Statement of Faith
We Affirm Our Belief: “Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but His that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.” John 7:16,17.
(a) Inspiration of Scriptures:
We believe that the Holy Bible is the written Word of the Living God. We believe it was inspired by the Holy Spirit and recorded by holy men of old. It is infallible in content and a perfect treasure of heavenly instruction, which is truth without any mixture of error. The Bible reveals the principles by which God will judge us and reveals His great plan of salvation. It will remain eternally. We believe the Bible is the true center of Christian union and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions should be tried. Therefore, we believe this Word should go into all the world and should be given first place in every believer's life (2 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 4:12; 1 Peter 1:23-25; and 2 Peter 1:19-21).
(b) GOD:
That there is one true living God, eternally existing in three persons - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; that these are equal in every divine perfection. And that they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence and redemption We believe that God the Father, is an infinite, persona Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. We believe that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all that come to Him through Jesus Christ. (Matthew 3:16,17; 1 John 5:6,7).
(c) JESUS
We believe in Jesus Christ, God's only begotten son conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe in his virgin birth, sinless life, miracles and teaching. We believe in His substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, and ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people, and personal visible return to earth. We believe that the Holy Spirit permanently indwells every believer in Christ, and that He is an abiding helper, teacher and guide.
(d) Holy Spirit:
We believe the Holy Spirit to be the third person of the Trinity whose purpose in the redemption of man is to convict of sin, regenerate the repentant sinner, guide the believer into all truth, indwell all believers, and give gifts to those He wills that they may minister as Christ would to men. We believe that the manifestations of the Holy Spirit recorded in 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 will operate through present-day Christians who yield to Jesus (Luke 11:13; John 7:37-39, 14:16,17, 16:7-14; Acts 2:1-18). We believe in the Holy Spirit who came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment, and to regenerate, sanctify and empower all that believe in Jesus Christ. We believe in baptism in the Holy Spirit, with the evidence of speaking in other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance (1 Corinthians 14), and that this gift is for all believers as promised by John the Baptist (Matthew 3:11), Jesus (Acts 1:4-8), and Peter (Acts 2:38-41). The fulfillment of this promise was witnessed by early disciples of Christ (Acts 2:4, 10:44-47, 19:1-6) and operates in many present-day disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ as Christ would to men.
(e) Tongues:
• Speaking with other tongues (languages) as the Spirit gives utterance.
“Speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance” is the manifestation that God has given to man as a definite, indisputable, supernatural witness and sign of the initial Baptism in the Holy Ghost. It is the sign that accompanies the promise by the prophet who said; “ I baptize you with water … but He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire” (St Matthew 3:11). It is the prophecy of Isaiah; “ .. the rest and the refreshing…” (Isaiah 28:12); foretold by Jesus as a sign that would follow every believer (St Mark 16;16,17; and, poured out, first on the Jews at Jerusalem during Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4), then on the Gentiles at Caesarea, in fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel 2:28,29 and referred to in Acts 2:15-18 which promised that this same Spirit would be “ poured out on all flesh.”
(f) Man:
We believe that man, in his natural state, is a sinner- lost, undone, without hope, and without God (Romans 3:19-23; Galatians 3:22; Ephesians 2:1,2,12).
(g) In God the Father, an infinite, persona Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. We believe that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all that come to Him through Jesus Christ.
(h) Salvation:
We believe the terms of salvation are repentance toward God from sin and a personal, heartfelt faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is how the new birth occurs, which we call being "born again." Salvation is possible only through God's grace, not by our works. Works are simply the fruit of salvation (Acts 3:19,20; Romans 4:1-5, 5:1; Ephesians 2:8-10). Water Baptism should immediately follow the experience of the new birth as a public witness to one's faith (Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38)
(i) Divine Healing:
We believe God has uses doctors, medicines, and other natural means as channels of healing; however, we believe divine healing is provided for believers in the atonement made by Jesus' blood that was shed on the cross (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24). We believe divine healing may be received by the laying on of hands by the elders (James 5:14-16), by the prayer of an anointed person gifted by the Holy Spirit for healing the sick (1 Corinthians 12:9), or by a direct act of receiving this provision by faith (Mark 11:23,24).
(j) Body of Christ:
We believe the Body of Christ is made up of all who have been "born again" regardless of denominational differences. We believe in the spirit of unity, while allowing for variety in individual ministries as to their work, calling, and location as directed by the Holy Spirit. In the Global Church, a living spiritual body of which Christ is the head and all regenerated persons are members. We believe that God has laid upon the members of the Church the primary task of giving the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world. We believe in the Local Church, consisting of a company of believers in Jesus Christ, baptized on a credible profession of faith, and associated for worship, work and fellowship and in the unity of the Church, which is the body of Christ, and the necessity for Christians of all traditions to recognize the spirit of Christ at work in each other and co-operate with each other as far as they are able to the building of the church and the furtherance of God's kingdom in the world (Acts 10:34,35; 1 Corinthians 12:12-31).
