations are the different time frames in the Bible, such as when Adam and Eve were in the garden, the time from Moses to Christ’s resurrection, the Church Age, the Millennium, etc., where God tests mankind in different ways. All teachings outside of dispensationalism are rejected, such as the extreme teaching known as “hyper-dispensationalism," which is the teaching that opposes either the Lord's Supper or water baptism as a scriptural means of public believers’ testimony for the church of this age (Acts 2:41,42; 16:31-33; 18:8; 1 Cor. 1: 13-17).
XVIII The Second Advent
The Second Advent of Christ is a two-part event. The first part is the "Blessed Hope" – the personal, imminent, pre-tribulation appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ, coming for His redeemed ones in the clouds –the “HARPAZO" or "RAPTURE.” The second part is His subsequent return to earth with His saints to establish His millennial earthly Messianic kingdom which was promised to the nation of Israel (Zech. 14:4-11; Rev. 19:11-16; Rev. 20:1-6; 1 Thess. 1:10; 4:13-18, 5:9;).
XIX The Eternal State
We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men – the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment (Matt. 25:46; John 5:28, 29; 11:25, 26; Rev. 20:5, 6, 12, 13).
We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where they consciously await resurrection – when spirit, soul, and body are reunited TO BE FOREVER WITH THE LORD (2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23, 3:21; 1 Thess. 4:16, 17).
We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious punishment and torment in Hades until resurrection. Then, with soul, spirit, and body reunited, they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment, be judged according to their deeds, and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment and torment (Matt. 25:41-46; Mark. 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-26; 2 Thess. 1:7-9; Jude 6, 7; Rev. 20:11-15).
XX Creation
We believe that God created the universe in six literal, 24-hour periods. We reject evolution, the Gap Theory, the Day Age Theory, and theistic evolution as unscriptural theories of origin (Genesis 1-2; Ex. 20:11).
XXI Authority and Government
We believe that in this present Church Age God has ordained certain areas of human authority, consisting of three basic institutions: 1) the home; 2) the church; 3) the state. The purpose of these institutions is to provide for human needs, authoritatively encourage and enforce obedience to God’s Word – the Bible, and to appropriately punish disobedience – or sin. Every person (including the authorities themselves) should be subject to these institutions, as long as the institutions follow Biblical principles. God has given each institution specific Biblical authority and responsibilities and balanced them with the understanding that any transgression of Biblical principles may give the other institutions the right to infringe upon them – to correct them or administer God’s discipline according to the guidelines of Matt. 18:15-17; Rom. 13:1-7 and 1 Cor.6:1-6. In this present Church Age, neither the home nor the church has the authority to carry out public incarceration or capital punishment. Neither the home nor the state has the authority to determine sound Biblical doctrine. The private homes, being the smallest spheres of authority, make up both the state and the church and are to be subject to them in areas that do not violate Biblical precepts and sound doctrine. The authorities of both the home and the state are to be under the authority of the local church elders, the church being God’s highest authority in this present age. It is the church elders who “keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account.” It is only the church that is “the pillar and support of the truth,” the “restrainer of lawlessness” in the world, and has God’s promise that “the gates of Hades shall not overpower it” (Matt. 16:18; Acts 4:18, 19; Rom. 13:1-7; Eph. 5:22-6:5; 2 Thess. 2:7; 1 Tim. 3:15; Heb. 13:17; 1 Pet. 2:13-17; Rev. 1:20, 22:16).
