Doctrinal Statement
But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:
Titus 2:1
The Scriptures
We believe the Bible is the fully inspired, inerrant, and complete Word of God breathed out by God Himself. The Bible is profitable for all matters of life, faith, and practice (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21). We believe the Word of God has been completely preserved for the English speaker in the King James Version Bible through the translation of the Hebrew Masoretic Text and the Greek Textus Receptus (Matthew 5:18; 1 Peter 1:24-25).
Salvation
We believe salvation was made possible through the cross and resurrection of Christ and is extended to anyone and everyone who would place their faith in Jesus Christ (John 3:16).
We believe that salvation is a free gift attained through faith alone in Jesus Christ by the grace of God alone. Any form of works-based salvation is contrary to the Word of God and to be rejected. Jesus Christ died for the sins of mankind and was raised on the third day. He is the only Way, Truth, and Life to which man is justified from their sin, redeemed by His blood, and accounted as righteous before God the Father (Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:12; Romans 5.)
The Doctrine of the Church
We believe the church is an organized group of baptized believers of the Lord Jesus Christ that are united to carry out the Great Commission. We believe the church is to be autonomous; as evidenced by the independent, local churches written of in the book of Acts, in New Testament epistle writings, and the seven churches listed in Revelation (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Revelation 2-3.)
We believe the church is to practice two ordinances – Baptism and Communion (Matthew 28:18-19; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26.) We believe the church recognizes only two offices, which are the Pastor and Deacon (1 Timothy 3; Titus 1:5-9; Philippians 1:1; Acts 6:1-4.)
We believe the local church is to be separate from corruption and united in proper doctrine given through the Scriptures (2 Corinthians 6:17-18; Romans 16:17; 1 Timothy 6:3-5; 2 Timothy 2:2, 15; Titus 1:9-16; 1 John 4:1; Jude 3-4.)
Baptism
We believe the saved individual is to follow the Lord’s command in water baptism. Water baptism is performed in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and is the symbolic act of the believer in identifying with the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:18-19; Acts 8:38; Acts 10:47.) Water baptism does not wash away sin and save an individual, but is the answer of a good conscience toward God (1 Peter 3:21.)
The Lord's Supper
We believe the saved individual within the local church is to participate in the Lord’s supper. This ordinance is performed in remembrance of the Lord’s death on the cross for our behalf and the hope of His coming again (I reject the false ideologies of transubstantiation and consubstantiation – 1 Corinthians 11:23-25).
Eschatology
We believe in the pretribulational, pre-millenial, dispensational viewpoint as declared in the Scriptures.
The Rapture
We believe in the pre-tribulation rapture of the Church. All saved, born-again believers of the church age will meet the Lord in the air at the sound of the last trump – The dead in Christ rising first and those living to follow – and all will be changed unto incorruption in the twinkling of the eye (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52). We believe in the imminency of the rapture of the church and all believers must remain prepared, watching, and always expecting Christ to call His Bride to Himself. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14; 5:6; Titus 2:13; James 5:8).
The Tribulation
We believe the tribulation will be a set time of 7 years of God’s wrath poured out upon the world in judgment of sin. The Church will have been removed from this period as the Lord judges those that dwell upon the earth (Revelation 3:10; Revelation 6-18). The tribulation period will commence when the Antichrist signs a false peace treaty with the nation of Israel – as prophesied in the Book of Daniel (Daniel 9:24-27).
The Second Coming of Christ
We believe the Lord Jesus Christ will return at the end of the Tribulation period with His Bride to judge the lost of the world for their sin (Revelation 19:11-21). The righteous and the wicked will be separated into the designation of sheeps and goats. The righteous (sheep) will continue in the Millennial Kingdom and Eternal Life and the wicked (goats) will be cast into everlasting judgment (Matthew 25:31-46).
We believe the Devil will be cast into the bottomless pit for 1000 years and the Lord will reign as King on the earth during that time period. When the Millennial Period is completed, Satan will be loosed for a season to deceive the nations, but the Lord will devour them and the wicked with fire – casting the Devil, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet into the Lake of Fire for all eternity (Revelation 20).
Ecumenicalism
We reject the notion of a working ecumenical body of the church in this present world. Though there is a universal body of Christian believers, it will not manifest until Christ raptures His Bride. The Lord has established His work to be performed through the local, autonomous, independent church body.
The Sign Gifts
We believe the sign gifts (miracles, healing, tongues, and supernatural prophetical words) were designated to the early 1st century church, but have since ceased (1 Corinthians 13:8). We believe the sign gifts were a mark of a true apostle and as a sign for unbelieving Israel (Acts 2:22; 1 Corinthians 14:21-22; 2 Corinthians 12:12). We reject all charismatic teachings declaring the sign gifts as relevant, present, and active within the church body today.
Limited Atonement
We outright reject the notion that Jesus Christ extends his saving grace only to certain individuals; otherwise known as the Calvinistic doctrine of election. The Lord paid the wages for the sin of the entire world across all generations of man – desiring for all to come to saving faith. Therefore any and all who place their faith in the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the payment of their sins shall be saved (John 1:12; John 3:16-17; John 6:40; 1 Timothy 2:4).
Eternal Security
We believe the Bible teaches a Born-Again Christian cannot lose their salvation. We are held in the hands of the Triune God Who has declared it is impossible for the believer to lose his/her salvation (John 10:28-29; Romans 8:35-39). We believe the Holy Spirit’s work after salvation is to seal the believer with His promise; which is the security deposit given to all Christians until the day of redemption (Ephesians 1:13-14).
Heaven and Hell
We believe in a literal heaven and a literal hell wherein each individual person will have an eternal destiny: Believers unto eternal salvation in heaven and unbelievers unto eternal damnation in hell (Matthew 25:31-46; Revelation 20:11-21:4). We believe Jesus taught and believed of both heaven and hell as literal, existing places where individuals will reside for eternity (Matthew 18:7-14; Matthew 23:33; Luke 16:19-31).
The great Commission
We believe the Great Commission is the final commandment given to the Christian and local church body. The purpose of the Great Commission is to reach the lost through evangelism, discipleship, and teaching them to observe the Word of God themselves (Matthew 28:19-20).
We believe it is not by the power of the individual nor the local church that this task is accomplished, but in Christ Jesus of Whom has all power in heaven and in earth (Matthew 28:18). I believe the Lord Jesus by His Holy Spirit working in the individual and the church body commissions believers to serve as witnesses all around the world (Acts 1:8).
The Establishment of Indigenous Churches
We believe it is the work of the local church body through the power of the Holy Spirit of God to commission, send out, and establish local churches in foreign lands.
The purpose of the missionary is to plant indigenous churches with the end goal that the Lord would raise up local believers to fill the roles of Pastors and Deacons – whom would then disciple the congregation through the Word of God and plant churches from those called within their local congregation (Both national and foreign).
Nick and Lorena
Zarrella
11700 N.W. 28th Court Plantation, FL 33323
Phone: 954.473.2424
Mission Board | Baptist Bible Fellowship Int’l
720 East Kearney Street Springfield, MO 65803
Phone: 417.862.5001