Potosi Community Bible Church's

DOCTRINAL STATEMENT

THE HOLY SCRIPTURES 

We teach that the Holy Scriptures, including 39 books in the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament, are the verbal, plenary, inspired Word of God. They are inerrant in the original writings, and are the only infallible rule of faith, doctrine and practice. (2 TIM 3:16-17; 2 PET 1:20-21; MATT 5:18; JOHN 16:12-13; 1 THES 2:13)  

THE GODHEAD 

We teach that there is but one living and true God (DEUT 6:4; ISA 45:5 -7; 1 COR 8:4), an infinite, all-knowing Spirit (JOHN 4:24), perfect in all His attributes, one in essence, eternally existing in three Persons; namely, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (MATT 28:19; 2 COR 13:14)~each deserving worship and obedience. 

  (A) GOD THE FATHER 

We teach that God the Father, the first person of the Trinity, orders and disposes all things according to His own purpose and grace (PS 145:8 -9; 1 COR 8:6). He is the creator of all things (GEN 1:1 -31; EPH 3:9). As the only absolute and omnipotent ruler in the universe, He is sovereign in creation, providence, and redemption (PS 103:19; ROM 11:36). His fatherhood involves both His designation within the Trinity and His relationship with mankind. As Creator, He is Father to all men (EPH 4:6), but He is spiritual Father only to believers (ROM 8:14; 2 COR 6:18). He has decreed for His own glory all things that come to pass (EPH 1:11). He continually upholds, directs, and governs all creatures and events (1 CHRON 29:11). In His sovereignty He is neither author nor approver of sin (HAB 1:13; JOHN 8:38 -47), nor does He abridge the accountability of moral, intelligent creatures (1 PET 1:17). He has graciously chosen from eternity past those whom He would have as His own (EPH 1:4 -6); He saves from sin all who come to Him through Jesus Christ; He adopts as His own all those who come to Him; and He becomes, upon adoption, Father to His own (JOHN 1:12; ROM 8:15; GAL 4:5; HEB 12:5 -9).  

(B) GOD THE SON 

We teach that Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, possesses all the divine excellencies, and in these He is coequal, cosubstantial, and coeternal with the Father (JOHN 10:30; JOHN 14:9).  

We teach that God the Father created "the heavens and the earth and all that is in them" according to His own will, through His Son, Jesus Christ, by whom all things continue in existence and in operation (JOHN 1:3; COL 1:15-17; HEB 1:2). 

We teach that in the incarnation Christ surrendered only the prerogatives of deity but nothing of the divine essence, either in degree or kind. In His incarnation, the eternally existing second person of the Trinity accepted all the essential characteristics of humanity and so became the God-man (PHIL 2:5 -8; COL 2:9). 

We teach that Jesus Christ represents humanity and deity in indivisible oneness (MIC 5:2; JOHN 5:23, JOHN 14:9 -10; COL 2:9). 

We teach that our Lord Jesus Christ was virgin born (ISA 7:14; MATT 1:23,25; LUKE 1:26 -35); that He was God incarnate (JOHN 1:1,14); and that the purpose of the incarnation was to reveal God, redeem men, and rule over God's kingdom (PS 2:7 -9; ISA 9:6; JOHN 1:29; PHIL 2:9 -11; HEB 7:25 -26; 1 PET 1:18 -19). 

We teach that in the incarnation, the second person of the Trinity laid aside His right to the full prerogatives of coexistence with God, assumed the place of a Son, and took on an existence appropriate to a servant while never divesting Himself of His divine attributes (PHIL 2:5-8). 

We teach that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through the shedding of His blood and sacrificial death on the cross and that His death was voluntary, vicarious, substitutionary, propitiatory, and redemptive (JOHN 10:15; ROM 3:24 -25; ROM 5:8; 1 PET 2:24). 

We teach that on the basis of the efficacy of the death of our Lord Jesus Christ, the believing sinner is freed from the punishment, the penalty, the power, and one day the presence of sin; and that he is declared righteous, given eternal life, and adopted into the family of God (ROM 3:25; ROM 5:8 -9; 2 COR 5:14 -15; 1 PET 2:24; 1 PET 3:18). 

We teach that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead and that He is now ascended to the right hand of the Father, where He now mediates as our Advocate and High Priest (MATT 28:6; LUKE 24:38 -39; ACTS 2:30 -31; ROM 4:25; ROM 8:34; HEB 7:25; HEB 9:24; 1 JOHN 2:1). 

