Our Stand

(Our Doctrine)

The Holy Scriptures

We believe the Holy Scripture of the Old and New Testament to be the verbally and plenary inspired Word of God.
The Scriptures are inerrant, infallible and therefore are the final authority for faith and life.
The sixty-six books of the Old and New Testament are the complete and divine revelation of God to man.
The Scriptures shall be interpreted according to their normal grammatical-historical meaning.
The King James Version of the Bible shall be the official and only translation used by the church
(2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:20-21).

The Godhead

We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons—Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit—each coeternal in being, coincidental in nature, coequal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections
(Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14; John 14:10, 26).

The Person and Work of Christ

(A) We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God,
having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man
(Isa. 7: 14; 9:6; Luke 1:35; John 1:1-2, 14; 2 Cor. 5:19-21; Gal. 4:4-5; Phil.2:5-8)

(B) We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through his death on the cross as a representative,
vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and, that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical, resurrection from the dead
(Acts 2:18-36; Rom. 3:24-25; 1 Pet. 2:24; Eph. 1:17; 1 Pet. 1:3-5).

(C) We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven, and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where, as our High Priest,
He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate
(Acts 1:9-10; Heb. 9:24; 7:25; Rom. 8:34; 1 John 2:1-2).

The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit

(A) We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment;
and, that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers in the body of Christ,
indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption
(John 16:8-11; Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 12:12-14; 2 Cor. 3:6; Eph. 1:13-14).

(B) We believe that He is the Divine Teacher who assists believers to understand and appropriate the Scriptures
and that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the Spirit
(Eph. 1:17-18; 5:18; 1 John 2:20,27).

(C) We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowal of spiritual gifts to every believer.
God uniquely uses evangelists, pastors, and teachers to equip believers in the assembly in order that they can do the work of the ministry
(Rom. 12:3-8; 1 Cor. 12:4-11,28 ; Eph. 4:7-12).

(D) We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and the gift of healing were temporary.
We believe that speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit
and that ultimate Deliverance of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection,
though God frequently chooses to answer the prayers of believers for physical healing
(1 Cor. 1:22; 13:8; 14:21-22; James 5:14-18).

The Total Depravity of Man

We believe salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ,
Whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins
(John 1:12; Eph. 1:7; 2:8-10; 1 Pet. 1:18-19).

Dispensationalism

We believe that the Scriptures interpreted in their natural,
literal sense reveal divinely ordered stewardships by which God directs man according to His purpose.
Three of these dispensations—law, the church, and the kingdom—are the subjects of detailed revelation in Scripture
(Gen. 1:28; 1 Cor. 9:17; 2 Cor. 3:9-18; Gal. 3:13-25; Eph. 1:10; 3:2-10; Col. 1:24-25, 27; Rev. 20:2-6).

The Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers

(A) We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever
(John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Rom 8:1, 38-39; 1 Cor. 1:4-8; 1 Peter 1:4-5).

(B) We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word,
which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion of the flesh
(Rom. 13:13-14; Gal. 5:13; Titus 2:11-15).

The Church

(A) We believe that the local church, which is the body and the espoused bride of Christ, is solely made up of born-again persons
(1 Cor. 12:12-14; 2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 1:22-23; 5:27).

(B) We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures
(Acts 14:27; 20:17, 28-32; 1 Tim. 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11).

(C) We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any external authority or control
(Acts 13:1-4; 15:19-31; 20:28; Rom. 16:1,4; 1 Cor. 3:9, 16; 5:4-7,13).

(D) We recognize water baptism and the Lord’s Supper as the Scriptural ordinances of obedience for the church in this age
(Matt. 29:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; 18:18; 1 Cor. 11:23-26).

Separation

We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord;
and, that separation from all religious apostasy, all wordly and sinful pleasures, practices and associations is commanded of God
(Rom. 12:1-2; 14:13; 2 Cor. 6:14-7:1; 2 Tim. 3:1-5; 1 John 2: 15-17; 2 John 9-11).

