As members of Summit Bible Church,
I. The Holy Scriptures
We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the verbally inspired Word of God, the final authority for faith and life, inerrant in the original writings, infallible and God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16, 17; 2 Peter 1:20, 21; Matthew 5:18; John 16:12, 13).
II. The Godhead
We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three Persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections (Deuteronomy 6:4; 2 Corinthians 13:14).
III. The Person and Work of Christ
1. Incarnation: 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 men (John 1:1, 2, 14; Luke 1:35).
2. Death and Resurrection: We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross for all mankind as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice and that the sufficiency of this atoning sacrifice to accomplish the redemption and justification of all who trust in Him is assured by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead (Romans 3:24, 25; 1 Peter 2:24; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:3-5).
3. Ascension and Advocacy: 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; Hebrews 9:24; 7:25; Romans 8:34, 1 John 2:1, 2).
4. The Second Advent of Christ: We believe in the ‘Blessed Hope”, the personal, imminent, pre-tribulation and pre-millennial coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for His redeemed ones, and in His subsequent return to earth, with His saints, to establish His millennial kingdom (1 Thessalonians4:13-18; Zechariah 14:4-11; Revelation 19:11-16; 20:1-6).
IV. The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit
1. 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 into the body of Christ, indwelling, and sealing them unto the day of redemption (John 16:8-11).
2. We believe that He is the Divine Teacher who guides believers into all truth; and, that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the Spirit (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; Ephesians 1:13, 14; 5:18; John 16:8-11, 13; 1 John 2:20, 27).
V. The Personality of Satan
We believe in the personality of Satan, the author of sin and the cause of the fall, 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; Isaiah 14:12-17; Matthew 4:2-11; 25: 41; Revelation 20:10).
VI. The Total Depravity of Man
We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God but that in Adam’s sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God. We believe that man is totally depraved, and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition (Genesis 1:26, 27; Romans 3:22, 23; 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3, 12).
VII. Salvation
We believe that 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 (Ephesians2:8-10; John 1:12; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:18, 19).
VIII. The Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers
1. We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and thus secure in Christ forever (John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Romans 8:1, 38, 39; 1 Corinthians 1:4-8; 1 Peter 1:5).
2. 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 to the flesh (Romans 13:13, 14; Galatians 5:13; Titus 2:11-15).
IX. The Two Natures of the Believer
We believe that every saved person possesses two natures, with provision made for victory of the new nature over the old nature through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit; and, that all claims to the eradication of the old nature in this life are unscriptural (Romans 6:12–13; 8:12–13; Galatians 5:16-25; Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:10; 1 Peter 1:14-16; 1 John 3:5-9).
X. Separation.
1. We believe that all the saved should seek to live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Lord and Savoir; and, that separation from all sinful worldly pleasures, practices and associations is commanded by God (Romans 12:1-2; 14:13; 1 John 2:15-17; 2 John verses 9-11; 2 Corinthians 6:14; 7:1).
2. We believe that sexual intimacy is a wonderful gift of God that is only to be expressed between one man and one woman (as genetically defined) within the love and bonds of marriage (Genesis 2:24-25; Matthew 19:4-6; 1 Corinthians 7:3-5;; Hebrews 13:4). Therefore, we believe that any other form of sexual intimacy is both immoral and a perversion of God’s gift (Leviticus 18:1-30; Proverbs 6:32; 1 Corinthians 6:18; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8).
XI. The Church
1. Origin: We believe that the Church, which is the body and bride of Christ, began at Pentecost and is a spiritual organism made up of all born-again persons of this present age (Acts 2; Ephesians1:22, 23; 5:25-27; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14).
2. Ordinances: We believe that the ordinances of the Church are:
a. The Lord’s Supper. The Lord’s Supper is to be observed regularly and to be administered to all believers (Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:19-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-25).
b. Baptism. We believe that baptism is not essential to salvation, but it is an act of submission to the will of God; an identification with Christ; a testimony of the believer’s death to sin; and it typifies the believer’s resurrection unto newness of life. The mode of baptism practiced by this Church is immersion (Matthew 3:5-15; Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38; Acts 8:36; Acts 9:18; Acts 10:47; Galatians 3:27; Romans 6:4 and Colossians 2:12).
