Barb Appel
Rapture of the church
Rapture of the church
We believe in the blessed hope which is the personal, bodily, physical return of Jesus Christ in the clouds for His bride, the Church (Titus 2:11–14). He will return before the seven year tribulation period also known as "Daniel's Seventieth Week" or "Jacob's Trouble." He will appear in the clouds and the church will rise to meet Him in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:13-15). His return is imminent, "at any moment," for no prophecy need be fulfilled prior to His return. The rapture is said to occur in the twinkling of an eye (1 Corinthians 15:51–54). During which time the bodies of all spiritually born again believers will be changed into resurrection bodies and the dead in Christ shall rise first followed by the living believers. All unbelievers will remain on the earth to go into the tribulation period. Because Christ delivers His church at the rapture no believer will ever experience, participate in, or suffer any part or portion of the tribulation period (Revelation 3:10).
Dispensations
Dispensations
We believe that dispensations are distinct administrations of God in human history in which the purpose of God is revealed through divine revelation. Human history is a sequence of divine administrations each having unique characteristics, as well as certain functions in common with other ages. God administers through delegated authority in each dispensation. Each designated authority, such as Israel in the Age of Israel and the Church in the Church Age, is to teach the gospel and explain God's purpose and will to mankind (Romans 3:2; Acts 15:14; Ephesians 3:2). The essence of dispensationalism is a consistent distinction between God's plan and purposes for Israel and his plan and purpose for the Church; a literal, plain system of interpretation applied to every area of Scripture, and an understanding that all of human history has the glory of God as its ultimate purpose. We reject the development known as Progressive Dispensationalism.
Resurrection of Christ
Resurrection of Christ
We believe in the bodily, physical resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the grave; his bodily and physical ascension into heaven and His session which means He is seated at the right hand of God the Father during the present Church Age. He is currently the interceding High Priest and Advocate for all Church Age believers. (1 Peter 3:18; Acts 1:9–11; 1 Corinthians 15:1–4, Hebrews 7:25; 9:24; 1 John 2:1–2; Romans 8:34)
Christ our spiritual substitute
Christ our spiritual substitute
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ was sent by God the Father to pay the penalty for all human sin, make provision for all of mankind to be delivered from spiritual death and certain judgment. Jesus came to redeem mankind (1 Peter 1:18–19) through His efficacious, spiritual, substitutionary death on the cross (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:21–24; Isaiah 53:10–12). In the Hebrew of Isaiah 53:9 and the Greek of Colossians 2:12 two deaths are mentioned:
His grave was assigned with wicked men
Yet He was with a rich man in His DEATHS,
Because He had done no violence,
Nor was there any deceit in His mouth. Isaiah 53:9, NASB
The first death of the Savior was spiritual as darkness descended upon the cross and the Father poured out our sins upon Him and then judged Him. The great violence of this activity was hidden from the eyes of all He suffered alone in the darkness. Upon completion of His work He said, "It is finished" (John 19:30).
The work for our reconciliation was completed. The door was open for anyone to believe in Him and gain eternal life for He died for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2). He paid for our sins while still physically alive. He then dismissed His own spirit to the Father (John 10:17–18; Luke 23:46) and died physically. When the soldiers came to break His legs they found Him dead. His spiritual work on the cross paid for the sins of the world and there is no work that mankind can do to add to His work or take away from it. All that we have to do is believe in Him as our personal Savior to receive eternal life (Romans 5:9; 1 Peter 1:18–19).
Fall and depravity of mankind
Fall and depravity of mankind
We believe that the human soul was created in the image of God. The image of God refers to the reflection of His divine essence. Man's image reflects God's image in his immaterial makeup. Adam sinned willfully against God's command not to eat of the forbidden tree and died spiritually. Mankind instantly became separated from God and unable to fellowship with Him (Genesis 3:18–19; Romans 3:23; 5:12; 6:23; Ephesians 2:12). All human beings inherit a sin nature which has been genetically passed down through the male since Adam. To this sin nature is imputed Adam's original sin (Romans 3:23; 5:12) and each person is therefore born physically alive and spiritually dead. This describes the depravity of all mankind. Man, controlled by the sin nature, wants independence from God. God condemns mankind and will bring him to judgment (Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 20:11–15). God is fair and offers mankind an alternative through the sacrifice of His Son. Adam and the woman accepted the coats of skins from the hand of the Lord in Genesis 3:21. The shedding of animal (lamb, sheep, goats) blood and the couple's faith in the promised, future Savior enabled them to receive the free gift of eternal life. This became the pattern of recovery for all of mankind. Each individual must personally accept the Savior in order to be removed from judgment (John 3:36).