Article III: Membership

Section 1: Admission

A. Qualifications. Any person may be admitted to the membership of New Covenant Chapel who:

1. Gives testimony of conversion and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ

2. Assents to the Fundamental Beliefs as recorded in Article II

3. Agrees to conduct himself/herself (1) in compliance with this document, (2) in compliance with the expressed and/or intended spirit of mutual benefit and cooperation of this organizational body, and (3) with the intention of living apart from sin as commanded by God’s Word

4. Is willing to support the work of this church in regular participation

B. Procedure. Any person desiring membership in New Covenant Chapel may make his/her request known to a church elder. The candidate shall then meet together with at least two of the elders to determine whether he/she meets the qualifications for membership. If determined qualified, the candidate shall be presented to the congregation during a regular church service for congregational approval and welcome. A three-quarters majority vote of the church quorum is required to admit a member.

Section 2: Removal

A member of New Covenant Chapel may be removed from the membership list for any of the following reasons:

A. Death.

B. Request. Removal from membership may be made based on a request from the member personally or a request for a letter from another church.

C. Absence. The membership of any individual shall be automatically terminated if the member in question has not attended regular worship services of the church in the preceding six months. The church may choose to waive this provision if it determines that there is good cause for the absence. Waiver must be approved by a three-quarters majority vote of a church quorum.

D. Persistent sinful conduct. Removal from membership may be made based on persistent sinful conduct that is clearly contrary (according to the church’s determination) to the direct teachings of the Bible (such as immorality or apostasy). Prior to removal, the church, through its members and elders, shall strive to follow the guidelines for church discipline given in Scripture (Mat. 18:15-17; I Cor. 5:11). A two-thirds majority vote of a church quorum is required for removal of a member. Any member excluded from the church in this manner may be restored upon evidence of confession and repentance acceptable to the church. Restoration shall require a vote of three-quarters majority of a church quorum.

Article 11, Section 7: Restoration

Section 7: Restoration
A. As promised, Christ will return to this earth to bring final judgment to all evil and to gather together His covenant people from among the physically dead and living to continue in complete, restored, everlasting relationship with God.

1. His return – John 14:1-3; Acts 1:10-11; Revelation 22:7, 20
2. His judgment – 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9; Revelation 19:11-15
3. His gathering – Matthew 24:30-31; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Thanks, Brenda, for the edit. On Brenda's recommendation, I broke the point down to more manageable pieces. Each "piece" is now labeled as Purpose, Application, and Result. I also was not happy in how I added the phrase "by faith alone." It raised the question of whether we were saying a person had to believe in Christ by faith alone or had to believe that salvation was applied by faith alone. I think that the adjustment has cleared that up. But let me know.

Section 6: Salvation
A. Purpose - Salvation is the activity of God to remove the guilt of sin from people in order to reconcile them to himself for the eventual restoration of perfect and intimate relationship between God and humanity.

1. Purpose and Plan – Romans 3:21-26; Ephesians 1:3-14; 3:7-12; Hebrews 1:1-4

B. Application - God applies Christ’s sacrificial payment for sin to the individual who through repentance and faith, believes in Christ, the revealed righteousness of God. Belief in Christ entails the acceptance of the facts that Christ is God; that the sinless Christ’s sacrificial death paid the penalty for the individual’s own sin; and that the individual has no merit of his own to be worthy of God’s grace.

1. Application of Christ’s righteousness – John 1:12; Romans 3:21-25; 5:15-21

C. Result - The believing person receives remission of sins, justification, sanctification, and adoption in everlasting relationship through the Holy Spirit.

1. Remission of sins – Matthew 26:28; Colossians 1:13-14; Hebrews 10:12-17
2. Justification – Romans 4:23-25; 5:16-18
3. Sanctification – Romans 6; 2 Thessalonians 2:13
4. Adoption – Galatians 4:4-5; Ephesians 1:4-6

Article II, Section 6: Salvation

Section 6: Salvation
A. Salvation encompasses the purpose and plan of God in removing the guilt of sin so that restoration may result in the intimate relationship between God and the crowning work of His creation—humankind.

