ODESSA & Midland
nEWEST THRIFT STOREs
1515 East 8th, Odessa, TX 79761
1020H Andrews Highway, Midland TX 79701
THE SCRIPTURES
The Old and New Testaments are inspired, and are the inerrant Word of God. The Spirit of God exerted supernatural influence on all writers ensuring the trustworthiness of all their writings. The Scriptures are of supreme and final authority in faith and life.
II Timothy 3:16,17; II Peter 1:19-21
THE TRINITY
God is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, One eternal God, existing simultaneously in three distinct Persons. The three Persons of the godhead are each fully God, sharing the same nature and attributes.
Genesis 1:26; Matthew 3:16,17; Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19
God the Father is the Eternal Father of the Son, the One from whom the Spirit proceeds, and the Father of all creation. He is the Father of all true Christ followers, the author and designer of redemption and election; and He hears and answers the prayers of those who follow Him in faith.
John 1:14; 8:38-45; Ephesians 1:3-14; Galatians 4:6; John 15:26; 16:23-28; 17:5
Jesus Christ is the God-man, born of a virgin. He lived a sinless life on earth & died a substitutionary death on the cross. His atonement for the sins of all men satisfied God’s justice, so that all who believe in Him are freed from the penalty and power of sin & Satan. The Christ-follower is made acceptable before God on the grounds of His shed blood.
Acts 16:31; Ephesians 2:13; Romans 5:8; 6:23; I Peter 1:18,19; II Corinthians 5:21; I John 1:7; Ephesians 1:7; Revelation 1:5
Our Lord Jesus Christ’s crucified body was resurrected. He ascended into heaven where He ministers as our High Priest and as the One who pleads our case before the Father as our Advocate.
Matthew 28; Act. 2:22-36; Mark 16; I Corinthians 15:3-6; Luke 24; Hebrews 4:14-16; Acts 1:10,11; Hebrews 7:23-28
The Holy Spirit is the blessed third Person of the Triune God. He is a person and is fully God. He convicts the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment. He causes new birth through regeneration, baptizes into the Body of Christ, seals and indwells every Christ-follower at the moment of conversion. He empowers, guides, teaches, sanctifies and gives gifts to all God's children.
Matthew 28:19; I Corinthians 6:11,19; John 3:5; I Corinthians 12; John 14:26;16:8-11; Ephesians 3:16; Acts 5:3,4; Ephesians 4:11-15,30; Romans 12:3-6; Peter 4:11
THE CHURCH
A local New Testament church is an assembly of Christ-followers who have obediently associated themselves for the purpose of carrying out all of Christ's commands. This is accomplished through worship, instruction, service, the administration of the ordinances, and the release of the captives through evangelism and the restoration of the redeemed. The local church is responsible only to Christ as its Head..
Matthew 28:16-20; I Timothy 2:5; Acts 1:8; 2:41, 42; Hebrews 10:24, 25; Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 5:23
Two ordinances of the church are to be regularly observed:
1. Christian baptism-the immersion of a believer in water, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, symbolizes the process of redemption (death, burial, resurrection to newness of life).
2. The Lord's Supper (Communion), is a symbolic memorial of Christ’s death until He comes.
Matthew 26:26-29; Acts 16:30-33; Matthew 28:19-20; Romans 6:3-11; Acts 8:34-39; I Corinthians 11:20-34
The Bible teaches that baptism in the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ occurs at the moment the Christ-follower receives Christ; that the God gives leaders to the church to equip believers for their individual ministries; and that every member is gifted by the Holy Spirit according to His will for the building up of the Body in love.
I Corinthians 12:13; Romans 12:3-8; Ephesians 4:11-16; I Peter 4:7-11
SALVATION
Man was originally created in the image of God but the first man's (Adam) sin incurred God's wrath, resulting in physical and spiritual death (separation from God) to himself and all his descendants. All people are sinners by nature and by choice, and in need of salvation.
Genesis 1:26,27; Romans 5:12-21; Genesis 2:7; 3:19; Romans 3:23, 6:23
All those who receive the Lord Jesus Christ by faith in His substitutionary death and resurrection are born again of the Holy Spirit and thereby become children of God. All Christ-followers need no mediator other than Jesus Christ, and can come directly to God through Christ.
I John 1:12; Ephesians 2:8-10; John 3:3-7; I Timothy 2:5
All who truly trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as reflected in obedience to Him will be saved forever.
John 3:16,36; 6:37 Romans 8:1; 8:35-39; John 10:27-30 II Timothy 1:12
THE RETURN AND JUDGMENT OF CHRIST
The Lord Jesus Christ will return in a visible body, with great power and glory, to the earth.
John 14:1-3; Titus 2:11-14; Acts 1:10,11 Jude 14,15; I Corinthians 14:51,52; Revelation 20; I Thessalonians 4:13-18
There will be bodily resurrection of the saved and the lost. The resurrection of the righteous dead will occur at the coming of Christ. Christ-followers will then be judged concerning works done on earth, given rewards and live in God's presence forever. The unbelieving dead will
also be resurrected. They will be condemned to suffer eternal, conscious punishment in the Lake of Fire; however, the destiny of the saved is eternal life with God.
Ephesians 2:8,9; John 5:29; II John 8; I Corinthians 3:11-15,15; Revelation 19, 20
SATAN
Satan is a person, a fallen angel (the leader among many others who rebelled against God), the first created being to sin; the enemy of God and man; and will suffer eternal, conscious punishment in the Lake of Fire. As Christ-followers, the Lord Jesus has given us authority over Satan to release the captives from his grip, restore the redeemed to their original design and destiny and advance the kingdom of God in a world that is currently under the dominion of Satan.
Genesis 3:1-6; I John 3:8; Luke 9:1-2; John 8:44; Ezekiel 28:1-10; Revelation 12:9-11; 20:10