A.   Beliefs on Doctrine

1. We believe the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments to be the inspired, only infallible, authoritative Word of God. (Mt. 5:18; Jn. 17:17;        2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:20-21)

2. We believe in the triune Godhead as eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit and these being One God are equal in deity, power and glory. (Mt. 28:18-19; 2 Cor. 13:14; Eph. 1:3-14)

3. We believe God absolutely is. We believe in the living, sovereign, infinite, and glorious God the Father who by His Word created and sustains the heavens and the earth. He is unchanging, all-knowing, all-powerful, all-wise, all-loving, holy and perfectly just and all things exist for His glory. He is the Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, He is the Father of all true believers, and He intends for mankind to live in fellowship with Him. (Gen. 1:1; Ex. 3:13-15; Ps. 90:2; Is. 40:21-28; 46:8-11; Jn. 1:12-13; 5:19-21; 17:1-5; Ro. 8:14-16; Ro. 11:33-36; Eph. 4:6; Rev.1:8)

4. We believe Jesus Christ is God incarnate, fully God and fully man, in His virgin birth conceived of the Holy Spirit, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious death and atonement through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection on the third day, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father and in His present priestly ministry. (Mt. 1:18-25, Jn. 1:1-18, Ro. 3:25-26, Ro. 8:34, 1 Cor. 15:1-8, 2 Cor. 5:21, Ph. 2:6-11)

5. We believe the Holy Spirit is fully God, equal to the Father and Son and His primary ministry is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit also indwells and graciously empowers the believer for godly living and ministry. We believe Jesus Christ baptizes believers in the Holy Spirit as on the day of Pentecost, in the continuing ministry of the Holy Spirit as evidenced in (1) charismatic gifts per Ro. 12:6-8, 1 Cor. 12:7-10 and 1 Pet. 4:11, (2) ministries per Eph. 4:11, and in His (3) fruit in the life of the believer per Gal. 5:22-23. We believe that the work of the Spirit continues to this day even as it was in the early church. (Mt. 3:11, Jn., 16:7-15, Acts 2:4, Heb. 13:8)

6. We believe that man was created good and upright. However, man by voluntary transgression fell and thereby incurred not only physical death but also spiritual death which is separation from God. (Gen. 1-3, Ro. 5:12-19, Eph. 2:1-3)

7. We believe in salvation through only the redeeming blood of Jesus Christ and that regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential. We are justified by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. We further believe in the keeping power of God. We also affirm the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of eternal life, and they that are lost unto the resurrection of eternal punishment. (Jn. 5:28-29; Eph.2:5-10, Titus 3:3-7, Heb. 9:14-28, Jude 24)

8. We believe in the evangelistic, as well as missionary, fervor and endeavor of the Church which is God’s primary instrument He is using to fulfill His redemptive purposes in the earth to preach the Gospel to all nations and show the compassion of Christ by ministering to the needs of the poor. We further believe the Gospel is the good news of all God has accomplished through the life, death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. (Is. 58:6-12, Mt. 16:17-19, Mt. 28:18-20, Mk. 16:15-18, Lk. 4:18, Lk. 24:46-47, Ro. 1:16-17, 1 Cor. 1:18-25, Gal. 2:10, Heb. 10:23-25)

9. We believe in sanctification, holiness of heart and the overcoming life is God’s design for the church, which is the Bride of Christ (Eph. 5:25-27). Furthermore, we believe that sanctification is the ongoing process of yielding to God’s Word and His Spirit in order to complete the development of Christ’s character in us. (2 Cor.3:18; Eph. 5:25-27; 1 Th. 4:3, 5:23)

10. We believe that the ordinances of Baptism by immersion in water and the Lord’s Supper should be regularly practiced in the local church. (Mt. 28:19,20; 1 Cor. 11:23- 26).

 11. We believe in the priesthood of all believers and the importance of their active involvement in the local church. We believe it is the duty and privilege of every believer, within his or her ability, to support the local church with his or her regular presence, giving and service. We further believe that tithing, accompanied by free- will offerings, is God’s ordained method to finance the spreading of the Gospel and the needs of the local church. (Mal. 3:8-10; Acts 4:32-37; 2 Cor. 8:1-5, Heb. 10:24- 25; 1 Pet. 2:4-5, 9-10)

12. We believe in the priesthood of all believers and the importance of their active involvement in the local church. We believe it is the duty and privilege of every believer, within his or her ability, to support the local church with his or her regular presence, giving and service. We further believe that tithing, accompanied by free- will offerings, is God’s ordained method to finance the spreading of the Gospel and the needs of the local church. (Mal. 3:8-10; Acts 4:32-37; 2 Cor. 8:1-5, Heb. 10:24- 25; 1 Pet. 2:4-5, 9-10)

