The
Bible is our all-sufficient rule for faith and practice. This Statement of
Fundamental Truths is intended simply as a basis of fellowship among us (i.e.,
that we all speak the same thing, I Cor. 1:10; Acts 2:42). The phraseology
employed in this Statement is not inspired nor contended for, but the truth set
forth is held to be essential to a full-gospel ministry.
1. The
Scriptures Inspired
The
Scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments, are verbally inspired of God and
are the revelation of God to man, the infallible, authoritative rule of faith
and conduct (2 Tim. 3:15-17; I Thess. 2:13; 2 Peter 1:21).
2. The
One True God
The one
true God has revealed Himself as the eternally self-existent "I AM,"
the Creator of heaven and earth and the Redeemer of mankind. He has further
revealed Himself as embodying the principles of relationship and association as
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost (Deut. 6:4; Isa. 43:10, 11; Matt. 28:19; Luke 3:22.
THE
ADORABLE GODHEAD
(a)
Terms Defined
The
terms "Trinity" and "persons" as related to the Godhead,
while not found in the Scriptures, are words in harmony with Scripture, whereby
we may convey to others our immediate understanding of the doctrine of Christ
respecting the Being of God, as distinguished from "gods many and lords
many." We therefore may speak with propriety of the Lord our God, who is
One Lord, as a trinity or as one Being of three person, and still be absolutely
scriptural (examples, Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14; John 14:16, 17).
(b)
Distinction and Relationship in the Godhead
Christ
taught a distinction of Persons in the Godhead which He expressed in specific
terms of relationship, as Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, but that this
distinction and relationship, as to its mode is inscrutable and
incomprehensible, because unexplained. Luke 1:35; 1 Cor 1:24; Matt. 11:25-27;
28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14; 1 John 1:3,4.
(c)
Unity of the One Being of Father, Son and Holy Ghost
Accordingly,
therefore, there is that in the Son which constitutes Him the Son and not the
Father; and there is that in the Holy Ghost which constitutes Him the Holy
Ghost and not either the Father or the Son. Wherefore the Father is the
Begetter, the Son is the Begotten, and the Holy Ghost is the one proceeding
from the Father and the Son. Therefore, because these three persons in the
Godhead are in a state of unity, there is but one Lord God Almighty and His
name one. John 1:18; 15:26; 17:11, 21; Zech 14:9.
(d)
Identity and Cooperation in the Godhead
The
Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost are never identical as to Person; nor
confused as to relation; nor divided in respect to the Godhead; nor opposed as
to cooperation. The Son is in the Father and the Father is in the Son as to
relationship. The Son is with the Father and the Father is with the Son, as to
fellowship. The Father is not from the Son, but the Son is from the Father, as
to authority. The Holy Ghost is from the Father and the Son proceeding, as to
nature, relationship, cooperation and authority. Hence, neither Person in the
Godhead either exists or works separately or independently of the others. John
5:17-30, 32, 37; John 8:17, 18
(e) The
Title, Lord Jesus Christ
The
appellation, "Lord Jesus Christ," is a proper name. It is never
applied, in the New Testament, either to the Father or to the Holy Ghost. It
therefore belongs exclusively to the Son of God Rom 1:1-3, 7; 2 John 3
(f) The
Lord Jesus Christ, God with Us
The
Lord Jesus Christ, as to His divine and eternal nature, is the proper and only
Begotten of the Father, but as to His human nature, He is the proper Son of
Man. He is, therefore, acknowledged to be both God and man; who because He is
God and man, is "Immanuel," God with us. Matt. 1:23; 1 John 4:2, 10,
14; Rev. 1:13, 17.
(g) The
Title, Son of God
Since
the name "Immanuel" embraces both God and man in the one Person, our
Lord Jesus Christ, it follows that the title, Son of God, describes His proper
deity, and the title Son of Man, His proper humanity. Therefore, the title, Son
of God, belongs to the order of eternity, and the title, Son of Man, to the
order of time. Matt. 1:21-23; 2 John 3; 1 John 3:8; Heb. 7:3; 1:1-13.
(i)
Exaltation of Jesus Christ as Lord
The Son
of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, having by Himself purged our sins, sat down on
the right hand of the Majesty on high; angels and principalities and powers
having been made subject unto Him. And having been made both Lord and Christ,
He sent the Holy Ghost that we, in the name of Jesus, might bow our knees and
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father until the end,
when the Son shall become subject to the Father that God may be all in all.
