Vibrant Welcomes You

STATEMENT OF CORE BELIEFS

This Statement of Core Beliefs is intended simply as a basis of fellowship among us. No claim is made that it covers all Biblical truth, only that it covers our need as to these fundamental beliefs.

 

THE ONE TRUE GOD

The one true God has revealed Himself as the eternally self-existent "I AM," the Creator of heaven and earth and the Redeemer of mankind. He has further revealed Himself as embodying the principles of relationship and association as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

• Deuteronomy 6:4

• Isaiah 43:10,11

• Matthew 28:19

• Luke 3:22

 

THE GODHEAD

The term “Godhead”, may convey to others our immediate understanding of the doctrine of Christ respecting the Being of God, as distinguished from "gods many and lords many." We therefore may speak of the Lord our God who is One Lord, as a trinity or as one Being of three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and still be absolutely Holy and scriptural.

• Matthew 11:25-27

• Matthew 28:19

• Luke 1:35

• John 14:16-17

• 1 Corinthians 1:24

• 2 Corinthians 13:14

• 1 John 1:3-4

 Unity of the One Being of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

Accordingly, therefore, there is that in the Father which constitutes Him the Father and not the Son; there is that in the Son which constitutes Him the Son and not the Father; and there is that in the Holy Spirit which constitutes Him the Holy Spirit and not either the Father or the Son. Wherefore the Father is the Begetter, the Son is the Begotten, and the Holy Spirit is the one proceeding from the Father and the Son. Therefore, because these three persons in the Godhead are in a state of unity, there is but one Lord God Almighty and His name One.

• John 1:18

• John 15:26

• John 17:11

• John 17:21

• Zechariah 14:9

Identity and Symmetry in the Godhead

The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are never identical as to Person; nor confused as to relation; nor divided in respect to the Godhead; nor opposed as to cooperation. The Son is in the Father and the Father is in the Son as to relationship. The Son is with the Father and the Father is with the Son, as to fellowship. The Father is not from the Son, but the Son is from the Father, as to authority. The Holy Spirit is from the Father and the Son proceeding, as to their relationship, cooperation, and authority. Hence, no Person in the Godhead either exists or works separately or independently of the others.

• John 5:17-30

• John 5:32

• John 5:37

• John 8:18

The Title, “Lord Jesus Christ”

The appellation, "Lord Jesus Christ," is a proper name. It is never applied in the New Testament, either to the Father or to the Holy Spirit. It therefore belongs exclusively to the Son of God.

• Romans 1:1-3,7

• 2 John 3

The Lord Jesus Christ, God with Us

The Lord Jesus Christ, as to His divine and eternal nature, is the proper and only Begotten of the Father, but as to His human nature, He is the proper Son of Man. He is therefore, acknowledged to be both God and man, who because He is God and man is "Immanuel," God with us.

• Matthew 1:23

• 1 John 4:2

• 1 John 4:10

• 1 John 4:14

• Revelation 1:13

• Revelation 1:17,18

The Title, “Son of God”

Since the name "Immanuel" embraces both God and man in the one Person, our Lord Jesus Christ, it follows that the title, Son of God, describes His proper deity, and the title, Son of Man, His proper humanity. Therefore, the title Son of God, belongs to the order of eternity, and the title, Son of Man, to the order of time.

• Matthew 1:21-23

• 1 John 3:8

• 2 John 1:3

• Hebrews 1:1-13

Exaltation of Jesus Christ as Lord

The Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, having by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; angels and principalities and powers having been made subject unto Him. And having been made both Lord and Christ, He sent the Holy Spirit that we, in the name of Jesus, might bow our knees and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father until the end, when the Son shall become subject to the Father that God may be all in all.

• Hebrews 1:3

• 1 Peter 3:22

• Acts 2:32-36

• Romans 14:11

• 1 Corinthians 15:24-28

Equal Honor to the Father and to the Son

Wherefore, since the Father has delivered all judgment unto the Son, it is not only the express duty of all in heaven and on earth to bow the knee, but it is an unspeakable joy in the Holy Spirit to ascribe unto the Son all the attributes of Deity, and to give Him all honor and the glory contained in all the names and titles of the Godhead except those which express relationship and therefore honor the Son even as we honor the Father.

• John 5:22,23

• 1 Peter 1:8

• Philippians 2:8,9

• Revelation 4:8-11

• Revelation 5:6-14

• Revelation 7:9-10

 

THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

The Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. The Scriptures declare:

His virgin birth,

• Matthew 1:23

• Luke 1:31

• Luke 1:35

His sinless life,

• Hebrews 7:26

• 1 Peter 2:22

His miracles,

• Acts 2:22

• Acts 10:38

His substitutionary work on the cross,

• 1 Corinthians 15:3

• 2 Corinthians 5:21

His bodily resurrection from the dead,

• Matthew 28:6

• Luke 24:39

• 1 Corinthians 15:4

His exaltation to the right hand of God.

• Acts 1:9

• Acts 1:11

• Acts 2:33

• Philippians 2:9-11

• Hebrews 1:3

 

THE SCRIPTURES INSPIRED

The Scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments, are verbally inspired of God and are the revelation of God to man, the infallible, authoritative rule of faith and conduct.

• 2 Timothy 3:15-17

• 1 Thessalonians 2:13

• 2 Peter 1:21

 

THE FALL OF MAN

Man was created good and upright; for God said, "Let us make man in our own image, after our likeness." However, man by voluntary transgression fell and thereby incurred not only physical death but also spiritual death, which is separation from God.

• Genesis 1:26,27

• Genesis 2:17

• Genesis 3:6

• Romans 5:12-19

 

THE SALVATION OF MAN

Man's only hope of redemption is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God.

