Doctrinal Statement

The cornerstone of any church is it’s doctrine. It is important to know a church’s theology before you attend. If you have been searching for a church you may have noticed that many houses of worship have doctrinal statements that are too generic and unspecific – and you’re left scratching your head and clueless about their stance on doctrine. Therefore, the Pastoral staff at CMBC have put together a detailed doctrinal statement so you can see exactly what the pastors believe, teach, and preach.

Detailed Statement

1) The Holy Scripture

We believe in the verbal, complete, infallible, unlimited inerrancy of the Old and New Testaments in the original autographs. The scripture is the final absolute authority for the Christian faith and church order, and infallible with regard to moral, spiritual, historical, and scientific facts. Each man will be held responsible for the truth contained therein (Matt. 5:17-18; Jn. 10:34-35; 16:12; II Tim. 3:16, 17; I Jn. 1:1-4; II Peter 1:21; 3:15-16).

2) The Godhead

We believe that there is only one God, but in the unity of the Godhead there are three eternal and coequal Persons, the same in essence but distinct in subsistence. However, for the glory and good pleasure of God, and the salvation of sinful men, God has established a chain of operational command, with the Father loving and commanding the Son, the Son loving and obeying the Father, and the Holy Spirit obeying and glorifying the Father and Son (Gen. 1:26; Ex. 3:14; Deut. 6:4; Josh 3:10; Ps. 2:7-9; 90:2; Ps. 102:27; 104:30; Matt. 3:17; 28:19; Jn. 1:1-4; 3:16; 6:38; 8:54; 10:31-33; 14:26; 15:26; II Cor. 13:14; Gal. 4:4; Titus 2:13; Heb. 1:2-13; Rev. 1:1).

3) The Person and Work of Christ

We believe that that Jesus Christ is God, is eternal and was never created. He was sent from the Father, conceived by the Spirit, and born of a virgin, to become the Son of Man. He revealed the grace and truth of God, providing eternal redemption to all sinful men. He became a man; without ceasing to be God (Isa. 9:6; Luke 1:35; Jn. 1:14; 4:25-26; 5:18-19; I Jn. 1:1-2; Gal. 4:4; Heb. 2:14-17; 10:19-20; Rev. 1:5).

The Scripture teaches that our salvation has been purchased by the shed blood and death of Christ on the cross.  He became the second Adam by living a perfect life, and dying on a cross in order to satisfy God’s righteous demands for mankind’s salvation. This death was substitutionary, all sufficient, and vicarious. He is our peace, having reconciled us to God by His death, and has secured our justification by His life. The resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ ensures our final salvation. It is in Him that we enjoy the fulfillment of all the promises of God pertaining to this dispensation of Grace (Jn. 3:36; Rom. 3:24-25; 4:24; 5:1-2; II Cor. 1:20; 5:16-21; Gal. 3:13; Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14; I Tim. 2:5; 3:16; Tit. 3:5; I Pet. 1:3-5; 2:25; Rev. 1:5; 5:9).

The Scripture teaches that our Lord Jesus Christ has ascended to heaven, giving spiritual gifts to men, and also ministers at the right hand of the Father as our Mediator, High Priest, and Advocate. He will one day return to earth and establish His Millennial Kingdom (Acts 1:9-10; Rom. 8:34; Eph. 4:7-12; I Tim. 2:5; Heb. 4:14; 7:25; 9:24; 10:12; I Jn. 2:1-2; Rev. 20).

4) The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit to be no less personal than the Father and Son.  He has feelings, emotions, and a will. The Holy Spirit’s task is to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and help guide mature believers though the Word of God. The Holy Spirit has spiritually regenerated us, indwelt us, and sealed us. By Him, we have been baptized into the Body of Christ, at the moment of conversion, for that day of final redemption. He leads us, bears fruit though and in us, and fills us for victorious living (Matt. 28:19; Jn. 4:36; 16:8-13; Acts 5; Rom. 8:9; 14-17; I Cor. 12:12-14; II Cor. 3:6; Gal 5:22-23; Eph. 1:13-14; 4:30; 5:18; Tit. 3:5; I Jn. 2:20-27).

