What We Believe
Short Version:
SCRIPTURES
We believe in the verbal, plenary inspiration of the Bible. The Old and New Testament are definitely inspired word for word. We accept the Textus Receptus manuscripts from which came the King James Bible. The Scripture is the final authority in all manners of faith and practice.
SOVEREIGN GOD
God is a Person, eternally existing as a Trinity in unity -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- three Persons and yet but one God (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; I Corinthians 8:6).
SON
Jesus Christ, eternally existing, is the only begotten Son of God, Who became a man totally apart from sin, being conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, and is true God and true man (Luke 1:30-35; John 1:1-15; Philippians 2:5-8; Colossians 1:15).
SIN
Man was created in the image of God, but fell through sin, bringing not only physical death but also spiritual death -- separation from God. Now all mankind is totally depraved, having inherited a sinful nature; is bent towards sinning, and has become sinful in thought, word, and deed (Genesis 1:26 , 27; 2:16 , 17; 3:6-19; Romans 3:10-23; 6:23 ).
SACRIFICE
The Lord Jesus Christ suffered and died as a substitutionary sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. He arose from the dead in the body in which He was crucified; He ascended into Heaven in the glorified body where He is seated at the right hand of God the Father as Head of the Church, making intercession for the saints as our High Priest (Luke 24; Acts 1:9-11; Romans 5:8-10; Ephesians 1:20-23; I Peter 3:18).
SALVATION
Man is lost and must be born again to enter the Kingdom of God. Salvation is by grace alone through personal faith in the finished work of Christ on the Cross (John 1:12; 3:3-7; Ephesians 2:8-9).
SERVICE
The local church is a group of believers baptized by water; banded together for edification, exhortation, and evangelism as commanded by Christ in the Great Commission; preaching the Gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15; I Corinthians 12:12; Ephesians 1:22, 23).
SECOND COMING
The Lord Jesus Christ Himself is coming again in the air at any moment to gather His Church and to reward them for their service; the unbelievers left behind will go through a period called the Tribulation, after which Christ shall return visibly to the earth to set up His Kingdom of one thousand years of righteous rule; after this the unbelievers of all ages will stand at the Great White Throne to be judged and cast into the Lake of Fire, separated from God forever, while believers spend eternity in the fullness of joy in Heaven with the Lord (Matthew 24:29-42; I Thessalonians 4:16-18; Revelation 19:11-20:15).
Long Version:
1. Of the True God
WE BELIEVE IN ONE ONLY TRUE AND LIVING GOD, personal, spirit, and expressed as a triune Being in the Persons of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit each distinct in revelation and yet equal in divine omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent; that He is Creator and Sustainer of all things and Sovereign over all things. (Genesis 1:1, 17:1; Deuteronomy 4:35, Psalm 99:9, 102:26-27, 139:1-7; Isaiah 44:6; Jeremiah 23:23; I Corinthians 8:6; I John 5:7)
2. Of the Person and Work of Christ
WE BELIEVE IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, the second Person of the Trinity, the only begotten Son of the Father; that according to the divine Person, He became man, conceived in the womb of a virgin by the Holy Spirit; that, as Man, he was tempted in all points as we are, yet remained without sin; that, as the perfect Lamb of God, He gave Himself in death upon the cross, becoming there the sin of the world, paying there the full penalty of divine wrath against sin in our stead; that He arose bodily from the grave in a glorified body and ascended into heaven to appear before the face of God as our great High Priest, Advocate and Intercessor and Saviour. (Matthew 1:20, 27:33-54; Luke 1:26-28, 24:1-7, 50-51; John 1:1-34, 14:3; Acts 2:31-33; I Corinthians 15:3; Philippians 2:5-7; Ephesians 1:7; I Thessalonians 3:18; Hebrews 7:25, 9:22, 12:2; I John 5:20, 1:7, 2:1; Revelation 19:11-16, 20:46)
