I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" - John 14:6
The Holy Bible - We firmly hold that the Holy Bible is the inerrant, infallible, and divinely authoritative word of God revealed to man. It was written by the Holy Spirit penned by human authors. We believe that the Holy Bible is alive and active therefore relevant and applicable to our lives today, as well as for all generations to come. Our confidence in the legitimacy of the Holy Bible is substantiated by the findings of the Dead Sea Scrolls, further supported by archaeological discoveries, historical texts, and the manuscripts of the New Testament, that have been preserved more than any other ancient literary work. While evidence is available, with our physical eyes, ultimately it comes down to personal faith, the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen, and an encounter with God that validates the foundation of the truth of God's word. (1 Tim. 3:16-17, 2 Tim. 3:15-16, Heb. 4:12, Tit. 1:2, Pro. 30:5)
The Triune God - We firmly hold that there is one God, who is eternal in essence, self-existing, and independent of any external source. He is the "Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh" (אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה) - "I AM that I AM" and who has revealed Himself in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-eternal, co-equal, and distinct in their roles. The acknowledgment of the triune God affirms the notion of "distinct persons" and same in divine nature, rather than the descriptive word, "manifestations." The word, "trinity" is not mentioned in the scriptures, however the concept of it exists. We believe in the expression during water baptism, "in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit" as this acknowledges the distinct persons of the Father, Son and that of the Holy Spirit. In scripture it is a clear directive from Jesus to His disciples to baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, supported in Mat. 28:19-20. Moreover, we believe that Jesus Christ did the Father's will, during His time on earth, and now we may follow the example He set before us, in doing the will of the Father with the help of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit helps, comforts and empowers believers to glorify God the Father. (Gen. 1:26, Ex. 3:14, Deut. 6:4, Isa. 43:10, 11, Mt 3:16-17, Luk. 3:21-22, Jn. 6:37-40, Jn. 14:29, Heb. 10:9, Jn. 8:58, 1 Jn. 5:7, Luk. 1:35, Jam. 2:19, Rev. 1:8)
Jesus Christ - We firmly hold that Jesus Christ is the Second Person of the Trinity. Jesus Christ transcends the role of a moral teacher or prophet; He is the eternal Word of God. He is a distinct person, distinct from both the Father and the Holy Spirit, yet of the same nature. We affirm that He embodies two natures in one person (the divine and the human); entirely God and entirely man. Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who was made flesh, born of a virgin, crucified, buried, was resurrected, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father on high. In Him, the Old Testament prophecies, that which exceed 300, have been fulfilled (i.e. Gen. 12:3 fulfilled in Mat. 1:1, Hos. 11:1 fulfilled in Mat. 2:14-15, etc.). All those who put their trust in Him, and acknowledge that Jesus is Lord, are adopted into God's family and restored into right fellowship with God which was lost due to original sin and man's transgressions. (Isa. 7:14, Mat. 1:18-25, Mat. 16: 13-17, Mat. 28:19, Mark 15:24, Jn 1:1, Jn. 14:16-26, Rom. 3:24-25, Rom. 8:9, Rom. 16:25-27, Gal. 4:4, Eph. 4:30, Phil. 2:8, 1 Pet. 3:22)
The Holy Spirit - We firmly hold that the Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Trinity (third does not imply as less important or powerful than the distinct persons of the Father and of the Son). We reject the notion and expression that the Holy Spirit is an "impersonal, active force" but that the Holy Spirit is a distinct, and divine person from the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit is sent by the Father, in the name of Jesus, providing heavenly power to share the gospel and serve as His witnesses. The Holy Spirit equips the Body of Christ and convicts the world of sin. The Holy Spirit regenerates sinners, is indwelled at the moment of salvation and comforts us in our weaknesses. The Holy Spirit is our advocate, our helper, the Spirit of truth and empowers us to live victorious in Christ. He distributes spiritual gifts to born again believers. (Mat. 28:19, Jn. 14:15-16, 26, Acts 1:8, Eph. 1:13-14)
The Gift of Tongues - Regarding spiritual gifts, we hold the belief of "continuationism ", specifically in the gift of speaking in tongues, that it is still being given to the saints today, therefore dismissing the "cessationism" viewpoint which holds that it ceased with the apostolic age. The Scriptures do not definitively claim that the ability to speak in tongues has come to an end. The gift of speaking in tongues is among the various spiritual gifts bestowed upon a person, by the Holy Spirit, upon salvation. Each Christian receives at least one or more spiritual gifts. Speaking in tongues, like every other spiritual gift, is not guaranteed for every believer, nor is it a prerequisite/requirement for salvation. While there were specific instances in the book of Acts where receipt of the Holy Spirit was evidenced with speaking in