THE DOCTRINE OF SALVATION:
A. ELECTION
Election means “chosen of God”. God is absolute sovereign and by His own will, and according to His foreordained plan and through His foreknowledge and grace, has chosen a people unto Himself (I Peter 1:1-9). God’s part in election is foreordination and predestination according to His foreknowledge, in which men are made accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:3-12 ;). God draws us to salvation (John 6:44). Man’s responsibility is to accept, by faith, God’s finished work in the person of Jesus Christ (John 1:12; Romans 10:9-13).
B. JUSTIFICATION -
Christ’s death makes us acceptable before God (Romans 3:24-25; II Corinthians 5:19-21; Ephesians 1:6; Colossians 1:13). Justification means to “declare one just or righteous” before God.
C. REGENERATION -
This means to be divinely born; as in born of God, born into the family of God. If we are a child of God, God is then our Father. We have been born-again, born from above, regenerated (John 1:13; James 1:18; I Peter 1:23; I John 3:9; 4:7).
D. CONVERSION -
Including repentance and faith - Repentance is to change one’s mind about who Christ is and realize our sinful condition (Luke 13:3). Faith is “a positive response to God’s truth”. When we change our minds about Christ and our sinful condition and respond positively to God’s truth, believing, receiving, and repenting of our sinfulness, then we can experience “new birth” or conversion (Acts 20:21; Romans 2:4; 10:9-17). True repentance will result in a true change in the believer's life!
E. UNION WITH CHRIST -
We, as believers, have been joined to Christ as “part of His body” (I Corinthians 12:27). We are also “joint heirs” with Christ (Romans 8:17).
F. SANCTIFICATION -
At the time of salvation the Lord sets us apart from the power and penalty of our sin and the Holy Spirit continues to conform us into the image of Jesus Christ (Romans 5:8-9; I Corinthians 6:11; Ephesians 4:24). We do not believe in a so- called “second blessing”. The second blessing is some type of second work of grace. Our salvation was complete in Christ and He has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. We do not believe in eradication of the old or sinful nature in this life. We must reckon ourselves dead unto sin (Romans 6:1-23). Paul teaches that the old sin nature is still present in the lives of believers (Romans 7:15-21).
G. ETERNAL SECURITY -
At the time of salvation the believer is made eternally secure in Christ, never to lose his salvation (John 10:29; Romans 4:21).
A. ELECTION
Election means “chosen of God”. God is absolute sovereign and by His own will, and according to His foreordained plan and through His foreknowledge and grace, has chosen a people unto Himself (I Peter 1:1-9). God’s part in election is foreordination and predestination according to His foreknowledge, in which men are made accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:3-12 ;). God draws us to salvation (John 6:44). Man’s responsibility is to accept, by faith, God’s finished work in the person of Jesus Christ (John 1:12; Romans 10:9-13).
B. JUSTIFICATION -
Christ’s death makes us acceptable before God (Romans 3:24-25; II Corinthians 5:19-21; Ephesians 1:6; Colossians 1:13). Justification means to “declare one just or righteous” before God.
C. REGENERATION -
This means to be divinely born; as in born of God, born into the family of God. If we are a child of God, God is then our Father. We have been born-again, born from above, regenerated (John 1:13; James 1:18; I Peter 1:23; I John 3:9; 4:7).
D. CONVERSION -
Including repentance and faith - Repentance is to change one’s mind about who Christ is and realize our sinful condition (Luke 13:3). Faith is “a positive response to God’s truth”. When we change our minds about Christ and our sinful condition and respond positively to God’s truth, believing, receiving, and repenting of our sinfulness, then we can experience “new birth” or conversion (Acts 20:21; Romans 2:4; 10:9-17). True repentance will result in a true change in the believer's life!
E. UNION WITH CHRIST -
We, as believers, have been joined to Christ as “part of His body” (I Corinthians 12:27). We are also “joint heirs” with Christ (Romans 8:17).
F. SANCTIFICATION -
At the time of salvation the Lord sets us apart from the power and penalty of our sin and the Holy Spirit continues to conform us into the image of Jesus Christ (Romans 5:8-9; I Corinthians 6:11; Ephesians 4:24). We do not believe in a so- called “second blessing”. The second blessing is some type of second work of grace. Our salvation was complete in Christ and He has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. We do not believe in eradication of the old or sinful nature in this life. We must reckon ourselves dead unto sin (Romans 6:1-23). Paul teaches that the old sin nature is still present in the lives of believers (Romans 7:15-21).
G. ETERNAL SECURITY -
At the time of salvation the believer is made eternally secure in Christ, never to lose his salvation (John 10:29; Romans 4:21).