3. Of the Person and Work of the Holy Spirit
WE BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, not as an abstract power or influence, but as the third Person of the Trinity sent into the world to convict of sin, to regenerate believing sinners, to indwell and seal believers, to comfort, teach and guide, and empower for service, and to produce in the yielded believer an ever-greater likeness of Christ. (Matthew 28:19; John 14:16-17, 16:7-14; Romans 8:14-27; II Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 1:13, 4:30)
4. Of the Scriptures
WE BELIEVE THE SCRIPTURES OF THE BIBLE, in its sixty-six Old and New Testament books, are the very Word of God to man, eternal, complete and absolute truth, wholly without error; that it is the standard by which all that is called truth must be tested and the only infallible and divinely inspired by the Spirit of God and divinely preserved in the King James Authorized Version. (II Timothy 3:15-17; John 17:17; II Peter 1:19-21; Psalm 12:6-7; Deuteronomy 4:2; Proverbs 30:5-6; Revelation 22:18-19; Psalm 19:7-8)
5. Of the Fall of Man
WE BELIEVE THAT ALL MEN ARE BY NATURE AND CHOICE SINFUL and therefore lost and under condemnation from a holy and just God. We believe that man is a direct creation of God, made in His image and likeness, but that Adam, the first man, fell from a perfect state by voluntary transgression of the direct revealed will and command of God and subsequently became the father of a race born with a sinful nature and alienated from the life and family of God and under His righteous judgment and wrath; that man has no means within himself of salvation and reconciliation to God. (Genesis 1:25-27, 2:17, 3:1-6; Psalm 51:5; Romans 3:23, 5:12; Galatians 3:22)
6. Of the Way of Salvation
WE BELIEVE THAT SALVATION IS ONLY BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST; that it is a free gift of God neither merited nor secured in part or whole by any virtue or work of man; that salvation comes only by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ in Whom each true believer finds the gift of eternal life, perfect righteousness, son-ship in the family of God, deliverance and security from all condemnation, every spiritual resource needed for abundant life and Godliness, and the divine guarantee that he shall never perish, but is begotten unto a lively hope, to an inheritance incorruptible and kept by the power of God. (Luke 13:3; John 1:12, 5:24; Romans 6:23, 10:9, 10, 13; Acts 4:12, 16:31; Ephesians 2:8-9; II Corinthians 5:21, 7:9-10; Titus 3:5; I Peter 1:3-5)
7. Of the Christian's Walk
WE BELIEVE THAT EACH BELIEVER IS "HIS WORKMANSHIP, CREATED UNTO GOOD WORKS", not as a means of salvation but as its proper evidence and fruit, and should therefore obey the Word of God, seek those things which are above, walk as He walked, accept the solemn responsibility of bearing the Gospel to a lost world, remembering that a victorious and fruitful Christian life is possible only for those who present themselves wholly to Christ. We believe in the stewardship of the believer's life; that all things belong to the Lord and that each will be called to give account of His stewardship; that God has a specific plan for each life; that He has "fitly joined" together the believers as a local assembly and each has a task for which God has fitted him. (Titus 2:11-14; Ephesians 2:10; II Corinthians 5:17, 6:17-18; I John 2:15; II Timothy 2:19; I Peter 2:9, Colossians 2:6)
8. Of a Gospel Church
WE BELIEVE IN THE CHURCH as a visible congregation of baptized believers who in their unity compose the Body of Christ, of which He Himself is the Head, which has its expression in local assemblies associated by covenant in faith and fellowship of the gospel, observing the ordinances, exercising the gifts, rights and privileges invested in them by the Word of God; that the Church is the only institution established by Christ to carry on His work in the world and the purpose and obligation of the Church is to preach the Gospel everywhere. (Matthew 28:9, 3:13-17, 28:19-20, 26:26-29; Luke 22:17-21; Romans 13:1-7; II Corinthians 11:23-30, 12:13; Ephesians 3:3-11, 5:32, 1:20-22; II Corinthians 1:1; Galatians 1:2; Acts 5:11, 2:41, 26:26-30, 4:32, 6:1-6; Revelation 2:1, 8, 12, 18, 3:1, 7, 14)
