THE WORD OF GOD

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We believe in the inerrant, infallible, inspired Word of God. The Scriptures (consisting of the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments from Genesis to Revelation) were written by human authors divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit, preserved, unbroken, and passed down to us today. The Scriptures are our final Authority in all matters of faith and practice (II Timothy 3:16; Psalm 119:89; II Peter 1:20,21).

 

We accept the Masoretic Text of the Old Testament and the Received Text of the New Testament (Textus Receptus) as the only foundational texts for pure Bible translations in any language. Because of this belief, we use the Authorized King James Version of the English Bible in our services, teaching, and literature.

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GOD THE FATHER

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We believe in one God; Who is eternal, self-existent, infinite, and immutable. We believe He has one nature, one essence, and one substance; yet manifests Himself to man in three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We believe the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to be co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections (Deut. 6:4; 1 Timothy 1:17; James 1:17; 1 John 4:4).

GOD THE SON

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We believe Jesus Christ to be the one and only Saviour of mankind. We believe Jesus Christ to be eternally God and to possess all the attributes of Deity. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ was virgin-born, that He was God incarnate, and that the purposes of the incarnation were to reveal God, to redeem men, and to rule over God's kingdom. We believe Jesus Christ never relinquished any attributes of His Deity, but merely veiled them. We believe He lived a perfect, sinless life, at the end of which He was offered for all mankind as a substitutionary sacrifice for man's sin. This sacrifice was a just payment to God for the forgiveness of sin. Christ's atonement (or covering for sin) was activated by His death through the shedding of His blood on the cross and was accepted by God upon His resurrection. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ was raised bodily and that He ascended to Heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate (Psalm 2:7-9; Isaiah 7:14, 9:6, 43:11; Micah 5:2; Matthew 1:25; Luke 1:26-35; John 1:1, 1:3, 14, 18, 29; Romans 3:19-25; Romans 5:6-15; Philippians 2:5-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Timothy 2:5; 1 Timothy 3:16; Titus 2:10-15; Hebrews 7:25-26, 9:24-28; 1 Peter 1:19, 2:2; 1 John 2:1-2, 1:3; Revelation 20:1-6).

GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT

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We believe the Holy Spirit of God is a person who has personality and all the attributes of Deity. We believe the Holy Spirit has always been involved in the affairs of mankind; however, we believe He has a special ministry that began at Pentecost and will continue until the rapture. This ministry includes reproving the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. The Holy Spirit was also sent to regenerate, sanctify, seal, and fill all who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ (Genesis 1:2; John 3:5-6; John 14:16; Acts 1:5; Acts 11:15; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 1 Corinthians 12:13).

 

We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and the gift of healing, were temporary. We believe that speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit and that ultimate deliverance of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection, though God frequently chooses to answer the prayer of believers for physical healing (II Corinthians 12:12; I Corinthians 13:8; Hebrews 2:3-4; Mark 16:17-20; I Corinthians 1:22, 14:21-22).

SIN

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Man was created in the image of God but fell through sin, bringing not only physical death but also spiritual death–separation from God. All men are born with an inherited sin nature received from our common ancestor, Adam. We believe that because of his nature, man is a sinner by choice, and he is totally incapable of reforming himself or ceasing from his sin by his own power. Sinful mankind is totally depraved, bent toward sinning, and has become corrupt in thought, word, and deed (Genesis 1:26,27; 2:16,17; 3:16-19; Romans 3:10-23; 6:23).

SALVATION

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Salvation is by grace alone through personal faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross. We believe the only hope of deliverance for man is a total change of mind concerning his sinful condition and inability to change it, and a turning to Jesus Christ as the only Saviour. We believe that only through the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ on the cross can a man be delivered from his sin. We believe that all those who reject Jesus Christ as their Saviour are already condemned to an eternity in the lake of fire (John 1:12; 3:3-7; Genesis 5:1-5; Acts 4:19; Acts 16:31; Romans 3:10-23; Romans 5:6-12; Romans 6:23; Romans 10:9-10; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-6; Revelation 20:11-14).

THE SECOND COMING

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We believe the “Blessed Hope” of our Lord’s return is literal, personal, visible, imminent, premillennial, and pretribulational. Believers will be caught up to be with the Lord prior to the seven years of tribulation, and at the end of the tribulation Christ will return with His saints to  judge the establish His thousand-year reign on the earth. After this, the unbelievers of all ages will stand at the Great White Throne to be judged and cast into the Lake of Fire, separated from God forever, while the believers spend eternity in the fullness of joy in Heaven with the Lord. (Matthew 24:29-42I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; I Thessalonians 1:10; Revelation 3:10; Zechariah 14:4-11; Revelation 19:11-16, 20:1-6; Psalm 89:3-4).

THE LOCAL CHURCH

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We believe that the New Testament church is a local assembly of baptized believers who have voluntarily joined themselves together to carry out the Great Commission. The Lord is doing His work in this world through local churches. The establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures (Acts 14:27; 20:17, 28-32; I Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11).

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We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any external authority or control. Christ is the only head of the church (Acts 13:1-4, 15:19-31, 20:28; Romans 16:1, 4; I Corinthians 3:9,16; 5:4-7,13; I Peter 5:1-4).

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We recognize the ordinances of baptism by immersion in water and the Lord’s Supper as a Scriptural means of testimony for local churches in this age (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42, 18:18; I Corinthians 11:23-26).

