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Dr Lyons is...
a person who believes passionately about values and doctrines that many today believe are passé. Yet Dr Lyons believes
that while truth and values can become less popular they never become less necessary to the success of either an individual
or a nation. Dr Lyons has a unique background having worked in the Navy, the Internal Revenue Service and at churches ranging
in size from a few hundred to over 40,000 members. He is actively involved on the staff of a mega-church in Houston,
Texas, private counsel and business. The author of two books, Dr Lyons has a
diverse educational background in Theology, business and psychology.
Of The Scriptures
I believe that the Holy Bible was written by men supernaturally inspired; that it has truth without any
admixture of error for its matter; and, therefore, is, and shall remain to the end of the age, the only complete and final
revelation of the will of God to man; the true center of Christian union and the supreme standard by which all human conduct,
creeds, and opinions should be tried.
The True God
I believe that there is one, and only one, living and true God, an infinite intelligent Spirit,
the Maker and Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth; inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy of all possible honor, confidence,
and love; that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, equal in every
divine perfection, and executing distinct, but harmonious, offices in the great work of redemption.
The
Holy Spirit
I believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person; equal with God the Father and God the Son
and of the same nature; that He was active in the creation; and in His relation to the unbelieving world, He restrains the
evil one until God's purpose is fulfilled; that He convicts of sin, of judgment, and of righteousness; that He bears witness
to the Truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony; that He is the agent in the New Birth; that He seals, endues, guides,
teaches, witnesses, sanctifies, and helps the believer.
Of The Devil or Satan
I believe
that Satan was once holy and enjoyed heavenly honors; but, through pride and ambitions to be as the Almighty, fell and drew
after him a host of angels; that he is now the malignant prince of the power of the air, and the unholy god of this world.
I hold him to be man's great tempter, the enemy of God and His Christ, the accuser of the saints, the author of all the powers
of darkness, destined, however, to final defeat at the hands of God's Son, and the judgment of an eternal justice in hell,
a place prepared for him and his angels.
Of
The Creation
I believe in the Genesis account
of Creation, and that it is to be accepted literally, not allegorically nor figuratively; that man was created directly in
God's own image and after His own likeness; that man's creation was not a matter of evolution or evolutionary change of species,
or developments through interminable periods of time from lower to higher forms; that animal and vegetable life were made
directly, and God's established law was that they should bring forth only "after their kind."
Of The Fall Of Man
I believe that man was created in innocence under the law of his Maker, but by voluntary transgression
fell from his sinless state, in consequence of which all mankind are now sinners, not by constraint, but by choice; therefore,
man is under just condemnation without defense or excuse. Man was created in
God’s image but willfully sinned against God thereby dying both spiritually and physically. We therefore require the grace and mercy of God to avoid eternal damnation and separation from God in a
literal lake of fire.
Of The Virgin Birth
I believe that Jesus Christ was begotten of the Holy Ghost in a miraculous manner, born of Mary, a virgin,
as no other man was ever born of woman, and He was born the Son of God, and God the Son.
Of
The Atonement For Sin
I believe that the salvation of sinners
is wholly of grace; through the mediatorial offices of the Son of God, who by the appointment of the Father, freely took upon
Him our nature, yet without sin, honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and by His death made a full and vicarious
atonement for our sins; that His atonement consisted not in setting for us an example by His death as a martyr, but was the
voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner's place, the just dying for the unjust, Christ the Lord, bearing our sins
in His own body on the tree; that, having risen from the dead, He is now enthroned in heaven and uniting in His wonderful
person the most tender sympathies with divine perfection. He is every way qualified to be a suitable, a compassionate, and
an all-sufficient Saviour.
Of Grace In The New Creation
I believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be born again;
that the new birth is a new creation in Jesus Christ; that it is instantaneous and not gradual; that in the new birth the
one dead in trespasses and in sins is made a partaker of the divine nature and receives eternal life, the free gift of God;
that the new creation is brought about in a manner above our comprehension, not by culture, not by character, nor by the will
of man, but wholly and solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with divine truth, so as to secure our voluntary
obedience to the Gospel; that its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance, faith, and newness of life.
Of The Freenesss of Salvation
I believe in God's electing grace; that the blessings of salvation are made free to all by the Gospel;
that it is the immediate duty of all to accept them by a cordial, penitent, and obedient faith; and that nothing prevents
the salvation of the greatest sinner on earth but his own inherent depravity and voluntary rejection of the Gospel, which
rejection involves him in an aggravated condemnation.
Of Justification
I believe
that the great Gospel which Christ secures to such as believe in Him is justification; that justification includes the pardon
of sin, and the gift of eternal life on principles of righteousness; that it is bestowed not in consideration of any works
of righteousness which we have done; but solely through faith in the Redeemer's blood, His righteousness is imputed unto us.