The Second Advent of Christ

We believe in that “blessed hope,” the personal imminent return of Christ.
Who will rapture His Church prior to the seven-year tribulation period.
At the end of the Tribulation, Christ will personally and visibly return with his saints,
to establish His earthly Messianic Kingdom which was promised to the nation of Israel
(Ps. 89:3-4; Dan. 2:31-34; Zech. 14:4-11; 1 Thess. 1:10; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; Rev. 3:10; 19:11-16; 20:1-6).

The Eternal State

(A) We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment, and everlasting punishment
(Matt. 25:46; John 5:28-29; 11:25-26; Rev. 20:5-6, 12-13).

(B) We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord,
where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection, when spirit, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord
(Luke 23:43; 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23, 3:21; 1 Thess. 4:16-17; Rev. 20:4-6).

(C) We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious punishment and torment until the second resurrection,
when with soul and body reunited they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment,
and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment and torment
(Matt. 25:41-45; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-26; 2 Thess. 1:7-9; Jude 6-7; Rev. 20:11-15).

The Personality of Satan

We believe that Satan is a person, the author of sin and case of the Fall of Man; that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man; and, that he shall be eternally punished in the lake of fire
(Job 1:6-7; Isa. 14:12-17; Matt. 4:2-11, 25:41; Rev. 20:10).

Creation

We believe that God created the universe in six literal, 24-hour periods.
We reject evolution, the Gap theory, the Day-Age theory, and Theistic Evolution as unscriptural theories of origin
(Gen. 1-2; Ex. 20:11).

Civil Government

We believe that God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: (1) the home; (2) the church; and (3) the state.
Every person is subject to these authorities, but all (including the authorities themselves) are answerable to God and governed by His Word.
God has given each institution specific Biblical responsibilities with the understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the other.
The home, the church, and the state are equal and sovereign in their respective Biblically assigned spheres of responsibility under God
(Rom: 13:1-7; Eph. 5:22-24; Heb. 13:17; I Pet. 2:13-14).

Human Sexuality

We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman.
We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication,
adultery and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex
(Gen. 2:24, 19:5, 26:8-9; Lev. 18:1-30; Rom. 1:26-29: 1 Cor. 5:1, 6:9; 1 Thess. 4:1-8; Heb, 13:4).

Divorce and Remarriage

We believe that God hates divorce and intends marriage to last until one of the spouses dies.
Divorce and remarriage is regarded as adultery except on the grounds of fornication.
Although divorced and remarried persons or divorced persons may hold positions of service in the church
and be greatly used of God for Christian service they may not be considered for the offices of pastor or deacon
(Mal. 2:14-17; Matt. 19:3-12; Rom. 7:1-3; 1 Tim. 3:2, 12; Titus 1:6).

Abortion

We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being.
Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexecuted taking of unborn human life.
Abortion is murder.
We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects,
gender selection, birth or population control, or the mental well-being of the mother are acceptable
(Job 3:16; Ps. 51:5, 139:14-16; Isa. 44:24; 49:1,5; Jer. 1:5, 20:15-18; Luke 1:44).

Missions

We believe that God has given the church a great commission to proclaim the Gospel to all nations so that there might be a great multitude from every nation, tribe, ethnic group, and language group who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. As ambassadors of Christ we must use all available means to go to the foreign nations and not wait for them to come to us
(Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; 2 Cor. 5:20).

Lawsuits between Believers

We believe that Christians are prohibited from bringing lawsuits against other Christians or the church to resolve personal disputes.
We believe the church possesses all the resources necessary to resolve personal disputes between members.
We do believe, however, that a Christian may seek compensation for injuries from another Christian’s insurance company as long as the claim is pursued without malice or slander
(1 Cor. 6:1-8; Eph. 4:31-32).

Giving

We believe that every Christian, as a steward of God’s wealth entrusted to him, is obligated to support his local church financially.
We believe that God has established the tithe as a basis for giving, but that every Christian should also give other offerings sacrificially
and cheerfully to support of the church, the relief of those in need, and the spread of the Gospel.
We believe that a Christian relinquishes all rights to direct the use of the tithe or offering once the gift has been made
(Gen. 14:20; Prov. 3:9-10; Acts 4:34-37; 1 Cor. 16:2; 2 Cor. 9:6-7; Gal. 6:6; Eph. 4:28, 1 Tim. 5:17-18; 1 John 3:17).

