Messages from the Word of God by Br. David Nelson, Evangelist Available bi-monthly on cassette or CD. All materials free as the Lord provides. Messages from the Word of God by Br. David Nelson, Evangelist Available bi-monthly on cassette or CD. All materials free as the Lord provides. © 2010 No Greater Love Ministry Statement Of Beliefs If you are like me, you want to know what someone believes about major Biblical doctrines. I hope these short statements will make it clear where we stand on these important Biblical truths. • THE BIBLE We believe in the verbal, plenary inspiration of both the Old and New Testaments. The Bible stands complete and perfect. It contains no errors. The Bible is our only rule for faith and practice. We believe in the King James Version for English speaking people. I Timothy 3: 16; I Peter 1: 21; Proverbs 30: 5; Psalm 119: 89, 160; Matthew 5: 18; Romans 3: 1,2 • GOD We believe in one God that manifests Himself to man in three persons: The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. These are not three gods but one. They are co-equal, co- eternal, and of the same essence. But they are unique and have their own individual personalities in the Godhead: 1. GOD THE FATHER The Father is a person and not simply a personification of good. He has emotions: love, hate, jealousy, etc... He is not some removed deity but is very active in the world today. John 3: 13, 4: 23, 14: 26; I John 1: 3; Exodus 20: 5,6; Nahum 1: 2; Proverbs 6: 16- 19; Daniel 2: 21  2. GOD THE SON God the Son was present with the Father in the beginning and was His agent in creation. He came into this world born of a virgin and became the perfect sacrifice for the sin of man. He arose from the dead and ascended back to heaven where He now sits at the right hand of the Father. He will return to this earth to take over the kingdoms of the world. John 1: 1-14; Matthew 1: 18-25; Luke 1,2; Mark 10: 45; Matthew 27; I Corinthians 15; Isaiah 7:14; Titus 2: 13; I Thessalonians 4: 16; Revelation 1: 7, 19: 11-16; Colossians 1: 15-17 3. GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT The Holy Spirit is a person and should not be referred to as "it." He was present at the creation of the world. He empowered people in the Old Testament economy to do great works for God. Today He convicts of sin, indwells and seals believers, and opens the things of God to us. Genesis 1: 2; Acts 5: 3,4; Romans 8: 9-16; John 15: 26, 16: 7-14  • SATAN We believe that Satan is a person and not simply the personification of evil. He was not created evil but became evil after he tried to establish a rule in heaven. He is active in the world today but will be judged and cast into hell where he will suffer for eternity. Genesis 3: 1-5, 14-16; Job 1,2; Isaiah 14:12-17; Ezekiel 28: 11-19; Matthew 4: 1-11; Luke 4: 1-13; I Peter 5: 8; John 8:44; Revelation 20: 1,2, 7-10 • CREATION We believe in the literal six day account of Creation as given in the Book of Genesis. Genesis 1, 2; Hebrews 11: 3; Colossians 1: 16,17 • MAN We believe man was created in the image of God and was not the product of evolution. Adam, the first man, was placed in the Garden of Eden to tend and keep it. When tempted by Satan man sinned. This sin brought about death to man, immediately in his spirit, progressively in his soul and ultimately in his body. Man today is born with a sinful nature. Thus he is under the judgement of God. He is totally unable to restore himself into favor with God. Genesis 1: 26-28, 2: 2-25, 3: 1-24; Romans 3: 10, 23; Galatians 2: 16; Psalm 51: 5; I Corinthians 15: 22; Romans 5: 12-14 • SALVATION Because of sin all men stand condemned before God and are in need of salvation. Man is not capable of being good enough or doing enough good deeds to earn his salvation. He is totally helpless to save himself. Therefore God provided a way for sin to be paid for. This was in the blood of His Son. Jesus in his vicarious death satisfied the just demands of a holy God. Based on the merits of Christ alone, God invites men to receive salvation. This salvation is extended totally by God's grace with no mixture of human effort. God calls men to repentance from sin and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe in the eternal security of the believer. Mark 10: 45; Isaiah 45: 22, John 3: 17, 18, 36; Ephesians 2: 8, 9; Romans 5: 15-23; Titus 3: 5; Hebrews 10: 45; John 10: 10-18 • THE CHURCH We believe that the church is a local, visible body of baptized believers that have covenanted together for the propagation of the Gospel. She has two offices-Bishops or Pastors, and Deacons. These men must be qualified according to scripture. We believe that the members of a local church are under the authority of that church and should live a life separated from the world and to God. The church is to observe two ordinances: Baptism (Immersion) and the Lord's Supper. Both of these are to be observed by the authority of a New Testament Church. We believe in the perpetuity of the church from the time of Christ. Matthew 16: 18, 19; Matthew 28: 18,19; Romans 6: 4, 5; Acts 1: 8; I Timothy 3: 1-13; I Corinthians 11: 20-34; II Corinthians 6: 13-18  • LAST THINGS We believe in the personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ to receive His saints in the air. We believe in the great tribulation that will come to the whole world. We believe in the personal, bodily return of Jesus Christ to this earth. We believe in the millennial reign of Christ after which Satan will be loosed from the pit for a short time. After which all the forces of evil will be destroyed and a new heaven and a new earth will be established. I Thessalonians 4: 13-18; I Corinthians 15: 51-57; Revelation 19-22; Zechariah 14: 4; Matthew 24 • ETERNAL STATES We believe in the in the existence of two eternal states. Hell--a place of eternal destruction and punishment for the unrepentant who have rejected God's offer of salvation on the earth. Heaven--a place of eternal rest where those that have been saved by the grace of God will dwell with Him for ever. All people go to one of these places based on the response they have made to Jesus Christ. Luke 16: 19-31; Proverbs 15: 24; Revelation 20: 10-15; Psalm 9: 17; Matthew 8: 12, John 14: 1-6, Revelation 21, 22