(k) Blood Atonement:
We believe in the saving power of the blood of Jesus and His imputed righteousness (Acts 4:12; Romans 4:1-9, 5:1-11; Ephesians 1:3-14)
(l). Tithing:
We believe the tithe belongs to God, and tithing is God’s plan to provide for His work. (Malachi 3:8-12). Tithing means to bring one-tenth of our increase into the treasury of the Church (Proverbs 3:9, 10). The first biblical record of tithing to God’s work began with Abraham, who paid tithes to Melchisedec (priest of the Most High God) of the spoils from his battle with the kings (Genesis 14:18–20), continued under the law, and received the approval of our Lord (Matthew 10:5–10; 23:23). We consider that the Scriptural obligation to tithe is not fulfilled by just giving directly to the poor or to individuals or good causes. While the Church espouses and participates in all such support, her understanding of the biblical practice of tithing is that tithes are paid—brought into the treasury of the Church for the Lord’s work, especially for the benefit of those who minister in the Word (Hebrews 7:8). God’s blessings and favor will follow in all the productive areas of life (Malachi 3:7–12).
(m) Destiny:
We believe in the God-given destiny of reconciled man and women to be true members of God's family and hence partakers of the nature of God through faith in Christ and being reborn by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
(n) Local Church:
We believe in the necessity of the church to speak in a language that is understandable, and act in a way that is relevant to its contemporary situation. Therefore, while wholeheartedly, welcoming the full participation of people of all races and cultures, we affirm the necessity to express the truth of God in a way that acknowledges the full worth of, and takes full account of the heritage and experience of the different nationalities.
(o) Ordinances:
The Lord Jesus has committed two ordinances to the local church; baptism and the Lord's Supper. We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of the believer in water in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. . We believe that Christ instituted the Lord’s Supper for the commemoration of His death, the elements being symbolic. We believe that these two ordinances should be observed and administered until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Matthew 28:19; 1 Corinthians 11:24-26).
(p) Angels:
That God created an innumerable company of spiritual beings, known as angels, and that one, Lucifer, sinned through pride and was cast out of heaven. A number of angels followed him in his moral fall and are his associates in the prosecution of his unrighteous purpose, while others who fell are "reserved in everlasting" chains of judgment. However, a great number of Angels did not fall and kept their holy state, and are before the throne of God from whence they are sent forth as ministering spirits.
(q) Demons:
We believe that Lucifer is the personality of Satan, and that he is the unholy god of this age. We believe that he is the author of all powers of darkness, prince of this world, and is the adversary of the Lord Jesus Christ. Satan's end will come when he is cast into the lake of fire .We believe that demons are other angels who fell and now serving Satan and who do what he instructs them to do. They have the power to posses the unsaved, but they are subject to the name and the person of the Lord Jesus Christ
(r) Pre-Millennial Second Coming of Jesus:
We believe in the visible, bodily return of Christ Jesus to this earth, to meet His Church (Bride) and to judge the world (Acts 1:10,11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; James 5:8; Revelation 1:7. Our Lord Jesus Christ is coming back to earth again (Acts 1:11), and the Church understands this coming in two phases: First, in mid-air to resurrect the dead saints and to catch away the living saints to meet Him so that all who are in Christ can attend the marriage supper of the Lamb: “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17; see also 1 Corinthians 15:51, 52). “And he saith unto me, ‘Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb.’ And he saith unto me, ‘These are the true sayings of God’” (Revelation 19:9). Second, Jesus will return with the saints to reign on earth for a thousand years: “ . . . And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection” (20:4, 5; see also Zechariah 14:4–9; Revelation 5:10; 20:6).
(s) Resurrection & Eternal Life for The Righteous
God’s plan for the world includes a time of accountability of all people (living and dead) before His judgment seat. For this reason, all the dead, both righteous and wicked, will be resurrected. As part of the assurance of this judgment, God raised Jesus from the dead and appointed Him judge (Acts 24:15; Daniel 12:2; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Acts 17:30, 31). However, the resurrection of the wicked dead and their time of judgment will not occur until after the thousand-year reign of Christ on earth with His saints (Revelation 20:4–6). Paul expressed the Christian’s hope in the resurrection this way: “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead” (Philippians 3:10). We look for the Savior from heaven. Paul says, “Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself” (v. 21).
(t) Eternal Life for the Righteous
In Jesus’ high priestly prayer, He defined eternal life as follows: “‘And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent’” (John 17:3). The New Testament everywhere teaches that eternal life is promised to those who believe in Jesus: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Those who die in the Lord and those who are serving Him when He returns will receive the reward of eternal life: “But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:22, 23).
