The purpose of this doctrinal statement is to express the beliefs of the elders of Melonie Park Church.

This statement serves as a basis for qualification of elders, deacons, pastors, Kinship Group leaders, teachers, missionaries, men seeking ordination and anyone serving in a teaching role.

A full doctrinal statement and By-Laws are available upon request.

1. We believe that the words of the Old and New Testament are verbally inspired by God and are without error in the original manuscripts.

“All Scripture is God-breathed . . .” (2 Timothy 3:16)

2. The exact meaning is unchanged in any important respect in the widely accepted English translations such as the New American Standard Bible and the New International Version. The Bible is authoritative and without error in any category of knowledge, including science and history, and is our supreme and final authority in all matters about which it speaks. (Matthew 5:18; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:21; 1 Corinthians 2:13-16; John 16:12-13)

1. We believe that God is one.

“The LORD our GOD, the LORD is one.” (Deuteronomy 6:4)

2. He exists eternally in three equal persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (2 Corinthians 13:14; Acts 5:3-4; Matthew 28:19)
   
   
3. We believe that God is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and also is the Father of all those who believe on His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior. (Matthew 6:9; 1 John 1:1-30)
   
   
4. We believe that God became flesh in Jesus Christ the Son.

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

5. Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. (Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38; John 11:33; Philippians 2:6-11; Colossians 1:19; 2:9; Hebrews 1:1-9)
   
   
6. We believe the Holy Spirit is a person possessing all the distinctively divine attributes.

“But God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no on knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:10-11)

7. The Holy Spirit is God. He convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. He regenerates, seals and sets apart the believer to a holy life. At regeneration, He baptizes the believer into the body of Christ and comes to indwell him permanently. (John 16:7-11; 1 Corinthians 12:11-13; Titus 3:5; John 3:5-7; John 14:16-17; Ephesians 1:13-14; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Romans 8:9)

1. We believe that the first man and woman were created in the image of God.

   “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he create them.” (Genesis 1:27)

2. Because man was created in God’s image, he has great value to God. But man sinned and consequently experienced not only physical death, but also spiritual death (which is separation from God.)

   “And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.’” (Genesis 2:16-17).

3. Adam and Eve disobeyed this command and sinned. The consequences of this sin affect the entire human race. All human beings are born with a sinful nature and commit acts of sin. (Genesis 3:6; Romans 5:12-19; Ephesians 2:1-3; 4:17-23; Mark 7:20-23)

4. We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men.

   “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed - in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52)

5. Believers are resurrected to enjoy eternal life with God. Unbelievers are resurrected to experience judgment and then eternal suffering apart from God. (1 Thessalonians 4:16; Revelation 20:4-6; 20:12-15; John 5:28-29; Revelation 21:1-8)

1. We believe that angels are powerful spirit beings who are distinct from human beings.

   “Are not angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14)

2. Some angels carry out the purpose of God, while others who are fallen angels serve Satan, who is a fallen angel himself. (Isaiah 14:12-17; Ezekiel 28:11-19; Matthew 25:41; Ephesians 6:10-11; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6).

1. We believe that Jesus Christ died for the sins of all humanity as a substitutionary sacrifice and that all who believe in Him are declared righteous on the basis of his shed blood.
   

   “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!” (Romans 5:8-9, see also 2 Corinthians 5:14; Mark 10:45; Romans 3:24-26; 1 Peter 3:18)

2. We believe in the bodily resurrection of Christ, in His ascension into heaven and in His present life there for us.

   “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” (1 Corinthians 15:20)

3. Jesus now serves as high priest, intercessor and advocate in our behalf with the Father. (Romans 1:4; John 20:25-27; 1 John 2:1; Hebrews 7:25; Mark 16:19; Acts 1:9-11)

4. We believe in the personal, bodily and premillennial return of Jesus Christ in the glory of His Father to set up on earth a kingdom in which He will reign in righteousness and peace.

   “Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.’” (Acts 1:11; see also Matthew 24:30; Revelation 20:4-6; Isaiah 9:6-7; Isaiah 11:2-5; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17)
   

1. We believe that whoever by faith receives Jesus Christ as his savior becomes a child of God.

   “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God - children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision of a husband’s will, but born of God.” (John 1:12-13)

2. This salvation is not the result of any human effort or merit.

   “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:8-10)

(Note: see also The Work of Jesus Christ)

1. We believe that all who have received Jesus Christ are kept secure by the power of God through the new birth and the indwelling and sealing of the Holy Spirit and the intercession of Christ.

   “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any power, neither height nor depth, nor anything in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39; see also John 10:28-30; Ephesians 4:30; 1 John 2:1)

2. We believe that all believers still sin in this life, but that God has made full provision for believers to stop sinning and to live for God through identification with Christ, a knowledge of and obedience to the Bible and by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

   “You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the death is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation - but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” (Romans 8:9-14; see also Romans 5:12-19; Romans 6:1-11; Ephesians 2:1-3, 10; 2 Peter 1:23; Philippians 2:12-13)

3. We believe that all believers are to make progressive steps of growth towards spiritual maturity.

   “We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.” (Colossians 1:28)

1. We believe that the church is composed of all believers, is the Body and the bride of Christ, is formed by the baptism of the Holy Spirit and exists in two aspects, universal and local. The universal church is made up of all believers, baptized by the Holy Spirit into one Body; its mission is to witness to its Head, Jesus Christ, preaching the gospel among all nations. The local church is a group of believers who voluntarily join together to worship God with praise and thanksgiving, to glorify Jesus Christ through an aggressive effort to disciple others by the preaching of the gospel and the exercise of spiritual gifts. (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; 2:42; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20; John 17:18-20)

2. We believe that Christ ordained the observance of water baptism and the Lord’s Supper until he comes. (Acts 1:5; Acts 11:15-16; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Matthew 28:19; 1 Corinthians 11:24-26)

   We believe in the imminent, pretribulational return of Christ for the church. “Listen, I tell you a mystery; We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed – in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.” (1 Corinthians 15:51-53)

3. All members of the body of Christ, living and dead, will at that time be caught up to be with the Lord forever. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Titus2:13)
   
   
4. We believe that the local church is to be governed by elders who are assisted by deacons when necessary to carry out the ministry. Elders and deacons are selected according to standards expressed by the New Testament. (1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9; Acts 14:23; Philippians 1:1)

Melonie Park Church is fundamental, evangelical, non-charismatic, and denominationally unaffiliated.