Although not an exhaustive doctrinal statement, the following five distinctives mark the ministry of the IBMI. We believe…

1. The Bible is the inspired, infallible, inerrant Word of God, sufficient and authoritative in all matters of which it speaks. In order to properly understand God’s Word, one must employ a normal, literal, historical-grammatical interpretation of the Scriptures which, we believe, leads to a classical dispensational hermeneutic. The FEA uses only the King James Version in its materials.

2. Salvation is by God’s grace and mercy, received by faith alone in the person (deity) and work (substitutionary death and subsequent resurrection) of Jesus Christ. Anything added to saving faith constitutes a “works salvation,” which is a false gospel.

3. The Holy Spirit bestows spiritual gifts to all believers, but the “sign gifts” such as prophecy, tongues, healing, etc., instrumental in the early church, ceased with the completed canon of Scripture.

4. The next event on God’s prophetic timetable is the imminent, pre-tribulational, pre-millennial return of Jesus Christ for His church prior to the tribulation and followed by His literal 1000-year reign on the earth.

5. Doctrine is important and is not to be minimized or downplayed in order to forge a shallow, man-made unity. Purity of doctrine requires biblical separation from churches or ministries whose beliefs or philosophy of ministry stray from the clear teaching of Scripture.

FIVE THINGS YOU DON’T NEED TO SERVE GOD

Many Christians today are under the impression that in order to be truly effective or useful for the Lord, they need a better education or more credentials or a flashy program to implement or follow. Some perpetually seem to feel that God can only use them if they were to live somewhere else or if their circumstances were different. They often think this is true because so many of the voices clamoring for their attention are in the “religion business” and are desperately seeking to urge discontent or insecure Christians to buy their books, implement their programs, or associate with their church or ministry in order to become the “radical” or “extraordinary” Christian God wants them to be. Consider five things you do not need to be an effective minister of Jesus Christ:

1. You don’t need a fancy title. Being a pastor, seminary professor, or Sunday school teacher does not make you any more usable or effective in the Christian life than those who do not serve in these capacities. The titles that accompany such positions are simply an acknowledgement of one particular way in which God has gifted a person. Most of the godly and faithful men and women chronicled in the Scriptures were not recognized with “titles”—they were merely men and women who endeavored to be faithful to God and looked for opportunities to live out their faith. Regardless of your career or ministry path, you have been gifted by God for service in His church, and He simply wants you to serve Him and minister to others.

2. You don’t need a degree or diploma. A Bible college or seminary degree can certainly be an important part of one’s ministry path, but the piece of paper issued by an educational institution or the letters that follow a name do not give anybody the “upper hand” on faithfulness to God or effective service for Him. God’s Word is written to all people of all educational backgrounds. His clear instructions can be understood and obeyed just as well by a five-year-old child as by a man or woman with a Ph.D. What matters to God is faithfulness, not formal education; obedience, not specialized certification. Be faithful in reading and studying God’s Word and seeking to grow closer to the Lord each day through a better knowledge of Him and His will.

3. You don’t need a program. “If you simply buy this book, attend this seminar, watch this video, or join this ministry, you will gain the keys to unlocking the secrets of living a powerful, effective, victorious Christian life.” Sound familiar? Sadly, this is the message heard throughout Christendom today. Thousands of religious leaders are hoping you will follow them or subscribe to their program in order to truly be the kind of Christian God wants you to be. Yet, again, God simply wants you to be a testimony and ambassador of Christ wherever He has placed you in this life. You need a relationship with Christ. You need to study His Word in order to interpret it properly and apply it accurately to your life and the world around you. You need the body of Christ, the church. You need to yield to the Holy Spirit. It’s really that simple. It is not easy, but it is simple. Don’t blindly follow the “big name” or even the “little name” religious leaders who want you to associate with their programs or subscribe to their “label.” Be who God wants you to be, not who other men or women want you to be.

