Faith Statement
Praise and Harmony Faith Commitments
Our Spirit
With reverence and humility, we express these faith commitments. We wish to avoid two extremes. On one end is the danger of placing boundaries where God has not in the presumption that we can articulate the fullness of God’s revelation. On the other end is the failure to affirm teachings that are essential to Christian identity and that serve as foundations of our ministry. It is our noble intent to dwell faithfully between these extremes. Also, we keep the spirit of a tradition that is non-denominational, independent, and guided by God-inspired scriptures.
Our Affirmations
1. God, as revealed in Scripture, is both transcendent and near, holy and loving, infinite and personal. This one God lives in the three persons of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. He is the source of all creation (Gen. 1:1; John 1:1-2), which He sustains (Col. 1:17) and is redeeming (Rom. 8:19-22). God loves us and desires that we have fellowship with Him as His children (I Jn. 1:3).
2. Jesus of Nazareth, as prophetically foretold (1 Pet. 1:10-12) and historically revealed (1 Jn. 1:1-3), is God in the flesh (John 1:14), fully divine and fully human (Phil. 2:6-8), having performed signs, wonders, and miracles that demonstrated he is the Christ, the Son of God (John 20:30-31). He reconciles us to God (2 Cor. 5:17-19), and continually identifies sympathetically with human experience (Heb. 2:1-18, 4:14-16, 5:7-10). Through his exemplary life, atoning death on the cross, live-giving bodily resurrection, and promised return, Christ is the only source of salvation (Jn. 14:6) and the basis of hope in the final redemption (Rom. 8:1-31). He holds all authority in heaven and on earth (Matt. 28:18), having ascended into heaven and being seated at the right hand of God as the only king and head of the church (Col. 1:15-20).
3. The Holy Spirit is God working actively in the world to glorify Jesus, convict people of sin, lead us into the will of God, and provide believers with a peaceful sense of God’s abiding presence (Jn. 16:7-15; Rom. 5:5). The Holy Spirit indwells believers individually (1 Cor. 6:19) and the Church corporately (Eph. 2:21-22) to transform us into the likeness of Christ (2 Cor. 3:18). The Holy Spirit develops within believers a pure heart which results in holy, Christ-like character expressed in private and public conduct (Gal. 5:22-25). He supplies the church with gifts to perform service for the ongoing work of Christ (Eph. 4:11-16; 1 Cor. 12:4-11).
4. The Bible, the Old and New Testament Scriptures, is the uniquely inspired Word of God (2 Tim. 3:14-17; 2 Pet. 1:16-21, 3:16). We affirm the sixty-six books of the Bible as God’s authoritative, infallible Word, not simply a collection of ancient documents, but a means through which the Holy Spirit provides great joy and conviction as we study and meditate on all its teachings (Ps. 119; Heb. 4:12-13). We believe God’s blessing rests on those who humbly seek and obey his will in Scripture and apply these truths faithfully to the contemporary church and culture (1 Tim. 4:11-16; 2 Tim. 2:15, 3:14-15, 4:1-5).
5. God creates human beings as male and female, with each distinct gender uniquely reflecting God’s image from the moment of conception (Gen. 1:26-27; Ps. 139:13-16). Humanity is created by God to walk in fellowship with Him; however, all (except Jesus) have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and must rely on God's grace and forgiveness (Rom. 3:21-26).
6. Human community reflects God’s common grace wherein men and women unite in marriage, dwell faithfully in monogamous covenants, and bear and rear children (Gen. 1:28a, 2:24-25; Matt. 19:4-6). Collectively, men and women, married and single, steward God’s creation (Gen. 1:28b), and in love for God and neighbor use their respective gifts for the common good (Mk. 12:30-31; Matt. 7:12). God-honoring community should reflect justice that upholds the dignity of all human beings from every race, tribe, and nation (Luke 10:25-37; Rev. 21:22-22:5).
7. Salvation is by God alone through Jesus Christ alone by the power of the Holy Spirit alone Rom. 1:1-5; 2 Cor. 13:14; Eph. 1:3-14). Salvation is God’s sovereign gift of grace, made possible through the all-sufficient work of Christ (Eph. 2:6-10). Scriptures reveal an appropriate response to this free gift is a willingness to obey God and trust in Christ’s work on our behalf (faith), express godly sorrow for sin and redirect one’s life toward God (repentance), humbly acknowledge the Lordship of Christ (confession), and unite with Christ in baptism (Acts 8:12, 36-39; 10:47-48; Gal. 3:26-27) wherein we die to our old selves, are buried, and are raised to a resurrected life (Acts 2:38, 22:16; Rom. 6:1-6).
8. God calls us to honor Christ by living holy lives (1 Pet. 1:16; Eph. 4:17-24) which reflect Spirit-led morality and ethics (Rom. 8:5-11; Gal. 5:16-26). This includes renouncing and resisting the sins and developing the virtues described consistently throughout Scripture (e.g. Mark 7:20-23; Romans 1:18-32; 1 Corinthians 5:9-10, 6:9-11; Galatians 5:19-26; Ephesians 4:17-6:9; 1 Tim. 1:8-11) and expressed in many centuries of orthodox teaching. We should also maintain regular spiritual practices such as prayer, Bible study, assembling in worship, fellowship, and acts of generous justice that help one realize the presence and power of God in this quest (Acts 2:42-47, 4:32-37).
9. The church is the body of Christ on earth, the visible community of believers throughout the world (Matt. 16:13-20; Eph. 3:10-11). Upon surrender to Christ, a person is added to the church (Acts 2:41). The church's core mission is to make disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:18-20), and to practice good works which demonstrate the love and righteousness of God (Matt. 22:34-40). Active participation in congregational life is necessary for growth in Christ (Eph. 4:15-16).
10. Christ’s return will be personal, visible, and glorious (Acts 1:11). All humanity, including all people past and present, shall be raised (Jn. 5:28-29; 1 Thess. 4:14-17), appear before Christ (2 Cor. 5:10), and be judged according to the Scriptures (Rev. 20:11-15). All who have put their faith in Christ shall dwell with God in the New Heavens and the New Earth in full realization of the eternal life that began when they were saved by Jesus (1 Pet. 1:3-9; 2 Pet. 3:8-13; Rev. 21:1-7, 22:1-5). They shall experience the final redemption in which the human body and soul as well as all creation are liberated from evil and made completely whole (Rom. 8:18-25). The unrighteous who have not believed in Christ will not inherit this same blessedness but will experience judgment and everlasting separation from God (2 Thess. 1:5-10).