Doctrinal Standard of
IMARC
(A) We believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of
heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ , his only son,
our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, was
crucified, dead, and buried; the third day He arose again
form the dead; He ascended into heaven, and site at
the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.
(B) We believe that man is Totally Spiritually Corrupt,
in that there is no spiritual good in man to gain heaven
or favor with God, in his fallen condition. We believe
in Conditional Election, that all who believe on the
Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior has met the
condition of Election, and in Unlimited Atonement, that
Christ died for all men everywhere.
(C) Furthermore, we believe that Grace can be resisted,
that man my refuse the call to be saved. We believe in
the Perseverance of the Saints, that the Bible
teaches the possibility of falling from Grace and being
eternally lost, if we do not persevere. We, therefore,
believe to be erroneous the doctrine of eternal security
or once saved always saved.
(D) We believe that water baptism should be carried out
by Sprinkling or Pouring as the Bible bears witness to
these modes. We accept the doctrine as taught in the
Bible of baby baptism. We also believe that immersion
could be a Biblical but not a necessary mode of baptism.
(E) We believe that it is a glorious privilege and an awesome responsibility to be a child of God. We believe that Christ broke the power of sin that easily besets us. Because the power of sin can has been broken, we believe that the possibility of holiness can be achieved during this life. Many say that this can be achieved through an instantaneous blessing while others differ. Therefore, IMARC agrees with Thomas Ralston when he says, "It matters but little whether this eminent state of holiness be gained by a bold, energetic, and determined exercise of faith and prayer, or by a more gradual process - whether it be instantaneous or gradual, or both the one and the other. The great matter is, with each and all of us, that we lose no time, but arise at once, and "press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."*
(F) We believe that the Holy Scriptures contain all
things necessary to salvation, so that whatsoever is not
read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be
required of any man, that it should be believed as an
article of faith, or be thought requisite or necessary
to salvation.
The Holy Scripture we understand to be those
canonical books of the Old and New Testament, of whose
authority was never any doubt in the Church. Therefore,
we believe the scripture is without error, and inspired
by God Himself.
* Thomas Ralston, Elements of Divinity, Abington Press, page 470
Updated Dec. 21,2008
