What We Believe

CORNERSTONE MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH

CLEVELAND, OHIO  44105

 

ARTICLES OF FAITH AND BIBLICAL POSITIONS

MAJOR DOCTRINES OF THE SCRIPTURE

 

  1. THE SCRIPTURES

We believe that the Holy Bible as originally written was verbally and plenary inspired and the product of Spirit-controlled men, and therefore is truth without any mixture of error for its matter.  We believe the Bible to be the center of true Christian unity and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds and opinions shall be tried (2 Tim. 3:16, 17; 2 Pet. 1: 19-21).

  1. THE TRUE GOD

We believe there is one and only one living and true God,  an infinite, sovereign Spirit, the Maker and Supreme Ruler of Heaven and earth; inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy of all possible honor, confidence and love; that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, equal in every divine perfection, and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption (Exod.20:2,3; I Cor. 8:6; Rev. 4:11).

  1. JESUS CHRIST – THE SON OF GOD

We believe in the Lord Jesus Christ:  who is the second person of the Trinity, the eternal Word and the Only Begotten Son; that without any change in his divine Person, He became man by miracle of the Virgin Birth, thus to continue forever as both true God and true man, that as man He was tempted in all points as we are, yet without sin;  that as the perfect Lamb of God He gave Himself in death upon the cross, becoming sin for us and suffering its full penalty of divine wrath in our stead;  that He arose bodily from the grave and was glorified; that as our great High Priest He ascended into Heaven there to appear before God as our Advocate and Intercessor.   (Gen. 2:15;  John 1:1; John 1:14; Matt. 28:20;  Gal. 4:4).

  1. THE HOLY SPIRIT

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, equal with God the Father and God the Son and of the same nature; that He was active in the creation;  that in H is relation to the unbelieving world He restrains the evil one until God’s purpose is fulfilled; that He convicts of sin, or righteousness, and of judgment; that He bears witness to the truth of the gospel in preaching and testimony; that He is the agent in the new birth; that He seals, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies and helps the believer.  The gifts of tongues and healing were “sign-gifts” until  the Scriptures were completed.  The gifts creased at that time.  (Jo.14:16, 17: Matt.28:19; Heb. 9:14;  Jo. 14:26;  Lu. 1:35;  Gen. 1:1-3;  Jo. 16:8-11;  Ac. 5:30-32;  Jo. 3:5,6; Eph. 1:13, 14;  Mk. 1:8;  Jo. 1:33;  Ac. 11:16;  Lu 24:49;  Rom 8:14, 16, 26-27; 15:19; Heb 2:4; Icor. 13:8

  1. THE DEVIL or  SATAN

We believe in the personality of Satan, that he is the unholy god of this age and the ruler of all the powers of darkness, and is destined to the judgment of an   eternal justice in the lake of fire (Matt.4:1-11; 2 Cor. 4:4; Rev. 20:10)

  1. CREATION

We believe the Genesis account of creation as being neither allegory nor myth but a literal, historical account of the direct, immediate creative acts of God without any evolutionary process; that man, spirit, soul and body, was create by a direct work of God and not  from previously existing forms of life;  an that all men are descended from the historical Adam and Eve, first parents of the entire human race (Gen 1 and 2; Col. 1:16, 17; Jo. 1:13.).

  1. THE FALL OF MAN

We believe that man was created in innocence under the law of his Maker; but  by voluntary transgression Adam fell from his sinless and happy state, and all  men sinned in him,  in consequence of which all men  are totally depraved,  are partakers of Adam’s fallen nature, and are sinners by nature and by conduct; an therefore are under just condemnation without defense or excuse (Gen. 3:1-6,24; ROM 3:10-19; 5:12,19, 1:18, 32).

  1. THE VIRGIN BIRTH

We believe that Jesus was begotten of the Holy Ghost in a miraculous manner born of Mary,  a virgin, as no other man was ever born or can ever be born  of  woman, and that He is both the Son of God end God the Son (Gen. 3:15; Is. 7:14; Matt. 1:18-25; Lu. 1:35; Jo. 1:14; Heb. 1:8).

