Doctrinal Statement
The following doctrinal statements reflect
the views of the elders of Cedar Valley Bible Church. These
doctrinal statements are a means to an end; the goal of all
instruction and study of the Scripture being a sincere love
for God and for others. (I Timothy 1:5)
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Bible verses expanded.
The Bible is inspired of God, inerrant and
infallible in the original documents, written by human authors
moved by the Holy Spirit to write the very words of God. We
believe the Bible to be the final authority in all matters of
faith and practice. (Psalms 19:7-9; 2 Timothy 1:13; 2 Timothy
3:15-17; I Peter 1:20-21)
God eternally exists in three persons, Father,
Son and Holy Spirit - and these three are one God. We believe
in one God the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth,
and of all things visible and invisible. He has revealed
Himself in creation, through Old and New Testament prophets,
through direct intervention in history, and in His Son Jesus
Christ. (Genesis 1:1; Psalms 90:2; Matthew 28:19; Romans 1:20;
Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:1-4)
Fully God and fully man, The Lord Jesus Christ
was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin in order to
die a sinless, substitutionary death and thereby redeem sinful
man. The proof that He accomplished this mission was His
bodily resurrection from the dead and ascension to God's right
hand where he now ministers as our Great High Priest. (Luke
1:34-35; John 1:1,2 14; Romans 3: 34-35; Romans 5:6; Romans
8:34; I Corinthians 15: 3-4)
Fully divine, the Holy Spirit permanently
indwells and seals every believer from the moment of salvation
unto the day of redemption. The current work of the Holy
Spirit is to convict the world of sin, bring new life to those
who are spiritually dead, and empower all believers to live
godly lives. (John 3:3-8; John 14:16-18,26; John 16: 7-11;
Acts 5:3-4; I Corinthians 3:16; Galatians 2:20; Galatians 5:
16,22-23; Ephesians 1:13-14; Ephesians 4:30)
God created man in His image, innocent and
sinless. Man voluntarily chose to disobey God, and through
Adam's sin, all men are sinners by both nature and choice,
spiritually dead and separated from God, and without Christ,
incapable of restoring their relationship with God. (Genesis
1: 26; Genesis 3:1-24; Romans 3:10-18; Romans 3:23; Romans
5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3)
Salvation is a gift of God's unmerited favor
to all that He has chosen. It is wholly God's work from start
to finish, and cannot be obtained by good works. It is
attained by all that believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and His
finished work on the cross. Salvation results in forgiveness
of sins, righteous status before God, and adoption into God's
spiritual family. (John 1:12; John 14:6; Romans 6:23; 2
Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 1:7; Ephesians
2:8-9; Titus 2:11-14; Titus 3:5)
The church is made up of all (both Jew and
Gentile) who have trusted Jesus Christ as Savior, and in the
New Testament epistles is called the body of Christ. All
believers are directed by Scripture to function within the
church according to their individual spiritual gifts. The
local church, as established in Scripture, is made up of
believers who have joined together for worship, instruction,
fellowship and service. There is a complete and separate
distinction between the Church as a 'people of God' and
Israel. (Acts 2:42, 13:1-2; Ephesians 1:22-23; 4:7-13; I
Corinthians 12:13)
Things We believe in the personal return of
Christ, in the air, for His church, to be followed by a
seven-year period of tribulation. Christ will then return
physically to the earth, defeat Israel's enemies, and
establish a one thousand-year reign over an earthly kingdom,
as promised to Israel. At the end of the thousand years, God
will permanently assign Satan to the lake of fire, judge the
unsaved, and establish the eternal state. (I Thessalonians,
4:13-18; Revelation 19:11-22:21)
All believers will experience a future
resurrection of the body and reuniting with the soul. This
future state is promised to all believers to enjoy an eternal
existence, separated from sin, in the presence of God in
glory. Those whose names are not written in the book of life
will be cast into the lake of fire. This is called the second
death. (Luke 16:19-26; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23; 2
Thessalonians 1:7-9; I John 5:11-12; Revelation 20:11-15)
All believers are secure in Christ forever.
God's grace and power, not the self-effort of man, maintains
salvation. (John 10:27-29; Romans 8:29-39; Hebrews 7:25; I
Peter 1:3-5; I John 5:9-13)
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