Doctrinal Statement
Personal
Doctrinal Statement
Mission Board's (BIMI) Doctrinal Statement
Philosophy of Music for
the Caribbean Radio Lighthouse
Personal Doctrinal
Statement
The Word of God
I believe that each and every word in the
sixty-six books, which comprise the Old and New Testaments, were verbally
inspired by God the Holy Spirit. I believe that God used the styles and unique
approaches of the forty authors to record the entire God-breathed Scriptures
into what we now hold as the completed canon of Scriptures. I believe that each
word has a specific God-given purpose for being included in our Scripture (II
Tim. 3:15-16; II Peter 2:21). The example of Christ in Matthew 22:32 shows us as
believers that each word is in Scripture with a significant context and tense
for the clear edification of the believer. I believe that all of Scripture
should be interpreted literally rather than allegorically (Matthew 8:11, 19:3-5;
Mark 10:5-8). I believe in the plenary inspiration of the Scriptures. This
accounts for the consistency of the writings, which were written by forty
different men over a 1600 year period. I believe in the inerrancy and
infallibility of Scripture. Not only does God’s Word claim its own accuracy and
truth (John 17:17), but historical facts and scientific findings have
consistently proven Scripture to be true.
Although the inspiration of Scripture applies
only to the original manuscripts, which are no longer in existence, and does not
apply to any current translation, God has promised to keep His Word true and
pure down to the small and seemingly insignificant details (Mat 5:17-18; John
10:35).
I believe that, whereas in the Old Testament
times God used dreams and visions as a major means of special revelation (Gen
20:3, 6; 31:11, 24), today His Scriptures are the sole basis for a Christian’s
personal life and ministry. The Scriptures are the living words of God and not
just a record of God’s special revelation. As Revelation 22:18-19 states, there
is a very real danger which occurs when Scripture is changed or altered in any
manner. The Bible contains the answers to man’s problems that he faces in
everyday life (II Timothy 3:16-17). And as such it must be treated and respected
as complete truth, since it is the words of the Almighty God to mankind.
God
I believe that God is the self-existent Being
who created the earth and all of its inhabitants in six literal, twenty-four
hour, days (Genesis 1; Psalm 148:5). I believe that there is only one God (James
2:19). He is omnipresent (Psalm 139:7-10), omniscient (Psalms 139:2; Acts
15:18), omnipotent (Matthew 19:26), and unchangeable (James 1:17). Although God
possesses characteristics and powers that our human minds cannot fully
comprehend, He has provided what we need to know about Him in the creation
around us and in His Word (John 5:39; Romans 1:20). We are powerless to learn of
God apart from what He has revealed to us. God is a loving (1John 4:8), holy (I
Peter 1:16), and just (Revelation 15:3) spirit being who is concerned with every
aspect of His creation (Matthew 10:26-31; John 4:24; Colossians 1:16-17).
I believe that God the Father is the first
person of the Godhead which consists of three distinct perfect persons who make
up one distinct being (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19; Acts 5:3; I
Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 1:8; I Peter 1:2). Each person of the Godhead has a
distinct role in the completion of God’s perfect plan for man. All three persons
of the Trinity have been and always will be self-existent, sinless beings.
Jesus Christ
I believe that Jesus Christ, the second person
of the Godhead, played an active role in the creation of the world (Genesis
1:26; Hebrews 1:1-2). Jesus Christ, the sinless son of God the Father, came to
earth as God and man to fulfill prophecy and give His life as a full payment for
the sins of all mankind. Jesus Christ was the first and last man to ever be born
of a virgin (Matthew 1:18; Luke 2:6-7). Jesus spent thirty-three years on this
earth ministering as fully man and fully God (Philippians 2:7-8). Jesus did many
miracles during His ministry on earth, many which are recorded in Scripture and
many which we do not know of (John 20:30-31, 21:25). At the end of His ministry
on earth Jesus was ridiculed, tortured, and crucified for His self proclamation
to be the Son of God. He willingly gave His life on the cross as a vicarious
atonement for the sins of all mankind (Philippians 2:8-9).
