Kerygma: The Gospel Proclaimed
We believe the core of the Gospel delivered through the Apostles can be summarized as follows:
- The Gospel is the fulfillment of prophecy in the Holy Scriptures, according to the eternal purpose and plan of God, to reconcile man unto Himself, through His Only Son, Jesus Christ, bringing us under a New Covenant, in which there is forgiveness of sins and God’s Holy Spirit being placed in us.
- Old Testament prophecy was fulfilled through the coming of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. He is the Only Son of God, fully God, fully Man. He lived a perfect, sinless life and was crucified, dead and buried, rising on the third day and is now seated at the right hand of the Father.
- The Son of Man, Jesus, will come again as a Judge of the living and the dead. He will abolish all rule and authority and set up the Kingdom of God over which He will reign for all eternity.
- All those who hear this message and believe by faith, receiving by grace this precious gift of forgiveness, will be called the sons and daughters of God. They will receive His Spirit as a pledge of their inheritance as they eagerly await His return.
We believe that there exists only one gospel of Jesus Christ and that whoever chooses to put their faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ will be forgiven of their sins and will be a child of God and part of the Family of God, the Church.
We believe that those who have received by faith this message must be baptized into the Name of Jesus, being identified with Him in His burial and resurrection, and as a symbolic act of becoming identified with the community of faith and believers.
We believe that there is a work of salvation and that once one is identified to Christ and His Church through baptism there is to be development and establishment of that believer in the local church as an essential and active part of the family.
Didache: The Apostolic Teaching
We believe that God has always had an eternal, specific plan for His Church and that He has revealed the plan with clear instructions for the churches in the epistles. (Ephesians 3:1-13; 1 Timothy 3:14-16; 2 Timothy 1:13-14, 3:9-10)
We believe that because this plan is for all times and does not change that it is meant to be understood and followed by His church for all times. (Ephesians 3:4-10)
We believe that the core of this teaching passed down from the Apostles can be summarized as follows:
- Each believer is enjoined to put off the old way of living, be renewed in the spirit of their mind and be conformed to the perfect will and purpose of God, putting on the new self, which is by the Spirit. (Romans 12; Romans 14-15; Ephesians 4:22-24)
- Every believer, by the power of the indwelling Spirit of God, will live and be recognizable as a believer by a set of Godly virtues. (Galatians 5:22-26; Colossians 3)
- Each individual household/family must be ordered to the specific instructions given that are according to God’s design. There is an order and it can and should be understood and followed. (Ephesians 5:22-6:9; Colossians 3:18-4:1; 1 Peter 2:18; 1 Timothy 6:1-2)
- The household of God, the local church, must be ordered to the specific instructions given in accordance to God’s design and sound doctrine that has been passed on from the Apostles, specifically Paul. (Ephesians 3:1-13; Colossians 1:24-29; Titus 2; 1 Corinthians 13:1-8; 2 Peter 1:3-11; 1 Timothy 5:1-3; 1 Timothy 4:14-15)
- Within the community of believers, the local church, every believer is meant to utilize their individual gifts for the building up of the community as a whole. Always working to preserve the bond of unity and peace, through love serving one another. There are relationships within the local church context that are to be adhered to concerning the generations, cultivating a culture of familial honor, respect and love for one another. (1 Corinthians 12; Romans 12:1-16; 1 Corinthians 13:1-8; Ephesians 4:1-5; Galatians 5:13; Titus 2; 1 Timothy 5:1-3)
- The believer (individual) and the community of believers (as a whole) must relate to the world as representatives of God’s Family and Kingdom. Namely, having respect for earthly authorities (government, employees, etc) as well as loving their neighbor as themselves with good works and helping those in need, while not being infiltrated by the philosophies of the culture and world surrounding them. (Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-17; Titus 2:14, 3:1-2, 14; 1 Timothy 1:1-7, 4:1-6, 16, 6:3-4)
- Each believer is to live a sober life, making the most of their time (for the days are evil), staying alert and watchful in prayer as our enemy, Satan, seeks to steal, kill and destroy. (1 Peter 5:8; Ephesians 6:10-18; John 10:10)
We believe the following truths are based off of that which was passed down through the Apostles to the Early Church and therefore should be adhered to.
We believe that the family unit is of utmost importance and must be guarded from the cultural influences of our day. Namely, that marriage is a sacred act that is meant to be between one man and one woman for the rest of their lives, with the exception of immorality and infidelity in which case it is permissible to divorce. Anything beyond this is contrary to God’s perfect design. (Matthew 5:30-32; 19:1-12; Mark 10:1-12; 1 Corinthians 7:10-16; Ephesians 5:22-33)
We believe that humans are created male and female. It is God who gives gender and therefore it cannot and should not be changed or altered according to our feelings, the opinions of others, or what the culture of our day deems acceptable. (Genesis 1:27, 5:2; Matthew 19:4; Mark 10:6; 1 Corinthians 11:12, all Amplified Version)
We believe, concerning abortion, that life is sacred and is a wonderful gift of God. Biblical passages express the God-given mystery of creation (Psalm 139; Jeremiah 1:5; Isaiah 40:26; Luke 1:41; Acts 17:24-25). God creates life, redeems it through Jesus Christ, and fulfills it in the coming of the reign of God. Therefore, it is our belief that, guided by God’s Law, which orders and preserves life, human beings are called to respect and care for the life that God gives. We believe that God is redemptive and there is forgiveness for all things done contrary to His design, but that we are meant to preserve and protect life that has been entrusted to us.
We believe that Scripture clearly teaches that every believer is saved by grace through faith. This grace of God appeared to bring salvation to all men and is to instruct us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age. It is not meant as a license to continue in sin and our worldly desires. For the one who continues in habitual sin has never truly known God.
(Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 5:20, 6-8; 2 Corinthians 8:9; Galatians 2:21, 5:4; Titus 2:10-12; 1 John 3:6-9)
We believe that every believer is to be consistently connected and involved in a local church as it is the local expression of the family of God. It is for each individual's growth, participation, accountability and protection. (Romans 12:4-5; Hebrews 10:23-25; 1 Timothy 5:1-2)
We believe that the Word of God has the final authority on all issues concerning the churches and their beliefs. It is our belief that the local church is to be guarded by elders and those gifted as pastors and teachers and ministers of the Gospel, but that all are subject to the authority of Scripture.