XXII Human Sexuality, Authority, Clothing, and Hair
a. We believe that God has commanded that no sexual activity be engaged in outside of the marriage bond between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, and pornography are sinful perversions of God's gift of sex (Gen. 2:24; Gen. 19:5, 13; Gen. 26:8, 9; Lev. 18:1-30; Rom 1: 26-32; 1 Cor. 5:1; 6:9; 1 Thess. 4:1-8; Heb. 13:4).
b. We believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one woman (Gen. 2:24; Rom.7:2; 1 Cor. 7:10; Eph. 5:22-23).
c. We believe that men and women are spiritually equal in position before God but that God has ordained distinct and separate spiritual functions for men and women in the home and in the church. The husband is to be the leader of the home and men are to be the leaders (pastors and evangelists – elders, and deacons) of the church. Accordingly, only men are eligible for ordination by the church (Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:18; 1 Tim. 2:8-15; 3:4-5, 12).
d. We believe that there are to be distinctions between male and female clothing. Special care should be given to modest dress, especially with women (Deut. 22:5; 1 Cor. 6:9; 1 Tim. 2:9).
e. We believe that there are gender correct hair lengths for men and women. Long hair on a man makes him dishonorable. A woman with short hair disgraces herself. The woman’s head is to be covered (long hair); her long hair is given to her in place of a mantle (I Cor. 11:1-16; Rev. 9:7, 8).
XXIII Divorce and Remarriage – We believe that God hates divorce and intends marriage to last until one of the spouses dies. Desertion is considered divorce. To initiate divorce (leave or put out your spouse) is sin, and remarriage of a Christian who has initiated a divorce while being a believer is regarded as adultery. One who has been deserted or put out has the right to file for divorce, since their mate has already divorced them. Divorced men, or divorced men who have remarried, may hold positions of service in the church – elder or deacon – if they did not desert their mate, or initiate the divorce (Matt. 5:31,32; 19:3-9; Mark 10:11-12;Luke 16:18; I Cor. 7:10-16, 27-28).
XXIV Abortion – We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any teachings that abortions of pregnancies are acceptable due to rape, incest, birth defect, gender selection, birth or population control, or the mental well being of the mother. (Job 3:16; Psalms 51:5; 139:14-16; Isa. 44:24; 49:1, 5; Jer. 1:5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:44).
XXV Alcohol – The abuse of alcohol is condemned in the Bible as the sin of drunkenness (as the abuse of eating food is the sin of gluttony and the abuse of sex is the sin of immorality). The general consumption of alcohol is not condemned (Num. 6:20; Deut.14:26; Isa. 25:6; Luke 7:33-34; 1 Tim. 3:3, 8; Tit. 1:7).
XXVI Giving – We believe that every Christian, as a steward of that portion of God's wealth entrusted to him, is obligated to support his local church financially. Christians should give their offerings sacrificially and cheerfully for the support of the church, the relief of those in need, and the spread of the gospel. We believe that Christians relinquish all rights to direct the use of their offering once the gift has been made (Gen. 14:20; Prov. 3:9-10; Acts 4:34-37; 1 Cor. 16:2; 2 Cor. 9:6-7; Gal. 6:6; Eph. 4:28; 1 Tim. 5:17-18; 1 John 3:17).
XXVII Missions – The saved are obligated, commanded, and privileged to verbally proclaim the gospel in the marketplace to all mankind and to witness by word, works, and lifestyle as to the truths of Holy Scripture (Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8; 2 Cor. 2:14-16; 5:14-20; 1 Pet. 2:9).
XXVIII Christian Counseling – The Word of God teaches that "all scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be ADEQUATE, equipped for every good work (Rom. 15:14; 2 Tim. 3:16, 17; 2 Peter 1:2-4). Thus, counseling for Christians is FULLY contained within the Bible. SWBC rejects all pseudo-scientific counseling systems invented by men such as Freud, Rogers, Mowrer, or Skinner, and rejects any and all psychiatry, A. A., N. A., and any other polytheistic, or secular humanistic programs or systems. SWBC also rejects the mood altering psychotropic drugs of the psychiatric community such as Ritalin, Prozac, and the like as sorcery and drug abuse.
XXX Bible Translations – Although the Bible was inerrant in its original manuscripts, the recopying of these manuscripts has produced minor scribal errors in the numerous manuscripts that we have today. The many Bibles translated from these manuscripts all contain minor translation errors, along with the scribal errors. These errors, which make up less than one tenth of one per cent of the total Bible, are included in the translations as a matter of honesty, but in no way confuse any of the Biblical doctrines, nor lessen its supreme authority as the only book that is God’s Word. Although some translations are better than others, we reject any elitist divisive attitude that tries to communicate that there is only one correct, flawless, usable translation, e.g., "KJV only."