On the third day after His
crucifixion, He bodily rose from the dead and as a result conquered Satan and
his power over death (Matthew 28). Jesus Christ willingly submits His will to
the will of the Father (John 17:1-6). God the Son and God the Father are equally
worthy of worship (Philippians 2:9-11; Hebrews 1:8). After His resurrection from
the grave, Jesus was seen by hundreds of individuals before bodily ascending
into heaven (Luke 24:46-53). Jesus Christ is presently in heaven preparing a
place for His followers, while He actively intercedes on our behalf to the
Father (John 14:1-4; Hebrews 7:25, 9:24). He will return to call His followers
to meet Him in the air and spend eternity in heaven worshiping God from the
mansions which He is preparing for His children (Acts 1:9-11; I Thessalonians
4:13-18).
The Holy Spirit
I believe that the Holy Spirit, also referred to as the Holy Ghost, is the third
person of the Godhead and as such is equally deity as the Father and Son. As
were the other two persons of the Trinity, the Spirit was present at the
creation of the world (Genesis 1:2). The Holy Spirit was sent to comfort and
help new Christians on the day of Pentecost, forty
days after the ascension of Christ into heaven (John 14:26; Acts 1:5). The
Spirit serves an important role in the saving, sealing, and sanctifying of souls
by convicting man of his sin and providing power over sin while giving
understanding to believers (John 6:44, 16:7-13; Romans 8:10; Ephesians 5:18; II
Thessalonians 2:13; Titus 3:5). All Christians experience a common bond through
the Spirit who fills them (I Corinthians 3:16, 6:19, and 12:13). Once an
individual is saved the Holy Spirit provides assurance of salvation (Romans
8:16; Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30). A believer’s prayers are helped with the
intercessions of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26).
Angels, Satan, and Demons
I believe that God created all angels for the
purpose of worshiping Him (Genesis 1:1; Ezekiel 28:13; Hebrews 1:6, 14). In
their original created state all angels were perfect but were given a free will.
Satan, also known as Lucifer, chose to rebel against God and was cast out of
heaven as a result of his sin (Ezekiel 28:13-17; Revelation 12:7-12). There were
other angels who chose to sin and were cast out of heaven along with Lucifer (II
Peter 2:4). The lake of fire is prepared as the final destination for Lucifer
and his followers (Matthew 25:41; Jude 6; Revelation 20:1-10). Although Lucifer
is referred to as the “prince of the power of the air,” his power is limited by
God (Job 1:12, 2:6; Ephesians 2:2).
Mankind
I believe that God created man in His image,
from the dust of the ground, on the sixth day of creation (Genesis 1:26, 2:7).
Man was the pinnacle of creation and was given preeminence over the earth and
every living creature (Genesis 1:27-30). The first man was named Adam, and God
created the first woman, Eve, from one of Adam’s ribs (Genesis 2:18-25). Man was
created with an eternal soul and no sin nature but was given a free will to
choose between right and wrong. The creation of man was solely an act of God in
which He showed His power and did not use the assistance of any form of
evolution.
As a result of Adam’s choice to sin against
God, every man is born with a sin nature which he acts upon and is consequently
separated from the holy God. (Romans 5:12). There is nothing that man can do to
earn favor in the sight of God (Romans 3). The punishment for sin is eternal
damnation in hell (Romans 3:22-23). The only form of redemption for man’s sin
nature is in the form of Jesus Christ and His payment on the cross for all men
who willingly accept His atonement (Isaiah 53:6).
Salvation
Due to man’s sin nature, which has existed
since the fall of man, every man, woman, and child has chosen to sin against God
and is thus eternally separated from fellowship with the one and holy God
(Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3:23). The punishment for man’s sin is eternal damnation
in hell, but God the Son willingly gave His life on the cross as payment for the
sins of mankind, that man may have a way of redemption (Romans 6:23; I John
2:2). Jesus Christ rose from the grave on the third day which provided a way and
opportunity for man to again enjoy fellowship with God the Father (Isaiah 53:6).