We teach that in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave, God confirmed the deity of His Son and gave proof that God has accepted the atoning work of Christ on the cross. Jesus' bodily resurrection is also the guarantee of a future resurrection life for all believers (JOHN 5:26 -29; JOHN 14:19; ROM 1:4, ROM 6:5 -10; 1 COR 15:20,23). 

We teach that Jesus Christ will return to receive the church, which is His body, unto Himself at the rapture and, returning with His church in glory, will establish His millennial   kingdom on earth   (ACTS 1:9-11; 1 THES 4:13-18; REV 20). 

We teach that the Lord Jesus Christ is the one through whom God will judge all mankind (JOHN 5:22 -23): a. Believers (1 COR 3:10 -15; 2 COR 5:10); b. Living inhabitants of the earth at His glorious return (MATT 25:31 -46); and c. Unbelieving dead at the Great White Throne (REV 20:11 -15). As the mediator between God and man (1 TIM 2:5), the head of His body the church (EPH 1:22; EPH 5:23; COL 1:18), and the coming universal King who will reign on the throne of David (ISA 9:6; LUKE 1:31 -33). He is the final judge of all who fail to place their trust in Him as Lord and Savior (MATT 25:14 -46; ACTS 17:30 -31) 

(C) GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT 

We teach that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, eternal underived, possessing all the attributes of personality and deity including intellect (1 COR 2:10 -13), emotions (EPH 4:30), will (1 COR 12:11), eternality (HEB 9:14), omnipresence (PS 139:7 -10), omniscience (ISA 40:13-41), omnipotence (ROM 15:13), and truthfulness (JOHN 16:13). In all of the divine attributes He is coequal and cosubstantial with the Father and the Son (MATT 28.19; ACTS 5:3 -4; ACTS 28:25 -26; 1 COR 12:4 -6; 2 COR 13:14). 

We teach that it is the work of the Holy Spirit to execute the divine will with relation to His elect. We recognize His sovereign activity in creation (GEN 1:2), the incarnation (MATT 1:18), the written revelation (2 PET 1:20 -21), and the work of salvation (JOHN 3:3 -7). 

We teach that the work of the Holy Spirit in this age began at Pentecost when He came from the Father as promised by Christ (JOHN 14:16 -17; JOHN 15:26) to initiate and complete the building of the body of Christ, which is His church (1 COR 12:13). The broad scope of His divine activity includes convicting the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ and transforming believers into the image of Christ (JOHN 16:7 -9; ACTS 1:5; ROM 8:39; 2 COR 3:18; EPH 2:22). 

We teach that the Holy Spirit is the supernatural and sovereign agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ at the moment of conversion  (1 COR 12:13). The Holy Spirit also indwells, sanctifies, instructs, empowers them for service, and seals (ROM 8:9; 2 COR 3:6; EPH 1:13). 

We teach that the Holy Spirit is the divine teacher who guided the apostles and prophets into all truth as they committed to writing God's revelation, the Bible. Every believer possesses the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit from the moment of salvation, and it is the duty of all those born of the Spirit to be filled with the Spirit (JOHN 16:13; ROM 8:9; EPH 5:18; 2 PET 1:19 -21; 1 JOHN 2:20,27). 

We teach that the Holy Spirit administers spiritual gifts to the church. The Holy Spirit neither glorifies Himself nor His gifts by ostentatious displays, but He does glorify Christ by implementing His work of redeeming the lost and building up believers in the most holy faith (JOHN 16:13-14; 1 COR 12:4-11; 2 COR 3:18). 

We teach that the Holy Spirit is sovereign in the bestowing of all His gifts for the perfecting of the saints today and that the speaking in tongues and the working of sign miracles in the beginning days of the church were for the purpose of pointing to and authenticating the apostles as revealers of divine truth, and were never intended to be characteristic of the lives of believers (ROM 12:3 -8; 1 COR 12:4 -11; 1 COR 13:8 -10; 2 COR 12:12; EPH 4:7 -12; HEB 2:1-4; 1 PET 4:10-11). 
 

MAN 

We teach that man was directly and immediately created by God in His image and likeness. Man was created free from sin with a rational nature, intelligence, volition, self-determination, and moral responsibility to God (GEN 2:7; GEN 15:25; JAS 3:9). 

We teach that God's intention in the creation of man was that man should glorify God, enjoy God's fellowship, live his life in the will of God, and by this accomplish God's purpose for man in the world (ISA 43:7; COL 1:16; REV 4:11). 

