Statement of Faith

Statement of Faith

Hold fast to the trustworthy message and teach what is in accordance with sound doctrine, live it and with it exhort one another but those who oppose it refute (1 Tim. 4:16; Tit. 1:9; 2:1).

1. We believe that the Holy Scriptures, consisting of 66 individual books from both the Old (39) and the New (27) Testament, are verbally and plenary inspired by God, infallible and inerrant in their original form, now accurately preserved and compiled as the Holy Bible. Through it, God speaks today through the power of the Holy Spirit Who illuminates the minds of His people. It is sufficient and the supreme authority with regards God’s will, plan and purpose by which disputes in faith may be settled and the rule of life determined. Ezra 7:10; Psa. 1:2; Mat. 4:4; Jn. 10:35; 17:17; Acts 17:11; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; 1 Thes. 2:13; Heb. 4:12; 2 Pet. 1:20-21.
2. We believe in the one true living God, eternal, self-existent, holy, loving, just, immutable, omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent, one in substance yet three in subsistence: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; deserving of our undivided devotion, service and love; worthy of all honor, glory and praise. Deut. 6:4; Psa. 90:2; Isa. 43:10; 44:6; Mat. 3:16-17; Mk 12:33; 1 Jn. 5:7; 1 Cor. 8:6; Eph. 2:4; 4:5-6; 1 Pet. 1:2; Rev. 5:12-13;7:12
3. We believe in the Father God, all-sovereign, creator of the heavens and the earth and of all things visible and invisible; that in His great mercy and great love sent the Son for our salvation, and gave us the Holy Spirit for our regeneration and adoption as His children. Gen. 1:1; Eph. 1:17; 4:6; 2 Cor. 6:18; Php. 4:20; 1 Pet. 1:3; Rev. 4:11; 1 Jn. 3:1;4:14.
4. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is absolutely unique Son of God: fully divine and perfectly human; that He is the eternal Word made flesh through whom all things were made and upheld; that He was sent by the Father to bear our sins once and for all: to suffer and to die a cruel death on the cross; that He was miraculously born of a virgin and lived a sinless life; that He was buried but on the third day, rose again physically from the death; that He is now ascended and seated at the right hand of the Father as the sole Mediator making intercession for us; that He will come again visibly, in power and in glory to judge and rule a thousand years; and that He is the head of the Body, the universal church. 1 Jn. 5:20; Lk. 21:27; Jn. 1:1-3, 14; Acts 1:11; 1Ti 2:5; Heb. 1:3, 8-10; 2:9; 4:15; Col. 1:15-19; 2:9; Rev. 19:13; 20:6.
5. We believe in the Deity and personality of the Holy Spirit; that after the Son’s ascension, He sent the third Person of the Godhead to convict and impart new life, to guide and empower every believer for witnessing, to indwell, infill, wash, and sanctify them, baptizing them into the Body from the moment of spiritual birth, anointed and sealed by Him until the day of redemption, which is what the believer’s water baptism is symbolized. Jn. 14:16-18,26; 16:12-15; Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 6:11; 12:13; 2 Cor. 1:21-22; Eph. 1:13-14; 5:18.
6. We believe that the regeneration by the power of the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential for personal salvation and sanctification; that every person, though originally created in the image of God, fell into sin and became lost; that in his corrupt nature unable to please God save himself through good works, religions and ideologies; that these and any other appearance of spirituality do not provide escape from guilt and condemnation because there is no alternative paths to God; the only way to God is Christ who promised the Holy Spirit. Psa. 51:5; Acts 4:12; Rom. 5:12; 2Cor. 1:21-22; Gal. 3:14; Tit. 3:5-7; Jn. 3:3-5; 14:6; 1Jn. 2:27.
7. We believe that sinners can be justified and saved apart from every good work; that this justification is an act of free grace wherein God pardoned all our sins and accepts us righteous in His sight; and that this is received by faith in Christ who took our place, bore our sins and died our death because righteousness is imputed solely on the basis of faith for Christ’s sake. Acts 15:11; Rom. 3:24; 4:5, 24; 5:15; 11:6; Gal. 2:21; Eph. 1:6; 2:8-9; Tit. 3:5; 2 Tim. 1:9; Heb. 4:16.
8. We believe that every saved and regenerated person is created by God for good works, the enduring fruit of their salvation; that through it every believer will face the judgment seat of Christ not for salvation but for incorruptible crowns (because salvation is by grace); that while a person is justified in the sight of God solely on the merits of Christ, it is in the eyes of men that they are shown to be justified. Jn. 15:16; Mat. 24:13; Rom. 4:4; 1 Cor. 3:12-15; 9:25; 2 Cor. 5:10; 9:8; Eph. 2:10; Php. 2:12; 2 Tim. 4:8; Jas. 2:14-26; 1 Pet. 5:4; 2 Pet. 1:4-10.