Heb. 1:3; 1 Peter 3:22; Acts 2:32-36; Rom. 14:11; 1 Cor 15:24-28.
(j)
Equal Honor to the Father and to the Son
Wherefore,
since the Father has delivered all judgment unto the Son, it is not only the
express duty of all in heaven and on earth to bow the knee, but it is an
unspeakable joy in the Holy Ghost to ascribe unto the Son all the attributes of
Deity, and to give Him all the honor and the glory contained in all the names
and titles of the Godhead except those which express relationship (see
paragraphs b, c, and d), and thus honor the Son even as we honor the Father.
John 5:22, 23; 1 Peter 1:8; Rev. 5:6-14; Phil. 2:8, 9; Rev. 7:9, 10; 4:8-11
3. The
Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ
The
Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. The Scriptures declare:
(a) His
virgin birth (Matt 1:23; Luke 1:31, 35).
(b) His
sinless life (Heb 7:26; 1 Peter 2:22).
(c) His
miracles (Acts 2:22; 10:38).
(d) His
substitutionary work on the cross (1 Cor 15:3; 2 Cor 5:21).
(e) His
bodily resurrection from the dead (Matt. 28:6; Luke 24:39; 1 Cor. 15:4).
(f) His
exaltation to the right hand of God (Acts 1:9, 11; 2:33; Phil. 2: 9-11; Heb.
1:3).
4. The
Fall of Man
Man was
created good and upright; for God said, "Let us make man in our image,
after our likeness." However, man by voluntary transgression fell and
thereby incurred not only physical death but also spiritual death, which is
separation from God (Gen. 1:26, 27; 2:17; 3:6; Rom. 5:12-19).
5. The
Salvation of Man
Man's
only hope of redemption is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ the Son of
God.
(a)
Conditions to Salvation:
Salvation
is received through repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus
Christ. By the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, being
justified by grace through faith, man becomes an heir of God, according to the
hope of eternal life (Luke 24:47; John 3:3; Rom. 10: 13-15; Eph. 2:8; Titus
2:11; 3:5-7).
(b) The
Evidences of Salvation:
The
inward evidence of salvation is the direct witness of the Spirit (Romans 8:16).
The outward evidence to all men is a life of righteousness and true holiness
(Eph. 4:24; Titus 2:12).
6.
Ordinances of the Church
(a)
Baptism in Water
The
ordinance of baptism by immersion is commanded in the Scriptures. All who
repent and believe on Christ as Savior and Lord are to be baptized. Thus they
declare to the world that they have died with Christ and that they also have
been raised with Him to walk in newness of life. (Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:16; Acts
10: 47, 48; Rom. 6:4).
(b)
Holy Communion
The
Lord's Supper, consisting of the elements--bread and the fruit of the vine--is
the symbol expressing our sharing the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ (2
Peter 1:4); a memorial of His suffering and death, and a prophecy of His
suffering and death (1 Cor. 11:26); and is enjoined on all believers "till
He come!"
7. The
Baptism in the Holy Ghost
All
believers are entitled to and should ardently expect and earnestly seek the
promise of the Father, the baptism in the Holy Ghost and fire, according to the
command of our lord Jesus Christ. This was the normal experience of all in the
early Christian Church. With it comes the enduement of power for life and
service, the bestowment of the gifts and their uses in the work of the ministry
(Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4, 8; 1 Cor 12:1-31). This experience is distinct from and
subsequent to the experience of the new birth (Acts 8: 12-17; 10: 44-46; 11:
14-16; 15: 7-9). With the baptism in the Holy Ghost come such experiences as an
overflowing fullness of the Spirit (John 7: 37-39; Acts 4:8), a deepened
reverence for God (Acts 2:43; Heb. 12: 28), an intensified consecration to God
and dedication to His work (Acts 2:42), and a more active love for Christ, for
His Word and for the lost (Mark 16:20).
8. The
Initial Physical Evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Ghost
The
baptism of believers in the Holy Ghost is witnessed by the initial physical
sign of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit of God gives them utterance
(Acts 2:4). The speaking in tongues in this instance is the same in essence as
the gift of tongues (1 Cor. 12:4-10, 28), but different in purpose and use.