I The Holy Scriptures – We believe the Christian Bible – the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, excluding the apocrypha – to be the only verbally inspired Word of God, God's supernatural revelation of Himself to man, the final authority for faith and life, inerrant in the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek writings, infallible, and God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16, 17; 2 Peter 1:20, 21). We believe in a literal (normal) interpretation of the Bible in light of the historical context and proper grammar, therefore:
II GOD – The Godhead is one Triune God, eternally existing in three Persons – Father, Word (Son), and Holy Spirit – Eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections. (Deut. 6:4; 2 Cor. 13:14; Titus 2:13; Acts 5:3, 4; Gen. 1:26).
III The Person and the Work of Christ
The eternal “WORD,” the “image” and “form” of GOD, “the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature,” temporarily “emptied Himself” of His original Glory and voluntary use of His attributes and “taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men” --Jesus the Christ, the Son of Man, the Son of God, while still God, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of Mary while she was still a virgin, in order that He might further reveal God and redeem sinful men (Isa. 9:6; John 1:1, 14; John 17:5; Luke 1:35; Phil. 2:6, 7; Col. 1:15; Heb. 1:3).
The Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as our representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead (Col. 2:13, 14; Rom. 3:24, 25; Rom. 4:25; 2 Cor. 5:21; Eph. 1:7; 1 Peter 1:3-5; 2:24).
The Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven, and is now seated at the right hand of God, where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Mediator, Intercessor, and Advocate (Acts 1:9-11; Heb. 9:24; 1 John. 2:1, 2).
IV The Person and Work of God the Holy Spirit
God the Holy Spirit is He who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and He is the supernatural agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them for the day of redemption (John 16:8-11; 2 Cor. 3:6; 5:5; 1 Cor.12:12-14; Rom. 8:9; Eph. 1:13, 14; 4:30).
He is the Divine Teacher who guides all believers in all truth; and it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with (controlled by) the Spirit (John 16:13; 1 John 2:20, 27: Eph. 5:18).
V The Sinfulness (Depravity) of Man
Man was created in the image and likeness of God, but because of sin the race fell, inheriting the sinful nature, and man thus became depraved and alienated from God. And thus there is no good thing that dwells in his flesh. Although man is now depraved (and through his own efforts in 'righteous works' is utterly unable to remedy his lost and fallen condition), God places a portion of truth within all men (Rom. 1:19), and expects each man to respond to this truth within by seeking the Lord (Acts 15:17; Acts 17:27). If a man suppresses this truth (Rom. 1:18), God declares that the man is “without excuse" (Rom. 1:20), and He is not obligated to provide more truth. Sinful man has the responsibility and God given ability to respond to the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit and place their faith in Christ (2 Thess. 2:13). He who seeks will find (Matt. 7:7). He who continues to reject the knowledge of God is given over in the lust of his heart, to vile passions, and to his debased (depraved) and darkened mind (Rom.1:21, 24, 26, 28).
VI Salvation
The eternal penalty for our sins is separation from God in a literal flaming torment (HADES–ABYSS, then the LAKE OF FIRE) (Rom. 3:23; 5:12; 6:23; Luke 16:19-31; Rev. 20:11-15). Salvation from this deserved penalty is provided as a "free gift” purchased by the suffering of the LORD JESUS CHRIST to the point of death on the cross (Rom. 5:8-10; Col. 2:13-14; Phil. 2:8-11). God's grace offers this "gift of eternal life" to ALL (Eph. 2:8-9; Rom. 5:15-18; Heb. 2:9; 1 Jn. 2:2). Man receives this “gift" when he exercises his responsibility to “BELIEVE" that he does and always will deserve to be in hell forever. He must then “BELIEVE” (have faith in, trust, rely on, rest in) the fact that Christ's suffering was sufficient payment of the eternal penalty for ALL of his sins – past, present, and future (John 3:16-18; 5:24; Heb. 9:12, 26; 10:10, 12, 14 ). No amount of “good works,” or “sacraments,” will get you saved, keep you saved, or prove that you are saved; salvation is received by faith in Jesus Christ APART from any works of any kind (Ps. 51:5; Rom. 3:10, 19-24, 28; 4:1-8; Ja. 2:10; Is. 64:6; Titus 3:5).