1. 1. Purpose and Plan – Romans 3:21-26; Ephesians 1:3-14; 3:7-12; Hebrews 1:1-4

B. In salvation, God manifests His grace in applying the sacrificial payment accomplished by Christ through His sinless life, death, and resurrection to the individual who by faith alone in the revealed righteousness of God through Christ (that is, in Christ’s deity, work of vicarious atonement, and application of atonement) thus receives remission of sins, justification, sanctification, and adoption in everlasting relationship through the Holy Spirit.

1. 1. Application of Christ’s righteousness – John 1:12; Romans 3:21-25; 5:15-21
2. 2. Remission of sins – Matthew 26:28; Colossians 1:13-14; Hebrews 10:12-17
3. 3. Justification – Romans 4:23-25; 5:16-18
4. 4. Sanctification – Romans 6; 2 Thessalonians 2:13
5. 5. Adoption – Galatians 4:4-5; Ephesians 1:4-6

Article II, Section 5: Sin

Small section on sin--

Section 5: Sin
A. Sin is any impiety (attitude or action) contrary to the essence and existence of God.

1. Sin – Genesis 6:5; 1 Kings 14:22; Psalm 51:4; 141:4; Proverbs 21:4; Matthew 5:27, 15:19; James 4:17
2. Transgression – A subset of sin in which the sinner violates the revealed law of God – Romans 1:20, 4:15, 5:13

B. Transgression against God results in death (separation from God).

1. Result – Genesis 2:17; 3:19; Proverbs 14:12; Isaiah 59:2; Romans 6:20-23

Article II - Section 4: People

Must we say more than this? Need we say all of this?

Section 4: People
A. God created Adam and Eve without sin.

1. Sinless Creation – Genesis 1:31 (see also Doctrine of God for why God cannot create sin)

B. Individuals are composed of material and immaterial aspects.

1. Material – Genesis 2:7; Psalm 31:9
2. Immaterial – Genesis 2:7; Psalm 31:9; Romans 8:16

C. Since all existence outside God is dependent on God, all existence outside God has a responsibility of obedience to Him

1. Responsibility – Genesis 1:1, 26-27; 2:15-16; Psalm 96:8; Hosea 6:7; Romans 9:20

D. Adam sinned against God resulting in condemnation—separation from God.

1. Adam’s Sin – Genesis 3:1-7
2. Condemnation – Genesis 3:17-19; Proverbs 11:21; Romans 6:23

E. All individuals bear the guilt of Adam’s original sin and corrupted nature.

1. Guilt of Original Sin – Romans 5:12-14, 18-19
2. Corrupted Nature – Genesis 6:5-6; Psalm 58:3; Ecclesiastes 7:20; Jeremiah 17:9

Article II, Section 3 - Christ

This section is on Christ.

A. As God, Jesus possesses all the attributes of the Godhead with control of expression.
B. As man, Jesus possessed a nature and physiology similar to man's in that he grew in wisdom and stature, he became hungry and thirsty, and he experienced fatigue, sorrow, joy, fear, and temptation.

1. Deity - Colossians 2:9; Titus 2:13
2. Humanity - Matthew 4:2; 27:46; Luke 2:52; 22:44; John 4:6; 15:11; 19:28; Hebrews 4:15

C. Jesus was virgin born and lived a sinless life.

1. Virgin Birth - Matthew 1:18-23
2. Sinless Life - Hebrews 4:15

D. Jesus atoned for the sins of humankind through the willing offer of himself, his vicarious sacrifice, and his resurrection.

1. Offer - Galatians 1:4; 1 Timothy 2:6; Titus 2:14
2. Vicarious Sacrifice - Romans 5:6-8; 1 Corinthians 15:3; Hebrews 9:26; 10;12
3. Resurrection - Matthew 28:6; Romans 8:34; 14:9; 1 Corinthians15:14

E. Jesus continues his role of priest in his intercession for believers.

1. Intercession - Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25