1. The Holy Scriptures
We encourage all the books, of both the Old and New Testaments, as Canonical and none others of which there has been and is not now any doubt in the true church of God. We declare their inspiration to be of the Holy Ghost and neither Testament to be superior to the other in this respect. These books constitute and are the very word of God., infallible in their originals, perfect in their design and containing all that men need to believe or practice as necessary to salvations. We believe and do declare the holy men of old were inspired by the Holy Ghost to write the truths contained therein.
2. The Being of God
We believe there is one, ever-living and true God, a personal Being: one being existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Ghost. We reject as of the devil all doctrines that teach pantheistic, impersonal or fatalistic notions of God, or of God as a mere force of blind power. The three persons of the God head are of one substance, eternity and power; and their trinity in unity has been and will be eternal. This God is our God, steadfast and faithful, of spiritual character, invisible to mortal eyes, but seen be faith, full of all perfection and of infinite power, presence, knowledge, wisdom, purity, justice and love.
3. The God-Man, Christ Jesus
Jesus Christ is the Son of God and became man by the begetting of the Holy Ghost and by being born of the Virgin Mary. In this conception, birth and life, God-head and humanity, two individual and perfect natures were united into one person. These natures became and continue indivisible: and thereby is the one true Christ, very God and very Man, who lives and reigns for ever. This same Christ suffered, was crucified, truly died for our sins according to the Scriptures, was buried and rose again from the dead. In this experience He reconciled his Father to the world as the representative sacrifice of the Father for sin; and He also reconciled the world to the Father as the vicarious offering of humanity for sin, both original and committed. He thus made peace between man and God, and so gave to us who believe in Him, with a true heart and faith unfeigned, an eternal guarantee of our justification, regeneration, sanctification, preservation, resurrection and glorification.
This same Christ in truly rising from the dead, took again His human body, transforming it into glorified perfection in all it's nature and elements. He ascended into the Heavenly places where He abides as our sufficient and only High Priest and Advocate, at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, making intercession for us continually. This same Christ is coming the second time without sin unto salvation. At this coming He will awaken the sleeping bodies of deceased saints and glorify them as the temples of their immortal spirits, and He will then translate His faithful saints then living on earth. His coming in judgment will be visible and universally apparent. He will reign a thousand years on this earth in person. He will judge and rule nations. He will banish Satan, judge all men, renew heaven and earth and present the redeemed creation to His Father. We do not dogmatize as to times and seasons, but the signs of the times show the imminent fulfillment of the Christian blessed hope of His soon return.
4. The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit, the third person of the blessed Trinity, proceeds from the Father and Son. He teaches, warns, inspires, comforts, reproves, influences and persuades human beings in the things of God. He is the very energy and vitality of the God head. He regenerates, sanctifies, sustains and resurrects the spirits and bodies of those whom the Trinity elect as their own. He is eternal and of one substance authority and operation with the Father and the Son.
5. Sin
God created man perfect, after His own divine image and likeness. Nevertheless, man fell by self-chosen disobedience to God's will and an express transgression of divine law. This is the original act of sin. By this principle of inbred sin, carnality and depravity became fully imbedded in the human constitution, so that both spiritual and physical death ensued. This principle of sin is federal in origin and universal in inheritance and tendency. Those are to be rejected as mockers of God's truth who teach that sin is a mere defect in man's evolving nature, to be outgrown, suppressed or educated away from his character and habits. Sin is an inward eruption that is engendered in every child of Adam, so that human beings, of themselves, are totally depraved and utterly destitute of original righteousness and of their own nature impotent and inclined to do evil continually. Sin does not destroy free-will anymore than it removes intelligence, for men by wisdom cannot find God. The Holy Spirit must move upon the hearts of men to draw them away from the corrupt inclinations of their unregenerate hearts and assist them to turn from sin unto the living God.
6. Repentance and It's Fruits
All who yield to the wooing of God's Spirit and genuinely repent of their sins, making restitution where possible and believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, are pardoned and adopted by the father, being justified freely by the sacrifice and resurrection of Christ the Son, and are regenerated by the Holy Ghost, being thus born from above and so becoming the children of the living God, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.
7. Immortality
The human soul is immortal by the creation of God, nor did sin destroy that quality of its eternal nature. Both the just and the unjust are resurrected by the power of God, each in their own time as God has revealed in His Word. All human beings live forever after physical death; some in a real place prepared for the devil and his angels , a literal hell, which shall be enveloped in the lake of fire and brimstone, a quenchless torrent, the second death; some in Paradise or Heaven, a literal abode which shall become their entrance in eternal joy.
8. Gifts of the Spirit
We declare that the Spirit of God give to His children such gifts as pleases Him, such as they can bear and use honourably and profitably for His kingdom, whether it be the gift of faith, prophecy, healing, administration, teaching, praying, preaching, exhortation or any other such spiritual gifts. These gifts are to be esteemed and desired, but not sought after as an end in themselves.
9. Ordinances
We recognize two Ordinances as taught in the Word of God. One of these is the Lord's Supper instituted by Christ at the time of the Passover; the other is that of Christian Baptism according to the command of our Lord. Baptism by immersion will be recommended although not insisted upon as a requisite for membership.
10. Dedication of Children
We believe parents should present their children unto the Lord, to whom they belong, in a service of dedication, at as early a date as convenient after birth.
*The above ARTICLES cover in brief the Statements of faith of the Open Door Evangelical Church, which, according to the Charter, cannot be annulled, modified or changed except to be added to from time to time as need may arise*
