Spirituality

We believe that spirituality is an absolute. A believer is either spiritual or carnal at any given moment in time. One cannot be both spiritual and carnal simultaneously. When a believer confesses his sin(s) to God the Father then he is forgiven and cleansed from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). The filling of the Spirit then occurs and the Spirit is then able to teach the believer the truths of the Word of God (Ephesians 5:18; Romans 5:5). The filling of the Spirit is not an emotional or ecstatic experience. It has nothing to do with speaking in tongues, seeing visions, or hearing voices. Rather, it is an absolute which is described in the Bible by synonyms such as "yield" (Romans 6:11-13), "confess" (1 John 1:9), "present" (Romans 6:13), "mortify yourselves" (Colossians 3:5), "strengthen the hands that hang down" (Hebrews 12:12), "walking in the light" (1 John 1:7), "awake you that sleep" (Ephesians 5:14), and "judge yourselves" (1 Corinthians 11:31–32). All spiritual production in time depends upon the filling of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23).

Love is a fruit of the Spirit and therefore true spirituality is described in 1 Corinthians 13.

Separation

We believe that all believers are called into a life of biblical study and mental separation from the views of the world system. There is no agreement with the righteousness of God and the unrighteousness of the world, between God's light and the world's darkness, between belief and unbelief (2 Corinthians 6:11–14).

Believers are to maintain spirituality by confession of sins (1 John 1:9) which enables the Holy Spirit to lead the believer into biblical truth. The believer submits to God and is able to reject Satanic viewpoint, human good, human arrogance, sin patterns, cults and religious trends (James 4:4; 1 John 2:15–17, Romans 6:13; 2 Timothy 2:3–4; 14–26; 2 Thessalonians 3:6; Hebrews 13:13; Romans 16:17–18; 2 Corinthians 6:11–12; Proverbs 1:10–19).

We reserve the right to separate from any person or religious organization, fellowship, or denomination and any secular group, organization, or fellowship who disagrees with any part of the West Houston Bible Church Constitution.

Universal church

We believe that the universal church to be the body of spiritually born again believers in Christ. The universal church will become the bride of Christ at the Rapture (Ephesians 1:22-23, 5:25-27, 1 Corinthians 12:12-14).

Local church

We believe that the local church is the pillar and ground for all church age doctrines (1 Timothy 3:15).The local church is a body of called out believers in Christ who assemble for teaching and fellowship with God which consists in prayer and the Lord's Table (Acts 2:42). The local church is to protect the Word of God through sound bible based teaching. The local church is also the base from which missionaries are sent forth to teach the gospel (Acts 1:8, 20:1ff, Hebrews 10:25). Paul and his team were missionaries sent out to preach the gospel (Galatians 1:2, 1 Corinthians 1:2, Ephesians 1:1, Philippians 1:1, Acts 13-28).

We believe the Bible teaches that the offices of Pastor-Teacher and Deacons are to be filled by males only. We do not believe in females holding the position of pastor or deacon. Any other office in the church may be held by an appointed man or woman. ( 1 Timothy 3:1-16, Acts 6, 1 Timothy 2:12, Ephesians 4:11-16, Acts 20, Titus 1:6-9, 1 Peter 5:1-5, Revelation 2-3). The moderator of all business meetings will be the chairman of the Board of Deacons.

The head of the Board is the Pastor-Teacher and he appoints deacons as the congregation makes known their candidates. He seeks to appoint men of integrity and who are trustworthy based upon their past performance, attendance in prayer and Bible classes, enthusiasm about the ministry and reputation among the congregation members.

The Pastor-Teacher shall work with the Deacons in the decision making processes required to keep the ministry operating.

Communion service

We believe that the Lord's Supper is a memorial of Christ's spiritual substitutionary death on the cross in payment for our sins. This is the basis for mankind's reconciliation with God (1 Corinthians 11:23–25, 2 Corinthians 5:17–21). Believers are to partake of the elements of communion which are unleavened bread and and wine (non fermented grape juice may be substituted). Communion is a time when Christians express their faith and positive volition to God in worship as well as time of intimate fellowship with God.