  1. THE ATONEMENT FOR SIN

We believe that the salvation of sinners is divinely initiated and wholly of  grace through the mediatorial offices of the Son of God Who, by the appointment of the Father, freely took upon Him our nature, yet without sin, honored the divine  law  by  His  personal  obedience,  and  by  His  death  made  a full  and vicarious atonement for our sins; that His atonement consisted not in setting  us an example by His death as a martyr, but was a voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner’s place, the Just dying for the unjust, Christ, the Lord, bearing  our  sin  in His own body on the tree (Jonah 2:9; Eph. 2:8; Ac. 15:11; Rom. 3:24,25; Jo. 3:16; Matt. 18:11; Phil. 2:7,8; Heb. 2:14; Isa. 53:4-7; I  Jo. 4:10; I Cor. 15:3; 2 Cor. 5:21).

  1. RESURRECTION AND PRIESTHOOD

We believe in the bodily resurrection of Christ, in His ascension into Heaven, where  He  now  sits  at  the  right  hand  of  the  Father  as  our  High  Priest (Matt.28:6,7; Lu.24:39; Jo.20.27; I Cor.15:4; Mk.16:6;)

  1. GRACE IN THE NEW CREATION

We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be born again; that the new birth is a new creation in Christ Jesus;  that it is instantaneous and not a process; that in the new birth the one dead in trespasses and in sins is made partaker of the divine nature and receives eternal life, the free gift of God that the new creation is brought about by our sovereign God in manner above our comprehension, solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with divine truth, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the gospel; that its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance,  faith and newness of  life.  (Jo.3:3;  2  Cor.5:17;  I  Jo.5:1;  Jo.3:6,7;  Ac.16:30-33;  2  Pe.1:4;  Rom.6:23; Eph. 2:I,5; Cor.5;19; Col 2;13; Jo.3:8).

  1. JUSTIFICATION

We believe that justification is the judicial act of God whereby He declares us to be righteous through faith in Christ Jesus; that justification includes the pardon of sin and the imputation of  God’s righteousness; that  it  is bestowed. not  in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done,  but solely through faith in the Redeemer’s blood (Ac.13:39; Isa.53:11; Zech.13:1; 2 Cor.5:18-21; Rom.5:I,9;8:1).

  1. REPENTANCE

We believe that repentance is a change of mind and purpose toward God prompted by  the Holy  Spirit;  that  it  is characterized by godly sorrow for sin as offensive  to God  and  ruinous  to  the  soul;  and  that  true  repentance  is inseparably related to true faith (Lu.13:1-3; 15:7; Ac.8:22; Rom. 2:4; IICor.7:10; Ac.20:2).

  1. SANCTIFICATION

We believe that sanctification is the divine setting apart of the believer unto God accomplished in a threefold manner;  first, an eternal act of God, based upon redemption in Christ, establishing the believer in a position of holiness at the moment he trusts the Savior; second, a continuing process in the saint  as the Holy Spirit  applies the Word of God to the life;  third,  the final accomplishment  of  this  process  at  the Lord’s  return  (Heb. 10.10-14;  3:1 Jo.17:17;  2  Cor.3:18;   I  Cor.1:30; Eph.5:25,26;  I  Thess.4:3,4;   5:23,24 Eph. 5:27; I Jo.3:2; Jude 24,25; Rev.22:11).

  1. ADOPTION

We believe that adoption is the gracious act whereby the Father, for the sake of Christ, places new believers into the honored position of mature sons,  in contrast with regeneration whereby the believer receives the nature of  God and becomes a child of God.    The full  benefit of the position accorded by adoption as the sons of God awaits the glorification of the believer at the coming of the Lord (Eph.1:5,  Gal. 4:1-7; Eph.1:13,14; I Jo.3:1,2).

  1. THE SECURITY OF THE SAINTS

We believe that all who are truly born again are kept by God the Father for Jesus Christ (Phil.1:16; Jo.28 ,29; Rom.8:15-39; Jude 1:24-25).

  1. THE CHURCH

We believe in the unity of all true believers in the Church which is the Body of Christ,  which  was  established  on  the Day  of Pentecost,  and  that  all believers,  from Pentecost to the Rapture, both Jews are Gentiles, are added  to this Church by the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  We believe that this Church is manifested through the local church which is congregation  of  immersed  believers  associated  by  covenant  of  faith  and fellowship of the gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws; exercising the gifts,  rights  and privileges  invested in them by His Word;  and that its officers  are pastors and deacons,  whose qualifications claims and duties are clearly defined in the Scripture.   We believe the true mission of the church is the faithful witnessing of Christ to all men as have opportunity.  We hold that the local church has the absolute right of self-government  free  from  the  interference  of  any  hierarchy  of  individuals  or organizations; that the one and only superintendent is Christ through the Holy Spirit; that it is scriptural for true churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and for the Furtherance of the gospel; that each local church is the sole judge of the measure and method of its cooperation; and that on all matters of membership,  of polity, –of government,  of discipline,  of benevolence, the will of the local church is final (Eph.3:1-6; I Cor.12:12-13; Ac.2:41 , 42; I Cor.11:2; Eph. 1:22,23; 4:11; Ac.20:17-28; I Tim. 3:1-7; Col. 1:18; Eph.5:23-24; Ac.15:13-18).