9. We believe that every born again person has the privilege to be assured of his own salvation through the promised Holy Spirit, the Mark and the Seal of his own redemption; that by internal witness, He confirms in the believer the testimony of God promised in the Scriptures. Rom. 8:15; 2 Cor. 1:22; Gal. 4:6; Eph. 4:30; 2 Tim. 2:11-13, 19; Heb. 11:1; 1 Jn. 5:13-14.
10. We believe that God has been calling out from the world a people for Himself, separated for holiness and service; and that His spiritual gifts are distributed to them according to His own purpose and grace to build up the Body of Christ, which is made up of all regenerated believers all around the globe who have experienced salvation in Him; and that He is sending them back into the world to be His witnesses. Therefore we must transcend from within our fellowship the barriers of race, gender, and class and find unity in diversity of people of different temperaments, gifts, all ages and both genders working together. However distinct the roles of men and women are in the ministry, their partnership to serve must be welcomed for common good. Mat. 16:18; Acts 1:8; 2:47; Rom. 10:12; 12:6; Eph. 1:22; 2:19-22; 3:6; 5:23; Gal. 3:26-29; 1 Cor. 6:16-18; 12:12; Mk 16:15 cf. 2 Cor. 6:16; 1 Tim. 2:12 cf. Tit 2:4; Heb. 12:22-23; 1 Pet. 2:5.
11. We believe in the urgency of proclaiming, embodying and defending the true Gospel of the Grace of God to every person until Christ’s return so that they would escape guilt, condemnation and the wrath of God, the eternal doom in the Lake of Fire and experience redemption and eternal life; and that God has committed to the whole church the task of making Christ known to all people. Therefore we long to see every member trained, encouraged and mobilized to take part in completing this unfinished business of the Great Commission. Mk. 13:10; Acts 20:24; Rom. 1:16; 1 Cor. 11:26; 15:1-2; 2 Cor 11:4; Gal. 1:6-9; Php. 1:7; 2 Thes. 1:8; 2 Ti 1:10.
12. We believe that at physical death the saved believer immediately enters into eternal, conscious fellowship with the Lord to await the resurrection of his body to everlasting glory and blessing while the unsaved into eternal, conscious separation from the Lord to await the resurrection of his body to everlasting judgment and condemnation. Dan. 12:2; Jn. 14:2; Lk. 16:19-31; Php. 1:21-24; Rev. 20:6, 12-15; 21:3-4; 21:8.
13. We believe that the Holy Spirit’s witness to Christ is indispensable in this mission and without His supernatural work, neither new birth nor new life is possible. Likewise, the person who proclaims the true Gospel must exemplify it in a life of holiness and love for without it his own testimony loses credibility. Mat. 13:23; Rom. 8:7; 2 Cor. 4:4-5; 5:17; 9:13; Eph. 2:5; Php. 1:27; 1 Thes. 1:5; 2:8; 1 Tim. 1:9-11; 4:16.
14. We believe that spiritual warfare demands spiritual weapons: assurance of salvation, unwavering faith, living in truth, pursuit of righteousness, readiness to preach the Gospel, the power of the Spirit, and persistent prayer. Eph 6:10-18; Php. 4:6; Col. 1:10; 1 Tim. 3:9; 2 Tim. 2:22; 4:2; 6:11; 1 Thes. 5:17; Jas. 5:15; 1 Pet. 3:12; 1 Jn. 1:6.
15. We believe that with the New Covenant, the Old has been set aside in order to confirm the promises God made to Abraham that he would be heir of the world through the righteousness that comes by faith in Christ as the sole Mediator, Lawgiver, Savior, Lord, King, Most High Priest (or Worship Leader), Cornerstone and Head; with the apostles and the prophets as foundation and competent ministers of the Spirit, and with the church, the living stones, a holy nation, the fruit of their ministry. Deut. 18:18; Mat. 5:17-48; 17:5; Acts 3:22; 7:37; Lk. 12:30; Rom. 4:13-16; 9:8; 15:8; Eph. 2:11-22; 5:23; Heb. 2:12; 8:6, 13; 9:15; 12:24; 2 Cor. 3:2-6; 1 Tim. 2:5; 1 Pet. 2:4-10; Rev. 19:16.
16. We believe that in, through, with and by Christ, the Church should serve the one and the only true God, who doesn’t dwell in anything made by worshiping Him in Spirit and in truth, that is, by offering their bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to Him. Not just in day out of seven but rather continually. Not just proclaiming His praises but also spurring one another towards love and good deeds and in so doing fulfilling the Law of Christ.  Lk. 4:8; Jn 4:21-24; 13:34-35; 15:17; Acts 7:48-50; 17:24-25; Rom. 12:1, 10; 13:8-10; Gal. 6:2; 1 Cor. 9:21 Heb. 10:24; 13:13-15; 1 Jn. 3:21-24; 4:7-12.
17. We believe that proclaiming His praises and spurring one another towards love and good deeds is not limited to prose but also through joyful poetry and music. Thus Church musicians, singers, and choir must be led by Christ and be well equipped to keep these important goals in mind. 1 Chro. 16:8-10; Psa. 33:1-4; 95:1-11; Rom. 15:9; 1 Cor. 14:15; Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16-17; Jas. 5:13.