Brookside Church – 16 Tenets of Faith
1. The Scriptures Inspired
The Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, are verbally inspired of God and are the revelation of God to man, the infallible, authoritative rule of faith and conduct (2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:21).
2. The One True God – The Adorable Godhead
The One True God has revealed Himself as the eternally self-existent “I AM,” the Creator of heaven and earth and the Redeemer of mankind. He has further revealed Himself as embodying the principles of relationship and association as Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; Luke 3:21-22).
3. The Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ
The Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. The Scriptures declare:
a. His virgin birth (Matthew 1:23; Luke 1:31-35).
b. His sinless life (Hebrews 7:26; 1 Peter 2:22).
c. His miracles (Acts 2:22; 10:38).
d. His substitutionary work on the cross (1 Corinthians 15:3; 2Corinthians 5:21).
e. His bodily resurrection from the dead (Matthew 28:6; Luke 24:39; 1 Corinthians 15:4).
f. His exaltation to the right hand of God (Acts 1:9, 11; 2:23; Philippians 2:9-11; Hebrews 1-3).
4. The Fall of Man
Man was created good and upright, for God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness.” However, man by voluntary transgression fell, and thereby incurred not only physical death but also spiritual death, which is separation from God (Genesis 1:26-27; 2:17; 3:6; Romans 5:12-19).
5. The Salvation of Man
Man’s only hope of redemption is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God.
- Conditions to Salvation
- Salvation is received through repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ. By the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, being justified by grace through faith, man becomes an heir of God, according to the hope of eternal life (Luke 24:47; John 3:3; Romans 10:9-13; Ephesians 2:8-10; Titus 3:5-7).
- The Evidences of Salvation
- The inward evidence of salvation is the direct witness of the Spirit (Romans 8:16). The outward evidence to all men is a life of righteousness and true holiness (Titus 2:11-12; 1 John 4:7-8; Galatians 5:22-23).
6. Ordinances of the Church
- Baptism in Water
The ordinance of baptism is commanded in the Scriptures. All who repent and believe on Christ as Savior and Lord are to be baptized. Thus, they declare to the world that they have died with Christ and have also been raised with Him to walk in newness of life (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38; Romans 6:1-4).
- Holy Communion
The Lord’s Supper, consisting of the elements of bread and the fruit of the vine, is the symbol expressing our sharing the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:4), a memorial of His suffering and death (1 Corinthians 11:26), and a prophecy of His second coming (1Corinthians 11:26) and is enjoined on believers “until He comes!”
7. The Baptism in the Holy Ghost
All believers are entitled to and should ardently expect and earnestly seek the promise of the Father, the baptism in the Holy Ghost and fire, according to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ. That was the normal experience of all in the early Christian Church. With it comes enduement of power for life and service and the bestowment of the gifts and their uses in the work of the ministry (Acts 1:4-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31). This experience is distinct from and subsequent to the experience of the new birth (Acts 8:17; Acts 10:44-46; Acts 19:1-7). With the baptism in the Holy Ghost comes such experiences as an overflowing fullness of the Spirit (John 7:37-38; Acts 4:8), a deepened reverence for God (Acts 2:43), an intensified consecration to God and dedication to His work (Acts 2:42-47; Act 4:23-31) and a more active love for Christ, God’s Word and for the lost.
8. The Evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Ghost
The baptism of believers in the Holy Ghost is witnessed by the initial physical sign of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit of God gives them utterance (Acts 2:4; 10:44-46; 19:1-7). The speaking in tongues (1Corinthians 12:4-10, 28; 14:1-39) is the same in essence, but is different in purpose, from the gift of tongues.
9. Sanctification
Sanctification is an act of separation from that which is evil, and of dedication unto God (Romans 12:1-2; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 13:12). The Scriptures teach a life of holiness for “without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). By the power of the Holy Ghost we are able to obey the command, “Be holy, because I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16). Sanctification is realized in the believer by recognizing his identification with Christ in His death and resurrection, and by faith reckoning daily upon the fact of that union, and by offering every faculty continually to the dominion of the Holy Spirit (Romans 6:11-14; 8:1-14).
10. The Church
The Church is the body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of her Great Commission. Each believer born of the Spirit, is an integral part of the General Church and Church of the Firstborn, which are written in heaven (Ephesians 1:18-23; Hebrews 12:22-24).
11. The Ministry
A divinely called, scripturally ordained ministry has been provided by our Lord for a three-fold purpose:
- The evangelization of the world (Mark 16:15-20).
- The worship of God (John 4:23-24).
- The edifying of the Body of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-13).
12. Divine Healing
Divine healing is an integral part of the gospel. Deliverance from sickness is provided for in the atonement and is the privilege of all believers (Isaiah 53:4; Matthew 8:16-17; James 5:14-16).
13. The Blessed Hope
The resurrection of those who have fallen asleep in Christ, and their translation together with those who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord, is the imminent and blessed hope of the Church (1Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:50-57).
14. The Millennial Reign of Christ
The second coming of Christ includes the rapture of the saints, which is our blessed hope, followed by the visible return of Christ with His saints to reign on the earth for a thousand years (Matthew 24:26-31; Revelation 19:11-21; 20:1-6). This millennial reign will bring the salvation of national Israel (Ezekiel 37; Isaiah 11; Micah 4:1-4).
15. The Final Judgment
There will be a final judgement in which the wicked dead will be raised and judged according to their works. Whoever is not found written in the Book of Life together with the Devil and his angels, the Beast and the False Prophet, will be consigned to everlasting punishment in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death (Matthew 25:31-46; Mark 9:42-49; Revelation 19:20; 20:11-15; 21:8).
16. The New Heaven and the New Earth
“But in keeping with His promise, we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21).