The unleavened bread symbolizes the perfect sinless humanity of Christ who was tempted in all ways but was without sin. He never went against the Father's will at any time and therefore arrived at the cross sinless. The cup symbolizes the last three hours of Christ's spiritual substitutionary sufferings as He bore our sins and was violently judged by the Father (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:21–24, Isaiah 53:10–12). The unleavened bread and the cup are symbols of these things and never actually become the physical body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Water baptism

We believe that immersion is the only method of water baptism taught and commanded in the Scriptures. While it is an important ritual, it has no saving or delivering or sanctifying power. As a ritual it portrays the believer's new position in Christ and his belief in his own future bodily resurrection. Spiritual rebirth is necessary before water baptism is to be performed. When a believer is taken into the water he is publicly identifying with the death and burial of Christ. When he comes up out of the water he is identifying with the resurrection of Christ and his own future bodily resurrection.

Judgment

We believe in the separate, bodily, physical, resurrection of the dead. The justified ones (believers) will go to the Judgment Seat of Christ at the Rapture to receive their rewards (Romans 14:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:16–18, 1 Corinthians 3:11–16). They will spend eternity with the Lord with no more tears, no more sorrow, and no pain (Revelation 21:4—22:9) in a state of rejoicing and peace.

On the other hand, the unbelievers will be gathered at the end of the Millennium at the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11–15). Since their names do not appear in the Book of Life, they will have to stand on their own works. Their works will not be an adequate substitute for faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His imputed righteousness so they will be condemned and cast into the lake of fire where they will spend eternity in agony. (Revelation 19:20; 20:15).

Satan and the fallen angels

We believe that Satan is real and a literal enemy of God. His former name was Lucifer (Isaiah 14). He rebelled against God by claiming to have a better plan for the angels (Isaiah 14:12–14). His rebellion is the basis for the ongoing angelic conflict between God and His elect angels and Satan and his fallen angels (demons).

Satan tempted man in the Garden of Eden and enticed Adam and Ishah (later renamed Eve) to sin. Through their fall Satan gained rulership of the world. He is called the prince and power of the air (Ephesians 2:1–4). He has been given a limited time by God to prove that his plan is superior to God’s plan. If he fails, and he will, he is destined to the lake of fire which was created for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41). He will be judged and cast into the lake of fire to suffer for all eternity (Revelation 20:1–10). In the meantime he is loose on earth and is the father of evil and all rebellion against God. He seeks to control nations in order to promote his concept of a perfect world where he is god and receives the worship of mankind. He will not be bound until the time of Christ’s future Millennial Kingdom.

Eternal security

We believe that anyone who accepts the free gift of salvation through faith alone in Christ alone receives eternal life at the point of faith or belief. As a child of God (John 1:12), member of the royal family of God and royal priest (1 Peter 2:5–7, 9) each believer is eternally secure in Christ. At no time can a believer forfeit his salvation by irresponsible, neglectful behavior, or any sin of the mind, speech, and behavior. Eternal security is based upon God's hold on us, not our hold upon Him (John 10:28–29; Jude 1:24).

Since we are saved by faith it is an act of God's grace to give eternal life (Ephesians 2:8–9; Titus 3:5). Therefore, it is God's responsibility to keep us in His love in which He is absolutely capable (Romans 8:38–39). Even if we fall away into sin and deny our salvation, the Lord cannot deny us our salvation although He will deny us rewards (2 Timothy 2:11–13). Believers are assigned titles such as "holy", "beloved", and "elect" to indicate their eternal security in Christ (Colossians 3:12; Ephesians 1:7, 2:8–20).

Tribulation

The last seven years of the Age of Israel is called the tribulation. It begins after the rapture of the church when the Antichrist signs a peace treaty with the nation Israel. This age is characterized as a time of judgment upon unbelievers (Revelation 5–19). Mankind has rebelled against the Lord and refused to accept Jesus Christ as the Savior therefore God's wrath begins to be poured out immediately after the rapture. The tribulation is also called the seventieth week of Daniel (Daniel 9:27) and the time of Jacob's trouble (Jeremiah 30:7, Matthew 24:15–21, Revelation 6:1–17) since it is also a time of judgment upon Israel.