9.
Sanctification
Sanctification
is an act of separation from that which is evil, and of dedication unto God
(Rom. 12:1, 2; 1 Thess. 5:23; Heb. 13:12). The Scriptures teach a life of
"holiness without which no man shall see the Lord" (Heb. 12:14). By
the power of the Holy Ghost we are able to obey the command :"Be ye holy,
for I am holy" (1 Peter 1:15,16).
Sanctification
is realized in the believer by recognizing his identification with Christ in
His death and resurrection, and by faith reckoning daily upon the fact of that
union, and by offering every faculty continually to the dominion of the Holy
Spirit (Rom. 6: 1-11, 13; 8:1, 2, 13; Gal. 2:20; Phil. 2:12, 13; 1 Peter 1:5).
10. The
Church and Its Mission
The
Church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with
divine appointments for the fulfillment of her great commission. Each believer,
born of the Spirit, is an integral part of the General Assembly and Church of
the Firstborn, which are written in heaven (Ephesians 1:22, 23; 2:22; Hebrews
12:23).
Canadian Harvest Mission Ministries is here to:
a. To
be an agency of God for evangelizing the world (Acts 1:8; Matthew 28:19, 20;
Mark 16:15, 16)
b. To
be a corporate body in which man may worship God (1 Cor. 12:13).
c. To
be a channel of God's purpose to build a body of saints being perfected in the
image of His Son (Ephesians 4:11-16; 1 Cor. 12:28; 1 Cor. 14:12).
Canadian
Harvest Mission Ministries fellowship exists expressly to give continuing
emphasis to this reason-for-being in the New Testament apostolic pattern by
teaching and encouraging believers to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. This
experience:
a.
Enables them to evangelize in the power of the Spirit with accompanying
supernatural signs (Mark 16:15-20; Acts 4:29-31; Hebrews 2:3,4).
b. Adds
a necessary dimension to worshipful relationship with God (1 Cor 2:10-16; 1 Cor
12, 13, and 14).
c.
Enables them to respond to the full working of the Holy Spirit in expressing of
fruit and gifts and ministries as in New Testament times for the edifying of
the body of Christ (Galatians 5:22-26; 1 Cor. 14:12; Ephesians 4:11, 12; 1 Cor
12:28; Colossians 1:29).
11. The
Ministry
A
divinely called and scripturally ordained ministry has been provided by our
Lord for the threefold purpose of leading the Church in:
(1)
Evangelization of the world (Mark 16: 15-20),
(2)
Worship of God (John 4:23, 24),
(3)
Building a body of saints being perfected in the image of His Son (Ephesians 4:
11-16).
12.
Divine Healing
Divine
healing is an integral part of the gospel. Deliverance from sickness is
provided for in the atonement, and is the privilege of all believers (Isa 53:4,
5; Matt. 8:16, 17; James 5:14-16).
13. The
Blessed Hope
The
resurrection of those who have fallen asleep in Christ and their translation
together with those who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord is the
imminent and blessed hope of the church (1 Thess. 4:16, 17; Rom. 8:23; Titus
2:13; 1 Cor. 15:51, 52).
14. The
Millennial Reign of Christ
The
second coming of Christ includes the rapture of the saints, which is our
blessed hope, followed by the visible return of Christ with His saints to reign
on the earth for one thousand years (Zech. 14:5; Matt. 24:27, 30; Rev. 1:7;
19:11-14; 20: 1-6). This millennial reign will bring the salvation of national
Israel (Ezek. 37: 21, 22; Zeph. 3:19, 20; Rom. 11:26, 27) and the establishment
of universal peace (Isa. 11: 6-9: Ps. 72: 3-8; Micah 4:3,4).
15. The
Final Judgment
There
will be a final judgment in which the wicked dead will be raised and judged
according to their works. Whosoever is not found written in the Book of Life,
together with the devil and his angels, the beast and the false prophet, will
be consigned to everlasting punishment in the lake which burneth with fire and
brimstone, which is the second death (Matt. 25: 46; Mark 9: 43-48; Rev. 19: 20;
20:11-15; 21:8).
16. The
New Heavens and the New Earth
"We,
according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth
righteousness" (2 Peter 3:13; Rev. 21, 22).
copyright® Canadian Harvest Mission Ministries 2010