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                                                                                                      Where We Stand

NSTM has distinct views on the issues that surround today’s Christianity and the fallacies that
have come into the church. As we prepare people to minister, we believe that our students
should be like-minded in our application of biblical principles as displayed in our Articles of Faith
and Positional Statement.

                                                                                                              Articles of Faith

1. The words of the original writings of the Old and New Testaments are God-breathed.
Therefore they are inerrant and carry God's authority (Psalm 12:6; Prov. 30:5).

The Scriptures we now possess have been preserved by God without significant variation and
are the very Words of God (Matt. 5:18, 24:35; John 10:35). 

2.  One true God eternally exists in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Isa. 48:16;
Matt. 3:16-17; II Cor. 13:14).

3.  Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. Having been conceived with a sinless human nature by
the Holy Spirit and having been born of the virgin Mary, He laid down His life and shed His blood
for the sins of the world. He arose bodily from the grave and is seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high, where He ever lives to make intercession for the saints.(Lk. 1:35; John 1:1, 14; Phil. 2:5-8; I Tim. 3:16; I Cor. 15:1-6; Heb. 1:3, 7:25).

4.  The Holy Spirit is the Person within the Godhead Who was sent to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He has permanently indwelt every believer since Pentecost and baptizes (places) each believer into the Body of Christ (John 16:7-11; Rom. 8:9; I Cor. 6:19-20; 12:13).

5.  Man was created in the image of God and, through his act of sin, brought physical and spiritual death into the world. All human beings since Adam and Eve are born with a sin nature and are
under the power and penalty of sin. All who do not receive God’s forgiveness will suffer the righteous penalty of spending eternity in the Lake of Fire (Gen. 1:26; Rom. 3:9-12, 5:12; 
John 3:36; Rev. 20:15).

6.  Jesus Christ is God’s substitutionary sacrifice for the sin of the world. His death on the cross is
the full and only satisfaction of the just demands of a holy God for judgment of sin. All who receive Christ by faith alone are declared righteous on the grounds of His shed blood and receive eternal
life and cleansing from all sin (Isa.53:5-6; Rom. 3:24-28; Heb. 9:26, 10:12-14; I John 1:7, 2:1-2).

7.  The believer in Jesus Christ is eternally secure in Him. Having passed from death unto life, the believing sinner has been sealed by the Holy Spirit unto the day of redemption and will never perish (John 5:24, 10:27-29; Eph. 4:30; Jude 24; I Peter 1:5).

8.  Jesus Christ will return to catch away the Body of Christ before the Seventieth Week of Daniel begins (I Thess. 4:13-18; Revelation 3:10). At the conclusion of this seven year period, Christ
will return to the earth in power and great glory to establish His earthly kingdom (II Thes.5:9;
Matt. 24:29-31; Rev. 19:11-16).

9.  The Church (the Body of Christ) and Israel are two distinct entities within the sovereign
purpose of God. Each has its own beginning, composition, commands, and promises. Therefore
the Scriptures are to be interpreted grammatically, historically, and contextually in order that God’s program for each age may be clearly understood (I Cor. 10:32; Rom. 9:4-5; II Tim. 2:15).

10.  Because it is the pillar and ground of the truth, the local church is God’s primary witness unto Himself in this age. It has two observances commanded by Christ: the Lord’s Supper and water baptism by immersion (Eph. 3:10; I Cor. 11:23-28; I Tim. 3:15; Matt. 28:19-20).

11.  Both the just and the unjust will be bodily resurrected. The unjust will be resurrected to
stand before the Great White Throne of God to be consigned to the Lake of Fire; the just will
be resurrected to share in their promised blessing for eternity (John 5:28-29; Rev. 20:11-15;            I Cor. 15:22-23).

12. Believers are called unto a life of holiness. This means separation unto the Lord from all that displeases Him. There is to be no compromise or cooperation in any religious endeavor with groups
or individuals who are unsaved or disobedient to the Scriptures (Romans 16:17; Eph. 5:11;
I Cor. 5:11; II Cor. 6:14-18; II Tim. 3:5; II John 10-11).

13.  Satan is a personal spirit being who, along with other fallen angels, seeks to oppose God
and His purposes. Satan and his angels will be sent to the abyss during the millennial phase of
Christ’s earthly kingdom, and at its conclusion will be consigned to the Lake of Fire for eternity 
(Ezek. 28:12-17; I Peter 5:8; Rev. 20:1-3, 7-10).

14.  Spiritual gifts are God’s gracious abilities He gives believers to edify one another. Those gifts
that were miraculous in nature ceased with the passing away of the apostles and are consequently not for today (II Cor. 12:4-7, 13:8-12, 14:12).

                                                                                                    Positional Statements 

1.  The Charismatic Movement: Because we believe that the miraculous gifts ceased with the
passing away of the apostles and the completion of the New Testament, it is our position that
the Charismatic Movement is not of God. In light of this position, we cannot agree with the
overall position of the Charismatic Movement (II Cor. 13:8-12, 12:12).

    2.  Covenant Theology: Because we seek to consistently use the grammatical-historical (literal) method of Bible interpretation, we conclude that God governs the world in different ways throughout history for His ultimate glory. We affirm Dispensational Theology—that Israel and the Church are unique groups in the sovereign program of God, each having its own origin, commands, and promises. In light of this, we cannot agree with the overall position of Covenant (Reformed) Theology (II Cor. 10:31-32; Eph. 1:5-14).

    3.  Neo-evangelicalism: It is our position that Neo-evangelicalism is not in harmony with the plain teaching of the Bible with regard to the inspiration of Scripture and separation from apostasy, disobedient Christians, and worldliness. We desire to maintain a pure testimony for the Lord Jesus Christ and not to compromise with nor condone philosophies or methods that violate God’s holiness (Rom. 16:17; II Cor. 5:11, 6:14-18; Eph. 5:11; II Thes. 3:14-15; I Tim. 6:3-5; II Tim. 3:15; James 1:27; II John 9-11; Rev. 2:14-16, 20).

    4.  The Ecumenical Movement: We oppose the Ecumenical Movement because it seeks to unite professing Christendom without regard to doctrinal purity. Unity in the name of love that violates
    the truth of Scripture is not biblical love; it is folly and cannot please a holy God.

    The uniting of truth and error can only produce confusion and compromise (John 14:15, 21, 23-24; II Cor. 6:14-18; Eph. 4:14-15; I Tim. 6:3-5; II Tim. 3:1-5).