CONSTITUTION
OF
PREAMBLE
Let all things be done properly and in an orderly manner.
... 1 Corinthians 14:40
Let all that you do be done in love.
... 1 Corinthians 16:14
Let all things be done for edification.
... 1 Corinthians 14:26
Do all things in the name of the Lord Jesus.
... Colossians 3:17
We, the members of Iron Range
Bible Church, do ordain and establish the following ARTICLES, which form our
CONSTITUTION.
ARTICLE I - NAME
The name of this church shall be Iron Range Bible Church, having its principle
place of worship in the town of Eveleth hereinafter referred to as this Church.
ARTICLE II - PURPOSE
The
purpose of this Church is to present systematic expositional teaching of
the Word of God through exegetical, categorical, and isogogical preparation
adhering to the literal, historical, grammatical hermeneutic, standing
unequivocally for the fundamentals of the faith as contained in the Holy
Scriptures, the sending out of evangelists and missionaries, and the ordaining
of pastor-teachers, present the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ both at home
and abroad.
The
thrust of this Church is to make sound doctrine available to believers
in the Lord Jesus Christ to the end that each might become spiritually self
sustaining; i.e. until we all attain the goal in the unity of the faith, and
the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a mature man, unto the standard of the
stature of the fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:13; 2 Timothy 3:16-17)
The
execution of the purpose and thrust of this Church is the consistent
continual teaching of the Word of God .
ARTICLE III - DOCTRINE AND
TENETS
A. STATEMENT OF DOCTRINE
The
following basic doctrines contained in the Holy Scriptures are hereby adopted:
1.
THE HOLY SCRIPTURES
We
believe the Scriptures in the original languages of Hebrew and Greek, both Old
and New Testaments, to be the plenary verbally inspired Word of God. Plenary
means that the entire or complete fully revealed Word of God is found in
Scripture. Verbal refers to the principle that every word is fully inspired by
God. Inspiration means "God-breathed" (2 Timothy 3:16) and refers to
the fact that the Bible is God's complete and connected revelation to mankind
(2 Peter 1:20-21, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Matthew 5:18, John 16:12-13).
2.
THE GODHEAD
We
believe in ONE TRIUNE GOD, existing in three (3)
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).
3.
THE TOTAL DEPRAVITY OF MAN
We
believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God but that in the
sin of the first man, Adam, the human race fell, inherited a sinful nature,
became alienated from any relationship with God, and is totally unable to
retrieve his lost condition by his own merit (Genesis 1:26-27; Genesis Chapter
3; Romans 3:10-18; 22-23; 5:6-21; 6:12-23; Ephesians 2:1, 12).
4.
THE PERSON AND WORK OF CHRIST
We
believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to
be God, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary,
in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man; that He accomplished
our redemption through His spiritual death on the cross as a substitutionary
sacrifice; that our redemption is made sure to us by His literal physical
resurrection from the dead (John 1:1-2; 14; Luke 1:35; Romans 3:24-25; 4:25;
Philippians 2:5-11; 1 Peter 1:3-5); that the Lord Jesus Christ is now in
Heaven, exalted at the right hand of God, where as the High Priest for His
people, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate
(Hebrews 7:25; 9:24; Romans 8:34; 1 John 2:1-2).
5.
SALVATION
We
believe the term salvation encompasses the total work of God by which He seeks
to rescue man from the ruin and doom that results from man being under the
penalty of sin as a sinner who is dead in his trespasses and sins. This
provision is made available to mankind on the basis of faith in the complete
work of Christ on the cross. On the basis of that faith in Christ, God bestows
upon the one believing in Christ the wealth of His grace encompassing the forgiveness
of sin, the gift of eternal life, and the provision for abundant life now, and
eternal glory. Salvation in every dispensation is by means of faith, never by
man's works (Romans 3:9; 22-28; 4:4-5; Ephesians. 1:3-8; 2:4-10; 1 Peter 1:3-5;
John 3:16, 36; 10:10).
6.