  1. BAPTISM AND THE LORD’S SUPPER

We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in -water  under  the  authority  of  the  local  church,  to  show  forth  in  a solemn  and beautiful emblem our faith in the crucified, buried and risen Savior, through Whom He died to sin and rose to a new life; that baptism is prerequisite to the privileges of church membership.   We believe that the Lord’s Supper is the  commemoration of His death until He come, and should be preceded always b:  solemn self-examination.  We believe that the Biblical order of the  ordinances is baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and that participants should, be immersed believers (Ac.8:36-38-39; 30.3:23; Rom.6:3-5; Matt. 3:16; Col. 2:12: I Cor. 11:23-28; Matt.28:19,20; Ac.2:41-42).

  1. 19. SEPARATION

We believe  in obedience to the Biblical commands  to separate entirely from worldliness  and  ecclesiastical  apostasy  unto  God  (2  Cor.  6:14;-7:1; I Thess.1:9-10; I Tim. 6:3-5; Rom. 16:17; 2 2Jo.1:9-11).

  1. CIVIL GOVERNMENT

We believe that civil government is of divine appointment for the interests and good  order  of  human  society;  that  magistrates  are  to  be  prayed  for, conscientiously honored and obeyed, except in things opposed to the will of our  Lord Jesus Christ, who is the only Lord of the conscience and the coming King of  kings  (Rom.13:1-7;  2 Sam.23:3; Ex.18:21-22:  Ac. 23:5;  Matt.22:21; Ac .5:29; 4:19-20; Dan. 3:17-18).

  1. ISRAEL

We believe in the sovereign selection of Israel as God’s  eternal  covenant people, that she is now dispersed because of her disobedience and rejection of  Christ,  and that she will be regathered in  the Holy Land  and,  after  the completion of the Church, will be saved as a nation at the second advent of  Christ (Gen.13:14-17; Rom.11:1-32; Ezek.37).

  1. THE RAPTURE AND SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

We believe in the imminent, premillennial return of Christ for His Church, and that at that moment the dead in Christ shall be raised in glorified bodies, and the living in Christ shall be given glorified bodies  without tasting death, and all shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air before the seventieth week of Daniel (I Thess.4:13-18; I Cor.15:42-44,51-54; Phil.3:20,21; Rev.3:10).  We believe that the Great Tribulation, which follows the Rapture of the Church, will be culminated by the revelation of Christ in power and great glory to sit  upon the throne of David and to establish the millennial reign (Dan.9:25-27; Matt.24:20-31; Lu. 1:30-33; Isa.9: 6-7; 11:1-9; Ac.2:29-30; Rev.20:1-4,6).

  1. THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE WICKED

We believe  that  there  is  a  radical  and  essential  difference  between  the righteous and the wicked; that only those who are justified by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and sanctified by the Spirit of our God are truly righteous in His esteem; while all such as continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight wicked and under the curse; and this distinction holds among men both in  and  after  death,  in  the  everlasting  felicity or pleasure  of  the  saved  and  the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost  in the lake of fire  (Mal.3.18; Gen.l8:23;   Rom. 6:17-l8;   I  Jo 5:19;  Rom.7:6;  6:23;  Prov.14:32;  Lu.16:25; Matt.25;34-41; Jo. 8:21; Rev.20:14-15).

 

Addendum(s):

POSITION (1)   (Adopted November 2005)

ARTICLE XVI (Numeric addition corresponds to Church Charter, 1983):  POLICY ON MARRIAGE.

Our policy on ecclesiastical practice regarding issues related to sexual integrity, as with all matters, must be based on the Bible, the written Word of God, as interpreted and applied under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  We believe that God’s design and ordained boundary for sexual intimacy places it within the context of marriage between one man and one woman, and that the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teachings of the word of God.