Global Church Core Beliefs

Bible

That the Bible is the Word of God to all. That the collection of 66 books, from Genesis through Revelation, were written by men who were divinely inspired by God, guided to all truth and free from error in every matter they dealt with. It is the only complete and final revelation of the will of God to man and the final authority by which everything else must be judged. We interpret its accounts and commands literally, unless indicated otherwise by Scripture itself. (II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:20,21; Proverbs 30:5-6; John 17:17; Hebrews 4:12-13)

God

That there is one true, holy God, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son & Holy Spirit – each of Whom possesses equally all the attributes of deity and the characteristics of personality, but each having distinct work. (Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Genesis 1:26; Matthew 3:16-17; John 15:26)

Jesus Christ

That Jesus Christ is the eternal second Person of the Trinity who was united forever with a true human nature by a miraculous conception of the Holy Spirit and received a human body in the womb of a virgin named Mary. (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:30-35)

We believe He was tempted in all points like we are, yet He did not sin. Though He lived a perfect life, He voluntarily allowed Himself to be crucified in order to pay the penalty deserved for all our sin. (Hebrews 4:14-15; Matthew 4:1-11; Romans 5:11-21; John 10:17-18)

We believe He literally and bodily rose again from the grave on the third day to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended into heaven and now sits at the right hand of the Father, where He, the only Mediator between God and man, continually makes intercession for His own. (I Corinthians 15:3-4; Acts 1:9-12; I Timothy 2:5)

We believe He will soon come again, first in the air to meet all believers, then personally and visibly come to earth, to consummate history and the eternal plan of God. (I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 19:11-16)

The Holy Spirit

That the Holy Spirit is the third member of the Trinity, co-equal with the Father and the Son as God. His ministry among the unsaved is to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ. The unsaved will either accept His prompting or they may choose to resist, insult or even blaspheme against Him. (John 16:7-11; Acts 7:51; Hebrews 10:29; Matthew 12:31)

We believe that at the moment of salvation, the Holy Spirit is the agent of the new birth, that He instantly indwells the believer and baptizes him into the body of Christ. He seals the believer unto eternal life and begins in him a life long ministry. The only necessary evidence of this ministry of the Spirit is a transformed life. (Titus 3:5; I Corinthians 12:13; John 14:16; Ephesians 1:13-14)

We believe that as the Holy Spirit lives within the believers, His purpose is to guide them into all truth of God’s Word and conform them to the very image of Christ. As they follow His leadership, they become more and more Christ-like; when they choose their own ways they grieve and quench the Spirit. (Rom. 8:29; John 16:13-15; Ephesians 4:30; I Thessalonians 5:19)

the fall of Man

That although man was created without sin to have fellowship with God, by one act of disobedience, Adam, and through him all mankind, are now separated from God by an inborn disobedience toward God called “sin”. All of mankind is driven by their sin to commit innumerable sins and are deserving of nothing but eternal separation from God. (Genesis 3:6-7; Romans 5:12, 19; Mark 7:20-23; James 1:13-15; Romans 3:10, 23)

Salvation

That salvation is a gift from God to man, made possible only because of the grace of God and the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Man can never make up for his sin by good works. Only by trusting solely in Jesus Christ’s sacrifice as God’s only plan and offer of forgiveness can man be saved from sin’s penalty. (Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 14:6)

eternity

That man was created to exist forever. He will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or in union with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is Hell. To be eternally in union with God is eternal life. Heaven and Hell are literal places of eternal existence. (John 3:16-18; I John 5:11-13; Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:15)

Eternal Security

That eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into his life by faith. Because God gives man eternal life, the believer is secure in that salvation for eternity. Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the believer. (John 10: 27-30; Romans 8:35-39; Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 10:10-14; I Peter 1:3-5)

Satan

That Satan is a real, historical being, a fallen angel who was lifted up in pride and rebelled against God, leading an army of angelic beings with him. His ultimate defeat was sealed by the work of Christ on the cross. His final destiny is the lake of fire. (Isaiah 14:12-17; Hebrews 2:14; Revelation 20:10)

We believe he is the father of lies who guides the unsuspecting lives of those without Christ. At the moment of salvation he is replaced by the Holy Spirit and can have no power over a believer other than when the believer presents himself as an instrument of sin. He is our principal adversary throughout our daily walk but can be defeated at every turn by simply putting on the whole armor of God, resisting him and following the truth of God’s Word. (Proverbs 14:12; Romans 6:12-14; Ephesians 6:10-17; James 4:7-8)

The church

That the local assembly of believers, known as the church, is God’s instrument for this age. We believe that all genuine, born again believers in Christ share in a family relationship with God as our Father and that at the second coming of Christ we will all be united together as the Body of Christ. However, the overwhelming number of references of the word “church” in the Bible apply to a local, visible assembly of believers, and as such it is at each local church level that all responsibility and authority lies for this day and age. (I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Matthew 18:15-18)

We believe that the Great Commission is the primary responsibility of each local church as a body and of each individual as a member of said body. It is with each local church that the authority to carry out the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper lies. (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; I Corinthians 11:23-29)

We believe the leadership of the church is delegated by Christ Himself to the pastors (also known as “bishops” or “elders”) and before Whom they will ultimately have to give an account. When necessary, they are to be assisted by those who hold the office of deacon. (Ephesians 4:11-16; I Peter 5:1-4; I Timothy 3:1-13)

We believe that every member of the local church has the responsibility to minister the Word of God and support the ministry of the local church through prayer, holy living, giving of their tithes and offerings, and by following the leadership God has placed before them. They are to treat each other according to the guidelines set forth in Scripture summarized in the “One Anothers” found in the New Testament epistles. (Ephesians 4:12; II Timothy 2:2; I Corinthians 16:2; II Cor. 9:6-8; Hebrews 13:7,17; Philippians 2:1-4)

We believe that the two main values that Christ requires of His church is love, so the world may know we are His followers, and unity, so the world might believe the message we preach. (John 13:34-35; 17:21)