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Go Tell
Evangelism
Dedicated to Reaching
Non-Christians,
Teaching, and Equipping
Christians in Evangelism and Discipleship.
"Faith Alone In Christ Alone"
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WHAT WE BELIEVE
The Holy Scriptures. We believe that the Bible in
its original documents is the inspired Word of God, the written record of
His supernatural revelation of Himself to man, absolute in its authority,
complete in its revelation, final in its content, and without error in its
statement. 2 Timothy 3:16-17; John 10:35; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Luke
24:25-27, 44, 45; 2 Peter 3:16.
The Holy Scriptures. We believe that the Bible in
its original documents is the inspired Word of God, the written record of
His supernatural revelation of Himself to man, absolute in its authority,
complete in its revelation, final in its content, and without error in its
statement. 2 Timothy 3:16-17; John 10:35; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Luke
24:25-27, 44, 45; 2 Peter 3:16.
The Trinity. We believe there is one God who
eternally exists in three Persons - the Father, the Son, and the
Holy Spirit, coequal in power and glory, having precisely the same
nature, and attributes, and worthy of the same worship,
confidence, and obedience. Matthew 28:18-19; Mark 12:29;
John 1:1, 14; Acts 5:3-4; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Hebrews 1:1-3,
Revelation 1:4-6.
Jesus Christ.
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ,
the eternal Son of God, became a Man, without ceasing to be God,
and was born of a Virgin that He might redeem sinful men (John 1:2,14;
Luke 1:35). We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our
redemption through His death on the cross as our substitute and assured us of
our justification through His literal, bodily resurrection from the dead
(Romans 3:24-25: 1 Peter 1:3-5; 2:24). His death provided a payment
for the sins (past, present, and future) of all men and,
therefore, made eternal life available as a gift to all those who believe.
The Sovereignty of God.
We believe that God is
absolutely sovereign and, in His sovereignty, gave man a free will
to accept or reject the salvation that He has provided. It is God's will
that all would be saved and that none should perish. God foreknows,
but does not predetermine any man to be condemned. God permits man's
destiny to depend upon man's choice. 1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Thessalonians 2:13;
1 Peter 1:2; 2 Peter. 3:9; John 6:64-65; Acts 10:34; 1
Corinthians 1:21; Ephesians 1:5-14; Romans 8:29-30; 9:30-32.
The Total Depravity of Man. We believe that each
member of the human race is fallen, sinful, and lost; and
regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential for the salvation of
man. The moment a person receives Christ as Savior, he is
immediately regenerated, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and sealed
until the day of redemption. Romans 3:23; John 3:7; 1 Corinthians
6:19; Ephesians 1:13-14; Luke 24:49; Titus 3:5.
Salvation. We believe that salvation is on the
basis of God's grace and is received through faith. There is nothing man
can do to merit salvation; it is a free gift. Man's efforts,
before or after salvation, regardless of how good or well intended,
have nothing to do with gaining eternal life. Our salvation is
accomplished by the finished work of Christ, and nothing can be added to
it. Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 2:16; Romans 11:6; Colossians
2:13; Titus 3:5; Romans 3:22.
Repentance.
We believe salvation is based upon the one
condition of faith, of which repentance is a vital part. Repentance is not
a separate, independent condition of salvation; repentance (Greek -
Metanoeo) means "to change one's mind." A change of mind is a
necessary part of the process by which a person comes to believe. Much
confusion has resulted in repentance being treated as a separate condition of
salvation in addition to faith, by such incorrect definitions of
repentance as "sorrow for sin," "turning from sin,"
or " a willingness to turn from sin." These definitions,
when applied to salvation, add an element of works and therefore are a
perversion and counterfeit of the Gospel.
•"Shallow Christianity" cannot be cured by adding works to
salvation. The believer's motivation to serving is out of gratitude for
God's grace in saving us.
• Salvation is not the result of what we do, but it is by
receiving what God has done for us. Acts 13:38-39; 20:20; Galatians
1:8-9; 2:4,21; 3:1-3; 5:1-4; Ephesians 2:8-10; 2 Corinthians 5:21;
John 3:16-18; Philippians 3:9; Titus 3:5-8; 2 Corinthians
11:13-15.
• God guarantees salvation, this is His gift to us. God
guarantees reward and fruit to the obedient son. God guarantees chastening
and loss of rewards to the disobedient son.
The Eternal Security of the Believer.
