V. The Atonement

• We believe that Jesus Christ by the sacrificial shedding of His blood through an expiatory death on the cross made a full atonement for all sin (Romans 5:8-11). This atonement is the only ground for salvation, and is sufficient for every individual of Adam’s race. The atonement is graciously efficacious for the salvation of the irresponsible from birth, for the righteous who have become irresponsible (Romans 4:15) and to children in innocence (Mark 10:14) but is efficacious for the salvation of those who reach the age of responsibility when they repent and believe. (Luke 24:47; Acts 17:30).

VI. Faith

• We believe that there is no salvation except through faith in Jesus Christ and that this faith is a gift from God and without it, it is impossible to please God. (Ephesians 2-8; Hebrews 11:6) No human since the fall of Adam has or ever can, through his own righteousness or works merit salvation. (Ephesians 2:9; Titus 3:5) Man is saved by a living faith that becomes effective when it is exercised with the aid of the Spirit, which aid is assured, when the heart has met the divine condition. (Hebrews 5:9).

VII. Repentance

• We believe that genuine repentance toward God consists in a knowledge of, a sorrow for, and a voluntary confession and forsaking of sin. This is brought about by the knowledge of the goodness and severity of God, through the medium of the truth and the convincing power of the Holy Spirit. It is demanded of all who have by act or purpose become sinners against God. The Spirit of God gives to all who will repent the gracious help of penitence of heart and hope of mercy, that they may believe unto pardon and spiritual life. (Matthew 3:2; Romans 3:23; II Corinthians 7:10; John 16: 7-11; Luke 13:5; Acts 11:18).

VIII. Justification

• We believe that justification is that gracious and judicial act of God in which He grants full pardon from the penalty of sins committed in behalf of a penitent soul, trusting only in the merits of the shed blood of Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1) This act is absolute in respect of all past sins of commission, all being forgiven where any are forgiven.

IX. Sanctification

• We believe that the souls of justified persons must be cleansed from all inbred sin or the corruption of the natural human heart. This cleansing we term Sanctification or being made holy. Sanctification is that act of God, subsequent to forgiveness, by which believers are made free from original sin, or depravity, and brought in to a state of entire devotement to God, and the holy obedience of love made perfect. This is not a suppression or counteraction of inbred sin as to make it inoperative, but it is destruction or eradication so that the believer not only has a right to heaven, but is so conformed to God’s nature that he will enjoy heaven forever. (I Thessalonians 3:13, 5:23; Romans 6:6, 18, 22).
• We believe also that sanctification is provided through the shed blood of Jesus (Hebrews. 10:10, 13:12; I Peter 1:2; I John 1:9), and is wrought instantaneously by the believer’s faith in the blood, preceded by entire consecration (Romans 12:1) and to this work of grace the Holy Spirit bears witness (Romans 6:6; Galatians 2:20; II Corinthians 1:22; Hebrews. 10: 14-15).
• We further believe that this experience is wrought by the baptism with the Holy Ghost, and is that essential “holiness without which no man shall see the Lord” (Hebrews. 12:14); and that it is a two-fold act of cleansing the heart from sin and filling the believer with the indwelling presence of the Holy Ghost, empowering him for life and service (Acts 2:1-4; John 7:39, 14:16, 17:26, 16:13, 14; Acts 14:8, 9).

X. Witness of the Spirit

• The witness of the Spirit is that inward impression wrought in the soul, whereby the Spirit of God immediately and directly assures our spirit that Bible conditions are met for salvation, and the work of grace is complete in the soul (Romans 15:16). Therefore the Spirit bears witness to both the justification of the sinner and the sanctification of the believer (I John 5:10; Hebrews 10:14-15).

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