5) The Total Depravity of Man

We believe that man to have been created in God’s image and likeness being crowned with honor and given dominion over the earth. However, Adam disobeyed God and sinned which resulted in the human race inheriting a sinful nature of rebellion, and losing control over its own destiny. Man is born in sin, totally depraved, under the power of darkness, and cannot please God. Except for God’s divine intervention, man is doomed to eternal condemnation (Gen. 1:26-27; 5:3; 9:6; Ps. 51:5; Rom. 3:22-23; 5:12; Eph. 2:1-3; Col. 1:13; Heb. 2:7-8; Jas. 3:9; I Peter 4:3).

6) Salvation

We believe that our salvation to be a free and unmerited gift, which God desires to impart to all men, but it is only received by a personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. A Christian’s works will demonstrate the genuine nature of a man’s faith, yet no amount of works could ever merit salvation. The acceptance of God’s gift, which is the Lord Jesus Christ, by placing faith in His finish work results in salvation (Lk. 23:42-43; Jn. 1:12; Acts 16:31; Rom. 4; 6:23; 10:8-11; Eph. 1:7; 2:8-10; Col. 1:14; Tit. 1:1-4; I Pet. 1:18-19; I Jn. 2:1-2; 5:13).

7) The Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers

We believe all of those placing their faith in Christ receive a salvation both unchangeable and eternal. They are held securely by the promise and power of God on earth and throughout eternity. They are held in the hands of Jesus Christ, sealed by the Holy Spirit, and no force, angel, or being has the power to remove them (Jn. 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Rom. 8; I Cor. 1:4-8; Eph. 1:13-14; Phil. 1:6; I Pet. 1:5; Jude 24).

8) The Two Natures of the Believer

We believe that the saved individual has received a new nature in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. However, the believer does not lose the old nature, and this old nature (the flesh) will wrestle with the Holy Spirit until the believer is delivered from his original body. Until the day of the final physical redemption, when the saved will be like the Lord, we are commanded to live blameless, holy, and righteous lives, as He has given us the means for victory over our sinful tendencies by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 6:11-13; 8:12-13; Gal. 5:16-25; Eph. 4:22-24; Col. 3:10; I Jn. 3:5-9).

9) Separation

We believe that the saved should glorify God by their life and conduct, and that our Christian liberty should not be a deterrent to the Gospel nor a reproach to our Lord’s name. Believers have been called by God and should take that calling seriously by clinging to what is good and abstaining from evil. I also believe that the saved should not live in sinful pleasure or condone, by association, doctrinal heresy and apostasy. Even though believers will wrestle with sin, God has given them victory over sin, which they should embrace in the sanctification process (Lk. 5:30-31; 15:1-7; Rom. 12:1-2; 14:13; I Cor. 10:31-33; II Cor. 6:14-7:1; II Tim. 3:1-5; I Pet. 1:13-17; I Jn. 2:15-17).

10) The Church

We believe that the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ to be the saints, the Body of Christ, and that all true believers of all individuals churches are united by the Spirit into one dynamic spiritual organism. The churches assemble themselves together to promote the preaching and teaching of the Word, and the maturity and stability of the believer. Christ is the Chief Shepherd and builder of His Church as well as the Head of the Church. The early Church met each week to glorify God, edify each other, and to be instructed in the Scriptures (Matt. 16:18; I Cor. 12:12-14; II Cor. 11:2; Eph. 1:22-23; 3; 5:25-27; I Tim. 3:14-15).

11) The Ministry and Spiritual Gifts

We believe that God has given the gifts of service and leadership, through the Spirit, to the local church for the perfecting of the saints, and work of the ministry. Some gifts were distinctively for the Apostolic Age and have since passed away. These are tongues, sign miracles, apostleship, and prophecy.  However, the remaining gifts should be used for the ministry of the Church in order to glorify God (Acts 1; Rom. 12:1-16; I Cor. 12:4-11; 13:8; II Cor. 12:12; Eph. 2:20; 4:7-12; Heb. 2:3-4; I Pet. 4:10-11).

