ARTICLES OF FAITH

INDIAN FORD VICTORY FELLOWSHIP CHURCH

A. THE BIBLE.  We believe the BIBLE to be the inspired word of God, and accept the same as the only infallible guide and rule of our faith and      practice. [Matthew 24:35; Psalms 119:89;II Timothy 3:16,17; II Timothy 2:15; II Peter 1:19-21]

 

B. GOD.  We believe in the eternal omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, and immutable triune God; maker of heaven and earth, and all that in them is; and in the unity of the godhead there are three persons, equal in every divine perfection and attribute, executing distinct, but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption. [I John 5:17; II Corinthians 13:14; Genesis 1:26; I Timothy 1:17.

 

     1. GOD THE FATHER. [Isaiah 43:10; 44:8; John 3:16]

 

     2. GOD THE SON. Coexistent and coeternal with the Father, who, conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of the virgin Mary, took upon himself the form of man: and by His becoming obedient unto death, bearing the curse of sin, sickness and sorrow, redeemed us back to God.  He arose the third day and ascended into heaven where He sits on the right hand of God, the Father, where He lives to make intercession for us. [John 1:1-3; Matthew 1:23; I Timothy 2:5; Ephesians 2:18; Philippians 2:6-11]

 

     3. GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT. The third person of the godhead, coexistent and equal with the Father; sent by the Father, through the Son, to reprove the world of sin and prepare the bride of Christ. [John 14: 26; 15:26; 16:8]

 

     4. THE DEITY OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.  The Lord Jesus Christ was, before the creation of the world, is, and forever shall be known as God       the Son.  That He was God in flesh, and no less God while on this earth in human form.

1. His virgin birth- Matthew 1:23; Luke 1:31,35

2. His sinless life- Hebrews 7:26; I Peter 2:22

3. His miracles- Acts 2:22; 10:38

4. His substitutionary work on the cross- I Corinthians 15:3; II Corinthians 5:21

5. His bodily resurrection from the dead- Matthew 28:6; Luke 24:39; I Corinthians 15:4

6. His exaltation to the right hand of God-Acts 1:9,11; 2:33; Philippians 2:9-11

7. His place of deity in creation- John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:3

8. His own claim of deity before His incarnation-John 13:3; 17:6,24

 

C. THE FALL OF MAN. [Genesis 1:27; Romans 5:12; 5:19; Isaiah 53:6; Romans 3:10; 3:23]

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D. THE PLAN OF REDEMPTION.  We believe that Christ was the Lamb of God, foreordained from the foundation of the world, and by the shedding of His blood, on the cross, made provision for salvation for all men. [I Peter 1:19-20; Isaiah 53:5; Titus 2:14; Hebrews 7:25]

 

E. THE NEW BIRTH.  We believe that because of man's total inability to save himself, salvation is by God's grace alone; is received through sincere Godly repentance, and a wholehearted acceptance of Jesus Christ as his personal savior; Through being born again, he becomes a new creature in Christ Jesus.  Old things have passed away, behold all things have become new.  [John 3:3; II Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 2:20; I Peter 2:24]

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F. DAILY CHRISTIAN LIFE.  We believe that having been cleansed by the blood and quickened by the Spirit, it is God's will that we should be sanctified daily; and be made partakers of His holiness. We should walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit; forsaking the very appearance of evil, such as worldly dress, worldly amusements, worldly conversation, worldly habits, etc. [Romans 8:1; 8:5; 12:1-2; II Corinthians 7:1; I Peter 1:15; I Thessalonians 5:22]

 

G. WATER BAPTISM.  We believe that water baptism by immersion, in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost, is commanded by God; that it is subsequent to conversion; it is not a saving ordinance, but an outward sign of an inward work. [Matthew 28:19; Romans 6:4; Acts 2:38]

 

H. THE LORD'S SUPPER.  We believe in the commemoration of the Lord's supper as a type of the broken body and shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, and as an ordinance showing forth the death, burial, and resurrection of our lord, and a looking forward to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.  We believe that all Christian believers, regardless of church affiliation, may partake of the Lord's supper. [I Corinthians 11:23-28; 13:5; Luke 22:7-22]

 

I. BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.  We believe the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a definite experience, not identical with conversion.  The initial evidence of this experience is the speaking in other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance.  The baptism of the Holy Spirit is given to endue the believer with power from on high, to give inspired utterance in witnessing for Christ, to lead the believer into holiness and sobriety, and to equip him for a practical, efficient, spirit-filled soul winning ministry and service.  That inasmuch as this is the dispensation of the Holy Spirit, every believer has a right to expect His incoming after the same manner as recorded by the Word of God in Bible days. [John 14:16; Acts 1:8; 2:4; 2:38-39; 19:6; I Corinthians 3:16]

