SALVATION (Soteriology)
ELECTION
A. Election is God’s eternal choice of some persons to eternal life?not because of foreseen merit or faith in them, but because of His mercy in Christ.
B. Election is an eternal and internal decree having nothing to do with the will of the creature, but God’s own good pleasure.
C. Those who have been predestined to be saved are called, justified, sanctified, and glorified in time.
Rom. 8:30; Eph. 1:11,14; 2:5,8,9; II Thess. 2:13; 2 Tim. 1:9.
We hold to the theological system of soteriology (doctrine of salvation) known as the five points of Calvinism. While these points are scattered throughout the doctrinal statement, they are more fully explained in the book The Five Points of Calvinism by Thomas and Steele. It is expected that all members have read this book and understand these points. (A further explanation of the atonement is found in the book Definite Atonement by Dr. Gary Long.)
ATONEMENT
A. The death of the Lord Jesus Christ was a penal substitutionary atonement which absolutely secured the salvation of the elect.
B. God limited the extent of the atonement to the elect alone. This limitation by God’s own design and decree is a limitation in its extent, not in its intrinsic worth or value, which is infinite.
C. The Lord Jesus Christ did not die either sufficiently or effectually for all men without exception. His blood was not shed for the damned. The decree of God is what limits the application of salvation, not the will of man. Statements made in the Scriptures, such as ‘all’, ‘whosoever will’, the ‘world’ in reality refer to ‘all sorts’ or ‘all kinds’ to all without distinction, not all without exception. ‘Whosoever will’ refers to those who do. The ‘world’ refers to (among other meanings ) either 1) the soteric world (Jews and Gentiles), 2) the human race, 3) the physical universe, 4) the stage of human history, or 5) the distinct fallen depraved world. These words have been incorrectly taken to mean hypothetical universal salvific atonement. We reject these concepts of the atonement of Christ in particular and the decree of God in general as heretical.
D. We reject not only the concept of general or universal atonement, but also the governmental, moral-example, and Ransom-To-Satan views of the death of Christ as heretical.
Matt. 1:21; 26:28; John 10:11,15; Rom. 5:6-10; Eph. 5:25-26; 2 Cor. 5:18-21; Titus 2:15; Heb. 9:12-14; 13:12 .
EFFECTUAL CALLING AND REGENERATION
A. By His Word and His Holy Spirit, God calls us into fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ. In so doing, He implants new life in us, changing the whole man in all his parts from death unto life.
B. In regeneration, God, by the Holy Spirit, implants new life, enlightens our minds, renews our wills, and imparts the gifts of faith and repentance necessary for the expression of that new life.
C. Regeneration is instantaneous.
D. In regeneration, man is totally passive and God the Holy Spirit is active.
E. Regeneration precedes the expression of faith and repentance called conversion. In conversion man is active and the Holy Spirit is passive: God does not believe or repent for the regenerated and converted sinner.
F. The elect, once regenerate, do infallibly come to Christ in faith and repentance, yet ever so willingly and irresistably.
John 3:3-8; Eph. 4:23-24; Col. 3:10; 2 Thess. 2:4.
REPENTANCE
A. Repentance is a saving grace, and like all other gifts, comes from God. The repentant person, by the Holy Spirit, is convicted of the evil of his sin and humbles himself for it, with godly sorrow, hatred of it, self-abhorrence, and a purpose to endeavor to walk before God so as to please Him in all things. In repentance man is active, expressing the God-given gift: God does not repent for the sinner.
Lk. 18:13-14; 24:46-47; Acts 2:37-38; 5:31; 20:21; 1 Thess. 1:9.
FAITH
A. True faith is a saving grace by which we rest upon Jesus Christ and His atoning work alone for salvation as offered to us in the gospel; believe the word of God to be true, and seek to appropriate its teaching to ourselves. God does not believe for the sinner. Repentance and faith are the two gifts that when initially exercised constitute conversion.
B. True faith as defined above is distinguished from historical faith, i.e. mere assent to historical facts about God and Christ. It is also distinguished from temporary faith in that true faith produces good works, fruit of the Holy Spirit, and endures to the end. True faith involves the following: Knowledge, belief, and assent.
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Eph. 2:8; Rom. 4:3; 10:9-10, 17; Heb. 11:6.
JUSTIFICATION
A. Justification is a forensic act of God’s free grace whereby He pardons our sins and accounts us righteous in His sight. This is not based on anything we have done, but only on the righteousness of Christ imputed to us and received by grace through faith alone.
B. Justification is a forensic act in that it is associated with the courts of justice. It concerns itself with the legal pronouncement of the judge that the person involved is thereby declared not guilty and that the righteousness of Christ is thereby imputed to him. Thus, justification is a declaration of righteousness in a legal sense, and deals with our standing or relationship rather than our state or conduct. We reject and hold as heretical the concept of infused righteousness/justification.
Rom. 3:20-30; 4:5; 8:33; Lk. 18:13-14.
SANCTIFICATION
A. Those who are united to Jesus Christ are by regeneration renewed in their whole nature after the image of God, and set apart by God to share in His holiness. This is definite sanctification.
B. Because of the remaining effects of the former corrupt nature, there is a progressive aspect to sanctification, whereby the Holy Spirit, indwelling the believer, promotes true holiness of life. We reject the concepts of eradication of the sin nature, perfect holiness, and entire sanctification during our sojourn on earth in our mortal bodies.
C. On the other hand, we reject the concept that a person can be a Christian without any holiness or sanctification whatsoever, that Jesus can be one’s Savior without also being one’s Lord. Any justification without sanctification is no justification at all.
Jn. 1 7:1 7; 1 Cor. 1:2; 6:1 1; 2 Cor. 3:18; 5:17; Phil. 2:12-23; 1 ‘Mess. 5:23; Gal. 5:16-23; James 2; Heb. 12:5-11; Eph. 2:10; 1 Pet. 1:2; 1 Jn. 3:2.
ETERNAL SECURITY AND PERSEVERANCE
A. We believe that, because of the eternal purpose of God toward the objects of His love, because of His freedom to exercise grace toward the meritless on the ground of the propitiatory blood of Christ, because of the very nature of the divine gift of eternal life, because of the present and unending intercession and advocacy of Christ in heaven, because of the immutability of the unchangeable covenants of God, because of the regenerating, abiding presence of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of all who are saved, we and all true believers everywhere, once saved, shall be kept safe forever.
B. We believe, however, that God is a holy and righteous Father and that He does not overlook the sin of His children. He will when they persistently sin, chasten them and correct them in infinite love; but having undertaken to save them and keep them forever, apart from all human merit, He, who cannot fail, will in the end present every one of them faultless before the presence of His glory and conformed to the image of His Son. Thus, those whom the Father chose, the Son penally substituted for, and the Spirit set apart will never totally or finally fall away from the state of grace, but will persevere to the end.
Jn. 5:24; 10:28; 13:1; 14:16-17; 17:11; Rom. 8:29; 1 Cor. 6:19; Heb. 7:25; 1 Jn. 2:1-2; 5:13; Jude 24.
ASSURANCE
A. We believe that it is the privilege, not only of some, but of all who are born again by the Holy Spirit, to be assured of their salvation from the very day they repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. This assurance is not founded upon any fancied discovery of their own worthiness or fitness, but wholly upon the testimony of God in His written Word. This assurance excites within His children filial love, gratitude, and obedience.
Lk. 10:20; 22:32; 2 Cor. 5:1; 6-8; 2 Tim. 1:12; Heb. 10:22; 1 Jn. 5:13.
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