tongues, these exceptions are not the rule, considering that the rest of the New Testament does not speak about salvation associated with speaking in tongues. Speaking in tongues is a supernatural gift and ability and one of the expressions is the Proof tongue, where a believer speaks in a human foreign language that is unknown to them, without learning it, for the benefit of the unbeliever, who speaks and understands that foreign language for the means of proclaiming the gospel. Another expression is the Personal/Private tongue, also in Scripture that informs us that the one who speaks in tongues does not speak to people but to God, therefore speaking in the Spirit, a person speaks "mysterious utterances". In addition, there is the facet of singing in the Spirit to praise and give thanks to God. Another expression is the Prophetictongue, is used in the context of a corporate church setting, spoken aloud, and this is where the gift of interpretation is required. Supported by scripture, in providing good order in a worship service, the guideline is that only two or three people should speak in tongues and only one at a time. There should be an interpreter, in order to edify the church, and if there isn't, the individual speaking in tongues should speak to him/herself and to God. (Acts 2:6-11, 1 Cor. 14:2-4, 1 Cor. 12:4-11, 1 Cor 14:13, 1 Cor. 14:27-28, 1 Cor. 14:39, Rom. 8:26)
Salvation - We firmly hold the belief that salvation is a gift from God and that we are saved by grace, through faith, and not by good works that can be earned. We assert that salvation is not contingent on or granted by the act of water baptism but by faith and confession in Jesus Christ as Lord and that He was raised from the dead. We believe that Jesus Christ died for everyone but only those who respond to the call in faith will benefit from His sacrifice. Those who accept God's offer of salvation, through their faith, are born again, are declared righteous, changed, and adopted into God's family. They become co-heirs with Christ, indwelled with the Holy Spirit, and assured of the everlasting life that awaits. Moreover, we believe you cannot lose your salvation. Upon belief, the word of God states that we are sealed by the Holy Spirit. You can be assured of your salvation because God holds your life in His hands and no one can snatch you from the Father's hand. The scriptures say that God is the author and the guarantor of our salvation. The Bible is clear that no one who abides in Him will keep on sinning meaning, a continued repentant lifestyle is a sure sign of an authentic born-again believer and we shall know them by their fruits. Many may confess with their lips or do good acts in Jesus' name, yet their hearts are void of genuine faith, lack a true born-again experience by the power of the Holy Spirit and not be known by God through intimate and devoted relationship and commitment with and for Him. (Eze. 33:11, Matt. 7:16; 23, Eph. 1:7, 13, Eph. 2:8-9, Eph. 4:30, Rom. 5:10, Rom. 10:9, Rom 11:29, 1 Cor 8:3, 2 Cor. 1:22, 2 Cor. 5:14-15, 1 Tim. 4:10, Jn. 3:3, Jn. 3:16, Jn 10:28-29, 1 Jn. 2:19, 3:6, Acts 4:12, Tit. 3:5-6, Heb. 2:10; 7:22).
The Resurrection- We firmly hold the belief in Jesus Christ' resurrection. His resurrection, on the third day, represents triumph over death and is viewed as evidence of His divine nature and the assurance of everlasting life for those who believe; belief in His resurrection is a fundamental tenet to the Christian faith worldview. (Mat. 28:1-20, 1 Pet. 1:3, 1 Cor. 15:3-7)
Gender, Marriage and Sexuality- We firmly hold the belief that from the beginning, God made male and female, made in His image, equally valuable, complementary designed, yet distinct in their roles. We acknowledge that biological sex and social-cultural role of sex (gender) can be distinguished but not separated. We recognize that some people are born as intersex and that these are rare instances that do not involve the attempt to self-create nor deny the inherent dignity of how they were born. We also recognize that some people struggle with discordant gender identity and should be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect and dignity. The Holy scriptures do not indicate the stance that gender identity is fluid or self-chosen but rather presents a distinctively, binary view. Moreover, we believe that God defined and designed marriage as a covenant relationship between one man and one woman and Himself. We acknowledge that many individuals struggle with same-sex attraction. It’s important to clarify that same-sex attraction is not what constitutes sin but rather, it is the choice to participate in sexual activities outside the bonds of heterosexual marriage that the Holy Scriptures regard as sinful. The distinction is between attraction and action. In the context of marriage, the Holy Scriptures describe it as a holy institution ordained by God, designed for many purposes such as: companionship, joint-calling, and the gift of procreation (if it aligns with His divine will). It represents the image and covenant relationship between Jesus Christ (the groom) and His church (the bride), demonstrating God's love and His glory. Anything distinct from this differs from God's design for Biblical marriage, family structure and human sexuality. (Gen.
1:27-28, Gen. 2:21-24, Eph. 5:25, 1 Pet.3:7, Mat. 19:4, Mark. 10:6-7, Psa.
139:14, Col. 3:18)