What We Believe

The teaching of R. B. Thieme, Jr., adheres to the following basic doctrines:

The Holy Scriptures are the inspired Word of God, authoritative, inerrant, and God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16–17; 2 Peter 1:20–21; Matthew 5:18; John 16:12–13). In the present age—the postcanon period of the Church—God’s essence and plan are revealed only through His written Word.

The Trinity is one God existing in three Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—eternal in being, identical in nature, equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections (Deuteronomy 6:4; 2 Corinthians 13:14). Within God’s plan for human history, each person of the Godhead fulfills a distinct function: God the Father is the author of the divine plan of grace; God the Son is the executor of the Father’s plan on behalf of mankind; God the Holy Spirit is the revealer of the plan and the person through whom divine power is conveyed.

Total depravity is the state of all mankind from birth. Man was originally created in a state of perfection, but through Adam’s sin the human race fell. Man inherited a sinful nature, became alienated from God, and is totally unable to rectify his fallen condition (Genesis 1:26–27; Romans 3:22–23; 5:12; Ephesians 2:12).

Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God, in order to reveal God’s glory and redeem sinful mankind. His substitutionary spiritual death on the cross removed the barrier between God and man and opened the door to salvation for anyone who expresses faith in Him (John 1:1–2, 14; Luke 1:35; Romans 3:24–25; 4:25; 1 Peter 1:3–5). After His burial, He physically rose from the dead and ascended to heaven. He is now seated at the right hand of the Father, where as Head of the Church He fulfills the ministry of High Priest, Intercessor, and Advocate (Hebrews 9:24; 7:25; Romans 8:34; 1 John 2:1–2).

The Holy Spirit is the person of the Trinity who convicts the world of sin, indwells all believers in the present age, baptizes them into the Body of Christ, and seals them as a pledge of ultimate sanctification in eternity. Believers are mandated to be filled with the Holy Spirit for empowerment to live the Christian life (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 12:12–14; Ephesians 1:13–14; 5:18).

Salvation is the grace gift of God to man received by faith alone in Jesus Christ, whose substitutionary sacrifice on the cross provided man’s reconciliation to God (Ephesians 1:7; 2:8–10; John 1:12). When a person expresses faith alone in Christ alone, the eternal life of God is imputed to him and he is instantly reborn into the family of God. Any member of the human race can enter into a personal, eternal relationship with God by accepting Christ as Savior. Once a person expresses that faith, he is eternally secure. The believer’s unbreakable relationship with God cannot be abrogated or destroyed by man, angel, or God Himself (Romans 8:1, 38–39; John 10:27–30; 1 Corinthians 1:4–8).

Spirituality is the absolute condition in the life of a Church Age believer wherein he is filled or controlled by the Holy Spirit, walking in fellowship with God. This temporal status is lost through any act of mental, verbal, or overt sin. Through the personal confession of sin to God the Father, spirituality is restored (John 15:7–8; Galatians 5:16; Ephesians 5:18; Romans 6:11-13; 1 John 1:9; 1 Corinthians 11:30–31).

The responsibility of every believer between salvation and eternity is to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). By learning Bible doctrine and following God’s plan, the believer gains spiritual wisdom, comes to know and love God, reflects the character of Christ, and fulfills the purpose for which God keeps him alive on earth.

The Church is the collective body of believers who accept Jesus Christ during the age between Pentecost and the Rapture, regardless of one’s affiliation with Christian organizations. As a spiritual organism, the Church being formed on earth is the Body of Christ and will be the Bride of Christ in heaven once the exit resurrection, or Rapture, occurs (Ephesians 1:22–23; 5:25–27; 1 Corinthians 12:12–14; Colossians 1:17–18).