13. We believe in Christ’s imminent personal return to earth in power and great glory, and in His present and everlasting dominion. (Acts 1:11; Dan. 7:14, Rev. 1:7)

B. Beliefs on Cultural Issues

1. Marriage, Family and Sexuality

 a. We believe that the term “marriage” has only one, legitimate meaning, and that is marriage sanctioned by God, which joins one man and one woman in a single, covenantal union for a lifetime, as delineated by Scripture. Marriage ceremonies performed in any facility owned, leased or rented by this church will be only those ceremonies sanctioned by God, joining one man with one woman as their genders were determined at birth. Whenever there is a conflict between the church’s position and any new legal standard for marriage, the church’s Statement of Faith, doctrines and biblical positions will govern. (Gen. 2:24;  Eph. 5:22-23; Mark 10:6-9; I Cor. 7:1-9)

 b. We believe that God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. The husband is to love his wife as Christ loves the church. The wife is to submit herself to the Scriptural leadership of her husband as the church submits to the headship of Christ. Children are a wonderful gift and heritage from the Lord. Parents are responsible for teaching their children spiritual and moral values through consistent lifestyle example and appropriate training and discipline. (Gen. 1:26-28; Ex. 20:12; Deut. 6:4-9; Ps. 127:3-5; Prov. 19:18; 22:15; 23:13-14; Mk. 10:6-12; 1 Cor. 7:1-16; Eph. 5:21-33; 6:1-4; Col. 3:18-21; 1 Pet. 3:1-7)

c. We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of marriage as defined in (a) above. We believe that any other type of sexual activity, identity or expression that lies outside of this definition of marriage, including those that are becoming more accepted in the culture and the courts, are contradictory to God’s natural design and purpose for sexual activity. (Gen. 2:24; Gen. 19:5; Lev. 18:1-30; Rom. 1: 26-29; 1 Cor. 5:1; 6:9-10; 1 Thess. 4:1-8; Heb. 13:4)

d. We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two-distinct, unchangeable genders together reflect the image and nature of God and the rejection of one's biological gender is a rejection of the image of God within that person. (Gen. 1:26-27; Mt. 19:4)    

2.  Abortion

      
We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion is murder and constitutes the unjustified, 
unexcused taking of unborn human life. (Job 3:16; Ps. 51:5; 139:13-16; Isa. 44:24; 49:1, 5; Jer. 1:5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:36, 44)

3. Euthanasia.

      
We believe that an act or omission which, of itself or by intention, facilitates premature death, is assuming a decision that is to be reserved for God. We do not believe that discontinuing medical procedures that are extraordinary or disproportionate to the expected outcome is euthanasia. (Ex. 20:13; 23:7; Matt. 5:21; Acts 17:28)

4. Loving Behavior

We believe that we should demonstrate love for others, not only toward fellow believers, but also toward those who are not believers, those who oppose us, and those who engage in sinful actions. We are to deal with those who oppose us graciously, gently, patiently, and humbly. God forbids the stirring up of strife, the taking of revenge, or the threat or use of violence as a means of resolving personal conflict or obtaining personal justice. Although God commands us to abhor sinful actions, we are to love and pray for any person who engages in such actions. (Lev. 19:18; Matt. 5:44-48; Luke 6:31; John 13:34-35; Rom. 12:9-10; 17-21; 13:8-10; Phil. 2:2-4; 2 Tim. 2:24-26; Titus 3:2; I Peter 3:8-         9; 1 John 3:17-18)

5. Conflicts within the Church.

We believe that Christians are exhorted to resolve conflict in a Christ-like manner with the ultimate hope and goal of reconciliation and restoration in the Body of Christ. We are to actively look to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, as well as understand that the world will know we are disciples of Jesus Christ by our love for another. (Matthew 18:15-17; John 13:35; 1 Cor. 6:1-8; Eph. 4:1-3, 31-32; Hebrews 12:15; James 4:1-12)

6. Protection of Children.

We believe that children are a heritage from the Lord and must be absolutely protected within the church from any form of abuse or molestation. The church has zero tolerance for any person, whether paid staff, volunteer, member, or visitor, who abuses or molests a child. (Ps. 127:3-5; Matt. 18:6; Matt. 19:14; Mark 10:14)

  Please sign below, to indicate that you have read and are in complete agreement with the Freedom Church Statement of Faith.