What we believe
(Statement of Faith)
Holy Bible:
The Holy Bible, and only the Bible, is the authoritative Word of God.
It alone is the final authority in determining all doctrinal truths.
In its original writing, it is inspired, infallible and inerrant (II
Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:20-21; Proverbs 30:5; Romans 16:25-26).
Trinity:
There is one God, eternally existent in three persons or
(manifestations): Father, Son and Holy Spirit. These three are
coequal and co-eternal (I John 5:7; Genesis 1:26; Matthew 3:36-17, 28,
28:19; Luke 1:35; Isaiah 9:6; Hebrews 3:7-11).
Jesus Christ:
Jesus Christ is God the Son, the second person of the Trinity. On
earth, Jesus was 100% God and 100% man. He is the only man ever to have
lived a sinless life. He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life,
performed miracles, died on the cross for mankind and thus, atoned for
our sins through the shedding of His blood. He rose from the dead on
the third day according to the Scriptures, ascended to the right hand
of the Father, and will return again in power and glory. (John 1:1, 14,
20:28; I Timothy 3:16; Isaiah 9:6; Philippians 2:5-6; I Timothy 2:5).
Virgin Birth:
Jesus Christ was conceived by God the Father, through the Holy Spirit
(the third person of the Trinity) in virgin Mary’s womb; therefore, He
is the Son of God (Matthew 1:18, 25; Luke 1:35; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew
1:18, 23-25; Luke 1:27-35)
Redemption:
Man was created good and upright, but by voluntary transgression he
fell; his hope of redemption is in Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Gen.
1:26-31; 3:1-7; Romans 5:12-21).
Regeneration:
For anyone to know God, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely
essential (John 6:44, 65).
Salvation:
We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ; His death, burial,
and resurrection. Salvation is a gift from God, not a result of our
good works or of any human efforts (Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 2:16,
3:8; Titus 3:5; Romans 10:9-10; Acts 16:31; Hebrews 9:22).
Repentance:
Repentance is the commitment to turn away from sin in every area of our
lives and to follow Christ, which allows us to receive His redemption
and to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit. Thus, through repentance
we receive forgiveness of sins and appropriate salvation (Acts 2:21;
3:19; I John 1:9).
Sanctification:
Sanctification is the ongoing process of yielding to God’s Word and His
Spirit in order to complete the development of Christ’s character is
us. It is through the present ministry of the Holy Spirit and the Word
of God that the Christian is enabled to live a godly life (I
Thessalonians 4:3, 5:23; II Corinthians 3:18, 6:14-18, II Thessalonians
2:1-3; Romans 8:29, 12:1-2; Hebrews 2:11).
Jesus’ Blood:
The Blood that Jesus Christ shed on the cross of Calvary was sinless
and is 100% sufficient to cleanse mankind of all sin. Jesus allowed
Himself to be punished for both our sinfulness and our sins, enabling
all those who believe to be free from the penalty of sin, which is
death. (I John 1:7; Revelation 1:5, 5:9; Colossians 1:20; Romans
3:10-12, 23, 5:9; John 1:29).
Jesus Christ Indwells All Believers:
Christians are people who have invited the Lord Jesus Christ to come and
live inside them by His Holy Spirit. They relinquish the authority of
their lives over to him, thus making Jesus the Lord of their life as
well as Savior. They put their trust in what Jesus accomplished for
them when He died, was buried, and rose again from the dead. (John
1:12; John 14:17, 23; John 15:4; Romans 8:11; Revelations 3:20).
Baptism in the Holy Spirit:
Given at Pentecost, it is the promise of the Father, sent by Jesus
after His Ascension, to empower the Church to preach the Gospel
throughout the whole earth. (Joel 2:28-29; Matthew 3:11; Mark 16:17;
Acts 1:5, 2:1-4, 17, 38-39, 8:14-17, 10:38, 44-47, 11:15-17, 19:1-6).
