What
Orcutt believes about...
Baptism and the Lord's Supper
We believe that
Christian baptism is the immersion of the believer in water in
the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, in which
the believer bears witness of personal faith in the death, burial
and resurrection of our Savior. It also symbolizes the believer's
death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection
to walk in the newness of life in Jesus Christ. It is a prerequisite
to church membership. We believe the Lord's Supper is a symbolic
act of obedience whereby Christians, through partaking of the
bread (symbolic of the broken body) and the fruit of the vine
(symbolic of the shed blood) memorialize the death of the Redeemer
and anticipate His coming again. Mark 1:9-11, Mark 14:22-26, I
Corinthians 10:16-17, I Corinthians 11:23-29, Romans 6:3-5
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The Christian and the Social Order
We believe that
every Christian is under obligation to seek to make the will of
Christ supreme in their own life and in human society. Means and
methods used for the establishment of righteousness among men
can be truly helpful only when they are rooted in the regeneration
of the individual. The Christian should oppose in the spirit of
Christ every form of greed, selfishness, vice and evil. The Christian
should seek to provide for the orphaned, the needy, the aged,
the helpless, the lonely, the sick and the addicted. Every Christian
should seek in the name of Christ to bring society as a whole
under the influence of the principles of righteousness, truth
and brotherly love. In order to promote these ends, Christians
should be ready to work with all men of good will in any good
cause, always being careful to act in the spirit of love without
compromising their loyalty to Christ and His truth. Exodus 20:3-17,
Micah 6:8, Luke 4:18-21
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The Church
We believe that
a New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is an autonomous
local body of baptized believers who are associated by covenant
in the faith and fellowship of the Gospel, committed to His teachings,
and seeking to extend the Gospel. The New Testament also speaks
of the church as the body of Christ which includes the redeemed
of all the ages. Matthew 16:15-19, I Corinthians 1:2, Ephesians
1:22-23
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Cooperation
We believe that
members of New Testament churches should cooperate with one another
in carrying forward the missionary, educational and benevolent
ministries for the extension of Christ's kingdom. Christian unity
in the New Testament sense is spiritual harmony and voluntary
cooperation for common ends by various groups of Christ's people.
Cooperation is desirable between various Christian denominations
when the end to be attained is itself justified, and when such
cooperation involves no violation of conscience or compromise
of loyalty to Christ and His word as revealed in the New Testament.
Matthew 28:19-20, Galatians 1:6-10, Ephesians 4:1-16
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Evangelism and Missions
We believe that
it is the duty and privilege of every follower of Christ and of
every church of the Lord Jesus Christ to endeavor to make disciples
of all nations. The missionary effort is a spiritual necessity
of the regenerated life and a repeated commandment in the teachings
of Christ. It is the duty of every child of God to seek constantly
to win the lost to Christ by personal effort and by all other
methods in harmony with the Gospel of Christ. Matthew 24:14, Matthew
28:18-20, Luke 24:46-53, Romans 10:13-15
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God
We believe there
is only one living and true God, a personal Being, the Creator,
Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe. God is infinitely
holy and perfect. To Him we owe the highest love, reverence and
obedience. The eternal God reveals Himself to us as the Father,
the Son and the Holy Spirit. He is three persons with distinct
attributes, but united in nature, essence and being.
1. God the Father:
God as Father reigns with providential care over His universe,
according to the purposes of His will. God is Father in truth
to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ.
He is fatherly in his attitude toward all men. Genesis 1:1, Jeremiah
10:10, Ephesians 4:6
2. God the Son:
Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation as Jesus
Christ, He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin
Mary. He honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and
in His death on the cross He made provision for the redemption
of men from sin. He was raised from the dead with a glorified
body, ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand
of God where He is the One Mediator, partaking of the nature of
God and man. Matthew 16:16, John 11:25-27, Luke 19:10, Matthew
1:18-25, Luke 1:26-38
3. God the Holy
Spirit:
The Holy Spirit is the spirit of God. He inspired the writing
of the Bible and enables men to understand the truths. He convicts
sinners, calls them to Christ whom He exalts, and causes regeneration.
He bestows spiritual gifts upon believers, and empowers them with
Himself, enabling them to serve God. He seals the believer unto
the final day of redemption, giving him assurance of salvation.
John 4:24, Romans 8:9-11, Romans 8:14-16
Grace
We believe election
is the gracious purpose of God, in which He regenerates, justifies,
sanctifies, and glorifies sinners. In His infinite wisdom, God's
grace is a glorious display of God's sovereign goodness and is
holy and unchangeable. It is consistent with man's freedom to
choose whether or not he will be in Christ. Those whom God has
accepted in Christ and sanctified by His Spirit will never fall
away from the state of grace, but shall persevere to the end,
being kept by the power of God. John 10:27-29, Ephesians 1:4-23,
I John 3:2-3
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The Kingdom
We believe that
the Kingdom of God includes His Sovereignty over the universe
and His Lordship over those who are willing to acknowledge and
accept Him as Lord. The Kingdom is the realm of salvation into
which men enter by truthful, childlike commitment to Jesus Christ.
