Word of Life Tenets of Faith
THE SCRIPTURES -
We believe the bible is the inspired word of God. It was authored by the Holy Spirit through holy men of God.
The New Covenant, as revealed in the New Testament, is our source and authority for doctrine and practical instructions for day to day living.
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1 Thessalonians 2:13 ~ For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard
from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe. - NKJV
2 Timothy 3:16 ~ All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof,
for correction, for instruction in righteousness - NKJV
2 Peter 1:21 ~ for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. - NKJV
THE GODHEAD -
There is only one God, the creator of the heavens and the earth. God is one but manifest in three persons who are coequal; the Father, the Son - Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.
God the Father is above all and sits on the throne.
The Son is the Word made flesh, begotten of the Father and has existed from the beginning.
The Holy Spirit, the 3rd person of the Godhead, is sent by the Father and the Son to aid believers
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Deuteronomy 6:4 ~ Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! - NKJV
John 1:1 ~ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. - NKJV
John 1:14 ~ And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. - NKJV
John 1:18 ~ No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. - NKJV
John 14:16 ~ And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever - NKJV
John 14:28 ~ You have heard Me say to you, 'I am going away and coming back to you.' If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, 'I am going to the Father,' for My Father is greater than I. - NKJV
John 15:26 ~ But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. - NKJV
John 16:28 ~ I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father. - NKJV
Philippians 2:6 ~ who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, - NKJV
MAN, HIS FALL AND REDEMPTION -
Man is a created being, created in the image of God. The man, Adam willfully disobeyed by eating of the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil and caused all of humanity to become separated from God. The Lord Jesus Christ came to redeem humanity by giving his life
on the cross as the purchase price for man's redemption.
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Genesis 1:26 ~ Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." - NKJV
Genesis 3:9-11 ~ Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?" So he said, "I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself." And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?" - NKJV
Romans 5:18 ~ Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. - NKJV
1 Peter 1:18-19 ~ knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. - NKJV
SALVATION - THE NEW BIRTH -
Salvation is by accepting the Lord Jesus Christ and his work on the cross as payment for our transgressions apart from works.
No one can see heaven unless he is born again. The New Birth (salvation) is by faith through grace and experienced in the life of a
sinner by believing that God raised Jesus from the dead and by confessing Jesus as Lord.
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John 3:3 ~ Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." - NKJV
Romans 3:24-25 ~ being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, - NKJV
Romans 10:9-10 ~ that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. - NKJV
WATER BAPTISM -
Water baptism is for believers only and is a symbol of our identification with Jesus Christ in His death, burial and resurrection.
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Matthew 28:19 ~ Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, - NKJV
Acts 8:36-38 ~ Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, "See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?" Then Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. - NKJV
Romans 6:4 ~ Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. - NKJV
Colossians 2:12 ~ buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. - NKJV
BAPTISM IN THE HOLY GHOST -
Baptism in the Holy Ghost is an experience apart from salvation where the believer is endued with power from heaven. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit
is available to all believers and referred to as the promise of the Father in scripture. The initial evidence of being filled with the Spirit is
speaking in other tongues as the Holy Spirit gives the utterance.
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Luke 24:49 ~ Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high." - NKJV
Acts 1:8 ~ But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. - NKJV
Acts 2:4 ~ And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. - NKJV
Acts 2:38-39 ~ 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. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call." - NKJV
SANCTIFICATION - HOLINESS -
Sanctification, holiness, is a process of grace that starts at the new birth and continues throughout the life of a believer.
Holiness is a work of grace in the heart of a believer transformed them into the image of Christ.
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2 Corinthians 3:18 ~ But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. - NKJV
Philippians 3:12-14 ~ Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. - NKJV
1 Thessalonians 5:23 ~ Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. - NKJV
Hebrews 12:14 ~ Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord - NKJV
2 Peter 3:18 ~ but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. - NKJV
DIVINE HEALING -
Divine healing was purchased by the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross.
It is for the physical ills of the human body and is claimed by the prayer of faith and the laying on of hands.
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Isaiah 53:4-5 ~ Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. - NKJV
Matthew 8:17 ~ that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: "He Himself took our infirmities And bore our sicknesses." - NKJV
Mark 16:18 ~ they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover. - NKJV
James 5:14-15 ~ Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. - NKJV
1 Peter 2:24 ~ who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness - by whose stripes you were healed. - NKJV
THE RETURN OF OUR LORD AND RESURRECTION OF THE JUST -
The return of the Lord Jesus Christ is imminent. At His coming the dead in Christ will rise first and the believers who are alive
and remain will be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air. After the Tribulation, the Lord Jesus will return to the earth
as King of kings and Lord of lords and reign a thousand years.
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1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 ~ For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. - NKJV
Revelation 20:6 ~ Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. - NKJV
HELL AND ETERNAL RETRIBUTION -
Those who do not accept the Lord Jesus Christ in this life are hopelessly and eternally lost and have no more opportunity of repentance.
At the final judgment those not found in the Book of Life will be cast into the lake of fire which is a literal place for eternity.
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Hebrews 9:27 ~ And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, - NKJV
Revelation 19:20 ~ Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. - NKJV
Revelation 20:12 ~ And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. - NKJV
Revelation 20:15 ~ And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. - NKJV