VII The Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers
All the redeemed, once saved, are saved eternally by God's plan and power, and thus are secure in Christ forever. You cannot “sin away,” “lose,” “fall away from,” ‘reject,” or “return” that which is ETERNAL – your salvation. (John 6:37-40; John 10:27-30; Rom. 8:1, 38, 39; 1 Cor. 3:11-15; 1 Peter 1:5).
It is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God's Word; this privilege however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion for the flesh (Rom. 13:13,14; Gal. 5:13; Titus 2:11-15).
Those who do not understand or believe in eternal security do not understand or believe the GOSPEL. Eternal Security IS the necessary conclusion to truly believe the gospel of the GRACE of God. Those that reject this security are lost (John 10:28-29; Rom. 4:4-8; Gal. 2:4, 3:1-14, 5:1-4; Eph. 1:13-14; Col. 2:10-14; Titus 3:5-7; Heb. 11:1).
VIII Unbiblical Gospel Clichés
SWBC rejects the use of Christian clichés such as “accepting Jesus in your heart,” “making a commitment, “ “praying a sinner's prayer,” “giving your life to Jesus,” “asking Jesus into your heart,” etc., which are totally unbiblical in their origin. These clichés only serve to confuse the unbeliever and, since they are unbiblical, they must be viewed as distortions of the true gospel (Gal. 1:6-10; 2 Cor. 11:4).
IX The Two Natures of the Believer
Every saved person possesses two natures, with provision made for the victory of the new (divine) nature over the old (sinful) man, or “carnal” nature through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. All claims to the eradication of the old (sin) nature in this life are unscriptural (Rom. 6:13; Rom. 8:12-13; Rom. 6-8; Gal. 5:16; Eph. 4:22-24; Col. 3:1-15; 1 Peter 1:23; 1 John. 1:1-10). The saved person who is living carnal (according to the old nature) will be disciplined by their heavenly Father (Acts 5:1-10; 1 Cor. 11:29-32; Heb. 12:5-11).
X Separation – God commands believers to be separate:
The saved are not to be bound or yoked in relationships with unbelievers, e.g., marriage, false religions, business partnerships, etc., (2 Cor. 6:14-18: Rev. 18:4).
The saved are to “turn away, keep aloof, withdraw, avoid, reject, not associate with, and not even eat with," other saved who refuse correction in their morals or doctrines, yet they are not to be regarded as enemies, but admonished as brethren (Rom.16:17; 1 Cor. 5:11; 2 Thess. 3:6,14,15; 1 Tim. 6:3-5; 2 Tim. 3:1-5; Ti.3:10, 11).
XI Christian Liberty
We believe that the Scripture binds believers together around non-negotiables such as the gospel, fundamental doctrines, and clear biblical mandates, but that there are many areas in the Christian life that are not enumerated on in the Scripture (they are neither commanded or condemned); and therefore such areas are a matter of personal liberty, conscience, and conviction (Rom. 14:5-8, 22-23). In these matters all that we do should be done to the glory of God and giving no offense to others (1 Cor. 10:31-32). Believers are neither to be “despising” nor “judging” others because of different practices in “doubtful things,” but rather are to receive one another as fellow-servants (Rom. 14; 1 Cor. 8-10). We reject all attempts to elevate extra-biblical standards to the level of scriptural authority; such attempts often divide the Body of Christ and/or endeavor to establish one’s holiness apart from the work of Christ. Such practices lead to spiritual elitism, pride, and inauthentic holiness that stress the external over the internal. Believers must, therefore, be convinced in their own faith of the rightness or wrongness of a practice through their personal study of the Scriptures and stand before God in assurance of their faith while biblically loving those of differing persuasions.