Of
Repentence and Faith
I believe that repentance and faith
are solemn obligations, and also inseparable graces, wrought in our souls by the quickening Spirit of God; thereby, being
deeply convicted of our guilt, danger, and helplessness, and of the way of salvation by Christ, we turn to God with unfeigned
contrition, confession, and supplication for mercy; at the same time heartily receiving the Lord Jesus and openly confessing
Him as our only and all-sufficient Saviour.
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On God's Simple Plan of Salvation
God loves you and wants you to experience
His peace and life. The Bible says in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world,
that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
But
our sin has separated us from God which is why we need a Savior who can redeem us from judgment. The Bible says in Romans
3:23 that: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
So because of His great love and our sin, God
provided a substitute for us, a way to have our sin forgiven and removed. The Bible says in 1 Peter 2:24 that: “Who
his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose
stripes ye were healed.” God also promised us in John 1:12 that: “But as many as received him, to them gave he
power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:”
God provided a simple plan and a promise. We need to admit we are sinners. Repent or turn away from our sin. Believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ who arose from the grave victorious over sin, death and the grave and receive Him by faith. Ask God
to save us in Jesus name. To be saved, we need to act on the promise of Romans 10:9-10 which says: “That if thou shalt
confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt
be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
Of The Church
I believe that
a church of Christ is a congregation of baptized believers associated by a covenant of faith and fellowship of the gospel,
observing the ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, and exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them
by His work; that its officers of ordination are pastors or elders and deacons, whose qualifications, claims, and duties are
clearly defined in the Scriptures; I believe the true mission of the church is found in the Great Commission: First, to make
individual disciples; second, to build up the church; third, to teach and instruct as He commanded. I do not believe in the
reversal of this order; I hold that the local church has the absolute right of self-government, free from the interference
of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations; and that the one and only superintendent is Christ through the Holy Spirit;
that it is scriptural for true churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of
the Gospel; that every church is the sole and only judge of the measure and method of its cooperation; on all matters of membership,
of policy, of government, of discipline, of benevolence, the will of the local church is final.
Of Baptism and The Lord's Supper
I believe that Christian baptism is the immersion in water of a believer in the name of the Father, of
the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, with the authority of the local church, to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem our
faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, with its effect in our death to sin and resurrection to a new life; that
it is a prerequisite to the privileges of church relations and to the Lord's Supper; in which the members of the church by
the sacred use of bread and the fruit of the vine are to commemorate together the dying love of Christ; preceded always by
solemn self-examination.
Of
The Perseverance of The Saints
I believe that Christian baptism is the immersion in water of a believer in the name of the Father, of
the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, with the authority of the local church, to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem our
faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, with its effect in our death to sin and resurrection to a new life; that
it is a prerequisite to the privileges of church relations and to the Lord's Supper; in which the members of the church by
the sacred use of bread and the fruit of the vine are to commemorate together the dying love of Christ; preceded always by
solemn self-examination.
Of The Righteous and The Wicked
I believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that
such only as through faith are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and sanctified by the Spirit of our God, are truly
righteous in His esteem; which all such as continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight wicked, and under the curse,
and this distinction holds among men both in and after death, in the everlasting felicity of the saved and the everlasting
conscious suffering of the lost.
Of Civul Government
I
believe that civil government is of divine appointment, for the interests and good order of human society; that magistrates
are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored and obeyed, except only in those things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who is the only Lord of the conscience, and the coming Prince of the kings of the earth.
The Resurrection and Reutrn
of Christ and Related Events
I believe in and accept the Sacred Scriptures upon these subjects at their full value. Of the resurrection
I believe that Christ arose bodily "the third day according to the Scriptures" that He ascended "to the right hand of God,"
that He alone is our "merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God," "that this same Jesus which is taken
up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven," bodily, personally, and visibly,
that the "dead in Christ shall rise first," that the living saints "shall be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,
at the last trump," "that the Lord shall give unto Him the throne of His father David," and that "Christ shall reign a thousand
years in righteousness until He hath put all enemies under His feet."
Of Missions
I believe
that the command to give the Gospel to the world is clear and unmistakable, and this commission was given to the churches.
Of
The Grace of Giving
I believe that God's method of financing
His earthly work of spreading the gospel to all nations, the care of the churches and the support of the ministry, is by the
tithes and offerings of His people; that it is to be given to the Lord through His church or storehouse to be distributed
as directed by the leadership of the Spirit as the need arises; that the time to tithe is upon the first day of the week;
that everyone is accountable to the Lord for one-tenth of his income, and that tithing was instituted long before the law
was ever given and was practiced by the early church.
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