Tetelestai

 

The One true God:
“For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised, He is to be reverently feared and worshiped above all [so-called] gods. For all the gods of the nations are [lifeless] idols, but the Lord made the heavens.
Honor and majesty are before Him; strength and beauty are in His sanctuary (Psalm 96:4-6, AMP).”

The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is the only living God, for whom nothing is impossible. He created the heavens and the earth, He breathed life-giving breath into Adam and mankind, He cut covenant with Abraham, and through the perfect sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, He reconciled the world to Himself (2 Cor. 5:19).

There is none beside Him.
Yahweh is Lord.

 

Jesus of Nazareth:
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).”

 

The Bible has many names by which the Messiah is described, and Jesus is the perfect fulfillment of all of them. Yes – Jesus of Nazareth is the only begotten Son of God. He is the Way and the Truth and the Life, and the only way to the Father. He is the Lion of Judah and the Lamb that was slain for the sins of the world – and through His offering, all those who receive it by faith (who believe in their heart and proclaim with their lips that Jesus is Lord),
will be saved. He is the Light of the world. He is Immanuel – God with us. He is not only Savior, but also Lord – and He is the King of kings.

 

Holy Spirit:
“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.” (John 16:13).

The Holy Spirit is our ever present Comforter, Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby and Wisdom from God. Holy Spirit is the spirit of God, sent to help us overcome every trial and test of life, to live as a holy people for a holy God.

 

The Holy Bible:
“Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105)
The foundation of God’s throne is righteousness and justice (Psalm 89:14), and the Holy Bible is the only measurement-line to conduct our lives by, in order to walk according to God’s righteousness and justice.

The Holy Bible is the written Word of God – it is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

 

Divine Healing:
Scripture upon scripture in the Bible testifies of supernatural healings by the hand of God.
God is the same yesterday, today, and forever – and therefore we firmly believe that divine healing is part of the walk of faith. In Mark 16:17 Jesus says to His disciples: “And these attesting signs will accompany those who believe: in My name they will drive out demons, they will speak in new languages, they will pick up serpents, and if they drink anything deadly, it will not hurt them, they will lay their hands on the sick and they will get well…” Based on these words, and faith in the One who spoke them, we believe God uses people as His vessels to minister divine healing. In every miracle, deliverance, healing, and restoration all honor, glory and praise belong only the One who made it possible – Jesus, because by His wounds we are healed!

 

Water Baptism:
“Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2: 37-38).
 

According to this scripture, repentance is a key step to being baptized. Repentance is when you turn away from sin towards God, and this decision each person needs to make for themselves – no one else can do it for you.

GIVE JESUS your most important possession – your heart.

 

“We were buried therefore with Him by the baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, so we too might live and behave in newness of life. For if we have become one with Him by sharing a death like His, we shall also be one with Him in sharing His resurrection [by the new life lived for God]. We know that our old (unrenewed) self was nailed to the cross with Him in order that [our] body [which is the instrument ] of sin might be made ineffective and inactive for evil, that we might no longer be the slaves of sin.”
(Romans 6:4-6, AMP)

 

Water-baptism (baptism by immersion), we believe is a declaration into the heavens, indicating laying down the old self and resurrection of the new creation in Christ Jesus, as explained by Paul in Romans 6. It is also a step of faith in obedience to Jesus’ last instruction in Matthew 28:18-20:
 

“Jesus approached and, breaking the silence, said to them, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. God then and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you all the days, to the close and consummation of the age. Amen.”
 

Water-baptism is a personal decision and a public declaration of faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and your commitment to obey His commands.

 

Personal relationship with God:
Jesus paid the full price for our salvation, and tore the veil that separated man from God (Matt. 27:51), so that each person who comes to the Father, through Him, can have an intimate, personal relationship with God.

 

To grow in this love-relationship John 15:10-17 is vital:
“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love…This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
 

You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing, but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. These things I command you. That you love one another.”

 

Our obedience to the Lord’s commands will be a testimony of our love for Him and lead us into a more intimate and deep love relationship with Him.