SEPARATION FROM THE WORLD

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We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord; and, that separation from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices and associations is commanded of God. Those who have accepted Christ as Saviour, are made a new creation in Christ and should live holy, consecrated lives for HIs honor and glory. As we grow in grace our hearts and lives should begin to reflect God's truths and values (both outwardly and inwardly) through our attitude, appearance, and actions (Romans 12:1-2; I John 2:15-17; II John 9-1; II Corinthians 5:17; 6:14-18; I Peter 2:9; II Timothy 2:19).

 

The Holy Spirit's work of sanctification in the heart results in the Christian's separation from the world unto Christ. The daily process of being conformed to the image of God's Son will manifest itself in the life of the Christian through a growing relationship with the Savior and a deepened love for Christ that compels us to live in obedience to His Word (Romans 8:29, II Corinthians 5:14).​

CREATION

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We believe the Genesis account of creation, and that what one believes about his origin will determine his philosophy of life. We believe creation was a direct act of God, in six literal 24 hour solar days, instantaneous and miraculous. We believe man was created in the image of God and all reproduction was “after their kind.” We reject evolution, the gap theory, the day-age theory, theistic evolution, and intelligent design not attributed to God as unscriptural theories of origin (Genesis 1:1; Colossians 1:16-17; Job 26:7; Psalm 33:6,9; John 1:3).

CIVIL GOVERNMENT

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We believe that God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: 1) the home, 2) the church, and 3) the state. Every person is subject to these authorities, but all (including the authorities themselves) are answerable to God and governed by His Word. God has given each institution specific Biblical responsibilities and balanced these responsibilities with the understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the other. The home, the church, and the state are equal and sovereign in their respective Biblically-assigned spheres of responsibility under God (Romans 13:1-7; Ephesians 5:22-24; Hebrews 13:17; 1 Peter 2:13-14).

HUMAN SEXUALITY

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1. We believe that God created humanity as distinctly and exclusively either male or female from the beginning, and that He blessed His created design as very good. We believe that every human’s true gender identity is identical to the genetic, biological sex with which they were born. We believe that God blesses submission to and acceptance of His created design. We believe God disapproves of and forbids any and all attempts to alter one’s gender through surgery, medicinal manipulation, appearance, or expression contrary to His created design (Genesis 1:26-28, 31, 2:23-24; Matthew 19:4-6).

2. We believe that marriage is a sacred institution ordained by God, given to represent His love for the church, to continue the human race, and to bless humanity. We believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one biological male and one biological female in a covenant commitment before God (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-6; Romans 7:2; 1 Corinthians 7:2, 10; Ephesians 5:22-33).

3. We believe that God has commanded that there should be no intimate sexual activity outside of a marriage between a biological male and a biological female. We believe that any relationships or activities involving homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, transgenderism, pedophilia, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, or pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex (Genesis 2:24, 19:5, 13; Leviticus 18:1-30; Romans 1:26-32; 1 Corinthians 5:1; 6:9-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8; Hebrews 13:4).

4. In keeping with our beliefs regarding the purpose of the church and regarding human sexuality, as expressed in this statement of faith, our doctrine necessitates the following:

   1. All people are welcome to attend our regular worship services, for we believe that all people need and deserve to hear the truth of the Gospel.

   2. Those who attend may not display and promote behavior that demonstrates violations of the sinful behaviors listed in this section in church services, on the church grounds, or at church functions.

   3. Church representatives shall enforce the doctrinal position of this church, but shall not display overt disrespect for those who condone or display the sinful behaviors listed in this section.

   4. The pastor of the church will consistently preach against all forms of sinful sexual behavior, as well as other sinful behaviors.

ABORTION

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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 teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the physical or mental well being of the mother are acceptable (Job 3:16; Psalm 51:5; 139:14-16; Isaiah 44:24; 49:1, 5; Jeremiah 1:5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:44).

EUTHANASIA

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We believe that the direct taking of an innocent human life is a moral evil, regardless of the intention. Life is a gift of God and must be respected from conception until natural death. Thus we believe that an act or omission which, of itself or by intention, causes death in order to eliminate suffering constitutes a murder contrary to the will of God. Discontinuing medical procedures that are extraordinary or disproportionate to the expected outcome can be a legitimate refusal of over-zealous treatment (Exodus 20:13, 23:7; Matthew 5:21; Acts 17:28).

STEWARDSHIP

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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. We believe that God has established the tithe as a basis for giving, but that every Christian should also give other offerings sacrificially and cheerfully to the support of the church, the relief of those in need, and the spread of the Gospel. We believe that a Christian relinquishes all rights to direct the use of the tithe or offering once the gift has been made (Genesis 14:20; Proverbs 3:9-10; Acts 4:34-37; 1 Corinthians 16:2; 2 Corinthians 9:6-7; Galatians 6:6; Ephesians 4:28; 1 Timothy 5:17-18; 1 John 3:17).

PHILOSOPHY OF MUSIC

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We believe Christian music should honor and exalt the Lord Jesus Christ, communicate Biblical truth, and encourage the believer in worship and holy living. The music used for church services and during all Church-related activities should be sacred, reverent, spiritually edifying, and distinct from the world's philosophy of entertainment and sensual styles of music (this would include songs with lyrics or themes that oppose the teachings of God's Word, or genres of music that are identified with lifestyles that do not mirror Christian values, etc.). At LBC we continue to implement congregational singing, the great hymns of the faith, choirs, ensembles, instrumentalists, and Christ-honoring special music that brings glory to God and ministers to both the heart and soul of the believer (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16, I Corinthians 10:31).