Old Paths Bible Church
Old Paths Bible Church

We Believe

THE ONE TRUE GOD

 

   We believe in the one true God of the Bible.  He is eternal, all-powerful, all-knowing, and has revealed everything we need to know about him in his holy book, the Bible.  The scripture does more than attempt to prove the existence of God: it asserts, assumes, and declares that the knowledge of God is universal (Romans 1:19, 21, 28, 32; 2:15).  God is invisible and his true shape has never been seen by man as his greatness is imperceivable by mankind and beyond human comprehension or imagination. He is free from all limitations.  He is Spirit (John 4:24) and "a spirit hath not flesh and bones" (Luke 24:39).  "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." (John).  God is immeasurable, infinite, exceeds time and human comprehension and is to be worshipped in fear, humility, the beauty of holiness, and "in spirit and in truth, for the Father seeketh such to worship him" (John 4).

 

   The first of all commandments is, "Hear O Israel, the LORD our God is one LORD" (Mark 12:29; Deut. 6:4). There is "one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all" (Eph. 4:6).  Any doctrine, belief, or idea that in any way confuses, distorts, changes or undermines the concept that there is only one God is contrary to the Bible and unacceptable to primitive Christianity.

 

THE NAME OF GOD

 

   God revealed himself to man in the time preceding the Old Testament variously as "God Elohim", "God Almighty", "the mighty God", "El Shaddai", "I AM", and through his redemptive name of the Old Testament "Jehovah". The prophet Zechariah prophesied of a time when "the LORD shall be king over all the earth:  in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one" (14:9).

   In this dispensation we are the beneficiaries of that new name.  "Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given... and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the prince of peace" (Isaiah 9:6).  This prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled when the Son of God was named.  "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins" (Matt. 1:21).

   "Neither is there salvation in any other:  for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (speaking of the name of Jesus) Acts 4:12.

   The Lord Jesus Christ is the name referred to but not specifically mentioned in Matthew 28:19 as evidenced by Luke 24:47 and Acts 2:38.

   "And I have declared unto them them thy name, and will declare it:  that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them."  John 16:26

 

THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD

 

  God has absolute power over all things and is using the acts of men and angels to accomplish his purpose (I Corinthians 2:7-8  Colossians 1:17  Ephesians 1:4-13).  It is his Spirit working in us which gives us the ability to desire and to do those thing which accompany salvation and the Christian experience (Phil. 2:13).  Salvation from sin is not an act of the will of man, but a miracle of God"s power in the willing and obedient human heart (John 6:44).

  We also believe that God has the abiltity to preserve the Word that he inspired those holy men of old to write, and that the King James Version of the Bible, taken from the textus receptus (received text) is evidence of this fact.

 

THE SON OF GOD

   Scripture refers to our Lord Jesus Christ as the only begotten Son of God, and to believe in this truth is prerequisite to salvation.  The word "son" is not to infer that Christ is the result of a sexual union between God and Mary, but rather that God worked a miracle in her womb for Christ to enter the world of humanity and become flesh and blood to be our redeemer. We do not use the term "God the Son" as it is an expression foreign to scripture and part of the phraseology of tritheists.

   "In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God." (John 1:1)

   "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father." (John 1:14)

   "When the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law..." (Galatians 4:4)

   "And without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness:  God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory" (I Timothy 3:16).

   "He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him:  to them gave he power to become the sons of God" (John 1:11).  This one true God was manifest in the flesh, that is, in his Son Jesus Christ.  "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them" (II Cor. 5:19).

   We believe that, "in him (Jesus) dwelleth all the fulness of the godhead bodily" (Col. 2:9).  "For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell" (Col. 1:19).  Therefore Jesus was fully human and yet was and is the tabernacle of God.  His flesh was the lamb, or the sacrifice of God.  He is the only mediator between God and man.  "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (I Tim. 2:5).

   "For he hath put all things under his feet.  But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him (I Cor. 15:27).  "And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all" (I Cor. 15:28).