 

The Character of God

 

The Holiness of God

 

Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, and You cannot look on wickedness with favor. Habakuk 1:13

But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear. Isaiah 59:2

The Justice of God

For the LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness; the upright will behold His face. Psalm 11:7

But the LORD of hosts will be exalted in judgment, and the holy God will show Himself holy in righteousness. Isaiah 5:16

God is a righteous judge, and a God who has indignation every day. If a man does not repent, He will sharpen His sword; He has bent His bow and made it ready. Psalm 7:11-12

 

The Depravity & Condemnation of Man

 

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23

For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment Isaiah 64:6

For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, ACCURSED IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT ABIDE BY ALL THINGS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW, TO PERFORM THEM. Galatians 3:10

 

The Great Dilemma

 

He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous, both of them alike are an abomination to the LORD. Proverbs 17:15

Far be it from You to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly? Genesis 18:25

God’s Action

While maintaining His holiness and justice, the Bible also affirms that God is love, and that in love He has responded to the plight of man.

Motivated by Love

 

God is love. By this the love of God is manifested in us, that God sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4:8-10

 

The Cross of Christ

 

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Romans 3:23-26

 

The Resurrection

 

He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification. Romans 4:25

 

Man’s Response

 

Repentance begins with a recognition and confession that what God says about us is true that we have sinned.

For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so
that You are justified when You speak and blameless when You judge. Psalm 51:3-4

A genuine recognition of our sinfulness and guilt will also lead to genuine sorrow, shame and even hatred for what we have done.

 

For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. Romans 7:15

 

Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from this body of death? Romans 7:24

 

Apparent sincerity of confession alone is never definite evidence of genuine repentance.

It must be accompanied by a turning away from sin.

 

Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil. Isaiah 1:16
 

therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Matthew 3:10

 

Faith Defined

 

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1

and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. Romans 4:21

 

Faith Based on The Promises of God

 

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16

 

Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved Acts 16:31

 

Example of a Believer

 

worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh Philippians 3:3

 

The Basis of Genuine Assurance

 

True conversion: A true Christian is a new creation and will live a life that reflects God’s radical work of re-creation in his/her life.

 

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:17

 

You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? Matthew 7:16

 

Assurance is based upon self-examination in the light of Scripture.

 

Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you unless indeed you fail the test? 2 Corinthians 13:5

 

These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. 1 John 5:13

 

Test of Biblical Assurance

 

1 John 1:5-7 (Walking in the Light),

1 John 1:8-10 (Confession of Sin),

1 John 2:3-4 (Obedience),

1 John 2:9-11 (Love for the Brethren),

1 John 2:15-17 (Hatred for the World),

1 John 2:24-25 (Perseverance in Doctrine),

1 John 3:10 (Righteousness),

1 John 4:13 (Spirit’s Testimony),

Hebrews 12:5-8 (Discipline)

 

Obedience leads us into holiness.

 

Statement of faith

 

he Bible is God’s unique revelation to people. It is the inspired, infallible Word of God, and the supreme and final authority on all matters upon which it teaches.

 

There is only one God, creator of heaven and earth, who exists eternally as three persons — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each fully God yet each personally distinct from the other.

 

All people are created in God’s image and matter deeply to Him. Central to the message of the Bible is that God loves people, and invites them to live in communion with Himself and in community with each other.

 

Apart from Jesus Christ, all people are spiritually lost and, because of sin, deserve the judgment of God. However, God gives salvation and eternal life to anyone who trusts in Jesus Christ and in His sacrifice on his or her behalf. Salvation cannot be earned through personal goodness or human effort. It is a gift that must be received by humble repentance and faith in Christ and His finished work on the cross.

 

Jesus Christ, second Person of the Trinity, was born of the Virgin Mary, lived a sinless human life, willingly took upon Himself all of our sins, died and rose again bodily, and is at the right hand of the Father as our advocate and mediator. Some day, He will return to consummate history and to fulfill the eternal plan of God.

 

The Holy Spirit, third Person of the Trinity, convicts the world of sin and draws people to Christ. He also indwells all believers. He is available to empower them to lead Christ-like lives, and gives them spiritual gifts with which to serve the church and reach out to a lost and needy world.