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Living
Hope Baptist Church Statement of Faith
1.
The Word of God. We believe that the Bible
is the word of God, fully inspired and without
error in the original manuscripts, written under
the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and that it
has supreme authority in all matters of faith
and conduct. (John 17:17; Rom. 15:4; 2 Tim. 3:16,
17; 2 Pet. 1:19-21)
2.
The Trinity. We believe that there is
one living and true God, eternally existing in
three persons, that these are equal in every divine
perfection, and that they execute distinct but
harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence
and redemption.; (Matte. 28: 19; John 1:1-4; 1
John 5:7)
3.
God the Father. We believe in God the
Father, an infinite, personal 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 who come
to Him through Jesus Christ (John 3:16, 17; 4:24,
17:5)
4.
Jesus Christ. We believe in Jesus Christ,
Gods only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy
Spirit. We believe in His virgin birth, sinless
life, miracles and teachings. We believe in His
substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection,
ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession
for His people, and personal visible return to
earth.( Isa. 7:14; John 1:14; Phil, 2:5-11; Heb.
1:2,3; 1 John 1:7)
5.
The Holy Spirit. 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 who believe in Jesus Christ. We believe that
the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Christ,
and that He is an abiding helper, teacher and
guide. (John 14:26; 16:7-15; Rom. 8:14-17; Eph.
1:13-14)
6.
Regeneration. We believe that all men
are sinners by nature and by choice and are, therefore,
under condemnation. We believe that those who
repent of their sins and trust in Jesus Christ
as Savior are regenerated by the Holy Spirit.
(John 1:12-13, 3:3, 16-17; Acts 20:21; Eph. 2:1-9;
Titus 3:5)
7.
The Church. We believe in the universal
church, a living spiritual body of which Christ
is the head and all regenerated persons are members.
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. We believe that
God has laid upon the members of the local church
the primary task of giving the Gospel of Jesus
Christ to a lost world, (Matt. 16:16-18; Acts
2:38-41; Eph. 2:19-22, 5:25-27)
8.
Christian Conduct. We believe that a Christian
should live for the glory of God and the well-being
of his fellowmen; that his conduct should be blameless
before the world; that he should be a faithful
steward of his possessions; and that he should
seek to realize for himself and others the full
stature of maturity in Christ. (2 Cor. 9:6-8;
Eph. 4:11-16; Phil. 2:14-16; Col. 3:17-23; 1 Thes.
5:17-18)
9.
The Ordinances. We believe that the Lord
Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to the
local church, baptism and the Lord's Supper. We
believe that Christian Baptism is the immersion
of a believer in water into the name of the triune
God. We believe the Lord's Supper was instituted
by Christ for commemoration of His death. We believe
that these two ordinances should be observed and
administered until the return of the Lord Jesus
Christ. (Matt. 28: 18-20; Acts 2:41-42; Rom. 6:
3-5; 1 Cor. 11:23-32)
10.
Religious Liberty. We believe that every
human being has direct relations with God, and
is responsible to God alone in all matters of
faith; that each Church is independent and must
be free from interference by an ecclesiastical
or political authority; that therefore Church
and State must be kept separate as having different
functions, each fulfilling its duties free from
dictation or patronage of the other.
11.
Church Cooperation. It is the intention
of LHBC to affiliate with a national association
of Baptist Churches to provide a constant vehicle
to direct world and national missionary support.
Cooperation with a national association is voluntary
and may be terminated at any time. LHBC shall
cooperate with inter-denominational bodies whose
purpose and mission is consistent with that of
LHBC.
12.
The Last Things. We believe in the personal
and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to
earth and the establishment of his kingdom. We
believe in the resurrection of the body, the final
judgment, the eternal felicity of the righteous,
and the endless suffering of the wicked. (John
5: 28-29; Rev. 20: 1-15; 2 Cor. 5:10; Matt. 25:
31-46)
The core values of the Living Hope Baptist
Church shall be,
As
followers of Jesus Christ, we hold with deep conviction
these essentials concerning who we are and the
manner in which we pursue our mission. These are:
Celebration.
We value a loving and responsive relationship
with God through reflective and participate celebration.
Therefore our worship dynamically exalts Christ
through relevant and enjoyable exaltation.
Compassion.
Authenticity and compassion in our care for people
are valued because God values all people. Therefore,
when we are together, we will provide a friendly,
caring place where people feel loved and accepted
. We will work to meet the needs of people through
strengthening the primary relationship of the
family and nourishing their relationship with
God.
Community.
We value authentic Christian living, seen in the
"one another" of the Bible. Therefore,
we cultivate honest and open fellowship with God
and each other, so that we might experience God's
power through faith and prayer.
Auxiliaries.
We value accountability which facilitates
life change and Christian Growth. Therefore, we
help others to know and follow Christ through
small groups.
Character.
Godliness among individuals and the proper functioning
of the church body is valued. Therefore we practice
and teach the Spirit-filled life resulting in
people who integrate what they believe with how
they act, coming into conformity with the character
of Jesus Christ. And we facilitate the discovery,
development, and exercise of each person's God-given
abilities, which matures the church.
Cultivating
Quality. We value effectiveness in our
ministry to the communities God had called us
to serve. Therefore, we set measurable goals in
our programs and ministry that are based on our
mission statement and expected outcomes, and pursue
excellence in all that we do in the Name of Christ.
Church
Growth. We value our relationship with
and commitment to the people of our world. Therefore
we are confident that through us, God will bring
others to know and follow Jesus Christ and that
these will reproduce other Christian churches
locally, regionally and Internationally. |
