Port Austin Bible Church:
Statement of Beliefs

1. Most religious groups produce a “statement of beliefs”—a concise summary of their understanding of the most important teachings of the Bible. Such statements are often regarded as the group’s reason for existence: the members of the group believe that their understanding is a little (or a lot) better than other religious groups. Unfortunately, when people personally “accept” a statement of beliefs, it usually hinders them from learning new things directly from the Bible and the Holy Spirit. If their study should lead them to understand something contrary to their church group’s statement of beliefs, many groups might spurn them or even reject them as members.
2. The Bible teaches that the spiritual Church should not be divided into different groups following different leaders (John 17:22, 1Cor 1:11-13; 3:1-15). There is obviously a need to reject flagrant false teachers (Titus 3:10; 2John 1:10-11; Rev 2:2, etc.), but other Scriptures show that mature brethren can tolerate mistaken beliefs of others (Rom 14). The “seven churches” in Revelation chapters 2 and 3 had some severe errors, but Christ still called them all “His churches”. When the Bible mentions different church groups, it is always because they were separated by distance: there was a church at Ephesus, another at Corinth, etc. There is no mention of multiple competing congregations in the same city. Nevertheless, the forming of denominations is just one of many sins affecting believers. Much of our Father’s work has been done in spite of denominationalism and other mistakes.
3. It is our hope that all people, everywhere, will believe and practice only truth, not error. However, we realize that we do not have a perfect understanding of truth, nor do we know of anyone who does. Throughout history, most people have had extremely limited access to the Bible, either in their own language or in its original languages. We find no consistent set of doctrines held by any Christian religious group for the past 1900 years. Each person will be judged primarily by what they do with the knowledge they have (John 9:41; Luke 12:47-48; Rom 2:12-16; 14:23; Jms 4:17). People with the gift of teaching should teach truth to those who will hear it. We believe that the Bible reveals essential truth (2Tim 3:15-17, John 17:17), though small parts of the Scriptures may have become corrupt in the process of copying and translation (Isa 28:9-13).
4. Not publishing an extensive “statement of beliefs” does not mean that we not study or have beliefs! However, we do not think it wise to state doctrinal conclusions without corresponding detailed explanations from the Scriptures. If a person reads several of our detailed articles and finds them Biblically accurate, he or she should not automatically accept all of our other doctrinal conclusions without similar study—that would be “following a man,” not our Messiah. On the other hand, a person can disagree with our teaching on one subject, but still benefit greatly from our explanation of other subjects. We do not knowingly publish error, but we have limited human minds, we do not have a perfect relationship with the Eternal, and Satan is trying to deceive us as he is trying to deceive everyone else. Nevertheless, we do believe that the Eternal wants us to teach, and that he has given and is giving us a substantial amount of truth to share.
5. For the benefit of those seeking truth, we quote what we believe are fundamental Scriptures, below. This will not answer all questions, but as far as the New King James Version of the Bible allows, it is truth:
6. In the beginning God [Hebrew YHVH or Elohim created the heavens and the earth (Gen 1:1).
7. And God spoke all these words, saying: “I am the Lord [Hebrew hwhy, exact pronunciation is in dispute] your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s. (Ex 20:1-17).
8. Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up (Deut 6:4-7)
9. You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord (Lev 19:18). (Quoted in Matt 22:37-40, Mark 12:29-31.)
10. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all (Eccl 12:13).
11. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome (1Jn 5:3).
12. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love (1John 4:8).
13. Man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord (Deut 8:3, Matt 4:4, Luke 4:4).
14. Yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ [Yeshua the Messiah ], through whom are all things, and through whom we live (1Cor 8:6).
15. For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isa 9:6).
16. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus (1Tim 2:5).
17. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom 6:23).
18. Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).
19. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life (Rom 5:10).
20. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them (Eph 2:8-10).
21. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous (1Jn 1:8-2:1).
22. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you (1Pet 1:3-4).
23. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching (Heb 10:25).
24. Let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment (Heb.6:1-2).
25. And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment (Heb 9:27).
26. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad (2Cor 5:10).
27. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is (1Jn 3:2).
28. The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever! (Rev 11:15)
29. And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshipped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years (Rev 20:4-6).
30. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful” (Rev 21:3-5).

Port Austin Bible Church sign on front lawn.
This building also houses a library, gym and raquetball court.