WHAT WE BELIEVE
Consuming Fire Fellowship
Statement of Faith
I. We believe in the inspiration of the Bible, God’s inerrant message to mankind, revealing Himself and His plan of salvation to all men; that it is the final authority and rule for all life (2 Tim 3:15-16; 1 Pet 2:2).
II. We believe the King James Bible AV 1611, contains God’s inerrant and infallible Words perfectly preserved for English speaking people and fulfills God’s promise to keep and preserve His Word (Ps12:6-7; Lk 21:33).
III. We believe the account of origins presented in the Book of Genesis is a literal and factual presentation of actual events and therefore provides a reliable answer to the question of the origin and history of life, mankind, the Earth and the universe. Moreover, the days in Genesis chapter 1 are not geological ages, but are six [6] consecutive, literal twenty-four [24] hour days of creation. The various original life forms (kinds), including mankind, were made by direct creative acts of God. The living descendants of any of the original kinds (apart from man) may represent more than one species today, reflecting the genetic potential within the original kind. Only limited biological changes (including mutational deterioration) have occurred naturally within each kind since Creation. The special creation of Adam (the first man) and Eve (the first woman), and their subsequent fall into sin, necessitated the need for salvation. Death (both physical and spiritual) and bloodshed entered into this world subsequent to and as a direct consequence of man’s sin. The Great Flood of Genesis was an actual historic event, worldwide (global) in its extent and effect. The Scriptures teach a recent origin for man and whole creation, spanning approximately 4000 years from Creation to Christ.
IV. We believe there is one God, eternally existent in three persons, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost (Deut 6:4; Mk 12:29; Isa 43:10-11; Matt 28:19).
V. We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, in His bodily future return to this earth in power and glory (John 5:23; Col 1:15-19; Heb 4:15; Acts 4:10; Acts 1:9; Matt 1:19-25; 2 Thes 1:7; Rev 19:11-14; Rom 11:26-27; Rev 20:1-7).
IV. We believe that Jesus Christ is the only provision for man’s salvation, that God will accept man on no other basis than repentance of sin, complete surrender to the Lordship of Christ and faith in His atoning blood (Lk 13:3; Gal 3:26; Lk 9:23-24; 1 Cor 1:30).
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VII. We believe regeneration by the Holy Ghost and Word of God is absolutely essential for personal salvation (John 3:3; 1 Pet 1:23).
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VIII. We believe the ordinance of baptism by burial with Christ should be observed as commanded in the Scriptures by all who have really repented and in their hearts have truly believed on Christ as Saviour and Lord. In so doing, they have their body washed in pure water as an outward symbol of cleansing, thus declaring to the world that they have died with Jesus and that they have also been raised with Him to walk in newness of life (Mk 16:16; Acts 2:38; 1 Pet 3:21).
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IX. We believe the Lord's Supper, consisting of the elements, bread and fruit of the vine, is the symbol expressing our sharing the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ; a memorial of His suffering and death; and is enjoined on all believers until He comes (1 Cor 11:26; 2 Peter 1:4).
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X. We believe the redemptive work of Christ on the cross provides healing of the human body in answer to believing prayer and is a privilege of all believers (Isa 53:4; Matt 8:1617).
XI. We believe all believers are entitled to, and should expect, and earnestly seek the promise of the Father, the Baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire, according to the command of the Lord Jesus Christ. This was the normal experience of all in the early Christian Church. With it comes the endowment of power for life and service, and the bestowment of the Gifts and their uses in the world of ministry. This wonderful experience is distinct from and subsequent to the experience of the new birth (Acts 2:4; 10:44-46; 11:14-16; 15.•7-9).
XII. We believe the baptism of the believers in the Holy Ghost is witnessed by the initial physical sign of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit of God gives the utterance. The speaking in tongues in this instance, is the same in essence as the gift of tongues, but different in purpose and use (Acts 2:4; 1 Cor 12:4,10, 28).
