Ragged Top Edge of Sidebar Picture of a starfish

CBC Doctrinal Statement

Below is what we believe, adhere to and exercise as our sole authority for faith and practice.

The Scriptures

We believe the Old and New Testaments to be verbally inspired by God, inerrant in the original writings, and that they are of supreme and final authority in faith and life ( Timothy 3:16, 17; II Peter 1:19-21)

The Godhead

We believe the Godhead eternally exists in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We also believe that these three are one God, having precisely the same nature, attributes, and perfections (Genesis 1:1; 1:26; Matt. 3:16, 17; 28:18,20; John 10:30; II Cor. 13:14; Rom. 8:9)

The Lord Jesus Christ

  1. His eternal existence as God (Heb. 1:8);
  2. His incarnation by means of the Virgin Birth (Luke 1:35; Isaiah 7:14);
  3. His death on the cross as the substitutionary atonement for sin (Rom. 3:25; Heb. 9:14);
  4. His literal bodily resurrection from the dead (Luke 24:36-43; Acts 10:40-41);
  5. His present ministry of intercession in Heaven (Acts 1:9; I Jn 2:1; Heb. 8:1-2);
  6. His personal return to earth (Acts 1:11; I Thess. 4:6; Col. 2:9; Matt. 26:64).

Holy Spirit

We believe the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead, convicts men of sin (John 16:8); regenerates, indwells, seals (I Cor. 3:16; Eph. 1:13, 14), and sets believers apart unto a holy life. He keeps and empowers believers day by day and is the teacher of the Word of God and guide for our daily life. Anyone who does not have the Spirit living in him is not a child of God (Rom 8:9).

Man

  1. Man was created innocent and pure (Gen. 1:26);
  2. Adam fell through the sin of disobedience (Rom. 5:19);
  3. Thereby all men are corrupted in body, mind and soul (Rom. 5:12);
  4. Thereby all are in need of redemption.

Salvation

  1. Justification of sinners is wholly by grace through faith in the blood sacrifice, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ;
  2. Nno right ceremony or good work can avail for the sinner’s salvation or make the believer’s salvation more secure;
  3. Christ is the only and all-sufficient Savior;
  4. All who are truly saved are kept forever;
  5. God cannot overlook sin in His children and will chasten and correct them in love (Eph. 2:8,9; Titus 3:5-7; John 5:24; 1:12; Rom. 10:9-13; Acts 16:31; 4:12; II Tim. 1:12; John 10:28, 29; Rom. 8:35-39; 6:1-6; Phil. 1:6; Heb. 12:6-8).

The Church

  1. Tthe local New Testament church is composed of regenerated, baptized believers, voluntarily united together for the purpose of worship, edification, observing the ordinances, fellowship and service;
  2. Officers of the local church are pastors and deacons whose qualifications, claims and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures;
  3. The true mission of the church is the faithful witnessing of Christ to all men as we have opportunity in the local community and unto the uttermost parts of the earth;
  4. The local church has absolute right of self-government, free from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organization, religious or political;
  5. The one and only superintendent is Christ, through the Holy Spirit;
  6. On all matters of membership, policy of government, discipline and benevolence, the will of the church is final. (Acts 2:41-47; Rom 1:7: Col. 1:2; I Cor. 1:2; Acts 4:4; Heb. 10:25; Acts 20:7; 11:26; Phil. 1:1; I Tim. 3:1-16; Titus 1:5-8; Heb. 13:7,17; I Peter 5:1-5; Acts 6:1-8; Matt. 28:18-20; Eph. 1:22,23;. Col. 1:18; Eph. 5:23-26; Acts 15:1-17; 11:29,30; 13:1-4; Phil. 4:14-16; Acts 20:28,31; I Cor. 5:1-6,11).

The Ordinances

We believe that Christ gave only two ordinances to the church to be observed “til He come.”

The Lord’s Supper

We believe that the Lord’s Supper is a commemoration of the Lord’s death until He comes again. In this ordinance, the Lord’s table should be open to all who have trusted Christ as their Savior and are living in fellowship with and obedience to Jesus Christ (I Cor. 11:23-32).

Believer’s Baptism

We believe that Bible baptism is the burial of the believer in water, thus setting forth in symbol his union with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection; that every believer should be baptized because of the example of our Lord, and because of the command given by our Lord. While there is no saving power in water baptism, it is an act of obedience by those who are already saved to picture that they are dead, buried and raised spiritually with Jesus Christ by faith in Him. We believe in baptism by total submersion. We reject infant baptism as unscriptural (Rom. 6:3-5; Matt. 3:3-17; 28:19,20; Acts 8:36-39; Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5; John 5:24).

The Future

  1. We believe in the literal, bodily, personal, pre-millennial and imminent coming of our Lord into the air to catch away all believers unto Himself before the tribulation period;
  2. We believe in the personal, visible and glorious return of Christ to the earth with believers at the close of the tribulation period to judge the living nations and set up His millennial kingdom on earth (Acts 1:11; John 14:3; I Thess. 4:13-18; Rev. 4:1; Matt. 24:42-44; II Thess. 2:7,8; Matt. 24:29-31; Rev. 19:11-21; Matt. 25:31-46; Rev. 20:1-6; Heb. 12:22-24).
  3. We also believe that at the time of death, the souls of the redeemed are absent from the body and present with the Lord. (II Cor. 5:6-8; Phil. 1:23,34; Luke 16:19-31).

Satan

Satan, a fallen angel, is a distinct and real personality, the god of this age, the adversary of Christ and all believers, and that his destiny is the eternal punishment in the Lake of Fire (Ez. 28:1-19; Job. 1:6-9; I Pet. 5:8; Matt. 4:1-11; I Tim. 3:7; James 4:7; II Cor. 4:4; Rev. 20:10).

Separation

The Christian is called into a life of separation from religious apostasy and from all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices and associations (Rom 12:1,2; I Thess. 5:22; I John 2:15-17; II Cor. 6:14-16;
Rom 16:17,18; II John 7-11; Eph. 5:11).