New Hope Fellowship Free Will Baptist Church of Cocoa

The Holy Scriptures

We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and

New Testament to be the verbally and plenary

inspired Word of God.

The Scriptures are inerrant, infallible and

God-breathed, and therefore are the final

authority for faith and life.

The sixty-six books of the Old and New

Testament are the complete and divine revelation

of God to Man.

The Scriptures shall be interpreted according

to their normal grammatical-historical meaning,

and all issues of interpretation and meaning shall

be determined by the Pastor

(2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21).

The Godhead

We believe in one Triune God,

eternally existing in three persons -

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - each co-eternal in

being, co-identical in nature, coequal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections:

self-existent, eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, holy, just, merciful, and immutable

(Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14; John 14:10 and 26).

The Person and Work of Christ

1. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without

ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men (Is. 7:14; 9:6; Luke 1:35; John 1:1-2 and 14; 2 Cor. 5:19-21; Gal. 4:4-5; Phil. 2:5-8).

2. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ lived a sinless life and accomplished our

redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and, that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead (Acts 2:18-36; Rom. 3:24-25; 1 Peter 2:24; Eph. 1:7; 1 Peter 1:3-5).

3. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven, and is now exalted at the

right hand of God, where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate (Acts 1:9-10; Heb. 9:24; 7:25; Rom. 8:34; 1 John 2:1-2).

The Person and the Work of the Holy Spirit

1. We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world of sin, of

righteousness, and of judgment; and, that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption (John 16:8-11; Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 12:12-14; 2 Cor 3:6; Eph. 1:13-14).

2. We believe that He is the Divine Teacher who assists believers to understand and

appropriate the Scriptures and that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the Spirit (Eph. 1:17-18; 5:18; 1 John 2:20 and 27).

3. We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowal of spiritual gifts to every believer.

God uniquely uses evangelists, pastors, and teachers to equip believers in the assembly in order that they can do the work of the ministry (Rom. 12:3-8; 1 Cor. 12:4-11 and 28; Eph. 4:7-12).

4. We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as 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 the ultimate deliverance of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection, though God frequently chooses to answer prayers of believers for physical healing (1 Cor. 1:22; 13:8; 14:21-22).

Salvation

We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by

personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for

the forgiveness of our sins. We believe that all sins, except the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit,

are forgivable. We believe that those who would comply with the condition of salvation

(faith) constitute His elect, and that God has given to man the freedom of choice

(common grace), permitting him to yield to the influence of the Holy Spirit or to resist and

perish. We believe that God desires the salvation of all people everywhere (John 1:12;

Eph. 1:7; 2:8-10; 1 Peter 1:18-19; Matt. 12:31-32; 1 John 1:9).

Having given ourselves to God, by faith in Jesus Christ, and adopted the

Word of God as our rule of faith and practice, we promise, by His grace,

to love and obey Him in all things, to avoid all appearance of evil, to

abstain from all sinful amusements and unholy conformity to the world,

from all sanction of the use and sale of intoxicating beverages, and to

"provide things honest in the sight of all men".

We agree to faithfully discharge our obligations in reference to the study of

the Scriptures, secret prayer, family devotions, and social worship, and by

self-denial, faith, and good works endeavor to "grow in grace and in the

knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ".

We will not forsake the assembling of ourselves together for public worship,

the observance of the ordinances of the Gospel, and church conferences;

nor fail to pay according to our ability for the support of the church, of its poor,

and all its benevolent work.

We agree to accept Christian admonition and reproof with meekness, and to

watch over one another in love, endeavoring to "keep the unity of the Spirit"

in the bonds of peace, to be careful of one another's happiness and reputation,

and seek to strengthen the weak, encourage the afflicted, admonish the erring,

and as far as we are able, promote the success of the church and of the Gospel.

We will everywhere hold Christian principle sacred and Christian obligations and

enterprises supreme; counting it our chief business in life to extend the influence

of Christ in society, constantly toiling and praying that the kingdom of God may

come, and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

To this end we agree to labor for the promotion of educational and denominational

enterprises, the support of missions, the success of Sunday Schools, and

evangelistic efforts for the salvation of the world. And may the God of peace sanctify

us wholly, and reserve us blameless unto the coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ.