Statement of Faith
THE BIBLE
We believe the Bible, consisting of both the Tanakh (=Old Testament) and the New Testament, is the authoritative Word of God. It alone is the final authority for determining all doctrinal truths. God is the ultimate source of each of the 66 books in the Bible. Through his Spirit, God providentially chose and prepared multiple people for their role in putting together the sacred, inspired, canonical work we call the Bible.
God chose ancient individuals to author the books of the Bible in line with his goals of revealing his truth to future generations. Under his guidance, each person’s contribution resulted in a complete record of all truth God purposed to reveal to humanity.
(Jeremiah 25:13; Proverbs 30:5; Luke 1:70; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21)
THE TRINITY
We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son (Jesus Christ) and Holy Spirit. These three are coequal and coeternal, and are revealed in both the Tenach and the New Testament.
(Genesis 1:26; Isaiah 9:6; Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19; Luke 1:35; Hebrews 3:7-11; John 1:1-3, 14)
JESUS CHRIST
We believe that Jesus Christ is God the Son, the second person of the Trinity. Since his incarnation, Jesus manifests both full divinity and full humanity—100% God and 100% man. He 1) is a Jewish man, born of a virgin; 2) lived a sinless life; 3) preached about and demonstrated the Kingdom of God through signs and wonders; 4) died on the cross for our sins, so that all of humanity could find its way back into God’s inheritance; 5) rose from the dead on the third day, according to the scriptures; 6) ascended to sit on the throne on the right hand of the Father in heaven; 7) and will return in power and glory to restore all things.
VIRGIN BIRTH
We believe that Jesus of Nazareth was conceived by God the Father, through the power of the Holy Spirit, in the womb of the virgin Mary. As a result, he is the incarnate Son of God, the Christ and the Word made flesh.
(Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18, 23-25; Luke 1:27-35; John 1:1-3, 14)
RESURRECTION
We believe that Jesus Christ experienced a physical resurrection from the dead on the third day following his death on the cross, and now has a glorified body. Following this resurrection, he ascended into heaven and now sits on the throne at the right hand of the Father.
(Luke 24:36-39; John 2:19-22, 20:26-28, 21:4; Romans 8:34, 1 Corinthians 15:3-9, 17-19; Colossians 3:1)
REDEMPTION
We believe that every human being was created in the image of God with the purpose of representing his rule on all the earth. Through voluntary disobedience man sinned and fell. As a result, all of humanity is lost and therefore needs to be brought back into relationship with God. Without Jesus Christ, everyone is incapable of avoiding sin. The only hope for redemption is in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and not through any human effort or merit.
(Genesis 1:26-27, 3:1-7; Romans 5:12-21)
REGENERATION
Regeneration is the transformative work of the Holy Spirit, wherein the unredeemed soul or inner person is made new in response to embracing faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Regeneration is the necessary beginning point for a life of discipleship—believing loyalty—to Jesus Christ and God the Father.
(Ephesians 2:1-10; 4:24; 2 Corinthians 5:17)
SALVATION
We believe that man is saved by grace alone, through personal faith in Jesus Christ. Salvation is a gift from God, not a result of our good works or of any human effort. Embracing the gospel leads to a profound transformation through the regeneration and indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This compels us to turn away from sin in every aspect of our lives and embrace a lifestyle marked by complete loyalty to Jesus Christ, our King.
(Romans 4:1-5; 10:9-10; Acts 3:19, 16:31; Galatians 2:16, 3:8; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5; Hebrews 9:22)
SANCTIFICATION
We believe in sanctification, which is the ongoing process of surrendering to God’s Word and the Holy Spirit in order to develop a mature, Christ-like character. The believer is enabled to live a godly life through the ongoing ministry of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.
(Romans 8:29, 12:1-2; 2 Corinthians 3:18, 6:14-18; 1 Thessalonians 4:3, 5:23; Hebrews 2:11)
JESUS’ BLOOD
We believe that Jesus Christ lived a perfectly sinless life, and shed his blood for us on the cross of Golgotha. His perfect sacrifice is perfectly sufficient to cleanse humankind of all sin. Jesus allowed Himself to be punished for both our sinfulness and sins, enabling all those who believe to be free from the penalty of sin, which is death.
(1 John 1:7; Revelation 1:5, 5:9; Colossians 1:20; Romans 3:10-12,23,5:9; John 1:29)
JESUS CHRIST DWELLS IN ALL BELIEVERS
Christians are individuals who have placed their faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ. In response, the Lord Jesus Christ takes residence within them through his Holy Spirit. They surrender the authority of their lives to him, making Jesus the Lord of their lives, as they trust in what he has accomplished for them: his death, burial, resurrection and ascension.
(Matthew 18:20; 28:20; John 14:17, Romans 8:11; 2 Corinthians 3:17-18; Revelation 3:20)
THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe that the Holy Spirit, given at Pentecost and available to all believers, is the downpayment of the promise of the new covenant which will find its full manifestation when Jesus returns and all Israel will be saved. Each believer is baptized by the Spirit (immersed) into the Body of Christ as part of salvation and regeneration.
Additionally, each believer should anticipate and actively seek the distinct and subsequent infilling of the Holy Spirit, sometimes referred to as the baptism in the Holy Spirit. This baptism experience continuously empowers the believer for Christian service in God’s reconciling work in the world. The Spirit’s presence in the believer opens the door to spiritual gifts and supernatural power for service. As the believer increasingly yields to the Spirit’s guidance, this empowerment bears more and more fruit in his life.
(Jeremiah 31:31-34; Joel 2:28-29; Matthew 3:11; Acts 1:5, 2:1-4, 17, 38-39, 8:14-17, 10:38, 44-47, 11:15-17, 19:1-6; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1:14)
GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe the Holy Spirit is displayed through a variety of spiritual gifts to build and sanctify the Church, demonstrate the validity of the resurrection, confirm the power of the Gospel and to serve the world. The lists of these gifts in the Bible are not necessarily exhaustive and may occur in various combinations. These gifts always operate in harmony with the Word of God and should never be used in violation of Biblical parameters. Every believer should eagerly desire spiritual gifts and develop these gifts to promote the gospel in their everyday lives. We encourage the operation of the gifts of the Spirit for mutual edification of the Church in producing lasting fruit, and so that unbelievers might behold the work of the Holy Spirit for their spiritual transformation.
(Romans 1:11, 12:4-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31, 14:1-40; Ephesians 4:16; 1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy 1:5-16; Hebrews 2:4; 1 Peter 4:10)
THE CHURCH
Every person who is born of the Spirit is part of the universal Church as a member of the body of believers, and is encouraged by Scripture to be planted in a local church for mutual encouragement. The Church is both the representative of Jesus on earth and the earthly expression of his kingdom. It is grafted into the olive tree of faithful Israel, and does not replace Israel as God’s covenant people. The purpose of the Church is to carry out the Great Commission until Christ returns.
(Romans 11:17-24; Ephesians 1:22, 2:19-22; Hebrews 10:24-25; 12:23; John 17:11, 20-23; 1 Timothy 3:15)
ONE NEW MAN
We believe that God’s intent was that all of humanity would revel in the reflection of his glory. He chose a people to incarnate the values of his Kingdom. This people, the physical decendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, are known in the New Testament as the Jewish people. The Savior of the World, Jesus of Nazareth, came to save both Jew and non-Jew from selfish and sinful lives. When the Jew and the non-Jew are born again, they become part of the new creation and form together, as Paul calls it, the “one new humanity,” or the “one new man”. It is through the unity and diversity of both Jew and non-Jew in Messiah that Jesus is fully revealed to the world.
(John 17; Ephesians 2:15)
PRIESTHOOD OF THE BELIEVER
We believe that every believer is a priest (minister) and is enabled by the Holy Spirit to fulfill his or her calling in their homes, workplaces, and community.
(1 Peter 2:5,9; Romans 12:1; Matthew 28:18-20)
TWO SACRAMENTS
We believe that the sacraments of the Church, by the command of Jesus Christ, are water baptism by immersion and the Lord’s Supper (Communion), both of which are administered to those who are born again by the Spirit of God.
WATER BAPTISM
We believe that water baptism, by full immersion, is a dynamic act of faith resulting in the cutting away of the sinful nature, allowing the believer to be raised into newness of life. After putting his faith in the sacrificial work of Christ on the cross and repenting from his dead works, the new believer obeys the word of God and is baptized in water in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Through water baptism the believer dies to his or her old way of living, renounces any allegiance to Satan and the forces of darkness, and publicly declares loyalty to Jesus as the Lord and King of his or her life.
(Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38-41; Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:11-14; Hebrews 10:22; 1 Peter 3:21)
THE LORD’S SUPPER (COMMUNION)
The Lord’s Supper is a unique time when the body of Christ gathers together in the presence of God to partake of the elements of bread and grape juice or wine, which represent the body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. These are taken in remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, which fulfilled God the Father’s requirement of just punishment for our sins so that we can be in covenant relationship with Him. As we partake of the elements together, we remember Jesus’ sacrifice, we renew our devotion to him, we demonstrate our unity with our brothers and sisters, and we look forward to the full manifestation of the New Covenant when Christ returns and establishes his Father’s kingdom here on earth.
(Matthew 26:26-29, 28:19; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38, 8:12, 36-38, 10:47-48; 1 Corinthians 10:16, 11:23-26; 1 Peter 3:18-22)
MARRIAGE AND SEXUALITY
We believe that the Bible clearly teaches that the covenant of marriage shall be reserved only for one biological male with one biological woman.
(Genesis 1:27, 2:18-25; Matthew 19:4-6, 1 Corinthians 6:18, 1 Thessalonians 4:3, Romans 1:26-27, Deuteronomy 23:1)
THE NEW HEAVEN AND THE NEW EARTH
Heaven is the place where God dwells; a place which will be reunited with a new earth at the end of the age. The new heavens and the new earth are the eternal dwelling place for all believers in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, where we will fulfill our original purpose of ruling and reigning over God’s creation with our Lord, Jesus Christ. Unbelievers have no share in the eternal life on the new earth, but are instead eternally separated from God in the pool of fire.
(Matthew 25:41; John 14:1-3; 17:24; 1 Cor 15:26; Romans 8:18-25; 2 Corinthians 5:1; Hebrews 9:27, 11:16; 1 Peter 1:4; Revelation 20:12-15, 21:8)
SECOND COMING
We believe that Jesus will physically, visibly, and gloriously come to earth for the second time to establish his kingdom. This will occur at the end of the Great Tribulation, which is also referred to as the time of Jacob’s trouble. He will return in the clouds, set his foot on the Mount of Olives, defeat the antichrist and his armies, and set up his government in Jerusalem, ruling over Israel and the nations in justice and righteousness.
(Matthew 24:30, 26:63-64; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8; Revelation 1:7)
ISRAEL
We believe that God chose Abraham from all the nations of the world to fulfill his plan of redemption for all of humanity. By way of a unilateral covenant, God promised Abraham land and descendants. One of those descendants would be the final, faithful King of Israel and of all nations, Jesus. We believe the covenant promises that God made to Abraham are being fulfilled through the ages in a process, starting at the crucifixion of Jesus, and coming to completion at the return of Jesus and the establishment of the Messianic kingdom on earth. At that moment all Israel will be saved as they recognize Jesus is their Messiah.
We believe that Jews who come to faith in Jesus are called to continue in their identity as Jews, and are called to remain part of their people. Together with Gentile believers in Jesus they form a supernatural unity, which the Apostle Paul calls the “one new man”.
(Genesis 15; Isaiah 66:8; Ezekiel 36:22-38; Ezekiel 37; Mark 4:26-32; Romans 11; Ephesians 2)