MISSIONS127
STATEMENT OF FAITH
“A DECLARATION OF THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE MOST SURELY BELIEVED AMONG US." (Luke 1:1)
This Statement of Faith is not intended to cover all Biblical truth but to establish a basis for fellowship and cooperation so that we may "all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions."
The Scriptures.
The Bible is the inspired Word of God to men, the infallible, all-sufficient, final authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
(2 Tim 3:15-17; 1 Thess 2:13; 2 Pet 1:21)
The One True God.
The one true God has revealed Himself as eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
(Deut 6:4; Luke 3:22; John 14:12, 16, 28; 1 Cor 15:24-28)
The Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ.
• "In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form." (Col 2:9)
• "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being." (Heb 1:3)
• Jesus is the eternal Son of God who was with God and was God in the beginning.(John 1:1-3)
• He was conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the virgin Mary. (Matt 1:23; Luke 1:35)
• "He went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil." (Acts 10:38)
• He lived a sinless life - "holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners." (Heb 7:26)
• "He died for our sins according to the Scriptures, was buried and was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures." (1 Cor 15:1-4)
• He has now been "exalted to the right hand of God." (Acts 2:33; Heb 1:3)
• "This same Jesus, who has been taken into heaven, will come back in the same way."(Acts 1:11)
The Fall of Man.
• "There is no one righteous" before God.
(Rom 3:10, 23)
• "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."(Is 64:6)
God's Plan of Redemption.
• "Salvation is found in no one else" but the Lord Jesus Christ, "for there is no othername under heaven given by which we must be saved."
(Acts 4:12)
• Man is saved by grace, through faith, not by His own efforts but as a gift from God. (Eph 2:8)
• God saves "us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom hepoured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life."
(Titus 3:5-7)
Water Baptism.
All who repent and believe on Christ Jesus as Savior and Lord are commanded in Scripture to be baptized in water.
(Matt 28:19; Mark 16:16)
Present Work of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is at work in the earth today:
• "to convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment."
(John 16:8)
• empowering men to witness and confirming the Word with signs that accompany it.(Mark 16:17-20; Acts 1:8; 4:29-31; Heb 2:3, 4)
• producing the fruit of the Spirit in men's lives.
(Gal 5:22-26)
• giving various gifts to men "for the common good."
(1 Cor 12:4-11)
• In response, believers are commanded to "eagerly desire the greater gifts" and to "try to excel in gifts that build up the church."
(1 Cor 12:31; 14:12)
Future Events.
• There is a coming resurrection: "those who have done good will rise to live, and thosewho have done evil will rise to be condemned."
(John 5:29; 2 Cor 5:10))
• There is a coming judgment where any whose name is "not found written in the book of life" will be "thrown into the lake of fire" "which is the second death".
(Rev 20:14, 15)
The Unity of All Believers.
• "In Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all theothers."
(Rom 12:5)
• "For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body".
(1 Cor 12:12)
• Work so I may give to others(Eph 4:28)