(u) Marriage
Jesus Nation affirms Biblical teaching that marriage is sacred and should not be entered into lightly without proper preparation. Marriage was originally instituted by God as a properly recognized covenant relationship between one man and one woman for life. The Church further asserts that the home, including the extended family, is to be guided by love, discipline, and other nurturing aspects as taught in God’s Word. Because the Church is committed to the sanctity of marriage and human life, we diligently stand against abortion, incest, abuse, euthanasia, adultery, divorce, homosexuality, and lesbianism, which we believe are contrary to God’s original design as expressed in His Word. All Biblically unlawful unions such as same-sex, incestuous, or polygamous marriages are renounced by the Church even if they are recognized as legal by civil governments.
Genesis 1:26, 27; 2:18–25; Deuteronomy 6:7; Matthew 5:32; 14:3, 4; 19:3–12; Mark 10:12; Luke 16:18; Romans 7:2, 3; 1 Corinthians 5:1–5; 6:9–18; 7:2, 11; Colossians 3:18–21.
(v) Eternal Punishment for the Wicked
How we live our lives in this present world determines our destiny in the next, our eternal reward (Daniel 12:2; Romans 2:4–9). The unconverted and the wicked are doomed to eternal punishment from which there is no escape—no liberation, no annihilation: “‘And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal’” (Matthew 25:46). “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death” (Revelation 21:8). “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power” (2 Thessalonians 1:7–9).
(w) Concerning Food or Drinks
The New Testament makes no rigid rule concerning what foods a Christian shall eat or drink with the exception of strong drink and addictive and enslaving substances. “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days; Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ” (Colossians 2:16, 17). Thus, we have no right to judge what our brother or sister eats or drinks. The legal restrictions of the Mosaic Law concerning these were not extended into the Grace Dispensation: “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy [Spirit]” (Romans 14:17). See also 1 Corinthians 8:8 and 1 Timothy 4:1–5.
(x) Concerning Tobacco, Opium, Morphine ETC
“Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1). “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy [Spirit] which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:19, 20). The use of tobacco in any form is forbidden as well as the habitual use of narcotics or other habit-forming drugs. Addictions and enslavements to drugs or other substances are incompatible with the surrender of our bodies to the Lord as holy vessels of honor for His use (Romans 12:1, 2; 1 Thessalonians 4:4). “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
(y) Membership in lodges/secret societies
The Bible is opposed to the people of God being unequally yoked together with unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14–18); it is opposed to deeds done in secret, and it demands the complete and undivided loyalty of God’s children: “Jesus answered him, ‘I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing’” (John 18:20; see also Luke 16:13). Many secret societies/organizations require the taking of an oath of secrecy, and oath-taking is expressly forbidden (see the following paragraph)—as we shall see shortly (Ephesians 5:12, 13).
(y) Divine Healing & Water Baptism
Divine Healing
God’s sovereign grace and mercy, through the atonement of Jesus Christ for all our sins and ultimately for all the consequences of sin, provides for the healing/salvation of our souls as well as our bodies in His work on Calvary. In the tradition of Jesus and His apostles as recorded in the Gospels and Acts (Mark 3:1–5; 9–12; 14, 15; Matthew 10:8; Acts 5:12), the Church believes that divine healing is accomplished by the power of God without the aid of medicine or surgical skills (Matthew 8:14–17). While it is clear that God does not always heal instantaneously in response to all prayers for healing (whether of the individual or of someone else praying on behalf of an individual—see 2 Timothy 4:20), it is also a clear biblical duty of the elders and ministers of the Church to pray for the sick and to visit the sick (James 5:13–18 with Matthew 25:34–40). “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases” (Psalm 103:2, 3). This text specifically addresses the soul, but the whole person (spirit/soul and body) can be divinely healed by the power of God. The healing of persons in response to faith and prayer (Acts 3:11–16) and by God’s special mercy (to spare certain of His servants more sorrow, cf. Philippians 2:25–27) is definitely confirmed in Scripture. We have a duty to continue to pray fervently for the sick, humbly leaving it in God’s hands to work His sovereign will.
Water Baptism
Water baptism is the act of being immersed in water according to the commandment and instructions of Christ (Matthew 28:19). This ordinance has no power to wash away sins, but is the answer of a good conscience toward God (1 Peter 3:21) and represents for the believer an identity with the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord (Romans 6:3–5). Mark 16:16 further reinforces the necessity of this step of obedience: “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned.” On the day of Pentecost, the apostle Peter told those under conviction what they should do: “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38). Obviously, the apostles literally followed the Lord’s instructions, and we can do no less. Baptism, then, is outward evidence of our submission to Christ in salvation and our public declaration that we are His followers. It identifies us with His people in His kingdom. “Then they that gladly received His word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls” (2:41; see also 10:47, 48 and 16:30–33).