Doctrine
promised land ministries
promised land ministries
This organization and local assembly accepts the Holy Scriptures as the revealed word of God and the all sufficient rule of faith and practice, and it adopts the following statement of fundamental truths:
The Scriptures, Old and New Testaments, are verbally inspired of God and are the revelation of God to man; and they are the infallible, authoritative rule of faith and conduct (1 Thess. 2:13; I2 Tim. 3:15-17; 2 Pet. 1:21).
The one true God has revealed Himself as the eternally self-existent “I Am,” the Creator of heaven and earth and the Redeemer of mankind. He has further revealed Himself as embodying the principles of relationship and association as Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, hence the “Holy Trinity” (Duet. 6:4; Isa. 43:10, 11; Matt. 28:19; Luke 3:22).
The Lord Jesus Christ is the Eternal Son of God. The Scriptures declare the following:
A. His virgin birth (Matt. 1:23; Luke 1:31, 35).
B. His sinless life (Heb. 7:26; 1 Pet. 2:22).
C. His miracles (Acts 2:22; 10:38).
D. His substitutionary work on the cross (1 Cor. 15:3; 2 Cor. 5:21).
E. His bodily resurrection from the dead (Matt. 28:6; Luke 24:39; 1 Cor. 15:4).
F. His exaltation to the right hand of the God (Acts 1:9, 11; 2:33; Phil. 2:9-11; Heb. 1:1-3).
Man was created “good and upright”, for God said, “Let us make man in our own image, after our likeness.” However, man by voluntary transgression fell and thereby incurred not only physical death, but also spiritual death, which is separation from God (Gen. 1:26, 27; 2:17; 3:6; Rom. 5:12-19).
Mans only hope of redemption is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
A. Conditions of Salvation.
Salvation is received through repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ. By the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost; being justified by grace through faith, man becomes an heir of God according to the hope of eternal life (Luke 24:47; John 3:3; Rom. 10:13-15; Eph. 2:8; Tit. 2:11; 3:5-7).
B. The Evidences of Salvation.
The inward evidence of salvation is the direct witness of the Spirit (Rom. 8:16). The outward evidence to all men is a life of righteousness and true holiness (Eph. 4:24; Tit. 2:12).
A. Baptism in Water
The ordinance of baptism by immersion is commanded in the scriptures. All who repent and believe on Christ as Savior and Lord, are to be baptized. Thus they declare to the world that they have died with Christ and that they have also been raised with Him to walk in newness of life. (Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:16; Acts 10:47, 48;Rom. 6:4).
B. Holy Communion
The Lord’s Supper, consisting of the elements of bread and the fruit of the vine, is the symbol expressing the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ (2Pet. 1:4).
It is a memorial of His suffering and death (1Cor. 11:26) and a prophecy of His second coming (1Cor. 11:26); and it is enjoined on all believers “till He come”.
All believers are entitled to and should ardently expect and earnestly seek the promise of the Father, the baptism in the Holy Ghost and fire, according to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ. This was the normal experience of all in the early Christian church. With it comes the endowment of power for life and service, the bestowment of the gifts, and the uses of the gifts in the work of the ministry (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4, 8; I Cor. 12:1-31).
This experience is distinct from and subsequent to experience of the New Birth (Acts 8:12-17; 10:44-46; 11:14-16; 15:7-9). With the baptism in the Holy Ghost comes such experiences as an overflowing fullness of the Spirit (John 7:37-39*; Acts 4:8), a deepened reverence for God (Acts 2:43; Heb. 12:28), an intensified consecration to God to His work (Acts 2:42), and a more active love for Christ, for His Word, and for the lost (Mark 16:20).
The baptism of believers in the Holy Ghost is witnessed by the initial physical sign of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit of god gives them utterance (Acts 2:4). The speaking in tongues in this instance is the same in essence as the gift of tongues (I Cor. 12:4-10, 28), but different in purpose and use.
Sanctification is an act of separation from that which is evil and dedication unto God (Rom. 12:1,2; I Thes. 5:23; Heb. 13:12). The Scriptures teach a life of “holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14). By the power of he Holy Ghost we are able to obey the command: “Be ye holy; for I am holy” (I Pet. 1:15, 16). Sanctification is realized in the believer by recognizing his identification with Christ in His death and resurrection, and by faith reckoning daily upon the fact of that union, and by offering every faculty continually to the dominion of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 6:11, 13;8:1, 2, 13: Gal. 2:20; Phil. 2:12, 13; I Pet. 1:5).
The church is the body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of her great commission. Each believer, born of the Spirit, is an integral part of “the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven” (Heb. 12:23; see also Eph. 1:22, 23: 2:22).
A divinely called and scripturally ordained ministry has been provided by our Lord for a twofold purpose: (1) The evangelization of the world (Mark 16: 15-20) and (2) The edifying of the body of Christ (Eph. 4:11-13).
Divine healing is an integral part of the gospel. Deliverance from sickness is provided for in the atonement and is the privilege of all believers (Isa. 53:4, 5; Matt. 8:16, 17; Jas. 5:14-16).
The second coming of Christ includes the rapture of the saints, which is our blessed hope, followed by the visible return of Christ with His saints to reign on earth for one thousand years (Zech. 14:5; Matt. 24:27, 30; Rev. 1:7; 19:11-14; 20:1-6).
This Millennial Reign will bring the salvation of Israel (Ezek.37:21, 22: Zeph. 3:19, 20; Rom. 11:26, 27) and the establishment of universal peace (Psa. 72:3-8; Isa. 11:6-9; Mic. 4:3, 4).
There will be a final judgment in which the wicked dead will be raised and judged according to their works. Whosoever is not found written in the Book of Life, together with the devil and his angels and the beast and the false prophet, will be consigned to everlasting punishment in “the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death” (Rev. 21:8; see also Matt. 25:46; Mark 9:43-48; Rev. 19:20; 20:11-15).
“We, according to his promise, look for a new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (II Pet. 3:13; see also Rev. 21 and 22).