XIII. We believe in the sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a holy life. Entire sanctification is the will of God for all believers and should be earnestly pursued by walking in obedience to Christ and believing the promises of God expressed in His Word (Heb 12:14; 1 Pet 1:15-16; 1 Thess 5:23-24; 1 John 2:6).
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XIV. We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. Rejection of one's biological gender is a rejection of the image of God within that person. We believe that term "marriage" has only one meaning and that is marriage sanctioned by God which joins one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture. We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to only occur between a man and a woman who are married to each other. We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, pornography, and attempting to change one's biological sex or otherwise acting upon any disagreement with one's biological sex) is sinful and offensive to God. We believe that in order to preserve the function and integrity of the church as the local Body of Christ, and to provide a biblical role model to the lost community at large, it is imperative that all persons who are members of Consuming Fire Fellowship agree to this Statement on Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality and conduct themselves accordingly. We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ, even homosexuality (Gen 1:27: Matt 19:4-9; Romans 1; 1 Cor 6:9-11).
XV. We believe 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, whose names are written in heaven (Eph 1:22-23; 2:22; Heb 12:23).
XVI. We believe a divinely called and scripturally ordained ministry has been provided by our Lord for a twofold purpose; (l) the evangelism of the world and (2) the edifying of the body of Christ (Mark 16:15-20; Eph 4:11-13).
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XVII. We believe in the "catching-up" 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 blessed hope of the Church (1 Thess 4:16-18; Rom 8:23; Titus 2:13; 1 Cor 15:51-52; Rev 11:15).
XVIII. We believe that there will be a resurrection of the dead, of the just and unjust, and that all shall stand before the judgment bar of God to be judged according to His Word for the deeds done in the body while here on earth (2 Cor 5:10; Rev 20:11-15).
XIX. We believe the devil and his angels, the beast and the false prophet, and whosoever is not found written in the Book of Life, shall be consigned to everlasting punishment and torment in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death (Rev 19:20; 20:10-15).
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XX. We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human Life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect and value all human life (Ps 130).
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XXI. We believe in the N.T. standard of giving, namely, as the Holy Ghost leads, somewhere between 10% and 100% of a believer's overall gross income. The 'tithe', or a 'tenth', is the most basic stewardship principle expressed throughout the Scriptures (not merely the law). God is not the author of confusion; do we suppose God would ordain laws to regulate every phase of His universe and yet leave to chance the matter of His ownership and our stewardship? Thus, in regards to material possessions, we believe God has given us a trust agreement we call stewardship. The basic element in this trust agreement, we assert, is the tithe (it certainly is not the end, but beginning of our obligation to give). This one tenth tests our legal obedience to God. The remaining nine tenths proves our love. If we don't plan to pray, we won't; likewise if we don't systematically plan to give we rarely will (Prov 3:9-10). Hence, seeing that 'giving' is an expected N.T. practice (Acts 20:35; Rom 12:8) as well as a divine command (Lk 6:38; 12:33; 2 Cor 9:7; 1 Tim 6:17-19), and furthermore, that the Scriptures only speak of two fundamental amounts in regard to a disciplined plan of giving. (1) The tithe (Matt 23:23), (2) and all (Lk 21:14; Acts 2:44-46; 4:32-37). And moreover, that every believer is urged to bountifully purpose in his heart to give, not grudgingly or of necessity (but as he chooses as led by God's Spirit and govemed by His Word) because God loves a cheerful giver, we believe the Holy Ghost will inspire true believers to give somewhere between 10% — 100% of their total income, nothing less (2 Cor 9:6-7).
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XXII. This statement of faith does not exhaust the extent of our faith. The Scriptures themselves, as the inspired and infallible Word of God that speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind, is the sole and final source of all that we believe. For purposes of church doctrine, practice, policy, and church discipline, our elders, namely, Pastor Britt Williams, Associate Pastor Charlie Kennon, Jr. , and Elder Bob Brumfield, are the church's final interpretive authority on the Bible's practical application at Consuming Fire Fellowship.
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For more on our beliefs, see our Issues & Answers or Articles & More pages.