9. Of Baptism and the Lord's Supper
WE BELIEVE IN TWO ORDINANCES GIVEN TO THE CHURCH BY THE LORD: BAPTISM AND THE OBSERVANCE OF THE LORD'S SUPPER, and that these are for baptized believers only. Baptism is immersion in water, at once a testimony and a symbol of being buried with Christ and raised to walk in newness of life. The Lord's Supper, which should be taken at regular intervals after self-examination, in the form of unleavened bread and the unfermented fruit of the vine, is a memorial to the saving work of Jesus Christ, showing forth His broken body and shed blood until He comes again. (Matthew 28:9, 3:13-17, 28:19-20, 26:26-29; Luke 22:17-21; Romans 13:1-7; II Corinthians 11:23-30, 12:13; Ephesians 3:3-11, 5:32, 1:20-22; II Corinthians 1:1; Galatians 1:2; Acts 5:11, 2:41, 26:26-30, 4:32, 6:1-6; Revelation 2:1, 8, 12, 18, 3:1, 7, 14)
10. Of Satan
WE BELIEVE IN THE EXISTENCE OF SATAN as a living, personal spirit-being who existed originally as a holy and perfect being created by God, but through pride, rebelled thereby becoming utterly depraved in character, the great adversary of God and His people, leader of all other evil angels and spirits, deceiver and god of this present world; that his powers are vast, but limited by the permissive will of God; that he is already defeated and judged at the cross and certain of final doom in the lake of fire; that he may be resisted and overcome by the believer only in the armor of God, the blood of the Lamb, and the power of the Holy Spirit. (John 8:44; II Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2; I Peter 5:8; Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:14-17; Revelation 12:9)
11. Of Last Things
WE BELIEVE IN THE WORLD TO COME, IN FUTURE LIFE, BODILY RESURRECTION, AND ETERNAL JUDGMENT, IN THE REALITY OF HEAVEN AND HELL. We believe in the second coming of Jesus Christ in the clouds to receive His saints to Himself by resurrection of the believing dead and translation of the living believers; that the wrath of God shall then be poured out upon an unbelieving world after which He shall descend with His saints to establish a glorious and literal kingdom over all the world for a thousand years during which time Satan will be bound. We believe that the spirits of the saved at death go immediately to heaven and the spirits of the unsaved descend to Hades and are kept under punishment until the time of judgment. We believe that each person shall face God in judgment: the saved shall appear at the Judgment Seat of Christ for reward or loss of reward and the unsaved shall appear at the Great White Throne to receive everlasting punishment according as their works have been. We believe that at the end of the times of judgment, Satan and all unbelievers will be cast into the lake of fire, and God shall create a new heaven and a new earth "wherein dwelleth righteousness and peace." (John 14:1-6; I Thessalonians 4:14-17; II Corinthians 5:10; Philippians 3:20-21; Luke 16:19-31; Revelation 20:11-15, 21:22; Matthew 5:22; II Corinthians 12:2-4, 5:1; I Peter 1:3-5; I Corinthians 3:11-15)
12. Of Justification
WE BELIEVE THAT THE GREAT GOSPEL BLESSING WHICH CHRIST SECURES TO SUCH AS BELIEVE IN HIM IS JUSTIFICATION; that Justification includes the pardon of sin, and the promise of eternal life on principles of righteousness; that it is bestowed, not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done, but solely through faith in the Redeemer's blood; by virtue of which faith, His perfect righteousness is freely imputed to us of God; that it brings us into a state of most blessed peace and favor with God, and secures every other blessing needful for time and eternity. (John 1:16; Acts 13:39; Romans 4:4-5, 5:1, 2, 9, 17, 19)
13. Of the Freeness of Salvation
WE BELIEVE THAT THE BLESSINGS OF SALVATION ARE MADE FREE TO ALL BY THE GOSPEL; that it is the immediate duty of all to accept them by a cordial, penitent, and obedient faith; and that nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner on earth but his own inherent depravity and voluntary rejection of the gospel, which rejection involves him in an aggravated condemnation. (Isaiah 55:1; Romans 16:25; John 3:19, 5:40)
