ARTICLES
Our
Beliefs
Our church seeks to be unified in the “major” things and allows for differing opinions in the “minor” things.
Jesus said that the world would know that we are His because we love one another and because we are one. John 13:35; John 17:21-22
This church has people with many different backgrounds, but we are unified in Jesus Christ to reach the Lost. Christ’s church has been divided too long. We are more interested in glorifying God than arguing over non-salvation issues. “How can we agree rather than disagree?” is a very important question we seek to answer. “How can we apply the truth of scripture in a way that shows love for our Father and love for one another so that Jesus is glorified in all we do?”
Those who desire to become members of Faith and Victory Church and
serve in its respective ministries should agree on the following beliefs in order to maintain unity in the body of Christ and the ministry of the church.
People may have slight variations in their beliefs, which is entirely acceptable as a Christian, but as a church we have a unified front in what we teach and believe.
Therefore our non-negotiable beliefs are:
THE SCRIPTURES.
The Bible is the inspired Word of God, the product of Holy Men of old who spoke and wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. The New Covenant as recorded in the New Testament, we accept as our infallible guide in matters pertaining to conduct and doctrine (II Timothy 3:16, I Thess. 2:13, II Peter 1:21).
THE GODHEAD.
Our God is One, but manifested in three persons—— the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Philippians 2:6; Matthew 3:16—17). God the Father is the Source of the Word (Logos) and the Begetter (John 14:28; John 16:28; John 1:14). Jesus is the Son of God, One with the Father, the Word flesh— covered, the One Begotten, and has existed with the Father from the beginning (John 1:1; John 1:18; John 1:14; John 10:30). The Holy Spirit proceeds forth from both the Father and the Son and is eternal (John 15:26).
MAN, HIS FALL AND REDEMPTION.
Man is a created being, made in the likeness and image of God, but through Adam’s transgression and fall, sin came into the world. “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God”. “As it is written, there is none righteous, no not one”. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was manifested to undo the work of the devil and gave His life and shed His blood to redeem and restore man back to God (Romans 5:12; Romans 3:23; Romans 3:9~.lO; I John 3:8; Galatians 3:13, 14). Salvation is the gift of God to man, separate from works and the law, and is made operative by grace through faith in Jesus Christ only, producing works acceptable to God (Ephesians 2:8).
ETERNAL LIFE AND NEW BIRTH.
Man’s first step toward salvation is Godly sorrow that works repentance. The new Birth is necessary to all men, and when fulfilled produces eternal life (II Cor. 7:10; I John 5:12; John 3:3—5).
WATER BAPTISM.
Baptism in water is by immersion and is a direct commandment of our Lord, and is for believers only. The ordinance is a symbol of the Christian’s identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection (Matt. 28:19; Romans 6:4; Cal. 2:12; Acts 8:36—39). The following recommendation regarding the Water Baptismal formula is adopted, to wit: “On the confession of your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and by His authority, I baptize you in the name of the Father, Son and of the Holy Ghost, In Jesus Name, Amen.”
COMMUNION——THE LORD’S SUPPER.
We partake of the Lord’s Supper to show the Lord’s death till he come (I Cor. 11:23—31). The bread symbolizes the Lord’s broken body (Is. 53:5; I Cor. 11:24). The cup represents the new covenant in His blood which provides us forgiveness and relationship with God (Heb. 9; I Cor. 11:25). We judge ourselves and realize that this is our salvation and receive it (I Cor. 11:28—30) for if we receive it unworthily——without giving it honor as our salvation——we are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord (I Cor. 11:27).
SANCTIFICATION.
The Bible teaches that without holiness no man can see the Lord. We believe in the doctrine of sanctification as a definite, yet progressive work of grace, commencing at the time of regeneration and continuing until the consummation of salvation (Heb. 12:14; I Thess. 5:23; II Peter 3:18; II Car. 3:18; Philippians 3:12—14; I Car. 1:30).
DIVINE HEALING.
Healing is for the physical ills of the human body and is wrought by the power of God through the prayer of faith, and by laying on of hands. It is provided for in the atonement of Christ, and it is the privilege of every member of the church today (Mark 16:18; James 5:14—20; I Peter 2:24, Matt. 8:17; Isaiah 53:4—5).
SPEAKING IN TONGUES
We believe in the operation of the gifts of the Spirit as enumerated in I Corinthians 12-14, and as manifested in the Early Church. Some churches and denominations teach that these gifts have ceased. We believe that they should be manifested in the local church with a spirit of order, love with an awareness of non-believers present in the assembly.
GOD’S BLESSINGS We believe that God’s intent
is to bless his people with good and not evil. Jesus came to give us life
and that more abundantly (John 10:10) and taught that our Father in heaven
wants to give good gifts to his children (Matt 7:11). Satan is the
antithesis of blessing and seeks to destroy the blessings in the life of the
believer (1 Peter 5:8). We recognize that bad things happen in the lives of
believers, but that it is the work of the Devil and personal choices of
people, not the work of God. The Lord can turn bad situations around for
good (Romans 8:28), but does not desire to use pain, sickness or destruction
upon his people. God’s blessings do not indicate his approval nor can they
be demanded, but should be accepted with humble appreciation. His ability to
bless is not dependent upon our confession or formulaic approach but only
his divine providence and mercy and our openness to receive them.
ETERNAL SECURITY
This has been a long standing argument between scholars from two different theological camps. The Armenians believe salvation can be gained and lost. The Calvinists believe once a person is saved he or she can never be lost again. There are great scholars who stand on both sides of this debate and there is scriptural support for both perspectives. Both believe that a person can be identified as a Christian if there is a change in behavior—fruit. The Holy Spirit produces a changed character over time. In our church we will encourage those who have given their lives to Christ to grow. If they fall down in their faith we will help them to get back up and continue on with Christ. We believe that a Christian can have great confidence in their salvation. The Armenian believes that only a person who has denied their faith in Christ is lost. The Calvinist believes that a person who has denied faith in Christ was never saved to begin with. Again, either way, faith in Christ saves us. Ultimately we have people from both backgrounds in our church and we have decided that this is not a salvation issue.
STEWARDSHIP
We practice tithing to support the church, the body of Christ, as God's Word commands. We recognize that giving 10% of our income is the biblical standard of giving to the local church. We do not “give to get” but give because it is commanded and a means by which God is able to bless the church and the work of the ministry. Everything over 10% is an "offering of gratitude" for the great things God does for us everyday. A tithe of everything a person produces belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord. Leviticus 27:30; Malachi 3:7-12. The offering is a privilege to give and is in addition to the tithe. Jesus taught about tithing: "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices mint, dill, and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former." Matthew 23:23. We also recognize that we must be good stewards of our time, and our talents as the Lord has blessed us with these things as well.
THE LEADERSHIP MODEL OF THE CHURCH
Faith and Victory Church is a non-denominational Christian church. While recognizing the value of associating and cooperating with other groups of Christians, we believe the local church should be independent and elder-governed. Acts 14:23; 1 Timothy 5:17