Salvation is only through accepting the blood
of Jesus Christ as a sufficient one-time payment for one’s sins. Salvation is in
no way inherited or earned through good works (Ephesians 2:8-9; Hebrews 9:22). A
sinner is saved when he sees his sin for the filth that it is, asks Christ for
forgiveness and accepts that Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection have
provided the only way for salvation. Salvation is only by faith and not gained
through a prayer or any other works (John 3:18; Romans 4:1-4). The free gift of
salvation, which must be accepted solely on the merits of Jesus Christ, is what
sets apart Christianity from all other religions of the world. If an
individual’s name is not found in the book of life, he will be cast into the
lake of fire (Revelation 20:14-15). The general revelation seen in the creation
is enough to lead a man to know that there is a God but is not sufficient to
lead him to salvation. The only obstacle which keeps man from spending eternity
in heaven is his own choice to reject Christ’s plan and payment for salvation.
There are many promises in Scripture that
assure the believer that his salvation cannot be lost (John 1:12; 3:18;
10:27-30; Romans 8:16, 38-39; I John 2:1-2). God is the only one who knows the
heart of a man, but the Bible does say that there will be evidence of salvation
including the chastening of His children (Deuteronomy 8:5; I Samuel 16:7;
Hebrews 12:6-7). Salvation, also referred to as positional sanctification, must
not be confused with progressive sanctification.
Sanctification
I believe that the sanctification of a believer
is a perpetual process which begins at his conversion and continues until the
time of his death (Romans 6-8). It is important to distinguish between
salvation, which is the one-time process where an individual’s sins are covered
with the blood of Jesus Christ, and progressive sanctification, which is the
ongoing process in which a believer is made more Christ-like through the filling
of the Spirit. Whereas salvation is possible only through the power of Jesus
Christ, sanctification requires the active effort of the believer to desire a
Christ-like change in his life. Reading and studying the Bible is an important
part of sanctification (Ephesians 5:26; John 17:17). The process of
sanctification will yield fruit in the life of the believer (John 15; II Peter
1:8). Obedience to God and authority, love for fellow believers, and a burden
for lost souls are three of the fruits manifested in the life of a believer
undergoing the sanctification process (Romans 6:12-14; John 13:44-45). Matthew
5:48 states the goal of the sanctification process to be the perfecting of a
believer.
Separation
I believe that Christians should live a life
that is separated unto God. The Christian is commanded to be in the world but
not of the world (I John 2:15-16). There should be a distinct difference between
the actions of a believer and unbeliever. Likewise, the church should be unique
in appearance from organizations of the world.
Personal
Christians are commanded to live
lives that are separated unto God. Each saved individual is accountable to God
to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not just enough
to live a life separated from evil. Christians are commanded to take a stand
against evil and denounce it. The Holy Spirit provides the power for a Christian
to live a sanctified life apart from life-dominating sin (Romans 8:2). The fact
that a believer’s salvation is secure is not a license for him to continue
sinning (Romans 6:1-14). As humans we will always sin, but the death of Christ
on the cross freed us from the power of our sin nature which we were born with.
Christians are commanded to “present their bodies [as] a living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable unto God” (Romans 12:1), which I believe is impossible unless the
believer is living a life separated unto God. Ephesians 4, which speaks of
putting off the old man and putting on the new man, is one of the most explicit
commands for the Christian to live a life set apart from the world (Ephesians
4:22-24). Another of the commands in Scripture that clearly states the need for
a believer to live a separated life is where the Apostle Paul denounces the
marriage of a believer to an unbeliever (II Corinthians 6:14-18).