Conditions to Salvation

Salvation is received through repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ. By the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, being justified by grace through faith, man becomes an heir of God, according to the hope of eternal life.

• Luke 24:47

• John 3:3

• Romans 10:13-15

• Ephesians 2:8

• Titus 2:11

• Titus 3:5-7

 

The Evidence of Salvation

The inward evidence of salvation is the direct witness of the Spirit.

• Romans 8:16

The outward evidence to all men is a life of righteousness and true holiness.

• Ephesians 4:24

• Titus 2:12

 

HOLY COMMUNION

The Lord's Supper, consisting of the elements --bread and the fruit of the vine-- is the symbol expressing our sharing the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:4 ), a memorial of his suffering and death (1 Corinthians 11:26 ), and a prophecy of His second coming (1 Corinthians 11:26 ), and is enjoined on all believers "till He come!"

 

THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT

All believers are entitled to and should ardently expect and earnestly seek the promise of the Father, the baptism in the Holy Spirit and fire, according to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ. This was the normal experience of all in the early Christian Church. With it comes the enduement of power for life and service, the bestowment of the gifts and their uses in the work of the ministry.

• Luke 24:49

• Acts 1:4

• Acts 1:8

• 1 Corinthians 12:1-31

This experience is distinct from and subsequent to the experience of the new birth.

• Acts 8:12-17

• Acts 10:44-46

• Acts 11:14-16

• Acts 15:7-9

With the baptism in the Holy Spirit come such experiences as:

• an overflowing fullness of the Spirit, John 7:37-39 , Acts 4:8

• a deepened reverence for God, Acts 2:43 , Hebrews 12:28

• an intensified consecration to God and dedication to His work, Acts 2:42

• and a more active love for Christ, for His Word and for the lost, Mark 16:20

 

THE INITIAL PHYSICAL EVIDENCE OF THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT

The baptism of believers in the Holy Spirit is witnessed by the initial physical sign of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit of God gives them utterance.

• Acts 2:4

The speaking in tongues in this instance is the same in essence as the gift of tongues but is different in purpose and use.

• 1 Corinthians 12:4-10

• 1 Corinthians 12:28

 

SANCTIFICATION

Sanctification is an act of separation from that which is evil, and of dedication unto God.

• Romans 12:1,2

• 1 Thessalonians 5:23

• Hebrews 13:12

By the power of the Holy Spirit, we are able to obey the command: "Be ye holy, for I am holy."

• 1 Peter 1:15,16

Sanctification is realized in the believer by recognizing his identification with Christ in His death and resurrection, and by the faith reckoning daily upon the fact of that union, and by offering every faculty continually to the dominion of the Holy Spirit.

• Romans 6:1-11

• Romans 6:13

• Romans 8:1,2

• Romans 8:13

• Galatians 2:20

• Philippians 2:12,13

• 1 Peter 1:5

 

THE CHURCH AND ITS MISSION

The Church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of the Church’s’ great commission. Each believer, born of the Spirit, is an integral part of the Church of the Firstborn, which are written in heaven.

• Ephesians 1:22,23

• Ephesians 2:22

• Hebrews 12:23

Since God’s purpose concerning man is to seek and to save that which is lost, to be worshipped by man, to build a body of believers in the image of His Son, and to demonstrate His love and compassion for all the world, the priority reason of the Church is:

To be an agency of God for evangelizing the world.

• Acts 1:8

• Matthew 28:19,20

• Mark 16:15,16

 

THE MINISTRY

A divinely called and scripturally ordained ministry has been provided by our Lord for the fourfold purpose of leading the Church in:

Evangelization of the world.

• Mark 16:15-20

Worship of God.

• John 4:23,24

Building a body of saints being perfected in the image of His Son.

• Ephesians 4:11-16

Meeting human need with ministries of love and compassion.

• Psalms 112:9

• Galatians 2:10; 6:10

• James 1:27

 

DIVINE HEALING

Divine healing is an integral part of the gospel. Deliverance from sickness is provided for in the atonement and is the privilege of all believers.

• Isaiah 53:4,5

• Matthew 8:16,17

• James 5:14-16

 

THE BLESSED HOPE

The resurrection of those who have fallen asleep in Christ and their translation together with those who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord is the imminent and blessed hope of the church. God promises Eternal Life with Him

• 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17

• Romans 8:23

• Titus 2:13

• 1 Corinthians 15:51,52

 

THE MILLENNIAL REIGN OF CHRIST

The second coming of Christ includes the rapture of the saints, which is our blessed hope, followed by the visible return of Christ with His saints to reign on earth for one thousand years.

• Zechariah 14:5

• Matthew 24:27

• Matthew 24:30

• Revelation 1:7

• Revelation 19:11-14

• Revelation 20:1-6

This millennial reign will bring the salvation of national Israel,

• Ezekiel 37:21,22

• Zephaniah 3:19,20

• Romans 11:26,27

and the establishment of universal peace.

• Isaiah 11:6-9

• Psalms 72:3-8

• Micah 4:3,4

 

THE FINAL JUDGMENT

There will be a final judgment in which the wicked dead will be raised and judged according to their works. Whosoever is not found written in the Book of Life, together with the devil and his angels, the beast and the false prophet, will be consigned to the everlasting punishment in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.

• Matthew 25:46

• Mark 9:43-48

• Revelation 19:20

• Revelation 20:11-15

• Revelation 21:8

 

THE NEW HEAVENS AND THE NEW EARTH

"We, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness."

• 2 Peter 3:13

• Revelation 21

• Revelation 22