We teach that in Adam's sin of disobedience to the revealed will and Word of God, man lost his innocence, incurred the penalty of spiritual and physical death; became subject to the wrath of God; and became inherently corrupt and utterly incapable of choosing or doing that which is acceptable to God apart from divine grace. Man has no recuperative powers that enable him to recover himself, and thus he is hopelessly lost. Man will never seek God on his own (ROM 3:10), he is enslaved to sin (ROM 6:17), spiritual things are completely foolishness to him (1 COR 1:18, 1 COR 2:14), his heart is deceitful and desperately sick (JER 17:9) and will only do evil continually (GEN 6:5). Therefore, man's salvation is nothing of himself, but wholly by the sovereign act of God through the redemptive work of Christ (JOHN 6:44; EPH 2:1 -10; 2 PET 1:1; 2 TIM 2:25; ACTS 13:48; 1 TIM 2:13 -14). 

We teach that because all men were in Adam, a nature corrupted by Adam's sin has been transmitted to all men of all ages, Jesus Christ being the only exception. All men are thus sinners by nature, choice, and by divine declaration (PS 14:1 -3; JER 17:9; ROM 3:9 -20,23; ROM 5:10-12). Although man is depraved, he, by the common grace of God does not always fulfill his potential to sin. 

 SALVATION 

We teach that salvation is wholly of God by grace on the basis of the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, the merit of His shed blood, and not on the basis of human merit or works (JOHN 1:12 -13; EPH 1:7, EPH 2:8 -10). 

(A) REGENERATION  

We teach that regeneration is a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit by which the divine nature and divine life are given (JOHN 3:3 -7; TITUS 3:5). It is accomplished solely by the power of the Holy Spirit through the instrumentality of the Word (ROM 10:13 -17; EPH 1:13), when the repentant sinner, as enabled by the Spirit, responds in faith (God's gift) to the gospel. Genuine regeneration will be manifested by fruits worthy of repentance as demonstrated in righteous attitudes and conduct (EPH 2:10; COL 1:3 -6; 1 THES 1:5 -10).  

(B) ELECTION 

We teach that election is the sovereign act of God, by which, before the foundation of the world, He chose in Christ those whom He will effectually call, regenerate, and   sanctify (ROM 8:28 -30; EPH 1:3 -11, EPH 2:4; 2 THES 2:13; 1 TIM 1:9; 1 PET 1:1 -2). The basis of God's choosing was His own choice (1 TIM 1:9) and not on anything He saw in man (ROM 9:6 -23). He did not choose certain men because He saw their faith or knew they would believe. Faith is the gift of God (EPH 2:8 -9; EPH 6:23; PHIL 1:29: 2 PET 1:1). Nor did He choose because He saw any goodness in man (ROM 3:10). He chose men according to His own good pleasure totally independent of anything in man (EPH 1:5,11). 

We teach that man exercises no free will in his salvation, but is wholly acted upon by God in his salvation experience. However, it would appear from our own experience that we exercised our free-choice in salvation, but we must evaluate our salvation experience from Scripture and find that God alone chose us and drew us to Himself apart from any initiative of our own (ROM 9:10 -23; JOHN 1:13; JOHN 6:44, JOHN 15:15; JAS 1:18). The effect of God's drawing and saving act is joined with God changing the will and affections of the sinner's heart, which causes man to call upon the name of the Lord.  

(C) ATONEMENT 

We teach that the atonement was to make propitiation to God and to reconcile Him to the sinner. It is God who has been offended and must be satisfied and reconciled to sinful man (ROM 5:10). The atonement reconciles God to those who were objects of His judicial wrath by the sacrificial covering of their sin. It satisfies the justice of God and the   demands   of His   law. Understanding the purpose and effect, the scope of the atonement cannot be efficacious to all men universally without discretion, but limited to those who are brought into the grace of God according to the kind intention of His will (JOHN 6:37 -39,44,65, JOHN 10:14-15; EPH 1:3-11). 
 

(D) JUSTIFICATION 

We teach that the justification of sinners is an act of God (ROM 8:33) by which He legally declares righteous those who, through faith in Christ, repent of their sins (LUKE 13:3; ACTS 2:38; ACTS 3:19, ACTS 11:18; ROM 2:4) and confess Him as Sovereign Lord (ROM 10:9 -10). This righteousness is apart from any virtue or work of man (ROM 3:20, ROM 4:6), and involves the imputation of our sins to Christ (COL 2:14; 1 PET 2:24), and the imputation of Christ's righteousness to us (1 COR 1:30; 2 COR 5:21). By this means God is enabled to "be just, and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus" (ROM 3:26). 