Ecclesiastical
As the bride of
Christ, the church is commanded to be pure and separate from false doctrines and
teachers (Romans 16:17). The Apostle Paul clearly states that if a brother
“walketh disorderly” he should be avoided (II Thessalonians 3:6, 14-15). I
believe that the local church should associate only with those churches that are
of like doctrine and practice. It is important to remember that the acceptance
of an individual or church as a close alliance is to grant approval of their
beliefs. The Bible’s clear formula for dealing with individuals who are living
in unrepentant sin applies to both individual and ecclesiastical separation
(Matthew 18:15-17).
The Church and Church Leadership
I believe that the church was founded
at Pentecost and is the organized, visual body of Christ here on earth (I
Corinthians 12:13). The term church can refer to the universal or local church.
The universal church includes all believers, alive and dead, on earth and in
heaven (Colossians 1:16-18; Hebrews 12:23). Christ suffered and sacrificed
Himself for the church and is now in heaven serving as the head of the church
(Ephesians 1:22, 5:25-27).
The local church is defined as an organized,
autonomous, self-governing, self-perpetuating, self-supporting group of baptized
believers who join together to teach, worship, evangelize, baptize, and observe
the Lord’s Supper (Malachi 3:10; Matthew 28:19-20). When a member of the local
church is found to be living in open and unrepentant sin, the church has the
obligation to practice church discipline (Matthew 18). I believe that it is
important for a local church to minister to all ages and not be selective about
the age of its attendees. The authority of the local church comes solely from
Christ and, more specifically, through the commands found in Scripture. I
believe that the example of the New Testament churches should be followed and
that a new church should be organized as soon as possible (Acts14:23).
I believe that the local church should
regularly observe the two ordinances of the church, baptism and the Lord’s
Supper. I believe that Scripture teaches there should be two offices of church
leadership. The first office is that of bishop or elder, which is the office of
pastor (Philippians 1:1; I Timothy 3). I believe that the requirements for
bishop or elder found in the New Testament should still be followed today (I
Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:7-16).The second office is that of deacon and is clearly
taught in the New Testament (Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:7; I Timothy 3). The
requirements for a deacon can be found in I Timothy 3:8-13. The local church
should strive to fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28). Members of the local
church should follow the commands of Scripture by witnessing and sharing their
faith with those who they encounter in day to day life. The church should also
send out and support missionaries from their own congregation and other
like-minded congregations.
Tongues
I believe that the Holy Spirit
enabled the apostles to speak in tongues in order to add credibility to the
newly organized church. I believe that, although the Holy Spirit still has the
power to enable the use of tongues, He does not do so today because the church
is well established. Many current day movements that put a strong emphasis on
the use of tongues are false, because they fail to follow the guidelines set
forth by Paul in I Corinthians 12, 13 and 14.
Ordinances
I believe that the current day church is to
follow the example of the New Testament church by practicing the two ordinances
of the church. I believe that the ordinances of the church in no way gain you
favor in the sight of God but must be treated with reverence and administered
only within the local church (I Corinthians 11:18-20). The first ordinance is
that of baptism. According to the scriptural examples, baptism symbolizes union
with Christ, forgiveness, and repentance (Acts 2:38, 22:16; Romans 6:1-10).
James and John were baptized to identify with the sufferings of Christ (Mark
10:38-39).
I believe that the Lord’s command for His
disciples to baptize new converts still applies today (Matthew 28:19). According
to the author of Hebrews, baptism is an important doctrine of Christ. There are
many records of baptism throughout the New Testament, but they all bear in
common that the individual being baptized was a Christian (Acts 2:41-42). I
believe that the church should not baptize infants. There is no clear scriptural
example or reason for infants to be baptized. Since the purpose of baptism is
for an individual to identify with the sufferings and resurrection of Jesus
Christ it proves pointless to baptize infants who are unable to understand
salvation.