XII Spiritual Gifts
God is sovereign in the bestowment of all His gifts. The elders’ teaching gifts of evangelist and pastor are necessary for the equipping of the saints today (Eph. 4:11-13). However, God has given other gifts to the saints that include: teaching, service, exhortation, giving, leadership, and mercy, (Rom. 12.6-8). It is the proper working of all these gifts that causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love (1 Cor. 12:12-27). The Spirit gifts listed in I Cor. 12:7-11, along with the gifts of apostle and prophet, gradually ceased with the completion of the Bible (1 Cor. 12:4-11, 13:8-10; 2Cor. 12:12; Eph. 4:7-12).
God hears and answers the prayers of faith for the sick and afflicted in accord with His own will (John 15:7; 1 John 5:14,15; James 5:14-16).
XIII The Church
The universal church, which is the body and espoused bride of Christ, is a spiritual assembly made up of all those who have put their faith in the blood of Christ (His sacrificial death) as their only means of salvation and thus forever possess eternal life (Acts 2:23-31; Eph. 1:22, 23; 5:24-27; 1 Cor. 12:12-14; 2 Cor. 11:2).
The establishment of local churches with elders as leaders is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament scriptures (Acts 14:27; 20:17; 1 Tim. 3:1 - 13, Titus 1:5-11). The local church elders are responsible to equip the saints for the work of service (Acts 14:23; Eph. 3:10; 4:11-14; Tit. 1:5).
Believers are commanded to submit to and obey church elders (Heb. 13:17).
XIII Church Titles – Jesus commands us to not be called, or to address anyone, as (our spiritual) "father," "rabbi," "master," "leader," "teacher," or "doctor." Leaders in the church are never to be referred to by any of these titles, although they may hold such a position and/or be gifted as a leader or teacher. The following reasons are given: (1) Christ is our Teacher and our Leader--to be replaced later by the Holy Spirit, (2) all saints are brothers (the early church leaders were addressed as brothers or fellow bond-servants), and (3) God is our Father. The elders in the church are to be "teachers," and they are to be "leaders.” They are to fulfill the position, but reject the title. A fourth reason given is that titles of honor often produce haughtiness and arrogance. That is why Jesus condemned them in the church; yet, in the world, these titles are acceptable. We have earthly fathers and grandfathers. We also have those in the medical professions whom we refer to as doctors, and those who are master plumbers and electricians, trail guides and leaders (Matt. 23:6-12; Luke 2:46; Jn. 1:38; 14:16, 17; 16:12-14; Eph. 4:11; Col. 4:7,9,10,11; 1 Tim. 3:2; Heb. 13:17,23; 1 Pet. 5:12; 2 Pet. 3:15; Rev. 1:9).
XIV Church Ordinances
There are two ordinances instituted by Jesus Christ for the Church Age believers:
Water baptism is the immersion, in water, of believers, as a public testimony to their faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior. The believer must be able to communicate an understanding of these truths before baptism. That is why there is no mention of infants or young children being baptized found in the Bible (Rom. 6:4, 5; Acts 8:12; 36-38; 10:47, 48).
The Lord's Supper is the commemoration of the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. It should always be preceded by solemn self- examination, and we should continue to remember Him this way until He comes (1Cor.11:23 -28). These ordinances are not in any way part of the salvation plan, as erroneously taught by Calvin, Luther, the Roman Catholic Church, and others. There are no other memorials commanded by Christ, taught in the scriptures, or practiced by the apostles.
XVI The Personality of Satan
atan is a fallen angel, the author of sin. He is the open and declared enemy of God and man, and he shall be eternally punished in the lake of fire (Job 1:6, 7; Isaiah 14:12-17; Ezek. 28:11-19; Matt. 4:2-11; Matt. 25:41; Rev. 20:10).