14. Of Grace in Regeneration
WE BELIEVE THAT, IN ORDER TO BE SAVED, SINNERS MUST BE REGENERATED OR BORN AGAIN; that regeneration consists in giving a holy disposition to the mind; that it is effected, in a manner above our comprehension, by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with divine truth, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the gospel; and that its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance and faith and newness of life. (John 3:3, 8; II Corinthians 5:17; I Peter 1:22-25; Ephesians 5:9)
15. Of Repentance of Faith
WE BELIEVE THAT REPENTANCE AND FAITH ARE SACRED DUTIES, AND ALSO INSEPARABLE GRACES, wrought in our souls by the Spirit of God; whereby, being deeply convinced by our guilt, danger, and helplessness, and of the way of salvation by Christ, we turn to God with unfeigned contrition, confession, and supplication for mercy at the same time heartily receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as our Prophet, Priest, and King, and relying on Him alone as the only and all-sufficient Savior. (Mark 1:15; John 16:8; Luke 18:13, Romans 10:9-11)
16. Of God's Purpose of Grace
WE BELIEVE THAT ELECTION IS THE ETERNAL PURPOSE OF GOD, ACCORDING TO WHICH HE GRACIOUSLY REGENERATES, SANCTIFIES, AND SAVES SINNERS; that being perfectly consistent with the free agency of man, it comprehends all the means in connection with the end; that it is a most glorious display of God's sovereign goodness, being infinitely free, wise, holy, and unchangeable; that it utterly excludes boasting, and promotes humility, love, prayer, praise, trust in God, and active imitation of His free mercy; that it encourages the use of means in the highest degree that it may be ascertained by its effect in all who truly believe the gospel; that it is the foundation of Christian assurance; and that to ascertain it with regard to ourselves demands and deserves the utmost diligence. (II Timothy 1:8-9, 2:10; II Thessalonians 2:13-14; Exodus 33:18-19; I Corinthians 4:7; I Thessalonians 1:4-10; Romans 8:28-31; II Peter 1:10-11)
17. Of Sanctification
WE BELIEVE THAT SANCTIFICATION IS THE PROCESS BY WHICH, ACCORDING TO THE WILL OF GOD, WE ARE MADE PARTAKERS OF HIS HOLINESS; that it is a progressive work; that it is begun in regeneration; and that it is carried on in the hearts of believers by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, the Sealer and Comforter, in the continual use of the appointed means, especially the Word of God, self-examination, self-denial, watchfulness, and prayer. (I Thessalonians 4:3; Proverbs 4:18; I John 2:29; Philippians 2:12-13)
18. Of the Preservation of Saints
WE BELIEVE THAT SUCH ONLY ARE REAL BELIEVERS AS ENDURE UNTO THE END; that their persevering attachment to Christ is the grand mark which distinguishes them from superficial professors; that a special Providence watches over their welfare; and that they are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. (John 8:31; I John 2:19; Romans 8:28; Philippians 1:6)
19. Of the Harmony of the Law and the Gospel
WE BELIEVE THE LAW OF GOD IS THE ETERNAL AND UNCHANGEABLE RULE OF HIS MORAL GOVERNMENT; that it is holy, just and good; and that the inability which the Scriptures ascribe to fallen men to fulfill its precepts arises entirely from their love of sin; to deliver them from which, and to restore them through a Mediator to unfeigned obedience to the holy law, is one great end of the gospel, and of the means of grace connected with the establishment of the visible church. (Romans 7:12, 8:2-4, 7-8)
20. Of Civil Government
WE BELIEVE THAT GOD HAS ORDAINED AND CREATED ALL AUTHORITY CONSISTING OF THREE BASIC INSTITUTIONS: 1) the home, 2) the church, and 3) the state. Every person is subject to these authorities, but all (including the authorities themselves) are answerable to God and governed by His Word. God has given each institution specific Biblical responsibilities and balanced those responsibilities with the understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the other. The home, the church, and the state are equal and sovereign in their respective Biblically assigned spheres of responsibility under God. (Romans 13:1-7; Ephesians 5:22-24; Hebrews 13:17; I Peter 2:13-14)
