What We Believe Pt. 1 - PRAISE TEMPLE RUSTON

WHAT WE BELIEVE

Baptist Doctrine

1. We believe in the triune God – the eternally self-existent , “I AM,” the creator of heaven and earth and Redeemer of mankind manifested in three persons: Almighty Father, Divine Son and Holy Ghost. 1 John 5:7; Genesis 1:1; John 1:1, 4:24; Matthew 10:20; 2 Corinthians 3:17-18.

2. We believe in the Bible as the inspired, infalliable – word of God, inerrant in the original autographs and the only rule of faith, guide for practice and indisputable and ultimate authority of the revelation of God, His will and His way. 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Psalms 19:7-11; 2 Peter 1:16-21.

3. We believe in the Deity of Jesus Christ, the incarnation of the Father, born of a virgin, very God of whom and by whom all things were created. 1 John 1:1-10.

4. We believe in the substitutionary atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ, that He by the grace of God tasted death for every man and that all must be born again through faith in Him or are forever lost. Redemption is accomplished by the cross and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, by grace, through faith, believing in the heart that God has highly exalted Him and given Him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, of those in heaven and of those on earth and of those under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Hebrews 2:9; John 3:1-18, 6:44-49; Ephesians 2:8; Romans 10:9; Philippians 2:9-11.

5. We believe in the physical resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and that He ascended bodily into the heaven and is now at the right hand of the Father as our mediator, high priest and advocate. Acts 3:12-26; John 20; Hebrews 9:24; 1 Corinthians 15:12-28.

6. We believe in water baptism and Holy Communion – the Lord’s Supper as the ordinances of the church to be observed as public declaration of salvation through Jesus and in commemoration of his death, burial and resurrection in victory over Satan, death, hell and the grave.

7. We believe in the personal, visible, imminent return of Jesus Christ both “for” His Saints and “with” His Saints in reign to victory. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:50-55; Revelation 19:19-20.

8. We believe in the authority of the believer over the enemy, Satan and the victory to be gained by the exercise of that authority in the areas of deliverance, healing and holiness. Ephesians 1:20-23, 6:10-17.

9. We believe in the personality and reality of Satan as the Kingdom of God and the Saints of the Lord; and in his ultimate defeat by the Lord Jesus Christ and potential defeat in the lives of spirit-filled believers clothed in the armor of God. Revelation 12:9-10; Matthew 4:2-11; Isaiah 14:12-17; John 8.

10. We believe in the autonomy of local church as an independent entity with regard to matters of government, polity operation and discipline. 1 Corinthians 5:5; 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 14-15; Acts 6:3-5, 11:22, 14:23; Titus 1:5.

__________________________________________________________

Full Gospel Distinctives

1. We believe the Full Gospel includes the proclamation of both the eternal power of Calvary and the potential power of Pentecost; the baptizing power of Jesus Christ for salvation because of Calvary and the filling/controlling power of the Holy Ghost for service and holy victorious living because of Pentecost. Acts 1:8, 20:27.

2. We believe in the perpetuity and continuing ecclesiastical value of all spiritual gifts for the edification of believers and the body of Christ until the end of this church age is consummated by the glorious event, the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 12-14; Romans 12:3-7; Ephesians 4:11-12; 1 Corinthians 13:10.

3. We believe the Divine personhood of the Holy Spirit and His present day ministry to believers, which includes the sovereign distribution of spiritual gifts to believers for empowerment for service in the contemporary church. 1 Corinthians 12.

4.We believe in Jesus Christ as the sovereign giver of spiritual gifts ‘to the church.’ We believe spiritual gifts are given for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of ministry and for the edifying of the body of Christ and are given without regard to ethnicity, social class or gender. Ephesians 4:7, 12; Galatians 3:26-28.

5. We believe in the autonomy of local church as an independent entity with regard to matters of government, polity operation and discipline. 1 Corinthians 5:5; 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 14-15; Acts 6:3-5, 11:22, 14:23; Titus 1:5.

6. We believe in the value of biblical terminology of leadership in the contemporary church: Bishop, Overseer, Pastor, Minister, Elder and Deacon. We believe all of these are designations for servant-leaders. Jeremiah 3:15; Acts 20:28; 2 Corinthians 6:4; 1 Timothy 3:1-7.

7. We believe in the formal and intentional praise and worship of Almighty God as a proper spirit-led corporate acknowledgment and response to His person and work. Psalms 46-50; John 4:23.

8. We believe in Jesus Christ as the Baptizer with the Holy Spirit whereby He, by means of the Holy Spirit, brings men and women at salvation into relationship with Himself and His body, the church. Believers are never commanded to be baptized with the Holy Ghost; it is in fact the baptism of the Holy Ghost that makes one part of the body of Christ. All believers have been baptized by Christ with the Holy Ghost. Matthew 3:11; John 1:33; 1 Corinthians 12:13.

9. We believe in the dwelling of the Holy Ghost for all Christians; it is in fact, this dwelling of the Holy host that verifies and validates the believer as a part of the body of Christ, for he only indwells believers. Romans 8:14-27.

10. We believe in the spirit-filled life as desirable, valuable and an issue of obedience for all believers who are commanded to be filled with the Holy Ghost. We acknowledge that within the body of Christ, the term “filled” with the Holy Ghost is often used interchangeably with the term “baptism” of the Holy Ghost. When referring to the controlling presence and power of the Holy Ghost as a result of the submissive will and desire of the believer, we allow such alteration of terms. We believe it is the will and command of God that every believer be filled with the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 5:18.

11. We believe all believers are exhorted to be filled, walk in, be led by and live in the power of the Holy Ghost. Ephesians 5:18; Galatians 5:16, 18, 25.

12. We believe that it is God’s desire that all believers live their lives under the control of or being continuously filled with the Holy Ghost. We believe there are many fillings and there is to be the ongoing filling ministry of the Spirit in the life of the believer for empowerment to effectively and victoriously live a life that glorifies God. Acts 1:8, 2:4, 3:10, 4:8, 4:31.

13. We believe the Holy Ghost fills or empowers believers for service in the Kingdom of God. Being filled with the Holy Ghost is the result of continuing submission to Divine power and control. Acts 1:8, Ephesians 5:18.

14. We believe all believers “are” baptized with the Holy Ghost and all believers “should be” filled with the Holy Ghost. 1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 5:18.

15. We believe the baptism of the Holy Ghost and the filling of the Holy Ghost are distinct, separate, valid and valuable ministries of the Holy Ghost which may occur simultaneously at salvation. Being filled with the Holy Ghost may and should occur subsequent to salvation in obedience to biblical exhortation. The baptism of the Holy Ghost occurs once and for all, at salvation. Being filled with the Holy Ghost should not only be a continuous reality, but an ongoing characteristic of the believer’s consecrated holiness.