4. You don’t need to earn your righteousness. Legalism is still a big problem in the professing church today, just as it was in the first century. Too many Christians feel as though they were saved by grace but must continue to earn God’s favor and gain His acceptance by fulfilling a checklist of dos-and-don’ts. Holiness is a vitally important part of the Christian walk, but holiness begins in the heart. We don’t become holy by “doing” the right things; we become holy by “being” a person who is set apart to Christ. This means our priorities will conform to God’s priorities; our attitude will be marked by the “fruit of the Spirit”; our “walk” will be a reflection of our inner man—our heart. We do not earn God’s favor by keeping the traditions of men. Rather, because we are clothed in the righteousness of Christ, we aim to abide in Christ and allow our conduct to reflect our heart.

5. You don’t need to do the extraordinary. Many who grew up in Christian homes and churches have heard or read the stories of the extraordinary feats of missionaries and evangelists of days gone by. Of course, God can certainly do amazing things with men and women who are intent on walking with Him and striving to be faithful to Him. Yet the Bible is replete with examples of average people who simply served God in the seemingly mundane duties of everyday life. God’s Word also provides ample instruction concerning how to serve and honor the Lord in the daily duties of church, home, and work life. Just one simple act can have a profound impact on the life of another person—whether sharing the gospel or exhibiting godly character in a world where civility seems to have become extinct. Seek to glorify the Lord in all aspects of daily life, even if they seem merely routine and ordinary.

Do not be deceived into thinking you do not have what it takes to be an effective minister of Jesus Christ. Every believer is gifted for service in the body of Christ (1 Pet. 4:10), and every believer can be faithful to God and impact others by abiding in Christ and being filled with the Holy Spirit in one’s daily walk with the Lord.

Be of Good Cheer

"Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid" (Matthew 14:27).

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In my father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also" (John 14:1-3).

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid"
(John 14:27).

"In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).

"Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am" (John 17:24).

"Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world " (Matthew 28:20).

"He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Hebrews 13:5).

"Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death" (Rev. 1:17,18).

"Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown" (Rev. 3:11).

"Surely I come quickly. Amen" (Rev. 22:20).

Eternal Security

Eternal security simply means everlasting salvation or "eternal redemption" as seen in Hebrews 9:12 that Christ obtained for the believer when He entered into Heaven for us by His own blood. It is that happy restful assurance that the believer has in knowing that he or she is saved forever.

Those that put their trust in the finished redemptive work of the cross when Christ shed His blood to make salvation not only possible but perpetual are sealed by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13). He "abides" (John 14:16) forever. The intercessory work of Christ makes this actual (Heb. 7:25) since He lives forever to make it real.

When one understands the nature of salvation as of God and the impossibility of the sinner ever saving himself or keeping himself saved, he can readily believe in the wonderful truth of eternal security in our Lord Jesus Christ. It is not only a reality but a necessity. It is always anchored in Christ and never in one's worth or ability.

I. The Nature of Salvation.

It is of the Lord (John 3:16-18, Psalm 37:39; Jonah 2:9).

God designed salvation, ordained it, and brought it to pass when He gave His Son to die on the cross for our sins. Apart from Him there is no salvation. We do attribute it to Him.

It is "eternal", a "gift of God", and comes to us through our Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 6:23; I John 2:25; Titus 1:2).

God's salvation lasts for ever. It is the opposite of eternal death which is a result of the wages of sin. Wages are earned but eternal life is not earned in any way. It is a gift of God to the believer through the finished work of Christ on the cross. He paid the sinner's death penalty and set him free. He died as his substitute. Consequently, God can give it to the believer free of any charge.

It is by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8).

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God" (Eph. 2:8; Rom. 3:22). "Grace" implies that which is not deserved. A sinner does not merit salvation because he is a sinner. Salvation is absolutely free. It is given without any recompense.

It is based on the shed blood of Christ (Rom. 3:25; 5:9).

God has always indicated that salvation was based on a blood sacrifice from the days of Abel and throughout the Old Testament. "Without shedding of blood is no remission" (Heb. 9:22). It totally makes salvation apart from anything that man can do for it. It is altogether the provision of God.

It is not by any works of righteousness (Titus 3:5-6).

A sinner has no righteousness of his own. The Bible says that "There is none righteous, no, not one." What could be more conclusive? What could be said more distinctly than, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us."

Sins are forgiven (Eph. 1:7).

