LAKE AREABIBLE CHURCH
STATEMENT OF FAITH

All
scripture is given by God and is useful for teaching,
rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." (2
Tim. 3:16)
The Scriptures: The Bible is the inspired Word of God,
the product of holy men of old who spoke and wrote as
they were moved by the Holy Spirit. The New Covenant, as
recorded in the New Testament, we accept as our
infallible guide in the matters pertaining to conduct
doctrines
(2 Tim.
3:16; 1 Thess.2:13, 2 Peter 1:21).
The Godhead: Our God is one, but manifested in three
persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, being
co-equal (Phil. 2:6). God the Father is
greater than all the sender of the Word (Logos) and the
Begetter (John 14:28; John 16:28; John 1:14). The Son is
the Word flesh-covered, the One
Begotten, and has existed with the Father from the
beginning (John 1:1; John 1:18; John 1:14). The Holy
Spirit proceeds forth from both the Father and the Son
and is eternal (John 15:26).
Man, His Fall and Redemption: Man is a created being,
made in the likeness and image of God, but through
Adam's transgression and fall, sin came into the world.
?All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. As
it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was manifested to undo the
work of the devil and gave His life and shed His blood
to redeem and restore man back to God (Rom. 5:14;
Rom. 3:10; Rom.3:23; 1 John 3:8).
Salvation is the gift of God to man, separate from works
and the law, and is made operative by grace through
faith in Jesus Christ, producing works acceptable to God
(Eph. 2:8).
Eternal Life and the New Birth: Man's first step toward
salvation is godly sorrow that worketh repentance. The
New Birth is necessary to all men, and when experienced
produces eternal life (2 Cor. 7:10; 1 John 5:12; John
3:3-5).
Water Baptism: Baptism in water is by immersion, is a
direct commandment of our Lord, and is for believers
only. The ordinance is a symbol of the Christian's
identification with Christ in His death, burial, and
resurrection (Matt. 28:19; Rom. 6:4, Col. 2:12; Acts
8:36-39).
Baptism in the Holy Ghost: The Baptism in the Holy Ghost
and fire is a gif tfrom God as promised by the Lord
Jesus Christ to all believers in this dispensation and
is received subsequent to the New Birth. This experience
is accompanied by the initial evidence of speaking in
other tongues as the Holy Spirit Himself gives utterance
(Matt. 3:11; John 14;16, 17; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:38, 39;
Acts 19:1-7; Acts 2:4).
Sanctification: The Bible teaches that without holiness
no man can see the Lord. We believe in the Doctrine of
Sanctification as a definite, yet progressive work of
grace, commencing at the time of regeneration and
continuing until the consummation of salvation and
Christ's return (Heb. 12:14; 1 Thess. 5:23; 2 Peter
3:18; 2 Cor. 3:18; Phil. 3:12-14; 1 Cor.1:30).
Divine Healing: Healing is for the physical ills of the
human body and is wrought by the power of God through
the prayer of faith, and by the laying on of hands. It
is provided for in the atonement of Christ, and is the
privilege of every member of the Church today (Mark
16:18; James 5:14-25; 1 Peter 2:24; Matt. 8:17; Isa.
53:4, 5).
Resurrection of the Just and the Return of Our Lord: The
angels said to Jesus' disciples, ?This same Jesus shall
so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into
heaven.? His coming is imminent. When He comes, the dead
in Christ shall rise first; then we which are alive and
remain shall be caught up together with them in the
clouds, to meet the Lord in the air?? (Acts 1;11; 1
Thess. 4:16, 17).
Following the tribulation, He shall return to the Earth
as King of kings, and Lord of lords, and together with
His saints, who shall be kings and priests, He shall
reign a thousand years (Rev. 20:6).
Hell and Eternal Retribution: The one who physically
dies without accepting Christ is hopelessly and
eternally lost in the Lake of Fire and, therefore has no
further opportunity of hearing the Gospel or repenting.
The Lake of Fire is literal. The terms "eternal" and
"everlasting" used in describing the duration of the
punishment in the Lake of Fire, carry the same thought
and meaning of endless existence as used in denoting the
duration of joy and ecstasy of saints in the presence of
God (Heb. 9:27; Rev. 19:20)
E-mail: danielesmartt@yahoo.com