There are several reasons that I
believe immersion is the only correct mode of baptism under normal
circumstances. First, as Christians we are to seek to imitate the example of
Christ. The record of Christ’s baptism in Matthew 3:16 indicates that Christ was
submerged under the water. Secondly, the primary meaning of the word baptizo,
which is the root word for baptism, is to completely immerse an object such
as cloth in water or dye. Thirdly, I believe that the immersion of a believer
provides the best example of putting off the old man and being resurrected as a
new man. I believe that baptism by immersion is also a reminder of the death,
burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Finally, I believe that immersion is
the best mode of baptism since historical records show that immersion was the
mode of baptism used by the New Testament church. There are no clear scriptural
examples for the rebaptism of an individual who was originally baptized by
immersion following his conversion to Christ.
The second ordinance is that of The Lord’s
Supper. The first Lord’s Supper was administered by Jesus the night before His
death (Matthew 26:26-30). I believe that bread and juice solely symbolize the
blood and body of Christ and in no way become the blood and body of Christ. The
Lord’s Supper is to be held as a commemoration of Christ and His sufferings for
us (I Corinthians 11:24). It is to be a sober time and must be led into by a
time of self examination (I Corinthians 11:28-32). I believe that any baptized
believer who is living a life free of unrepentant sin is free to partake in the
Lord’s Supper.
End Times
I believe that the Scriptures clearly teach
the imminent, premillennial, and pretribulation return of Christ to
instantaneously rapture all believers, dead and alive, to bodily meet Him in the
air. Shortly after the rapture, the tribulation, a seven year period, will
begin. During the tribulation God’s hand will be withdrawn from the earth,
resulting in extreme judgment on the world for its rebellion and evil deeds
(Revelation 6:15-17). It is during the tribulation period that the Antichrist
will rise to power and make treaties with Israel, which he will later break,
ultimately resulting in the battle of Armageddon (Daniel 7:8, 9:27, 11:40-45;
Revelation 16:12-16). While the tribulation is taking place on earth, the Bema
Seat for Christians will take place in heaven (I Corinthians 3:12-15; II
Corinthians 5:10). After the tribulation has passed, Christ will return to the
earth to set up His millennial kingdom, during which time Satan will be bound in
the bottomless pit (Revelation 20:3-6). Satan will be freed for one final
attempt to wage war against God. After his defeat, Satan will be cast into the
lake of fire for all eternity. Christians will all be united in heaven.
Following the millennium the Great White Throne Judgment will take place, where
all unsaved are judged for their sins (Revelation 20:12; 13). Following the
Great White Throne Judgment, Christ will destroy the current earth and create a
new heaven and a new earth (Isaiah 65:17; Revelation 21, 22). Jesus Christ will
be worshiped for who He is at the end of all time (Philippians 2:9-10).
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Personal
Doctrinal Statement
Philosophy of Music for
the Caribbean Radio Lighthouse
Mission Board's (BIMI) Doctrinal
Statement
The Inspiration of the Bible
We believe the Bible is the verbally inspired
Word of God. We believe the writings of the Old
and New Testaments are fully God-breathed to the
extent that the very words were chosen by God
from the human writers vocabulary so that the
Bible is the very word of God, inerrant in all
its assertions and teachings. The Bible is
therefore the only infallible authority for both
doctrine and life. Since this is true, it is the
special revelation of God to man and the only
basis for true Christian unity. (II Timothy
3:16-17; Matthew 5:18; Acts 1:16; Mark 12:36; II
Peter 1:19-21; Hebrews 4:12; John
10:35;16:12,13;17:17)
The Person of God the Father
We believe God is supreme in His Person, eternal
in His being, absolute in His attributes, and
glorious in His Perfection. We believe in the
Trinity. We believe in one Triune God, the
creator of heaven and earth. We believe that in
the unity of the Godhead there are three
distinct persons, the Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit, equal in power and glory. God is
personal, spirit, omniscient, sovereign,
perfect, immutable, eternal in His being,
holiness, love, wisdom, and power. We believe
that God is absolutely separate and above the
world as its creator, yet every where present in
the world as the sustainer of all things. God is
self-existent and self-revealing in His
relationship with His creation. (Genesis 1:1;
Matthew 28:19; Deuteronomy 4:35; 6:4; I
Corinthian 8:6; John 1:1-3; Romans 1:2-4;
Ephesians 4:3-6)
The Person of Jesus Christ
We believe in the virgin birth of Christ, His
Deity, and sinless life, His vicarious death,
along with His bodily resurrection and
ascension, and in His personal, pre-millennial
return. We believe the Lord Jesus Christ is the
second person of the Godhead, God in the flesh,
virgin born as no other man has ever been born
nor ever will be born. He lived an absolutely
sinless life and became the sinner's voluntary
substitute on the Cross by His vicarious death
for man's sin. Jesus Christ rose from the dead
on the third day, giving eternal assurance of
redemption's full payment and the satisfaction
of God's righteous indignation toward sin. He
ascended bodily into heaven and he will come to
rapture His saints to be with Himself. His
coming for His saints is imminent and will be
personal, pre-tribulational, and pre-millennial.
(Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18; John 1:1; 14:3; I
Thessalonians 4:16; Luke 1:35; I Peter 2:22;
3:18)
The Person of Holy Spirit
We believe the Holy Spirit is the executive of
the Godhead. We believe that He executes the
Plan of God for our conviction and salvation.
Christians are partakers of the Holy Spirit and
empowered for service by Him. We believe the
Holy Spirit is a person possessing all the
attributes of Deity. He convicts the unbelieving
world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment.
He regenerates, seals, indwells, fills the
believer and bestows gifts upon believers for
service. He teachers the believer and sets him
apart for a holy life. We believe the Bible
repudiates the charismatic emphasis upon the
experiential oriented tongues and ecumenical
practices as any ministry of the Holy Spirit. We
believe the Holy Spirit is the
Commander-in-Chief of missions and that His
testimony is not of Himself but Jesus Christ and
the redemptive truths centered in Christ. (John
14:16,17; 16:8; I Corinthians 3:16; Acts 5:3,4;
Ephesians 1:13,14; Romans 8:9)
The Fall of Man
We believe that man was created in the image of
God and by choice fell into sin and death.
Hence, every person is sinful and under
condemnation to eternal judgment. We believe
that man was created by a direct act of God in
the image and likeness of his Creator. By
disobedience to the revealed will of God, man
forfeited his reign over the earth and fell from
his created state and standing with God.
Therefore, all men are universally sinful both
by nature and choice, and are void of the
righteousness of God. All men are thus alienated
from the life and family of God, without excuse,
under the righteous judgment and wrath of God,
and have within themselves no possible means of
salvation. (Genesis 1:27; Romans 3:23; 5:12-19;
Isaiah 53:6; Ephesians 2:1-3).
The Salvation of Sinners
We believe that the salvation of sinners is
wholly of Grace, and that Jesus Christ is the
only way of salvation. We believe in the
salvation of man by grace through faith in the
finished work of Christ on the cross. We believe
that salvation is the free gift of God, neither
merited nor secured in part nor in whole by any
virtue or work of man, but received only by
personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, in Whom
all true believers have as a present possession
the gift of eternal life, a perfectly righteous
standing, sonship in the family of God by a new
birth. We believe that the cross of Christ is
redemptive, substitutionary, propitiatory and
the only basis of reconciliation for all lost
men who believe and that there is no possible
salvation outside of Jesus Christ and His shed
blood. (John 3:3-6, 16;10:28-29; Acts 16:31;
Ephesians 2:8-10; I Timothy 2:5,6; I Peter
1:18-23).
The Free Gift of Salvation
We believe that the blessings of salvation are
made free by the Gospel, that nothing prevents
the salvation of the greatest sinner but his own
inherent depravity and voluntary rejection of
the Gospel. We believe that salvation was
accomplished on the cross by Jesus Christ and is
extended to all men as a gift to be received by
faith. The basis of this salvation is totally
the grace that provided the cross. Although all
men are responsible to receive the gift of
salvation in Christ, only those who respond to
the ministry of the Spirit of God in the
presentation of the Gospel will be saved.