21. Of the Resurrection and Return of Christ and Related Events
WE BELIEVE IN AND ACCEPT THE SACRED SCRIPTURES UPON THESE SUBJECTS AT THEIR FULL AND FACE VALUE. Of the resurrection of Christ, we believe that Christ arose bodily "the third day according to the scriptures;" that "He ascended to the right hand of the throne of God;" that He alone is our "merciful and faithful High Priest in the things pertaining to God." We believe in the Pre-millennial Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ; the rapture of the church, that Christ will come in the air for His saints; and to the earth with His saints. We believe that Jesus Christ will reign on this earth a thousand years in righteousness until He hath put all enemies under His feet. (Matthew 28:6-7; Luke 24:39; I Corinthians 15:4, 42-52; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Hebrews 5:9-10)
22. Of Missions
WE BELIEVE THE COMMAND TO GIVE THE GOSPEL TO THE WORLD IS CLEAR AND UNMISTAKABLE and this Commission is given to the churches and all Christians. (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:6; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; Romans 10:13-15)
23. Of the Grace of Giving
WE BELIEVE THAT EVERY CHRISTIAN, AS A STEWARD OF THAT PORTION OF GOD'S WEALTH ENTRUSTED TO HIM, IS OBLIGATED TO FINANCIALLY SUPPORT HIS LOCAL CHURCH. We believe that God has established the tithe as a basis for giving, but that every Christian should also give other offerings sacrificially and cheerfully to the support of the church, the relief of those in need, and the spread of the Gospel. We believe that a Christian relinquishes all rights to direct the use of his tithe or offering once the gift has been made. (Genesis 14:20; Proverbs 3:9-10; Acts 4:34-37; I Corinthians 16:2; II Corinthians 9:6-7; Galatians 6:6; Ephesians 4:28; I Timothy 5:17-18; I John 3:17)
24. Of Separation
WE BELIEVE THAT ALL THE SAVED SHOULD LIVE IN SUCH A MANNER AS NOT TO BRING REPROACH UPON THEIR SAVIOUR AND LORD as taught in Acts 15:20. God commands his people to separate from all religious apostasy, ecumenism, worldly and sinful pleasures, practices, and associations, and to refrain from all immodest and immoderate appearances, piercings, and markings of their body. (Romans 12:1-2, 14:13; II Corinthians 6:14-7:1; II Timothy 3:1-5; I John 2:15-17)
25. Of Creation
WE BELIEVE THAT GOD CREATED THE UNIVERSE IN SIX LITERAL TWENTY-FOUR HOUR PERIODS. We reject evolution, the Gap Theory, the Day-Age Theory, and the Theistic Evolution as unscriptural theories of origin. (Genesis 1-2; Exodus 20:11)
26. Of Human Sexuality
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 homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery and pornography are sinful perversions of God's gift of sex. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one's gender by surgery or appearance. (Genesis 2:24, 19:5, 13; 26:8-9; Leviticus 18:1-30; Romans 1:26-29) We believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one woman. (Genesis 2:24; Romans 7:2; I Corinthians 7:10; Ephesians 5:22-23)
27. Of Divorce and Remarriage
WE BELIEVE THAT GOD DISAPPROVES OF DIVORCE AND INTENDS MARRIAGE TO LAST UNTIL ONE OF THE SPOUSES DIES. Divorce and remarriage is regarded as adultery except on the grounds of fornication. Although divorced and remarried persons or divorced persons may hold positions of service in the church and be greatly used of God for Christian service, they may not be considered for the offices of pastor or deacon. (Malachi 2:14-17; Matthew 19:3-12; Romans 7:1-3; I Timothy 3:2, 12; Titus 1:6)
28. Of Abortion
WE BELIEVE THAT HUMAN LIFE BEGINS AT CONCEPTION AND THAT THE UNBORN CHILD IS A LIVING HUMAN BEING. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching for abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control or the physical or mental well being of the mother. (Job 3:16; Psalm 51:5, 139:14-16; Isaiah 44:24, 49:1-5; Jeremiah 1:5, 20:15-18; Luke 1:44)