We believe
that every child of God possesses eternal life and is, therefore,
safe and secure for all eternity, being justified by faith,
sanctified by God, and sealed by the Holy Spirit; he cannot lose his
salvation. However, a Christian can, through sin, lose
his fellowship, joy, power, testimony, and reward,
and incur the Father's chastisement. Our relationship to God is eternal,
being established by the new birth; fellowship with God, however,
is dependent upon obedience. 1 Corinthians 3:11-17; Hebrews 12:5-11;
1 Corinthians 11:30-32; Romans 5:1-2; Jude 1; John 6:37,39;
10:28; Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30.
The Christian Life. We believe the child of God has
the privilege of walking in fellowship with God (1 John 1:6-7).
Spirituality, of which fellowship is a part, is sustained by the
Christian's yieldingness to the will of God, and obedience to the Word of
God. Sin in the Christian's life interferes with his fellowship with God.
1 John 1:9, which promises forgiveness and cleansing when we confess our
sins, does not deal with salvation, but with the restoration of a
child of God to that position where he may again walk in fellowship with God.
1 John 1:6-9; 2 Peter 1:5-8; Colossians 1:10; John 15:8;
Galatians 5:22; 1 Corinthians 11:31-31.
• We believe that the new birth results in a completely new creation,
not a reformation of the old. The old nature remains as capable of evil as
ever after salvation and has not been changed or improved in any way. The
old nature can now be controlled by the indwelling power and filling of the Holy
Spirit.
• The true child of God has two births, one of the flesh,
the other of the Spirit. Therefore he has two natures; a fleshly
nature and a spiritual nature, resulting in warfare between the Spirit and
the flesh which continues until physical death or the Lord's return. John
3:6; Romans 7:15-25; 8:8; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians
5:16-17; 1 John 1:8; 3:9; 5:18.
• We believe that all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are called
into a life of separation from the world to which they have been crucified by
the death of Christ, and should abstain from worldly lust and such
practices and habits as will retard spiritual growth or cause others to stumble
and, thus, bring reproach upon the cross of Christ. The
believer is called upon to walk worthily, keeping himself unspotted from
the world, zealous of good works. Ephesians 2:10; 5:3-9; 1 Corinthians
6:19-20; Colossians 3:17; Luke 8:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:22;
1 Timothy 5:6; 1 Peter 2:11.
•We
believe that we are called with a holy calling, to walk not after the
flesh, but after the Spirit, and so to live in the power of the indwelling
Spirit that we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. But the flesh is
never eradicated in this life and the individual chooses to keep the flesh
in subjection to Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit or it
will surely manifest its presence in our lives to the dishonor of our
Lord. (Romans 6:11-13; 8:2,4,12,13; Galatians 5:16-23; Ephesians 4:22-24;
Colossians 2:1-10; I Peter 1:14-16; I John 1:4-7; 3:5-9)
Eternal Reward or Punishment.
We believe there will
be a resurrection of the saved and of the lost; of the saved unto eternal
life, and of the lost unto eternal conscious punishment. These two
resurrections are separated by at least 1000 years. 1 Thessalonians
4:13-18; Daniel 12:2; Revelation 20:5-15; Matthew 25:41.
The Church and Its Two Ordinances. We believe that
the Church began with the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and is
composed of all true believers in this age. We are baptized by the Holy
Spirit into the one body of Christ.
• Water baptism is not essential for salvation, but it is a
command for believers as a testimony to the world. We believe that
water baptism and the Lord's Supper are the only ordinances of the church.
Neither water baptism nor the Lord's Supper are to be regarded as means of
salvation; they are, however, a scriptural means of testimony
for the church in this age. Matthew 28:19; Luke 22:19-20; Acts
10:47-48; 16:32-33; 18:7-8; 1 Corinthians 11:26.
Eschatology.
We believe in the personal,
pre-tribulational, and
pre-millennial return of our Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 6:9-11; 1:10; 2 Thessalonians
2:1-8; Revelation 3:10; Luke 21:36; Titus 2:13; Isaiah
26:17-21; 27:1; Revelation 4:4.
Satan. We believe that Satan is a fallen angel and
the author of sin. Satan and his angels shall be eternally punished. Ezekiel
28:15,17; Isaiah 14:12; Revelation 20:10; Matthew 25:41
Grace. We believe the true child of God is not
under the law, but under grace; he is saved by grace and disciplined
by grace. Romans 6:14-15; 11:6,11; 2 Corinthians. 3:17.
Evangelism.
We believe that it is the explicit
message of our Lord Jesus Christ to those whom He has saved that they are sent
forth by Him into the world even as He was sent forth of His Father into the
world. We believe that, after they are saved, they are
divinely reckoned to be ambassadors and witnesses, and that their primary purpose in life should
be to make Christ known to the whole world. Matthew 28:18-19; Mark
16:15; John 17:18; Acts 1:8; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20; 1
Peter 2:11.
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Go Tell Evangelism 2008
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