The riches of God's grace provides redemption, which means all sins are forgiven. He does not hold any sin against the believer for the debt was paid by our Lord Jesus Christ so that forgiveness can be granted.

Christ's intercessory work guarantees it (Heb. 7:25).

Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father to make our salvation eternally good. His being there makes good what He did. The resurrection of Christ proves our justification.

The Holy Spirit seals the believer forever (Eph. 1:13).

The believer is born of the Spirit and indwelled by the Spirit who abides forever (John 14:16). The Holy Spirit is the seal and determines God's ownership. The believer is set off by God for Himself for eternity. Consequently, Christians are held inviolable by being sealed with the Spirit and do not lose salvation but are predestined for Heaven.

It is not based on works or the deeds of the law since all are sinners (Rom. 3:23, 28; Gal. 3:11-13).

The law only tells one that he is a sinner because he has broken it. The law was added because of transgressions and marks one as guilty. Any one law that is broken makes one guilty of all (James 2:10).

The believer is kept by the power of God (I Pet. 1:5).

II. The Believer's Response to Salvation.

Since salvation is given to the believer through faith in Jesus Christ and the believer is given righteousness without meriting it both as to its inception and retention, what should he do? Salvation by grace does not imply sinning because of grace.

The believer in Christ is to maintain good works (Tit. 3:8).

This is not to maintain his salvation, but because he is saved. Works is a product of salvation and not a means to obtain it nor retain it.

The believer in Christ is told to sin no more (I John 2:1; 3:10).

God's free grace does not mean freedom to sin. Freedom from the bondage to sin gives one the liberty to live in righteousness and to serve God as one ought. The Bible teaches that we should not live in sin that grace may abound (Rom. 6:1-4).

The believer is to confess sin when he does sin (I John 1:9).

The blood of Christ has made an atonement for the believer's sins past, present, and future. When the believer sins, he does not lose salvation nor break the relationship with God but he does lose fellowship which can be restored by confession of sin. This is not a license to sin but the protection from being lost again and the joy of remaining in fellowship with God.

The child of God responds with a life under the power and control of the Spirit (Eph. 5:18; Gal. 5:16, 25).

The Spirit of God that indwells with the new birth empowers the believer to live a righteous life. To be filled with the Spirit is a command of God and each one is responsible to so live so that he is without excuse.

To be a witness for Christ is the command of our Lord Jesus Christ before He ascended (Acts 1:8; Mt. 5:13-16).

It is good to know that we have been saved to serve our Lord Jesus Christ by our manner of life and to be a witness for Him. Every Christian should be able to at least do that. The Lord needs every believer to be a witness for Him. We are called the salt of the earth and a light to the world. Without our witness, sinners will stay lost and never hear of the Saviour nor understand the way of salvation. All believers should learn how to lead lost souls to Jesus. The Holy Spirit was given by our Lord as He promised that we might have power to be a witness. We have no excuse.

The believer should respond to salvation by yielding His life to God and by presenting his body to Him (Rom. 6:11; 12:1-2).

The very least one can do in appreciation of the mercy of God for salvation is to yield the body to the control of the Holy Spirit and to so present the body to God as to live a transformed life. We are not to be conformed to the world. Our manner of life comes from a change of heart wrought by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. A Christian that understands God's way of salvation knows that He lives for God not to keep saved but because he is saved.

A believer should attend church faithfully as the Word of God dictates (Heb. 10:25).

It is Christ's church. It is built by Him and He is the Head of the church and its message. In attending church, one shows he believes in Christ and wants to be associated with Him and His people.

In response to salvation, one should live in the expectancy of Christ's coming (II Pet. 3:11-14; I John 3:1-3).

Christ is our only hope for the future. Apart from Him, the future is hopeless. We should live in light of His imminent return.

To live in obedience to the Word of God is to show that one believes that it is faith that saves, but obedience that shows one is saved
(Mt. 4:4; Col. 3:16; James 1:21-22).

A good example is natural child birth. After the child is born it learns obedience and not conversely. It is also true of the new birth.

One responds to salvation by staying in fellowship with God (I John 1:3-7).

Fellowship may be broken while relationship remains. A believer will always be a child of God, but can lose fellowship with Him if sin intervenes and the line of prayer is broken.