(E) SANCTIFICATION 

We teach that every believer is sanctified unto God by justification and is therefore declared to be holy and identified as a saint. This sanctification is positional and instantaneous and should not be confused with progressive sanctification. This sanctification has to do with the believer's standing and not his present walk (1 COR 1:2,30; 1 COR 6:11; 2 THES 2:13; HEB 2:11, HEB 3:1, HEB 10:10; 1 PET 1:2). 

 

We teach also a progressive sanctification by which the state of the believer is brought closer to the standing the believer positionally enjoys through justification. Through obedience to the Word of God and the empowering of the Holy Spirit, the believer is able to live a life of increasing holiness becoming more and more like our Lord Jesus Christ (ROM 6:1 -22, ROM 8:29; 2 COR 3:18; 1 THES 5:23). 

In this respect, we teach that every saved person is involved in a daily conflict (the new nature in Christ doing battle against the flesh) but adequate provision is made for victory through the power of the indwelling Spirit (ROM 7:7 -25; ROM 8; 2 PET 1:3 -4). The struggle stays with the believer all through this earthly life. Any claim of the total eradication of sin in this life is impossible (1 JOHN 1:9), but the Holy Spirit does provide for victory over sin (GAL 5:16 -25; EPH 4:20 -24; COL 3:9 -10; 1 JOHN 3:5 -9). Hence, we do not teach sinless perfection, but we do teach that the direction of a believer's life will be one of holiness. 

 

(F) SECURITY  

We teach that all the redeemed are kept by God's preserving power and are thus secure in Christ forever (JOHN 5:24; JOHN 6:37 -50; ROM 8:1,31 -39; 1 COR 1:4 -8; EPH 1:14; 1 PET 1:5; JUDE 24). It is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God's Word. However, this security clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion for sinful living and carnality (ROM 6; GAL 5:13,25 -26; TITUS 2:11-14). 

(G) SEPARATION  

We teach that the separation from sin is clearly called for throughout both Testaments and that the Scriptures clearly indicate that in the last days apostasy and worldliness in the church shall increase (2 COR 6:14 -7:1; 2 TIM 3:1 -5). 

We teach that out of deep gratitude for the undeserved grace of God granted to us and because our glorious God is so worthy of our total consecration, the saved ought live a life in a manner that is worthy of the Lord (EPH 4:1; ROM 12:1-12). We also teach that separation from all religious apostasy, and worldly and sinful practices is commanded of us by God (1 COR 5:9 -13; EPH 5:3 -14; 1 JOHN 2:15 -17). 

We teach that the believer is not to withdraw himself from the world because that is the place of ministry (1 COR 5:9 -10); rather he is to expose the deeds of darkness (EPH 5:11).  

 THE CHURCH 

(A) The Makeup of the Church  

We teach that all who place their faith in Jesus Christ are immediately placed by the Spirit into one united spiritual body, the church (1 COR 12:12-13), the bride of Christ (2 COR 11:2; EPH 5:23 -32; REV 19:7 -8), of which Christ is the Head (EPH 1:22; EPH 4:15; COL 1:18). 

We teach that the formation of the church, the body of Christ, began on the day of Pentecost (ACTS 2) and will be completed at the coming of Christ for His own at the rapture (1 COR 15:51-52; 1THES 4:13-18). 

We teach that the church is thus a unique spiritual organism designed by Christ, made up of all born-again believers in this present age (EPH 2:11 -3:6). The church is distinct from Israel (ROM 9 -11; 1 COR 10:32), a mystery not revealed until this age (EPH 3:1-6; EPH 5:32). 

We teach that the establishment, autonomy, and continuity of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament (ACTS 14:23,27; ACTS 20:17,28; GAL 1:2; PHIL 1:1; 1 THES 1:1) and that the members of the one spiritual body are directed to associate themselves together in local assemblies (1 COR 11:19 -20; HEB 10:25). 
 

We teach the importance of discipleship (MATT 28:19 -20; 2 TIM 2:2), mutual accountability of all believers, as well as the need for discipline of sinning members of the congregation in accord with the standards of Scripture (MATT 18:15-18; 1 COR 5; 2 THES 3:6-15). 

We teach the autonomy of the local church, free from any authority or control, with the right of self-government and freedom from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations (TITUS 1:5). 

 We teach the need of the church to cooperate with God as He accomplishes His purpose in the world. To that end He gives the church spiritual gifts. First, He gives men chosen for the purpose of equipping the saints for the work of the ministry (EPH 4:7 -12) and He also gives unique and special spiritual abilities to each member of the body of Christ (ROM 12:5 -8; 1 COR 12:4-31;! PET 4:10). 