12) Dispensationalism: 

We believe in the dispensational view of the Bible’s interpretation but reject the extreme teaching known as “Hyper Dispensationalism.” Dispensationalism is the belief that God granted different stewardships to men throughout history—and with the distribution of new revelation came a responsibility to those stewards to obey the God given revelation (Gen. 1:3-3:6; 3:7-8:14; 8:15-11:9; 11:10; Ex. 18:27; Mat. 27; Acts 2:1; Rev. 19:21; 20:1-15)

13) The Ordinances

We believe in two ordinances given as a demonstration of the believer’s identification with and remembrance of the Lord. These two ordinances are the believer’s baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Baptism is an outward demonstration of what has happened in the believer by his identification with Jesus Christ. The mode of baptism is immersion. The Lord’s Supper consists of two elements that remind us of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. These two elements are the bread, which reminds us of the broken body of Jesus; and the wine, which reminds us of His shed blood (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; 18:8; I Cor. 11:23-26).

14) Missions

We believe that the saved are to disseminate the Gospel message and ministry to all the peoples of the earth, as commanded by Scripture, first from the Lord and then His apostles and saints. The local church should endeavor to pray for and train men and women to send to the mission field (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 1:8; 13:1-3; II Cor. 5:19-20).

15) The Second Advent of Christ

We believe in that “Blessed Hope,” which is the future coming of Jesus Christ. This is imminent, pre-tribulational and the pre-millennial coming of the Lord Jesus Christ (Rapture) for His redeemed ones (the Church).  After the Tribulation (as described in Rev. 4-19), He will return to the earth (Rev. 19), with His saints, to establish His Millennial Kingdom (I Thes. 1:10; 4:13-18; 5:9; Zech. 14:4-11; Rev. 3:10; 6:17; 19:11-16; 20:1-6).

16) The Eternal State

We believe in the physical resurrection of all men, those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of Life to eternal life with God, and those not contained therein to the Great White Throne Judgment and to the punishment of the everlasting Lake of Fire, according to their works (Matt. 25:46; Lk. 12:46-48; Jn. 3:36; 5:28-29; 11:25-26; Rev. 20:5-13).

The Scripture teaches that saints, at death, are with the Lord Jesus spiritually and consciously, awaiting the bodily resurrection of the rapture. Those believers who are alive at the time of the Rapture will receive their glorified body instantly. Those saints who lived before the church age will not be resurrected till the Tribulation is over so that they can enter the promised Millennial Kingdom. The eternal body consists of a reunited body, soul, and spirit in gloried form (Isa. 26:19-21; Dan. 12:1-3; Lk. 16:19-31; 23:43; II Cor. 5:1-8; Phil. 1:23; 3:21; I Thes. 4:16-17).

17) The Personality of Satan

We believe that Satan is a personal being, having been created by God as a Cherub. Because of his pride he rebelled against God, becoming God’s enemy and the author of sin. As the tempter, he caused mankind’s fall in the Garden, and is the god of this evil world. He shall finally be defeated after being confined for one thousand years in the bottomless pit and then cast into the eternal Lake of Fire to be tormented forever (Gen. 3:1-6; Job 1:6-7; Ezek. 28:11-15; Matt. 4:1-11; Jn. 16:11; I Pet. 5:8; 1 John 2:15-17; Rev. 20:10).

18) The Angels

We believe that the angels are mighty spirit-beings created to do God’s bidding, used as messengers and servants. There are angels, seraphim, and cherubim, each with unique functions. At Satan’s rebellion, a significant host of angels followed him and fell in their disloyalty to God. There is presently a heavenly war between the forces of Light, those angels loyal to God, and the forces of Darkness, those loyal to Satan (Ps. 103:20; Dan. 10:13-20; Lk. 24:4; Acts 1:10; Eph. 6:12; Heb. 1:4-14; I Pet. 1:12; II Pet. 2:4; 11; Jude 6; Rev. 12:7-9; 14:18; 16:5).