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit:
The Holy Spirit is manifested through a variety of spiritual gifts to
build and sanctify the church, demonstrate the validity of the
resurrection, and confirm the power of the Gospel. The Bible lists of
these gifts are not necessarily exhaustive, and the gifts may occur in
various combinations. All believers are commanded to earnestly desire
the manifestation of the gifts in their lives. These gifts always
operate in harmony with the Scriptures and should never be used in
violation of biblical parameters. (Hebrews 2:4; Romans 1:11, 12:4-8;
Ephesians 4:16; II Timothy 1:5-16, 4:14; I Corinthians 12:1-31, 14:1-40;
I Peter 4:10).
The Church:
The church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God through the
Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of Jesus’ great
commission. Every person who is born of the Spirit is an integral
part of the church as a member of the body of believers. There is a
spiritual unity of all believers in our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians
1:22, 2:19-22; Hebrews 12:23; John 17:11, 20-23).
TWO SACRAMENTS:
Water Baptism:
Following faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the new convert is
commanded by the Word of God to be baptized in water in the Name
of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; Acts
2:38).
The Lord’s Supper:
A unique time of communion in the presence of God when the elements of
bread and grape juice (the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ) are
taken in remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross. (Matthew
26:26-29; Mark 16:16; Acts 8:12, 36-38, 10:47-48; I Corinthians 10:16,
11:23-25).
Healing of the Sick:
Healing of the sick is illustrated in the life and ministry of Jesus,
and included in the commission of Jesus to His disciples. It is
given as a sign which is to follow believers. It is also a part of
Jesus’ work on the Cross and one of the gifts of the Spirit.
(Psalm 103:2-3; Isaiah 53:5; Matthew 8:16-17; Mark 16:17-18; Acts
8:6-7; James 5:14-16; I Corinthians 12:9, 28; Romans 11:29).
God’s Will For Provision:
It is the Father’s will for believers to become whole, healthy and
successful in all areas of life. But because of the fall, many may not
receive the full benefit of God’s will while on Earth. That fact,
though, should never prevent all believers from seeking the full
benefits of Christ’s provision in order to better serve others.
1)
Spiritual
(John 3:3-11; II Corinthians 5:17-21; Romans 10:9-10)
2)
Mental and Emotional
(II Timothy 1:7, 2:11; Philippians 4:7-8; Romans 12:2; Isaiah 26:3).
3)
Physical
(Isaiah 53:4, 5; Matthew 8:17; I Peter 2:24).
4)
Financial
(Joshua 1:8; Malachi 3:10-11; Luke 6:38; II Corinthians 9:6-10;
Deuteronomy 28:1-14; Psalm 34:10, 84:11; Philippians 4:19).
Resurrection:
Jesus Christ was physically resurrected from the dead in a glorified
body three days after His death on the cross. In addition both the
saved and the lost will be resurrected; they that are saved to the
resurrection of life and they that are lost to the resurrection of
eternal damnation. (Luke 24:16, 36, 39; John 2:19-21, 20:26-28, 21:4;
Acts 24:15; I Corinthians 15:42, 44; Philippians 1:21-23, 3:21).
Heaven:
Heaven is the eternal dwelling place for all believers in the Gospel of
Jesus Christ. (Matthew 5:3, 12, 20, 6:20, 19:21, 25:34; John 17:24; II
Corinthians 5:1; Hebrews 11:16; I Peter 1:4).
Hell:
After living one life on earth, the unbelievers will be judged by God
and sent to Hell where they will be eternally tormented with the Devil
and the Fallen Angels. (Matthew 25:41; Mark 9:43-48; Hebrews 9:27;
Revelation 14:9-11, 20:12-15, 21:8).
Second Coming:
Jesus Christ will physically and visibly return to earth for the
second time to establish His Kingdom. This will occur at a date
undisclosed by the scriptures. (Matthew 24:30, 26:63-64; Acts 1:9-11;
I Thessalonians 4:15-17; II Thessalonians 1:7-8; Revelation 1:7).
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