   "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty" (Revelation 1:8)

 

THE ATONING BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST

 

   Scripture tells us that "without the shedding of blood, there is no remission'' of sin.  God performed the first sacrifice, providing Adam and Eve with coats of skins (Gen. 3:21) covering their nakedness (shame), and satisfying the justice of the Almighty. The killing of an innocent animal showed mankind the serious nature of transgression against the commands of a holy God. God does not wink at, nor ignore our sins. Jesus Christ was the only sinless man, and his crucifixion was not just the martyr of a religious figure, but the sacrifice determined before the foundation of the world to take away the sins of those who believe. There is no other means of atonement, forgiveness, or salvation. Jesus Christ alone is the way, the truth, and the life. All prayer should be directed to God in the name of His Son Jesus Christ.

 

 

THE CREATION AND FALL OF MAN

 

   On the sixth 24 hour day of creation, "the Lord God formed man of dust of the ground (body), and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life (spirit), and man became a living soul."  Genesis 2:7

   In the beginning God created man innocent, pure, good, and yet capable of being tempted by evil - any deed prohibited by God.  Through the sin of willing disobedience, Adam and Eve, the first of the human race, fell from their holy position, and God banished them from Eden.  Separating them from the tree of life, he took from them the possibility of immortality, which God alone is the possessor of (I Tim. 6:16).  Hence by one man's disobedience, sin entered into the world (Gen. 1:27; Rom. 3:23; 5:12)

   Every man born into this world is a descendant of Adam and has inherited his fallen nature and is born in sin and "shapen in iniquity" (Psalm 51:5).

 

 

THE GOSPEL  AND SALVATION

 

   The word "gospel" means "good news", specifically the good news of the death, burial, resurrection, and revelation of Jesus Christ.  I Corinthians 15:1-8 states: "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you...  ...how that Christ died for our sins... ...And that he was buried, and that he rose again... ...And that he was seen..."

   We participate in the death of Jesus Christ when we repent of our sins and place our faith in his sacrifice.  We are buried with him in baptism.  We resurrect with him when his holy Spirit comes into us, making us spiritually alive.  He is seen in the testimony we present to this world as they see the drastic change his presence makes in our lives.

   The New Testament gospel was first preached by Peter on the day of Pentecost, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."  (Acts 2:38)  This gospel is the only means of participation in a covenantal relationship with God, was the only gospel preached by the apostles, and is God's plan of salvation.  There is no other way to be saved.  Jesus said in John 10, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber."

 

REPENTANCE

 

   Repentance is the watchword of the everlasting gospel and has always been a prerequisite to a meaningful relationship with God.  It is the foremost theme of any evangelistic endeavor, and any spiritual experience devoid of Bible repentance is a fraud.  In this day of "Latter-rain", Charismatic, and now neo-Pentecostal tongues experiences, repentance toward God preceding any spiritual experience is an emphatic test of its validity.

   Pardon and forgiveness of sins is obtained by genuine repentance, which is always characterized by conviction, remorse or godly sorrow, confession of sins, restitution, and a resolve to live for Jesus Christ.  John the Baptist preached repentance to prepare the hearts of the people for the coming of the messiah, Jesus proclaimed it, and the apostles emphasized it to both Jews and Gentiles  (Acts 2:38, 11:18, 17:30).

   The word "repentance" means a change of views and purposes, change of heart, change of mind, change of behaviour, change of life, about face:  a turning from disobedience of the law of God to obedience from a submissive heart.

   Jesus said, "Unless ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."  Luke 13:3  In instructing his apostles he ensured that "repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem"  (Luke 24:47).

 

WATER BAPTISM

 

   Scriptural baptism is a ceremonial immersion invoking the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.  It is performed by a God-called minister of the gospel, and is only for those who have fully repented, having turned from their sins and a love of the world, and been instructed in the "word of the Lord".  When done correctly and sinecerely, it is the spiritual circumcision of the New Testament church.  It is the answer of a good conscience toward God.  The Bible does not say, "He that believeth and is saved should be baptized", rather it states, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved."

  Mark 16:16  Matthew 28:19-20  Luke 24:47  Acts 2:38-40  Acts 8:36-39   Acts 19:1-7  Acts 22:16  Romans 6:3-5  I Corinthians 1:13-15  Colossians 2:11-12

 

THE BODILY RETURN OF JESUS CHRIST

 

We believe that scripture clearly declares the promise of Jesus Christ to return to this earth to gather his elect, including both the dead in Christ and those who are alive and remain with the Holy Ghost baptism.  Our natural bodies will be instantaneously changed to be like him, we shall be "caught up to meet the Lord in the air" and so shall we ever be with the Lord.  This occasion is known in scripture as the first resurrection.  It will be public, not secret, and "every eye shall see him".