XVII Dispensationalism
The Bible can only be accurately interpreted, “rightly dividing the Word of Truth,” by using the dispensational approach. Dispensations are the different time frames in the Bible, such as when Adam and Eve were in the garden, the time from Moses to Christ’s resurrection, the Church Age, the Millennium, etc., where God tests mankind in different ways. All teachings outside of dispensationalism are rejected, such as the extreme teaching known as “hyper-dispensationalism," which is the teaching that opposes either the Lord's Supper or water baptism as a scriptural means of public believers’ testimony for the church of this age (Acts 2:41,42; 16:31-33; 18:8; 1 Cor. 1: 13-17).
XVIII The Second Advent
The Second Advent of Christ is a two-part event. The first part is the "Blessed Hope" – the personal, imminent, pre-tribulation appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ, coming for His redeemed ones in the clouds –the “HARPAZO" or "RAPTURE.” The second part is His subsequent return to earth with His saints to establish His millennial earthly Messianic kingdom which was promised to the nation of Israel (Zech. 14:4-11; Rev. 19:11-16; Rev. 20:1-6; 1 Thess. 1:10; 4:13-18, 5:9;).
XIX The Eternal State
We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men – the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment (Matt. 25:46; John 5:28, 29; 11:25, 26; Rev. 20:5, 6, 12, 13).
We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where they consciously await resurrection – when spirit, soul, and body are reunited TO BE FOREVER WITH THE LORD (2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23, 3:21; 1 Thess. 4:16, 17).
We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious punishment and torment in Hades until resurrection. Then, with soul, spirit, and body reunited, they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment, be judged according to their deeds, and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment and torment (Matt. 25:41-46; Mark. 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-26; 2 Thess. 1:7-9; Jude 6, 7; Rev. 20:11-15).
XX Creation
We believe that God created the universe in six literal, 24-hour periods. We reject evolution, the Gap Theory, the Day Age Theory, and theistic evolution as unscriptural theories of origin (Genesis 1-2; Ex. 20:11).
XXI Authority and Government
We believe that in this present Church Age God has ordained certain areas of human authority, consisting of three basic institutions: 1) the home; 2) the church; 3) the state. The purpose of these institutions is to provide for human needs, authoritatively encourage and enforce obedience to God’s Word – the Bible, and to appropriately punish disobedience – or sin. Every person (including the authorities themselves) should be subject to these institutions, as long as the institutions follow Biblical principles. God has given each institution specific Biblical authority and responsibilities and balanced them with the understanding that any transgression of Biblical principles may give the other institutions the right to infringe upon them – to correct them or administer God’s discipline according to the guidelines of Matt. 18:15-17; Rom. 13:1-7 and 1 Cor.6:1-6. In this present Church Age, neither the home nor the church has the authority to carry out public incarceration or capital punishment. Neither the home nor the state has the authority to determine sound Biblical doctrine. The private homes, being the smallest spheres of authority, make up both the state and the church and are to be subject to them in areas that do not violate Biblical precepts and sound doctrine. The authorities of both the home and the state are to be under the authority of the local church elders, the church being God’s highest authority in this present age. It is the church elders who “keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account.” It is only the church that is “the pillar and support of the truth,” the “restrainer of lawlessness” in the world, and has God’s promise that “the gates of Hades shall not overpower it” (Matt. 16:18; Acts 4:18, 19; Rom. 13:1-7; Eph. 5:22-6:5; 2 Thess. 2:7; 1 Tim. 3:15; Heb. 13:17; 1 Pet. 2:13-17; Rev. 1:20, 22:16).
XXII Human Sexuality, Authority, Clothing, and Hair
a. We believe that God has commanded that no sexual activity be engaged in outside of the marriage bond between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, and pornography are sinful perversions of God's gift of sex (Gen. 2:24; Gen. 19:5, 13; Gen. 26:8, 9; Lev. 18:1-30; Rom 1: 26-32; 1 Cor. 5:1; 6:9; 1 Thess. 4:1-8; Heb. 13:4).
b. We believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one woman (Gen. 2:24; Rom.7:2; 1 Cor. 7:10; Eph. 5:22-23).