THE ETERNAL SECURITY OF THE BELIEVER
We
believe that all believers are kept secure forever and that neither man nor God
can annul a believer's saving faith (Romans 8:1; 38-39; John 10:27-30; 1
Corinthians 1:4-8).
7.
THE CHURCH
We
believe that the Universal Church, which is the body and bride of Christ, is a
spiritual body made up of all born-again persons of this age irrespective of
their affiliation with Christian organizations (Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:16,20-22;
5:22-30; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; Colossians 1:18,24; 2:19; 1 Peter 2:4-7).
We
believe that the Local Church is an assembly of Believers in Jesus Christ in a
specific geographic locality: which assembly is the authorized environment for
spiritual growth in the Church Age. Further, it is the responsibility of each
believer to assemble under a pastor-teacher so he/she can be equipped to carry
out the work of the ministry of said local church (Acts 8:1; 16:5; 1
Corinthians 4:17; 16:1,19; 2 Corinthians 8:1; Galatians 1:22; Ephesians 4:11-13;
Colossians 3:16-17; Hebrews 10:25).
8. DISPENSATIONS:
We believe that dispensations are distinct administrations of God in
human history in which the purpose of God is revealed through divine
revelation. Human history is a sequence of divine administrations each having
unique characteristics, as well as certain functions in common with other ages. God administers through delegated
authority in each dispensation. Each designated authority, such as Israel in
the Age of Israel and the Church in the Church Age, is to teach the gospel and
explain God’s purpose and will to mankind (Romans 3:2; Acts 15:14; Ephesians
3:2). The essence of dispensationalism is a consistent distinction between
God’s plan and purposes for
9.
THE PERSONALITY OF SATAN
We
believe in the person of Satan, a finite creation, who is the open and declared
enemy of God and all believers. We believe that Lucifer, who was created
perfect and sinless by God, fell and subsequently took with him other angels
called demons. As a result of man's fall Satan became the god of this world,
the prince of the power of the air, who seeks through various strategies to
tempt and deceive mankind. Further, that his success in blinding the minds of
people with false doctrine is dependent on their continued negative volition to
the truth. Finally, we believe that Satan will be defeated by Christ and
forever be consigned to the Lake of Fire (Job 1:6-7; Ezekiel 28:12-19; Isaiah
14:12-17; Ephesians 2:2; Matthew 4:2-11; 25:41 Rev 12:4; 20:10)
10.
THE BLESSED HOPE
We
believe that the Lord Jesus Christ will return prior to the Tribulation, in the
air, to receive to Himself the dead in Jesus Christ and the believers who are
alive at His coming, otherwise known as the Rapture, the Translation of the
Church (1 Corinthians 15:51-57; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Titus 2:11-14).
11.
THE TRIBULATION
We
believe that the Rapture of the Church will be followed by the fulfillment of
Israel's seventieth (70) week, the later half of which is the time of Jacob's
trouble, the great tribulation . (Daniel 9:27; Jeremiah 30:7; Matthew 24:15-21;
Revelation 6:1-19, 21)
12.
THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST
We
believe that the great tribulation will be climaxed by the pre-millennial
return of Jesus Christ to the earth to set up His kingdom (Zechariah 14:4-11;
Matthew 24:15-25, 26; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; Revelation 20:6).
13.
THE ETERNAL STATE
We
believe that the souls of those who have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ for
salvation do at death immediately pass into His presence, and there remain in
conscious bliss until the resurrection of the body at His coming, when soul and
body reunited shall be associated with Him forever in glory; but the souls of
all unbelievers remain after death in conscious misery until the final judgment
at the great white throne at the close of the millennium, when soul and body
reunited shall be cast into the lake of fire, not to be annihilated, but to be
punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from
the glory of His power (Luke 16:19-26; 23:43; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians
1:23; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9; Jude 6-7; Revelation 20:11-15).
14.
