THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe that the Holy Spirit is one of the divine Persons of the Trinity, co-equal, co-existent and co-eternal with God the Father and God the Son, and of the same nature, and that He possesses all of the characteristics and attributes of God; that He was active in creation; that in His relation to the unbelieving world He restrains the evil one until God’s purpose is fulfilled; that He convinces the world of the sin of unbelief, of the righteousness of Jesus Christ, and of the judgment of the Wicked One-Satan; that He bears witness to the truth of the Gospel in preaching and witnessing; that He is the Agent in both creation as well as the New Birth; that He indwells, seals, empowers, fills/controls, leads, teaches, sanctifies and helps the believer.
Further, the Holy Spirit sovereignly distributes a spiritual gift to each believer so that each Christian can be spiritually equipped to serve God within the ministry of the local church. God uniquely uses evangelists, pastor-teachers, and teachers to equip believers in the assembly in order that they can do the work of the ministry.
We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as prophecy, speaking in tongues and the gift of healing, were temporary. Speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit, and that ultimate deliverance of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection, though God frequently chooses to answer the prayers of believer for physical healing.
(Gen. 1:1-3; Mark 1:8; John 3:5-6; 14:16, 17, 26; 16:8-11; Rom. 8:14, 16, 26, 27; 12:3-8; I Cor. 1:22; 12:4-11, 28; 13:8; 14:21-22; Eph. 1:13-14; 4:7-12)
We believe that the Holy Spirit is one of the divine Persons of the Trinity, co-equal, co-existent and co-eternal with God the Father and God the Son, and of the same nature, and that He possesses all of the characteristics and attributes of God; that He was active in creation; that in His relation to the unbelieving world He restrains the evil one until God’s purpose is fulfilled; that He convinces the world of the sin of unbelief, of the righteousness of Jesus Christ, and of the judgment of the Wicked One-Satan; that He bears witness to the truth of the Gospel in preaching and witnessing; that He is the Agent in both creation as well as the New Birth; that He indwells, seals, empowers, fills/controls, leads, teaches, sanctifies and helps the believer.
Further, the Holy Spirit sovereignly distributes a spiritual gift to each believer so that each Christian can be spiritually equipped to serve God within the ministry of the local church. God uniquely uses evangelists, pastor-teachers, and teachers to equip believers in the assembly in order that they can do the work of the ministry.
We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as prophecy, speaking in tongues and the gift of healing, were temporary. Speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit, and that ultimate deliverance of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection, though God frequently chooses to answer the prayers of believer for physical healing.
(Gen. 1:1-3; Mark 1:8; John 3:5-6; 14:16, 17, 26; 16:8-11; Rom. 8:14, 16, 26, 27; 12:3-8; I Cor. 1:22; 12:4-11, 28; 13:8; 14:21-22; Eph. 1:13-14; 4:7-12)
