THE DOCTRINAL STATEMENT OF FAITH OF THE DUTCHTOWN BRETHREN CHURCH
The Dutchtown Brethren Church is a distinct, autonomous legal entity operating under a congregational government.
The Dutchtown Brethren Church believes, and holds, the Bible, the whole Bible and nothing but the Bible to be the infallible word of God and our sole rule of faith and practice in our personal lives and the administration of the local church.
Recognizing our responsibility to make known the divine message of the Bible, we present the following articles as a clear statement of those basic truths.
THE BIBLE. The Word of God, the sixty six Books of the Old and New Testaments, verbally inspired in all parts, and therefore wholly without error as originally given of God (2 TIM. 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21)
THE ONE TRUE GOD. Existing eternally as three persons. The Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit (Luke 3:22; Matt 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14)
THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. His preexistence and deity (John 1:1-3). Incarnation by virgin birth, (John 1:14; Matt. 1:18-23), sinless life (Heb. 4:15), substitutionary death (2 Cor. 5:21), bodily resurrection (Luke 24:36-43), ascension into heaven and present ministry (Heb 4:14-16), and coming again (Acts 1:11)
THE HOLY SPIRIT. His personality (John 16:7-15), and deity (Acts 5:3-4), and His work in each believer, baptism and indwelling at the moment of regeneration (1Cor. 12:13; Rom 8:9) and filling (Eph 5:18) to empower for Christian life and service (Eph 3:16; Acts 1:8; Gal. 5:22-23)
MAN. His direct creation in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-28), his subsequent fall into sin resulting in spiritual death (Gen. 3: 1-24; Rom. 5:12) his total depravity, so that he is utterly unable to remedy his lost condition (Rom. 3:10-12; 5:12; Eph 2:1-3, 12), and the necessity of the new birth for his salvation (John 3:35)
SALVATON. A complete and eternal salvation by God’s grace alone, received as the gift from God through personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work (Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-7; 1 Peter 1:18-19)
THE CHURCH. One true church, the body and the bride of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23), composed of all true believers of the present age (1 Cor. 12:12-13); and the organization of its members in the local church for worship, for edification of believers, and for worldwide Gospel witness, the local church being autonomous yet cooperation with others of like precious faith to fulfill the great commission (Matt. 28-18-20)
CHRISTIAN LIFE. A life of righteousness, good works, and separation unto God from the evil ways of the world (Rom. 12:12), manifested by speaking the truth (James 5:12), maintaining the sanctity of the home (Eph. 5:22; 6:4), setting differences between Christians in accordance with the Word of God (1 Cor. 6:1-8), exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23), and maintaining a life of prayer (Eph. 6:18; Phil. 4:6), including the privilege, when sick, of calling for the elders of the church to pray and to anoint with oil, in the name of the Lord (James 5:13-18), not engaging in carnal strife but showing a Christ-like attitude toward all men (Rom. 12:17- 21); not to be misconstrued as to exclude the defense of (1) one’s life and property (Luke12:39), (2) one’s family (I Tim 5:8), (3) one’s friends (John 15:13), (4) one’s country (Luke 3:14; Eccl 3:8), (5) one’s serving in the capacity of civil law enforcement as God’s ministers. (Rom 13:1-4)
ORDINANCES. Christians should the ordinances of our Lord Jesus Christ which are (1) baptism of believers by triune immersion (Matt 28:19). (2) The threefold communion service consisting of the washing of the saints’ feet (John 13:1-17), the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:20-22; 33-34; Jude 12), and the communion of the bread and the cup (1 Cor. 11:23-26).
SATAN. His existence and personality as the great adversary of God and His people (Rev. 12:1-10), his judgment (John 12:31), and final doom (Rev. 20:10).
SECOND COMING. The personal, visible, and imminent return of Christ to remove His church from Earth (1 Thess. 4:16-17) before the tribulation (1 Thes. 1:10; Rev. 3:10), and afterward to descend with the Church to establish His millennial kingdom upon the earth (Rev. 19:11; 20:6).
FUTURE LIFE. The conscious existence of the dead (Phil. 1:21-23; Luke 16:19-31), the resurrection of the body (John 5:28-29), the judgment and reward of believers (Rom. 14:10-12; 2 Cor. 5:10), the judgment and condemnation of unbelievers (Rev. 20:11-15), the eternal life of the saved (John 3:16), and the eternal punishment of the lost (Matt. 25:46; Rev. 20:15).