CORE BELIEFS
The Bible is a complete and self-sufficient basis for faith, beliefs, and lifestyle.
1. Scriptures
The Bible as Old and New Testament is the revelation and message of God to men and is the infallible authoritative guide of faith and behavior.
(2 Timothy 3:15-17; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Peter 1:21)
2. The One True God
There is only one true God. He has revealed Himself as existing eternally, before Him nothing existed and nothing caused Him to exist. He is the Creator of heaven and earth. God has revealed Himself as one God that includes three interrelated persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The understanding of one God in the form of three persons is called the Trinity.
(Is. 43:10, Gen. 1:1, Deut. 6:4, Matt. 28:19, Luke 3:22)
3. The Divinity of The Lord Jesus Christ
The Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal God, and the Son of God. The Scriptures reveal to us His Immaculate Conception and Birth, His sinless life, His miracles, His substitutionary sacrifice on the cross, His physical resurrection from the dead, His ascension into heaven.
(Acts 1:9,11, Matthew 1:23, Hebrews 7:26, Acts 10:38, 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Corinthians 15:4)
4. The Fall of Man
God created man in His own image, sinless, good and righteous; male and female He created them. But by exercising his freedom of choice, man by his voluntary decision violated God's decree, committed sin, and allowed spiritual fall. Thereby he lost his godly nature, brought upon himself physical death and spiritual death, that is, separation from God.
(Genesis 1:27; 2:17; 3:6, Romans 5:12-19)
5. The Salvation of Man
Salvation is deliverance from spiritual death and sinful bondage. God gives salvation to all who believe in and accept His free gift of forgiveness. The only way to salvation is through Jesus Christ. (Acts 4:12)
a. Conditions of Salvation
Salvation is obtained through repentance of one's sins to God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. At the moment of salvation, one becomes an heir of God's promised hope of eternal life. (John 3:3; Titus 3:5-7)
b. Evidence of salvation
The internal evidence of salvation is the direct testimony of the Holy Spirit to a person that he is accepted by God. The outward evidence of salvation is a holy and righteous life.
(Romans 8:16, Ephesians 4:24)
6. Sacraments of the Church
a. Water Baptism
The sacrament of baptism by full immersion in water is commanded in the Bible. All who repent and confess Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord are to be baptized in water. This testifies to all that a person has died to a sinful life and has been raised to a new life in Christ. (1 Peter 3:21, Romans 6:4)
b. Holy Communion
The Lord's Supper is a commandment given by Christ to the Church, which consists of two visible elements: the bread and the fruit of the vine, which is a symbol of the Body and Blood of Christ.
The Lord's Supper consists of bread and wine (fruit of the vine) and symbolizes the remembrance of Christ's suffering and death. The partaker expresses the assurance that in salvation he or she has been reconciled to God and now shares in the divine nature of eternal life in our Lord Jesus Christ.
(1 Corinthians 11:24-26, John 6:53, 54)
7. The Baptism of The Holy Spirit
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is an important stage in the spiritual life of the believer. This experience allows for a deeper and better prayer life, access to spiritual gifts, and the power to witness to the Messiah
(Acts 1:8, 1 Corinthians 12:1-31)
8. The Evidence of The Baptism of The Holy Spirit
The baptism of believers in the Holy Spirit is accompanied by speaking in other tongues as the Spirit of God gives them an utterance.
(Acts 2:4)
9. Sanctification
This is the act of separation from evil and consecration to God. A Christian is sanctified when he or she turns to Christ and accepts by faith His sacrificial death and triumphant resurrection. Scripture teaches that we are to be holy because God is holy.
