Section 6.02. Tenants of Faith. The North Gate shall accept the Holy Scriptures as the revealed will of God, the all-sufficient rule of faith and practice. The following statements of faith are set forth to make clear our understanding in these basic areas of belief and are not intended as an all inclusive statement of doctrine.

 

 

1. The Scriptures Inspired

The Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, are verbally inspired of God and the revelation of God to man, the infallible, authoritative rule of faith and conduct. (II Tim. 3:15-17)

 

2. The One True God

The one true God has revealed Himself as the eternally self-existent "I AM", the

creator of heaven and earth and the Redeemer of mankind. He has further revealed Himself as embodying the principles of relationship and association as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Deut. 6:4, Isa. 43: 10-11, Matt. 28:19, Luke 3:22).

 

3. The Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ

The Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal son of God. The Scriptures declare:

(a) His virgin birth (Matt. 1:23, Luke 1:31, 35)

(b) His sinless life (Heb. 7:26, I Peter 2:22)

(c) His miracles (Acts 2:22, 10:38)

(d) His substitutionary work on the cross (I Cor. 15:3, II Cor. 15:4)

(e) His bodily resurrection from the dead (Matt. 28:6, Luke 24:39, I Cor. 15:4)

(f) His exaltation to the right hand of God (Acts 1:9,11, 2:33, Phil. 2:9-11, Heb. 1:3)

 

4. The Fall of Man

Man was created good and upright; for God said, "Let us now create man in our image, after our likeness." However, man by voluntary transgression fell and thereby incurred not only physical death but also spiritual death, which is separation from God. (Gen. 1:26, 27, 2:17, 3:6, Rom. 5:12-19),

 

5. The Salvation of Man

Man's only hope of redemption is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

(a) Conditions of Salvation:

Salvation is received through repentance toward God, faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ, and the cleansing power of His blood. By the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, being justified by grace through faith, man becomes an heir of God according to the hope of eternal life. (Luke 24:47, John 3:3, Rom. 10:13-15, Titus 2:11, 3:5-7)

(b)The Evidence of Salvation

The inward evidence of salvation is the direct witness of the Spirit (Rom. 8:16). The outward evidence to all men is a life of righteousness and true holiness. (Eph. 4:24, Titus 2:12)

 

6. The Ordinances of the Church

 

(a) Baptism in Water:

The ordinance of baptism by immersion in commanded in the Scriptures. All who repent and believe on Christ as Savior and Lord are to be baptized. Thus they declare to the world that they have died with Christ and that they also have been raised with Him to walk in newness of life. (Matt. 28:19, Mark 16:16, Acts 10:47-48, Rom. 6:4)

 

(b) Holy Communion

The Lord's Supper, consisting of the elements - bread and the fruit of the vine - is

the symbol expressing our partaking of the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ (II Peter 1:4), a memorial of His suffering and death (I Cor. 11:26), and a prophecy of His second coming (I Cor. 11:26), and is enjoyed on all believers "till He come!"

 

7. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit

All believers are entitled to and should ardently expect and earnestly seek the

promise of the Father, the baptism in the Holy Spirit are fire, according to the

command of our Lord Jesus Christ. This was the normal experience of all in the

early Christian Church. With it comes the enduement of power for life and service, the bestowment of gifts and their uses in the work of the ministry. (Luke 24:29, Acts 1:4, 8, I Cor. 12:1-31).

 

8. Sanctification

Sanctification is an act of separation from what which is evil, and of dedication unto God (Rom. 12:1-2, I Thes. 5:23, Heb. 13:12). The scriptures teach a life of "...holiness without which no man shall see the Lord." (Heb. 12:14). By the power of the Holy Spirit we are able to obey the command "Be ye holy, for I am holy." (I Peter 1:15-16).

Sanctification is realized in the believer by recognizing his identification with Christ, in His death and resurrection, and by faith reckoning daily upon the fact of that union, and by offering every faculty continually to the dominion of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 6:1-11, 12, Gal. 2:20, Phil. 2:12-13, I Peter 1:5).

 

9. The Church

The Church is the body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with

divine appointments for the fulfillment of her great commission. Each believer, born of the spirit, is an integral part of the general assembly and church of the first-born, which are written in heaven. (Eph. 1:22-23, 2:22, Heb. 12:23).

 

10. The Ministry

A divinely called and scripturally ordained ministry of Apostles, Prophets,

Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers (Eph. 4:11-16) has been provided by our Lord for the threefold purpose of leading the Church in: (1) Evangelization of the world (Mark 16:15-20), (2) Worship of God (John 2:23-24). (3) Building a body of saints being perfected in the image of His son (Eph. 4:11-16).

 

11. Divine Healing

Divine healing is an integral part of the gospel. Deliverance from sickness is

provided for in the atonement and is the privilege of all believers (Isa. 53:4-5, Matt. 8:16-17, James 5:14-16).

 

12. The Blessed Hope

The resurrection of those who have fallen asleep in Christ and their translation together with those who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord is the blessed hope of the Church (I Thess. 4:16-17, Rom. 8:23, I Cor. 15:51-52).

 

13. The Final Judgment

There will be a final judgment in which the dead will be raised and judged according to their works. Whosoever is not found written in the Book of Life, together with the devil and his angels, the beast and the false prophet, will be consigned to everlasting punishment in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. (Matt. 25:46, Mark 9:43-48, Rev. 19:20, 20:11-15, 2:8).

 

14. The New Heaven and the New Earth

"We, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwells righteousness." (I Peter 3:13, Rev. 21:22).

 

15. The Biblical Standard regarding Human Sexuality and Marriage

• The Bible tells us that man and woman were created by God as distinct acts of creation, and that being male and female was an aspect of how they were created in His own image (Gen. 1:27, 2:7,18-19). Marriage is the joining of these distinct genders into one flesh. Thus marriage is between one man and one woman. Further, the Bible teaches that while sex within marriage is pure and honorable, sex outside marriage is sinful and will be judged by God (Heb. 13:4). The seventh commandment, “You shall not commit adultery,” protects the sexual relationship between a man and a woman who are united in marriage by forbidding marital infidelity, premarital sex, homosexuality, bestiality, and the use of pornography (Ex. 20:14).

• Outside Biblical marriage, God’s standard for sex is celibacy, saying “no” to both heterosexual and homosexual lusts (Matt. 5:27-30). Homosexual behavior is sinful and unnatural (Rom. 1: 24-28). Celibacy is a gift of God that allows the unmarried to live a life of purity and contentment, so that a person does not have to engage in sex to have a full and satisfying life (1 Cor. 7:7-9).

 

16. The Christian Wedding

Biblical marriage is a life-long covenant between one man and one woman (Matt. 19:4-6). Biblical marriage promotes the bearing and rearing of children and exercise of stewardship over creation (Gen. 2:27-28). The essence of a Christian wedding is the Divine blessing of the bride and groom as they exchange vows while God receives the worship of the congregation as they witness those vows and as they offer Him prayer and praise.