THE RESPONSIBILITY OF BELIEVERS
We
believe that each believer must grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord
Jesus Christ. The believer's daily life must be consistent with the Lord's plan
and will. This brings glory to the Lord. (2 Peter 3:18). Every believer is
responsible to be an ambassador for Christ which means witnessing to the lost
when the opportunity arises. (2 Corinthians 5:17-21). We believe that all
believers in Jesus Christ should seek to walk in such a manner worthy of their
calling in Christ. (Ephesians 4:1; Colossians 1:10) We believe that it is the
responsibility of all believers to remember the work of the Lord in prayer and
to support it with their means as the Lord has prospered them (1 Corinthians
16:2; 2 Corinthians 9:7).
15.
CHURCH ORDINANCES
We
believe that the Lord Jesus Christ instituted the Ordinances of Baptism by
immersion and the Lord's Supper. Both of which may be observed by all born
again believers until His return (Matthew 28:19-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; 1
Peter 3:21).
16.
THE HOLY SPIRIT
We
believe that the Holy Spirit is co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and the
Son. As God He possesses the same divine attributes as the Father and the Son.
His ministry is to convict the world concerning the sin of unbelief, the
absolute righteousness of God, and the judgment of Christ as our substitute
(John 16:8-11).
The
Spirit is the agent of regeneration, sanctification and comfort to those who
believe in Jesus Christ (John 14:26).
The
Spirit is a person, just as the Father and Son are persons. He indwells all
believers of the present church age. He baptizes all believers into the body of
Christ and seals them until the Day of Redemption. He is given as a pledge, a
guarantee of all that the believer is promised as God's own possession
(Ephesians 1:14). It is the duty of every believer to be walking by the Spirit
and therefore be empowered by Him in their life and in fellowship Gal. 5:16-25.
Spiritual
Gifts ---
The
Holy Spirit through grace and apart from human merit sovereignly bestows one or
more spiritual gifts on every believer at salvation (Hebrews 2:4; 1 Corinthians
12:7-11; Rom 12:4-8), but the temporary gifts of apostleship, prophecy,
miracles, healing, tongues, interpretation of tongues, word of wisdom, and word
of knowledge were cut off, done away with at the close of the Apostolic Age (1
Corinthians 13:8-11; 14:22; Ephesians 4:3-16).
Any
attempt to claim these gifts today is satanic in origin, being a part of the
great apostasy at the end of the age which is called the "working of the
mystery of iniquity".
This
iniquity operates by means of satanic power, signs and lying wonders toward
constructing the world church and toward manifesting the Man of Sin (2
Thessalonians 2:19).
The
attempt to practice any of these temporary gifts today by any person in the
congregation shall be grounds for expulsion from this church under Article V,
section D, item 3 of this constitution. Although the gift of healing is no
longer given to man, God does still hear and answer the prayer of faith for the
sick and afflicted in accordance with His own will (John 15:7; 1 John 5:14-15;
James 5:15).
17.
SPIRITUALITY
We
believe that spirituality is an absolute condition in the life of a believer in
this dispensation wherein he is filled or empowered by the Holy Spirit, walking
in love and fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that spirituality
is distinct from maturity, that a believer becomes carnal or fleshly, dominated
by the sin nature through any act of mental, verbal or overt sin and that
spirituality or fellowship with Christ is restored solely by personal
confession of that sin to God the Father (John 15:7,8; 2 Corinthians 5:6;
Galatians 5:16; Ephesians 5:1-2; Romans 6:11-13; 1 John 1:9; 1 John 1:5; 2:2; 1
Corinthians 11:30,31).
B.
STATEMENT OF TENETS
1. This Church shall not at any time become a
member of, sanction, or support the National Council of Churches, the World
Council of Churches or any other such ecumenical organization.
2.
This Church shall not at any time become a member of or part of a
denomination.
3. This Church shall not solicit any one to
become a member. Those who desire to affiliate with this Church may do so by
complying with the provisions of Article V.
4. This
Church shall not knowingly accept gifts from unbelievers nor make individual
solicitation of funds or pledges from believers.
5. This
Church shall not engage in any enterprises not related to the propagation of
the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Bible Doctrine.
6.
This Church shall not have a woman Pastor-Teacher or a woman
Deacon (1 Tim