(1 Peter 1:14-16)
10. The Church and Its Mission
The church is made up of people redeemed by Christ who are called to fulfill Christ's great commission. (Mark 16:15,16)
The church consists of all people who have believed that Jesus Christ is the only salvation from sins. The church includes all Christians regardless of age, race, gender (female or male) or denomination. It is the Body of Christ, the dwelling place of God in the form of the Holy Spirit. Every Christian is an integral part of the Universal Church and must also become a part of the local and home church. The names of all true believers (of whom the Church is composed) are written in heaven. (Ephesians 1:22, 23; 2:22; Hebrews 12:23)
The primary reason for the existence of the local church as part of the Universal Church is:
a. To be God's agent for the evangelization of the world. (Acts 1:8; Matthew 28:19,20; Mark 16:15,16)
b. To be a unified, holistic community in which man can worship God. (1 Corinthians 12:13)
c. To be a channel for the fulfillment of God's plan to build up a community of saints growing into the image of His Son. (Eph. 4:11-16)
11. Service
Service is the Christian's natural response to the divine calling to fulfill the following four purposes:
12. 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)
13. The Blessed Hope
Christians who have died will one day be resurrected, rise from their graves, and meet the Lord in heaven and the living will be lifted up with them to be with the Lord.
(1 Cor. 15:51, 52; 1 Thess. 4:13-17)
14. The Millennial Kingdom of Christ
The second coming of Christ includes the rapture of all Christians, which is our blessed hope, followed by the visible return of Christ with His saints to rule on earth for 1,000 years. (Matthew 24:27, 30; Rev. 1:7; 19:11- 14; 20:1-6) His 1,000-year reign will bring salvation to the nation of Israel and peace will be restored to the earth. (Ezek. 37:21, 22; Soph. 3:19, 20; Rom. 11:26, 27)
15. The Final Judgment
There will be a final judgment in which the wicked - those who died without accepting Christ's salvation - will be raised from the dead to answer in judgment for their deeds. Anyone whose name is not written in the book of life, along with the devil and his angels, the beast, and the false prophet, will face eternal punishment in the lake of fire. This is called the "second death."
(Matthew 25:46; Revelation 20:11-15, 21:8)
16. New Heavens and New Earth
"According to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells."
(2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21, 22)
17.The Sacredness, The Inviolability of Human Life
We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life has inestimable value in all its dimensions, including the living fetus in the body of a pregnant woman, premature infants, the elderly, the physically or mentally handicapped, and any other stage or condition from conception to natural death. Therefore, we are called to protect, preserve, and value any human life.
(Psalms 138:13-16; Jeremiah 1:4-5)
SEATTLE BETHANY CHURCH @ June 9th, 2023
1. Scriptures
The Bible as Old and New Testament is the revelation and message of God to men and is the infallible authoritative guide of faith and behavior.
(2 Timothy 3:15-17; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Peter 1:21)
2. The One True God
There is only one true God. He has revealed Himself as existing eternally, before Him nothing existed and nothing caused Him to exist. He is the Creator of heaven and earth. God has revealed Himself as one God that includes three interrelated persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The understanding of one God in the form of three persons is called the Trinity.
(Is. 43:10, Gen. 1:1, Deut. 6:4, Matt. 28:19, Luke 3:22)
3. The Divinity of The Lord Jesus Christ
The Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal God, and the Son of God. The Scriptures reveal to us His Immaculate Conception and Birth, His sinless life, His miracles, His substitutionary sacrifice on the cross, His physical resurrection from the dead, His ascension into heaven.
(Acts 1:9,11, Matthew 1:23, Hebrews 7:26, Acts 10:38, 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Corinthians 15:4)
4. The Fall of Man
God created man in His own image, sinless, good and righteous; male and female He created them. But by exercising his freedom of choice, man by his voluntary decision violated God's decree, committed sin, and allowed spiritual fall. Thereby he lost his godly nature, brought upon himself physical death and spiritual death, that is, separation from God.
(Genesis 1:27; 2:17; 3:6, Romans 5:12-19)
5. The Salvation of Man
Salvation is deliverance from spiritual death and sinful bondage. God gives salvation to all who believe in and accept His free gift of forgiveness. The only way to salvation is through Jesus Christ. (Acts 4:12)
a. Conditions of Salvation
Salvation is obtained through repentance of one's sins to God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. At the moment of salvation, one becomes an heir of God's promised hope of eternal life. (John 3:3; Titus 3:5-7)
b. Evidence of salvation
The internal evidence of salvation is the direct testimony of the Holy Spirit to a person that he is accepted by God. The outward evidence of salvation is a holy and righteous life.