It is the duty of all Christians to pray and labor that the Kingdom
may come and God's will be done on earth, always looking toward
the return of Christ. Psalm 50:10-11, I Corinthians 15:24-28,
Colossians 1:13-14, Revelation 11:15
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Last Things
We believe that
God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring the world
to its appropriate end. Jesus Christ will return personally and
visibly in glory to the earth. Christ will judge all men in righteousness.
The righteous in their resurrected bodies will receive their rewards
and will dwell in heaven with the Lord; the unrighteousness will
go to everlasting punishment. Matthew 25:31-46, John 14:1-3, Revelation
20:11-15
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The Lord's Day
We believe the
first day of the week is the Lord's Day. It is a Christian institution
for regular observance. It commemorates the resurrection of Christ
from the dead and should be employed in exercises of worship and
spiritual devotion, both public and private. Our lives should
reflect the hallowedness of this day. Exodus 20:8-9, Mark 16:1-7,
Acts 20:7, Revelation 1:10
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Man
We believe that
man was created by a special act of God, in His own image. In
the beginning man was innocent of sin. Through the temptation
of Satan, man by his free choice transgressed the command of God
and fell from his original state of sinlessness. All mankind inherits
a nature inclined toward sin, and as soon as they are capable
of moral action become transgressors under condemnation. Genesis
1:26-30, Genesis 2:7, Romans 3:23
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Peace and War
We believe it
is the duty of Christians to seek peace with all men on principles
of righteousness. In accordance with the spirit and teachings
of Christ they should do all in their power to put an end to war.
The true remedy for the war spirit is the Gospel of our Lord working
conversion in men. The supreme need of the world is the acceptance
of Him and His teachings in all the affairs of men and nations,
and the application of His law of love. Matthew 5:9, Romans 12:18-19
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Religious Liberty
We believe that
God alone being Lord of our conscience, we are not obligated to
obey those commandments of men which are contrary to His Word
and Spirit. Church and state should be separate. The state owes
to every church protection and full freedom in the pursuit of
its spiritual ends. In providing for such freedom no ecclesiastical
group or denomination should be favored by the state. Civil government
being ordained of God, it is the duty of Christians to render
loyal obedience thereto in all things not contrary to the revealed
will of God. The church should not resort to the civil power to
carry on its work. The state has no right to impose penalties
for the support of any religious opinions of any kind. The state
has no right to impose taxes for the support of any form of religion.
A free church in a free state is the Christian ideal, and this
implies the right of access to God on the part of all men, and
the right to form and propagate opinions in the sphere of religion
without interference by the civil power John 8:36, Acts 4:19-20,
I Peter 2:12-17
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Salvation
-- We believe
that salvation involves redemption of the whole man and is offered freely to all
who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, who by His own blood obtained
eternal redemption for the believer. There is no salvation apart from personal
faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.
-- Regeneration,
or new birth, is the work of God's grace whereby believers become
new creatures in Christ Jesus. It is a change of heart wrought
by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin and faith in the
Lord Jesus Christ.
-- Repentance is
a genuine turning from sin to God. Faith is the acceptance of
Jesus Christ and commitment of the entire personality to Him
as Lord and Savior.
-- Justification
is God's full acquittal of all sinners who repent and believe
in Christ.
-- Sanctification
is the experience, beginning in regeneration, by which the believer
is set apart to God's purposes, and is able to progress continuously
toward moral and spiritual perfection through the presence and
power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in him.
-- Glorification
is the culmination of salvation and is the final, blessed and
abiding state of the redeemed.
Matthew 4:17,
Matthew 16:24-25, Hebrews 7:25, Colossians 1:9-22, Acts 4:12
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The Scriptures
We believe that
the Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is the
record of God's revelation. It has God for its author; salvation
for its end; and truth without any mixture of error, for its matter.
It reveals the principles by which God judges us; and therefore
is, and will remain to the end of the world, the true center of
Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct,
creeds, and religious opinions should be tried. The standard by
which the Bible is to be interpreted is Jesus Christ. Psalm 19:7-10,
I Peter 1:25, II Timothy 3:15-17
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Soul Competency
We believe in
the soul's competency before God, and that each person has the
ability to respond directly to God. We believe in freedom in religion.
We believe in the priesthood of believers, that through Christ
we have direct access to God and the responsibility to act for
God. Hebrews 4:14-16, I Peter 2:5,9
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Stewardship
We believe that
God is the source of all blessings; all that we have and are,
we owe to Him. We are therefore under obligation to serve Him
as faithful stewards of our time, talents and material possessions.
Christians should contribute of their means cheerfully, regularly,
proportionally and liberally for the advancement of the Redeemer's
cause on the earth. Malachi 3:8-12, Matthew 6:19-21, I Corinthians
16:1-2
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