Salvation is the free and completed gift of God
to all who will believe. (John 1:12; 3:16; 5:24;
12:46; Acts 16:31; Romans 10:11-13).
The Security of a Believer
We believe that those who receive Jesus Christ
as Savior are eternally secure. Our security
rests on the finished work of Jesus Christ. As a
result, we have assurance. We believe that the
true believer is forever secure as a redeemed
possession of God. This security is founded on
the full payment of the believer’s sin by the
cross of Christ in His substitutionary atonement
and God’s proof of receipt of that payment in
the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The sole
condition of salvation is faith in Jesus Christ
and His redemptive work. This positive
expression of faith has as its negative side
repentance and rejection of any other basis of
salvation. Therefore, the security of the
believer is not conditioned upon his
circumstances nor emotional experiences nor
strength but it is an acceptance of that basis
of reconciliation which has already been
accepted by God. The believer is in the
possession of God, which is the opposite of
lost. He is secure because God has taken the
responsibility for His own. (John 10:27-30; I
John 2:1-2; Romans 8:31-34, 38-39; I Corinthians
6:19; Hebrews 2:10).
The Church
We believe that the visible church is a
congregation of baptized believers, practicing
New Testament principles, believing its
doctrines, observing its ordinances, and
exercising its autonomy. We believe that a local
church is an organized body of believers
immersed upon credible confession of faith in
Jesus Christ, recognizing only two offices
(filled by pastor and deacon), sovereign in
polity, and bonded together for work, worship,
mutual edification, observance of the ordinances
and the worldwide proclamation of the Gospel.
The church is distinct from Israel in the Old
Testament, autonomous, with Christ as its head.
(Matthew 28:19-20; Ephesians 1:22,23; Acts
2:41-47; Ephesians 4:11-13; I Corinthians 12).
Heaven and Hell
We believe in the eternal blessedness of the
saved in Heaven and the eternal punishment of
the lost in Hell. We believe in the bodily
resurrection of both the saved and lost, secured
by the bodily resurrection of Christ. The
spirits of the saved at death go immediately to
be with Christ in heaven, their lives and works
shall be evaluated at the Judgment Seat of
Christ for the determination of rewards which
will take place when Christ comes for His own in
the rapture. They will experience the
blessedness of God’s presence for all eternity.
The spirits of the unsaved at death descend
immediately into Hades where they are kept under
punishment until the Great White Throne
Judgment. At this time, their bodies shall be
raised from the grave and be cast into the
eternal lake of fire, the place of final and
everlasting punishment. (John 5:28,29; 14:2;
Revelation 20:14,15; 21:4; Matthew 25:46).
Current Trends in Theology
As a fundamental group of believers, we take our
stand regarding the current trends that lead to
discrediting the Bible and undermining the
fundamentals of the faith. BIMI takes a
separatist stand against Neo-orthodoxy,
Neo-evangelicalism, the Ecumenical movement and
the modern tongues movement.
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Personal
Doctrinal Statement
BIMI's Doctrinal
Statement
CARIBBEAN RADIO LIGHTHOUSE
MUSIC PHILOSOPHY
We believe that
music is not amoral and that it must be given
careful consideration. The music (lyrics, melody
and rhythm) used by BIMI missionaries and the
Caribbean Radio Lighthouse must be conservative
and God honoring. Songs or styles with the
recognized characteristics of rock music or rock
performances are unacceptable. Consequently, the
genres of music often referred to as "Christian
Rock" or "Contemporary Christian Music" are to
be avoided completely. In order to be filled
with the Spirit, it is necessary to abstain from
music which appeals to the flesh. (Galatians
5:16-17; Ephesians 5:17-19; Colossians 3:16; 1
Thessalonians 5:22)
This policy in
no way covers all the issues related to music.
It very simply sets a direction for BIMI and the
Caribbean Radio Lighthouse concerning this very
crucial topic.
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of Page
Personal
Doctrinal Statement
BIMI's Doctrinal
Statement
Philosophy of Music for
the Caribbean Radio Lighthouse