29. Of Lawsuits Between Believers
WE BELIEVE THAT CHRISTIANS ARE PROHIBITED FROM BRINGING CIVIL LAWSUITS AGAINST OTHER CHRISTIANS, OR THE CHURCH, TO RESOLVE PERSONAL DISPUTES. We believe the church possesses all the resources necessary to resolve personal disputes between members. We do believe, however, that a Christian may seek compensation for injuries from another Christian's insurance company as long as the claim is pursued without malice or slander. (I Corinthians 6:1-8; Ephesians 4:31-32)
30. Of Dispensationalism
WE BELIEVE THAT THE SCRIPTURES INTERPRETED IN THEIR NATURAL, LITERAL SENSE REVEAL DIVINELY DETERMINED DISPENSATIONS OR RULES OF LIFE WHICH DEFINE MAN'S RESPONSIBILITIES IN SUCCESSIVE AGES. These dispensations are not ways of salvation, but rather are divinely ordered stewardships by which God directs man according to His purpose. Three of these dispensations?the law, the church, and the kingdom?are the subjects of detailed revelation in Scripture. (Genesis 1:28; I Corinthians 9:17; II Corinthians 3:9-18; Galatians 3:13-25; Ephesians 1:10, 3:2-10; Colossians 1:24-25, 27; Revelation 20:2-6)
31. Of the Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers
WE BELIEVE THAT ALL THE REDEEMED, ONCE SAVED, ARE KEPT BY GOD'S POWER and are thus secure in Christ forever. (John 6:37-40, 10:27-30; Romans 8:1, 38-39; I Corinthians 1:4-8; I Peter 1:4-5) We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God's Word, which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh. (Romans 13:13-14; Galatians 5:13; Titus 2:11-15)
32. Of Family Relationships
WE BELIEVE THAT MEN AND WOMEN ARE SPIRITUALLY EQUAL IN POSITION BEFORE GOD but that God has ordained distinct and separate spiritual functions for men and women in the home and the church. The husband is to be the leader of the home, and men are to be the leaders (pastors and deacons) of the church. Accordingly, only men are eligible for licensure and ordination by the church. (Galatians 3:28; Colossians 3:18; I Timothy 2:8-15, 3:4-5, 12) We believe that God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. The husband is to love his wife as Christ loves the church. The wife is to submit herself to the Scriptural leadership of her husband as the church submits to the headship of Christ. Children are an heritage from the Lord. Parents are responsible for teaching their children spiritual and moral values and leading them, through consistent lifestyle example and appropriate discipline, including Scriptural corporal correction. (Genesis 1:26-28; Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Psalm 127:3-5; Proverbs 19:18, 22:15, 23:13-14; Mark 10:6-12; I Corinthians 7:1-16; Ephesians 5:21-33, 6:1-4; Colossians 3:18-21; Hebrews 13:4; I Peter 3:1-7)
33. Of Euthanasia
WE BELIEVE THAT THE DIRECT TAKING OF AN INNOCENT HUMAN LIFE IS A MORAL EVIL, REGARDLESS OF THE INTENTION. Life is a gift of God and must be respected from conception until natural death. Thus we believe that an act or omission which, of itself or by intention, causes death in order to eliminate suffering constitutes a murder contrary to the will of God. Discontinuing medical procedures that are extraordinary or disproportionate to the expected outcome can be a legitimate refusal of over-zealous treatment. (Exodus 20:13, 23:7; Matthew 5:21; Acts 17:28)
34. Of Love
WE BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD DEMONSTRATE LOVE FOR OTHERS, NOT ONLY TOWARD FELLOW BELIEVERS, but also toward those who are not believers, those who oppose us, and those who engage in sinful actions. We are to deal with those who oppose us graciously, gently, patiently, and humbly. God forbids the stirring up of strife, the taking of revenge, or the threat or the use of violence as a means of resolving personal conflict or obtaining personal justice. Although God commands us to abhor sinful actions, we are to love and pray for any person who engages in such sinful actions. (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 5:44-48; Luke 6:31; John 13:34-35; Romans 12:9-10, 17-21, 13:8-10; Philippians 2:2-4; II Timothy 2:24-26; Titus 3:2; I John 3:17-18)