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J. SPIRIT FILLED LIFE.  We believe that having received the initial filling, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the believer should experience a continual renewing of the power from on high; that the Holy Spirit is as gentle as a dove, easily grieved and wounded by coldness, prayerlessness, idle conversation, worldliness, and a judging and criticizing spirit.  Therefore, it is the will of God that we walk and abide in the Spirit. [Ephesians 5:18; 4:30-32; Acts 4:31; I Corinthians 3:17; Galatians 5: 16-25; I John 2:6]

 

K. GIFTS AND FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT.  We believe that for the edification of the saints and the up-building of the Church of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit has the following gifts to bestow upon the individual believer: the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, and divers kinds of tongues, and the interpretation of tongues, dividing to every man severally as He will; that they should be coveted earnestly by all spiritual believers and exercised in the spirit of love.  We believe that the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, against such there is no law.  These should be cultivated in the life of every believer. [I Corinthians 12:7-11; 12:31; Galatians 5:22-23; John 15:4,8]

 

L. MODERATION.  We believe that our moderation should be known to all men.  The Christian should be sober, well balanced, and seasoned with love.  His zeal should be governed by godly wisdom. [Philippians 4:5; Ephesians 4:14-15; I Corinthians 13:5; Colossians 3:12-13]

 

M. DIVINE HEALING.  We believe that divine healing is the power of God to heal the sick and afflicted in answer to believing prayer, and is provided for in the atonement.  We believe that God is willing to, and does, heal the sick today.  [Isaiah 53:4-5; Matthew 8:16-17;  James 5:14-16; acts 3:16]

 

N. RESSURECTION.  We believe in the literal bodily resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.  In His resurrection he became the first fruits of the resurrection of the righteous. [Matthew 28:1-7; I Corinthians 15:1-20].

 

O. THE COMING OF CHRIST. 

 

     1. RAPTURE:  We believe that the second coming of Christ is personal, imminent and premillennial, and pretribulational; that the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first.  Then the redeemed which are alive and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall they ever be with the Lord; that we should, therefore, be ready, for in such an hour as we think not, the Son of man will come.  [I Thessalonians 4:16-17; Titus 2:12-13; Matthew 24:36, 44; Acts 1:11]

 

     2. REVELATION:  We believe that the coming of Jesus Christ with His saints will end the

Great tribulation, and establish the millennial kingdom on earth, when Christ shall rule and reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. [Revelations 1:7; Zechariah 14:4; II Thessalonians 1:7-10, 2:8].

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P. CHURCH RELATIONSHIP.  We believe that every born again child of God should identify himself with the visible church of Jesus Christ, and should labor diligently, and contribute his temporal means toward the spreading of the gospel here on Earth.  We believe that all the tithes should be given into the storehouse of the Lord, which is the local church. [Hebrews 10:24-25; Psalms 111:1; Acts 2:47, 16:5; Romans 12:5; Malachi 3:8-10;

 II Corinthians 9:6-7; I Corinthians 16:2]

 

Q. CIVIL GOVERNMENT.  We believe that government is ordained of God, and all Christians should be subject to the laws of the land, except those contrary to the revealed will of God.  We pledge allegiance and moral and spiritual support to the United States of America.  In times of war the individual's participation in actual combat and taking of life shall be governed by his own conscience. [Romans 13:1-7; Acts 5:29; Matthew 5:39-48; Hebrews 12:14]

 

R. FINAL JUDGEMENT.  We believe in the final judgement of the wicked at the great white throne, when the dead, both small and great, shall be resurrected to stand before God to receive the reward of their deeds done in the flesh. [Matthew 13:41-43; Revelations 20:11-15]

 

S. HELL.  We believe Hell is a literal place of outer darkness, bitter sorrow, remorse, and woe, prepared by God for the devil and his angels. There, into a lake that burns with fire and brimstone, shall be cast the unbelieving, the abominable, the murderers, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, and those who have rejected the love of Jesus Christ, and whose names are not written in the Lamb's Book of Life. [Revelations 20:10, 14-15; 21:7-8; 14:10-11; Matthew 25:41; Mark 9:43-44]

 

T. HEAVEN.  We believe that Heaven is the habitation of the living God, where Christ has gone to prepare a place for all His children, where they shall dwell eternally in happiness and security with him. [I Corinthians 2:9; John 14:2; Revelations 21:4; 22:5; 7:15-17]

 

U. EVANGELISM.  We believe that as long as conditions indicate that the coming of Jesus Christ draws near, we, His redeemed children, should put forth our utmost efforts to the promulgation of the gospel to every kindred, tribe, and tongue. That soul winning is the chief mission of the church upon the Earth; and that therefore every hindrance and hairsplitting doctrine which would tend to quench or dampen the flame of worldwide evangelism, should be cut off and cast away as falling short of the church's great mission. [II Timothy 4:1-2; Ephesians 5:16; Proverbs 11:30; Ezekiel 3:17-18; John 4:35-37]