Doctrinal Statement of T.R. Howard Jr.

I believe that the Holy Bible, comprised of the 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament, was verbally inspired of God and the product of Spirit-controlled men, and therefore is truth without error. I believe it is the true center of Christian unity and the only infallible rule for all human conduct, creeds, and opinions. I believe in a literal (normal), grammatical, historical, interpretation (hermeneutic) of the Bible. This simply means that I read the Holy Scriptures in the particular context to which the particular book of the Bible was written. I look for authorial intent, theme, historical context, original language structure, as well as genre of the particular section of Scripture being used in order to determine what God’s original intent was for the passage in order to see His character and plan throughout the ages and therefore understand, know and love Him better by His grace.

2 Tim 3:16-17; 2 Pet 1:19-21. 

I believe in the absolute Deity of the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ; that He was divine as no other man can be, being God Himself, existing from eternity, co-equal with the Father and the Spirit; that He never ceased to be God for one instance and that His humiliation did not consist in laying aside His deity; that as man He was miraculously begotten of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.

1 John 5:2.; John 1:1-2; Matt 1:20; Luke 1:26-38.

I believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, equal with the Father and Son and of the same substance and nature; that He convicts of sin, righteousness and judgment, bears witness to the truth, is the agent of the new birth and that He seals, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses to, sanctifies and helps the believer, indwelling every true child of God. 

2 Cor 13:14; John 14:16-17; Rom 8:14-27; John 16:7-15.

I believe that man was created, in innocence and true holiness, under the law of his Maker and in the image of God, but by transgression fell from his sinless and happy state in Adam's sin, in consequence of which all men are found in a most helpless estate, totally depraved, wholly disposed toward evil, possessing neither the ability nor the inclination to seek God apart from the regenerating grace of the Holy Spirit; that all are sinners by nature and by conduct, and therefore are under just condemnation without defense or excuse.

Gen 3:1-6; Eph 2:1, 4:23; Rom 1:8, 32; 3:10-19; 5:12; Gal 3:22.

I believe the only escape from the condemnation of sin is through redemption in Jesus Christ. He took upon Himself a human body and nature, without sin. By His vicarious suffering, death and resurrection. He satisfied God’s justice fully. “In him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” The blessings of salvation are given on the grounds of grace to all who believe. Therefore, it is the immediate duty of all to accept God’s offer of mercy.

I believe in order to be saved, a sinner must be born-again; that the new birth is a new creation in Jesus Christ; that it is instantaneous and not a process; that in the new birth the one who was dead in trespasses and sins is made a partaker of the divine nature and receives eternal life, the free gift of God, that new birth is brought about in a manner above our comprehension by our Sovereign God, not by the will of man but solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with the Word of God, so as to irresistibly draw men to Himself and secure their voluntary obedience to the Gospel; that the proper evidence of the new birth appears in the holy fruits which are repentance, saving faith, and newness of life.

 I believe that true believers in Christ are distinguished from mere professors by their persevering attachment to the Savior, made evident as the Holy Spirit unfailingly brings to completion His work within them; that the saints are eternally secure, kept by the power of God through faith to ultimate redemption.

John 3:3; 2 Cor 5:17; 1 John 5:1; John 3:6-7; Acts 16:20-23; Rom 6:23; Eph 2:1 5:9; 2 Cor 5:19. John 8:31; Ps 37:24,28; Rom 8:28-29.

The Lord Jesus is the Head of the Church Universal, which is composed of all His true disciples. According to His commandment, immersed believers are to join themselves to local assemblies. To each of these churches, He has given needful authority for administering the order, discipline and worship which He has appointed. The officers of a church are pastors and deacons.

I believe there are two church ordinances - Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Baptism is the immersion of the believer in water and is properly called “believers baptism.” It declares our faith in the crucified, buried and risen Savior and our death to sin and new life in Christ. Baptism is prerequisite to the privilege of church membership. The Lord’s Supper symbolically commemorates our Lord’s death and our continual fellowship with Him. This ordinance should always be preceded by believers baptism and observed with careful self-examination.

I believe that God is sovereign in the bestowment of all His gifts. Further, the gifts of evangelists, pastors and teachers are sufficient for the perfecting of the saints today. Speaking in tongues and the working of sign miracles (such as healings, restoration of hearing, sight, raising of the dead etc.) gradually ceased as the New Testament Scriptures were completed and their authority became established. I believe in the complete ceasing of all miraculous “sign” gifts at the end of the Apostolic period of the church. I do believe, however, that God hears and answers the prayers of faith in accordance with His own will for the sick and afflicted.[3]

Matt 18:15-17; 1 Cor. 1:2; 1 Tim 3; Acts. 8:36-39; Rom 6:3-5; 1 Cor. 11:23-32. John 15:7, 1 Cor 13:8-12; 2 Cor 12:12; Eph. 4:7-12; James 5:14-16.

I believe that God commands Christians to be a separated people. I believe the church should be separated from all forms of false doctrine. The local church should enjoy fellowship with churches of like faith, but it should have no part in any council of churches that is ecumenical in nature. Further, I believe Christians are to be personally separated from all worldly practices that hinder spiritual growth. I believe that a Christian should live a holy life and maintain a testimony consistent with what the Bible teaches regarding holiness.

2 Cor 6:17-18; 7:1; Eph 5:11; 1 John 2:15-17.

I believe the Church and State must be completely independent of each other. The Church is not intended to rule in a political sense. I believe the statement of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 22:21 (“Render to Caesar the things that are is Caesar’ and to God the things that are God’s) puts the Church and State in two separate categories. The individual Christian has responsibility to each.

Matt 22:21; Rom 13:1-7.

I believe that God Himself instituted the family unit and created within it unbroken authority concerning the education, discipline, and welfare of its members. I further maintain that God created man and woman distinct in gender, purpose, and role within the home and that the relationship between man and wife is a solemn picture of Christ and His Church.

I stand firmly opposed to practices which violate the Biblical doctrine of the home, including divorce, by which man destroys what God has joined together; promiscuity and homosexuality which substitute depraved and unnatural acts of lust for the holy and undefiled expression of marital love; the ordination of woman, which denies the fulfillment of the woman within her divinely endowed role of helpmeet and supporter as well as usurps the headship and authority of the man; abortion, which is the destruction of the fruit of the womb and the murder of an unborn life; and delinquency in the home, by which parents fail to exercise godly authority and discipline over the children whom God has entrusted them with. I believe strongly that discipleship takes place primarily in the confines of the family. While the church is called to make disciples, it is clear that God has given the family as the primary discipling agent. Children are entrusted to parents for their spiritual nurture.