(B) Leaders of the Church 

  We teach that the one supreme authority for the church is Christ (1 COR 11:3; EPH 1:22; COL 1:18). The Biblically designated officers serving under Christ and over the assembly are Elders (ACTS 14:23; ACTS 20:28; EPH 4:11; TITUS 1:5; 1 PET 5:1 -4) and Deacons both of whom must meet biblical qualifications (1 TIM 3:1 -13; Titus 1:5 -9).  

(C) Spiritual Gifts 

We teach that there were two kinds of gifts given the early church: miraculous sign gifts given temporarily in the Apostolic era for the purpose of confirming the authenticity of the Apostle's message (2 COR 12:12; HEB 2:3 -4) and permanent ministering gifts, given to equip believers for edifying one another. With the New Testament revelation now complete, Scripture becomes the sole test of the authenticity of a man's message, and confirming gifts of a miraculous nature are no longer necessary to validate a man or his message (1 COR 13:8 -12). Miraculous gifts can be counterfeited by Satan so as to deceive even believers (1 COR 12:1 -3). The only gifts in operation today are permanent ministering gifts given for edification. 

We teach that no one possesses the gift of healing today but that God does hear and answer prayer in accordance to His own perfect will (2 COR 12:6 -10; JAS 5:13 -16). 

(D) Ordinances 

We teach that two ordinances have been committed to the local church: believer's baptism and the Lord's Supper (MATT 28:19 -20; ACTS 2:28 -42). 

1.     Believer's Baptism 

We teach that Christian baptism by immersion (ACTS 8:36 -39) is the solemn and beautiful testimony of a believer showing forth his faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior, and his union with Him in death to sin and resurrection to a new life (ROM 6:1 -11). It is also a sign of fellowship and identification with the visible body of Christ (ACTS 2:41 -42). In no way does baptism have any saving merit (EPH 2:8 -9). 

2.         The Lord's Supper  

We teach that the Lord's Supper is the commemoration and proclamation of His death until He comes, and should be always preceded by solemn self-examination (1 COR 11:17 -34). 

(E) The Missions of the Church 

1.      Exalting the Lord 

We teach that the purpose of all of God's creation is to glorify God. Therefore, it is a primary mission of the church to glorify God (EPH 3:21). The church meets corporately for the purpose of worshipping and exalting of the Lord. 

2.     Edifying the Saints 

We teach that the education of the saints is accomplished by building each other up in the faith (EPH 4:13 -16; HEB 10:24), by instruction of the Word (2 TIM 3:16 -17), by fellowship (ACTS 2:47), and by corporately keeping the ordinances (ACTS 2:38 -42). 

3.     Evangelizing the Lost 

We teach that one of the most significant commands given to the church is evangelizing the lost (MATT 28:19 -20; 2 COR 5:20). The Church advances and communicates the gospel to the entire world beginning with our own families, friends, co-workers, and neighbors.  

ANGELS 

(A) Holy Angels 

We teach that angels are created beings and are therefore not to be worshiped. Although they are a higher order of creation than man, they cannot procreate and have been created to serve God and to worship Him (LUKE 2:9 -14; HEB 1:6 -7, HEB 2:6 -7; REV 5:11 -14, REV 19:10; REV 22:9). 

(B) Fallen Angels 

We teach that Satan is a created angel and the author of sin. He incurred the judgment of God by rebelling against his Creator (ISA 14:12 -17; EZEK 28:11 -19), and by introducing sin into the human race by his temptation of Eve (GEN 3:1 -15). 

We teach that Satan is the open and declared enemy of God and man (MATT 4:1 -11; 1 PET 5:8; REV 12:9 -10), the prince of this world who has been defeated through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (ROM 16:20; COL 2:15), and that he shall be eternally punished in the lake of fire (REV 20:10).  

 LAST THINGS (ESCHATOLOGY) 

(A) Death  

We teach that physical death involves no loss of our immaterial consciousness (REV 6:9 -11), that the soul of the redeemed passes immediately into the presence of Christ (2 COR 5:8; PHIL 1:23), that there is separation of soul and body (PHIL 1:21 -24), and that, for the redeemed, such separation will continue until the rapture (1 THES 4:13 -17). Until that time, the souls of he redeemed in Christ remain in joyful fellowship with our Lord Jesus Christ awaiting their bodily resurrection (2 COR 5:8).  