c. We believe that men and women are spiritually equal in position before God but that God has ordained distinct and separate spiritual functions for men and women in the home and in the church. The husband is to be the leader of the home and men are to be the leaders (pastors and evangelists – elders, and deacons) of the church. Accordingly, only men are eligible for ordination by the church (Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:18; 1 Tim. 2:8-15; 3:4-5, 12).
d. We believe that there are to be distinctions between male and female clothing. Special care should be given to modest dress, especially with women (Deut. 22:5; 1 Cor. 6:9; 1 Tim. 2:9).
e. We believe that there are gender correct hair lengths for men and women. Long hair on a man makes him dishonorable. A woman with short hair disgraces herself. The woman’s head is to be covered (long hair); her long hair is given to her in place of a mantle (I Cor. 11:1-16; Rev. 9:7, 8).
XXIII Divorce and Remarriage – We believe that God hates divorce and intends marriage to last until one of the spouses dies. Desertion is considered divorce. To initiate divorce (leave or put out your spouse) is sin, and remarriage of a Christian who has initiated a divorce while being a believer is regarded as adultery. One who has been deserted or put out has the right to file for divorce, since their mate has already divorced them. Divorced men, or divorced men who have remarried, may hold positions of service in the church – elder or deacon – if they did not desert their mate, or initiate the divorce (Matt. 5:31,32; 19:3-9; Mark 10:11-12;Luke 16:18; I Cor. 7:10-16, 27-28).
XXIV Abortion – We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any teachings that abortions of pregnancies are acceptable due to rape, incest, birth defect, gender selection, birth or population control, or the mental well being of the mother. (Job 3:16; Psalms 51:5; 139:14-16; Isa. 44:24; 49:1, 5; Jer. 1:5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:44).
XXV Alcohol – The abuse of alcohol is condemned in the Bible as the sin of drunkenness (as the abuse of eating food is the sin of gluttony and the abuse of sex is the sin of immorality). The general consumption of alcohol is not condemned (Num. 6:20; Deut.14:26; Isa. 25:6; Luke 7:33-34; 1 Tim. 3:3, 8; Tit. 1:7).
XXVI Giving – We believe that every Christian, as a steward of that portion of God's wealth entrusted to him, is obligated to support his local church financially. Christians should give their offerings sacrificially and cheerfully for the support of the church, the relief of those in need, and the spread of the gospel. We believe that Christians relinquish all rights to direct the use of their offering once the gift has been made (Gen. 14:20; Prov. 3:9-10; Acts 4:34-37; 1 Cor. 16:2; 2 Cor. 9:6-7; Gal. 6:6; Eph. 4:28; 1 Tim. 5:17-18; 1 John 3:17).
XXVII Missions – The saved are obligated, commanded, and privileged to verbally proclaim the gospel in the marketplace to all mankind and to witness by word, works, and lifestyle as to the truths of Holy Scripture (Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8; 2 Cor. 2:14-16; 5:14-20; 1 Pet. 2:9).
XXVIII Christian Counseling – The Word of God teaches that "all scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be ADEQUATE, equipped for every good work (Rom. 15:14; 2 Tim. 3:16, 17; 2 Peter 1:2-4). Thus, counseling for Christians is FULLY contained within the Bible. SWBC rejects all pseudo-scientific counseling systems invented by men such as Freud, Rogers, Mowrer, or Skinner, and rejects any and all psychiatry, A. A., N. A., and any other polytheistic, or secular humanistic programs or systems. SWBC also rejects the mood altering psychotropic drugs of the psychiatric community such as Ritalin, Prozac, and the like as sorcery and drug abuse.
XXX Bible Translations – Although the Bible was inerrant in its original manuscripts, the recopying of these manuscripts has produced minor scribal errors in the numerous manuscripts that we have today. The many Bibles translated from these manuscripts all contain minor translation errors, along with the scribal errors. These errors, which make up less than one tenth of one per cent of the total Bible, are included in the translations as a matter of honesty, but in no way confuse any of the Biblical doctrines, nor lessen its supreme authority as the only book that is God’s Word. Although some translations are better than others, we reject any elitist divisive attitude that tries to communicate that there is only one correct, flawless, usable translation, e.g., "KJV only."