Matthew 24,  Acts 1:11, 3:19-21,  I Corinthians 11:26, 15:51-54,  Phillipians 3:20-21,  Titus 2:13-14,

I Thessolonians 4:14-17

 

THE LAYING ON OF HANDS

 

   Scripture has given us precedence and example for the occasion of laying on of hands.  It contains special significance and is not the random, casual practice seen in contemporary religion today.  This practice is performed by men in spiritual leadership, such as elders, either individually or corporately.  We find no scripture for mass body contact of praying people, either in prayer, or otherwise, and relegate this practice to mysticism and witchcraft in which it has its origins.

   We practice the laying on of hands by placing the hand on the head when:

         A.  praying to bestow blessing (Genesis 48, Matthew 19)

         B.  we have determined a person to be a candidate for the baptism of the Holy Ghost, after repentance as in Acts 8 and 9, and I Timothy 4:14.

         C.  ordaining a man for the ministry, or leadership in the church, or sending forth on missionary work (Numbers 24  Deuteronomy 34  Acts 6:6  Acts 13:3).

         D.  praying for a person's healing (Mark 6, Acts 28) or release from a spirit of infirmity (Luke 13:13).

   Laying on of hands may also be used in conjunction with prophecy, as illustrated in I Timothy 4:14.  It is many times confused with the scriptural practice of annointing with oil, but it is not the same.  The ministry reserves the right and duty of discrimination in who is eligible to receive this ordinance, and does not administer this without prayer and consideration.

 

THE AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE 

 

   We accept the entire Old and New Testaments as the revealed word of God. We believe that all of humanity are instilled with the knowledge of God's existence, and that Scripture itself has the power to create faith, as it is a part of God himself (John 1:1-3). Scripture alone is the measuring stick by which all doctrine is verified, and that any tradition, spiritual manifestation or revelation must be judged by the word of God. "The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand forever." Isaiah 40:8  "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." Matthew 24:35

 

THIS UNTOWARD GENERATION 

 

In the second chapter of Acts we find the very first sermon directed to those who would become Christians, and included in the invitation are the words, "save yourselves from this untoward generation".

The preaching of repentance includes instruction from the law of God, as well as admonition to forsake the culture and trends of the world. We live in a world where it is currently common for men and women to dress in similar clothing, assume interchangeable roles, live together unmarried, and raise children with no knowledge of God, church, or the Bible. Holding a job seems optional and respect for authority is unusual. 

The church must take a stand on the issues that confront biblical culture unapologetically.  This is done by the preaching of the Word of God, and by living the sriptural standard.

 

 

 

 

ITHE BODY OF CHRIST

 

   The Church, defined as those who have been baptized by one Spirit into one body, is the mystical New Testament body of Christ. It is not an organization, but an organism, alive, and its direction, feeling, and activity are directed by its head, Jesus Christ. Ephesians 4:4-13

   We reject the idea that it is normal for the Christian to be an independent, autonomous individual with no ties to church function or government, but to assemble for worship and instruction with those other Christians in his locale who value the corporate entity of the Church. Hebrews 10:25

   We also reject the trappings of religion which place a man in the role only to be occupied by our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus declared that he would build HIS church (Matthew 16:16-18) and the concept of hundreds of denominations and exclusive fellowships promoting themselves and cooperating remotely with others for the sake of convenience and power is foreign to the Word of God and the work of his Christ. John 17:11,21

   We embrace the concept that all who obey God are given the gift of the Holy Ghost (Acts 5:32), and that all who are made partakers of the Spirit have the responsibility to unite, seek out the old paths, search the scriptures, obey all revealed truth, and prove all things until we come "in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, into a perfect man, into the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4). We therefore practice church assembly as directed in I Cor. 14.

   We believe that any religion with man as its head is a decendant of the religion of Cain and Nimrod, scripturally identified as Mystery Babylon, and will suffer the same fate as all human government.

   We therefore plead with all of God's people to "Come out of her, that ye be not partakers of her plagues". Revelation 17, 18

 

 

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