(Romans 8:16, Ephesians 4:24)
6. Sacraments of the Church
a. Water Baptism
The sacrament of baptism by full immersion in water is commanded in the Bible. All who repent and confess Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord are to be baptized in water. This testifies to all that a person has died to a sinful life and has been raised to a new life in Christ. (1 Peter 3:21, Romans 6:4)
b. Holy Communion
The Lord's Supper is a commandment given by Christ to the Church, which consists of two visible elements: the bread and the fruit of the vine, which is a symbol of the Body and Blood of Christ.
The Lord's Supper consists of bread and wine (fruit of the vine) and symbolizes the remembrance of Christ's suffering and death. The partaker expresses the assurance that in salvation he or she has been reconciled to God and now shares in the divine nature of eternal life in our Lord Jesus Christ.
(1 Corinthians 11:24-26, John 6:53, 54)
7. The Baptism of The Holy Spirit
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is an important stage in the spiritual life of the believer. This experience allows for a deeper and better prayer life, access to spiritual gifts, and the power to witness to the Messiah
(Acts 1:8, 1 Corinthians 12:1-31)
8. The Evidence of The Baptism of The Holy Spirit
The baptism of believers in the Holy Spirit is accompanied by speaking in other tongues as the Spirit of God gives them an utterance.
(Acts 2:4)
9. Sanctification
This is the act of separation from evil and consecration to God. A Christian is sanctified when he or she turns to Christ and accepts by faith His sacrificial death and triumphant resurrection. Scripture teaches that we are to be holy because God is holy.
(1 Peter 1:14-16)
10. The Church and Its Mission
The church is made up of people redeemed by Christ who are called to fulfill Christ's great commission. (Mark 16:15,16)
The church consists of all people who have believed that Jesus Christ is the only salvation from sins. The church includes all Christians regardless of age, race, gender (female or male) or denomination. It is the Body of Christ, the dwelling place of God in the form of the Holy Spirit. Every Christian is an integral part of the Universal Church and must also become a part of the local and home church. The names of all true believers (of whom the Church is composed) are written in heaven. (Ephesians 1:22, 23; 2:22; Hebrews 12:23)
The primary reason for the existence of the local church as part of the Universal Church is:
a. To be God's agent for the evangelization of the world. (Acts 1:8; Matthew 28:19,20; Mark 16:15,16)
b. To be a unified, holistic community in which man can worship God. (1 Corinthians 12:13)
c. To be a channel for the fulfillment of God's plan to build up a community of saints growing into the image of His Son. (Eph. 4:11-16)
11. Service
Service is the Christian's natural response to the divine calling to fulfill the following four purposes:
- To glorify God
- To evangelize the world
- To raise up those who have believed in the Lord
- To meet human needs by the ministry of love and mercy. (Galatians 2:10; 6:10; James 1:27)
12. 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)
13. The Blessed Hope
Christians who have died will one day be resurrected, rise from their graves, and meet the Lord in heaven and the living will be lifted up with them to be with the Lord.
(1 Cor. 15:51, 52; 1 Thess. 4:13-17)
14. The Millennial Kingdom of Christ
The second coming of Christ includes the rapture of all Christians, which is our blessed hope, followed by the visible return of Christ with His saints to rule on earth for 1,000 years. (Matthew 24:27, 30; Rev. 1:7; 19:11- 14; 20:1-6) His 1,000-year reign will bring salvation to the nation of Israel and peace will be restored to the earth. (Ezek. 37:21, 22; Soph. 3:19, 20; Rom. 11:26, 27)
15. The Final Judgment
There will be a final judgment in which the wicked - those who died without accepting Christ's salvation - will be raised from the dead to answer in judgment for their deeds. Anyone whose name is not written in the book of life, along with the devil and his angels, the beast, and the false prophet, will face eternal punishment in the lake of fire. This is called the "second death."
(Matthew 25:46; Revelation 20:11-15, 21:8)
16. New Heavens and New Earth
"According to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells."
(2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21, 22)
17.The Sacredness, The Inviolability of Human Life
We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life has inestimable value in all its dimensions, including the living fetus in the body of a pregnant woman, premature infants, the elderly, the physically or mentally handicapped, and any other stage or condition from conception to natural death. Therefore, we are called to protect, preserve, and value any human life.
(Psalms 138:13-16; Jeremiah 1:4-5)
SEATTLE BETHANY CHURCH @ June 9th, 2023