3. Commission: We believe that it is the obligation of the saved to witness by life and by word to the truths of Holy Scripture, and to proclaim the Gospel to all mankind (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8; 2 Corinthians 5:19, 20).
4. Church planting: 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 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11).
5. Autonomy: 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; Romans 16:1,4; 1 Corinthians 3:9,16; 5:4-7,13; 1 Peter 5:1-4).
XII. The Ministry and Spiritual Gifts
1. We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowment of all His gifts; and, that the gift of evangelists, pastors, and teachers are sufficient for the perfecting of the saints today; and, that apostolic signs ceased as the New Testament Scriptures were completed and their authority became established (1 Corinthians 12:4-11; 2 Corinthians 12:12; Ephesians 4:7-12).
2. We believe that the biblical offices of pastor and elder in the church, or their equivalents, are restricted to biblically qualified men (1 Timothy 2:12; 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9).
3. We believe that God does hear and answer a prayer of faith, in accordance with His own will, for the sick and afflicted. (John 15:7; 1 John 5:14, 15; Matthew 21:13; James 5:16).
XIII. Dispensationalism
1. We believe that the Scriptures interpreted in their natural, literal sense reveal divinely determined dispensations or rules of life which define man’s responsibilities in successive ages. These dispensations are not ways of salvation, but rather divinely ordered stewardships by which God directs man according to his purpose. Three of these – the age of law, the age of the Church, and the age of the millennial kingdom – are the subjects of detailed revelation in Scripture (John 1:17; 1 Corinthians 9:17; 2 Corinthians 3:9-18; Galatians 3:13-25; Ephesians 1:10; 3:2-10; Colossians 1:24-25; Hebrews 7:19; Revelation 20:2-6).
2. We believe in the dispensational view of Bible interpretation but reject the extreme teaching known as “Hyper Dispensationalism,” such as the teaching which opposes either the Lord’s table or water baptism as Scriptural means of testimony for the Church in this age (Matthew 28:19, 20; Acts 2:41, 42; 18:8; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26).
XIV. The Eternal State
1. We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men—the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment.
2. 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 final resurrection, when spirit, soul and glorified body are reunited to be forever with the Lord.
3. We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious misery until the second resurrection, when with the 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 (Luke 16:19-26; 23:43; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Phil. 1:23; Matthew 25:41,46; 2 Thessalonians1:7-9; Jude verses 6, 7; Mark 9:43-48; Revelation 20:11-15).
XV. Creation
1. We believe that God spoke the universe into existence and that man was created, by a direct act of God, from the dust of the earth (Genesis 1:1; Colossians 1:16; Nehemiah 9:6).
2. We believe the Genesis account of creation is both literal and historical in nature.
3. We believe that God completed His creative work at the close of the sixth day and that “all was good” (Genesis 1:31).
4. We believe that the six days of creation were six literal, consecutive, twenty-four hour days with no gaps of time before, between or after.
5. We believe that any belief regarding creation that contradicts the statements above is a serious error that strikes at the person and glory of God.
XVI. Biblical manhood and womanhood
1. We believe that men and women are of equal significance and worth before God because they are both created in His image.
2. We believe that the husband has the God-given responsibility to lovingly provide for, protect and lead his family.
3. We believe that the wife is to lovingly and graciously submit to the servant leadership of her husband and serve as his helper in managing the household and nurturing the next generation. (I Corinthians 11:3; Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 5:22-23).
XVII. Civil Government
1. 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.
2. We believe that every person is to be subject to these authorities, but all (including the authorities themselves) are answerable to God and are to be governed by His Word.
3. We believe that God has given each institution specific biblical responsibilities with the intent that no institution has the right to infringe upon the respective responsibilities of the other.
4. We believe that civil government is ordained of God for the welfare of human society to promote and protect the good, and to restrain and punish evil. Therefore, we consider it the duty of Christians to pray for those that are in authority over them, and to give due loyalty, respect, and obedience to them. However, if the demands of civil law would militate against the supreme law and will of God, Christians should obey God rather than man. (Daniel 4:17; Matthew 22:17-21; Acts 4:1; 5:29; Romans 13:1-7; I Timothy 2:1-4; Acts 23:5; Titus 3:1; 1 Peter 2:13,14).