We teach the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life (JOHN 6:39; ROM 8:10 -11,19 -23; 2 COR 4:14), and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment (DAN 12:2; JOHN 5:29; REV 20:13 -15). 

We teach that the souls of the unsaved at death are kept under punishment until the second resurrection (REV 20:13-15), when the soul and the resurrected body will be united (JOHN 5:28 -29). They shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment (REV 20:11-15) and shall be cast into the lake of fire (MATT 25:41 -46), and cut off from the life of God, abiding under his wrath forever (DAN 12:2; MATT 25:41 -46; 2 THES 1:7 -9). 

(B) The Rapture of the Church 

We teach the personal, bodily return of our Lord Jesus Christ before the seven-year tribulation (1 THES 4:16; TITUS 2:13) to translate His church from this earth (JOHN 14:1 -2; 1 COR 15:51 -53; 1 THES 4:15 -5:11) and, between this event and His glorious return with His saints, to reward believers according to their works (1 COR 3:11 -15; 2 COR 5:10). 

(C) The Tribulation Period 

We teach that immediately following the removal of the church from the earth (JOHN 14:1 -3; 1 THES 4:13 -18), the righteous judgments of God will be poured out upon an unbelieving world   (JER 30:7; DAN 9:27; 2 THES 2:7 -12; REV 16), and that these judgments will be climaxed by the return of Christ in glory to the earth (MATT 24:27 -31; MATT 25:31 -46; 2 THES 2:7 -12). At that time the Old Testament and tribulation saints will be raised and the living will be judged (DAN 12:2-3; REV 20:4-6). This is a seven (7) year period that fulfills the seventieth week of Daniel's prophecy (DAN 9:24 -27; MATT 24:15-31; MATT 25:31-46).  

(D) The Second Coming and the Millennial Reign 

We teach that after the tribulation period, Christ will come to the earth to occupy the throne of David (MATT 25:31; ACTS 1:10-11; ACTS 2:29 -30) and establish His Messianic kingdom
for a thousand years on the earth (REV 20:1 -7). During this time the resurrected saints will reign with Him over Israel and all the nations of the earth (EZEK 37:21 -28; DAN 7:17 -22; REV 19:11 -16). This reign will be preceded by the overthrow of the Antichrist and the False Prophet, and by the removal of Satan from the world (REV 20:1 -7).  

We teach that the kingdom itself will be a fulfillment of God's promise to Israel (ISA 65:17 -25; EZK. 37:21 -28; Zech. 8:1 -17) to restore them to the land, which they forfeited through their disobedience (DEUT 28:15 -68). The result of their disobedience was that Israel was temporarily set aside (ROM 11:25 -29) but will again be awakened through repentance to enter into the land of blessing (JER 31:31 -34; EZEK 36:22 -32; ROM 11:25 -29).  

We teach that this time of our Lord's reign will be characterized by harmony, justice, peace, righteousness, and long life (ISA 11; ISA 65:17 -25; EZEK 36:33 -38), and will be brought to an end with the release of Satan (REV 20:7). 

(E) The Judgment of the Lost 

We teach that following the release of Satan after the thousand-year reign of Christ (REV 20:7), Satan will deceive the nations of the earth and gather them to battle against the saints and the beloved city, at which time Satan and his army will be devoured by fire from heaven (REV 20:9). Following this, Satan will be thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone (REV 20:10) where upon Christ, who is the judge of all men (JOHN 5:22), will resurrect and judge the great and small at the Great White Throne judgment. 

We teach that the resurrection of the unsaved dead to judgment will be a physical resurrection, whereupon receiving their judgment (ROM 14:10-13), they will be committed to an eternal conscious punishment in the lake of fire (MATT 25:41; REV 20:11 -15). 

(F) Eternity  

We teach that after the closing of the millennium, the temporary release of Satan, and the judgment of unbelievers (2 THES 1:9; REV 20:7 -15), the saved will enter the eternal state of glory with God, after which he elements of this earth are to be dissolved (2 PET 3:10) and replaced with a new earth wherein only righteousness dwells (EPH 5:5; REV 20:15,21 -22). Following this, the heavenly city will come down out of heaven (REV 21:2) and will be the dwelling place of the saints, where they will enjoy forever fellowship with God and one another (JOHN 17:3; REV 21,22). Our Lord Jesus Christ, having fulfilled His redemptive mission, will then deliver up the kingdom to God the Father (1 COR 15:24 -28) that in all spheres the triune God may reign forever and ever (1 COR 15:28).