Statement of faith
Bible to Life Ministry holds to the foundations and fundamentals of authentic Christianity. Holy Scripture:
We believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the inspired Word of God, the source and rule of all our faith and practice, given for teaching, correction, reproof and for training in righteousness, (2 Tim. 3:16). We believe the scriptures are our first and
final authority thus believers must learn to cause their experience to come into alignment with God’s written word. We believe all scripture was written by men under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, though not all inspired scripture is applicable to our present generation or generations to come. Triune Godhead:
We believe in one God, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Col. 2:8-9). We believe God the Father is the Creator of heaven and earth. He made humankind for fellowship with Himself and intended that all creation should live to the praise of His glory while ruling the earth with dominion and authority (Gen 1:28). Christ's Humanity, Deity and Present Reign:
We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, that He is all man and all God (Phil. 2:6-10), in His virgin birth (Mat. 1:23), in His sinless life (2 Cor. 5:21), in His atoning death through His shed blood (1 John 2:2), in His bodily resurrection (1 Cor. 15 :1-19; John 20:17; Rom. 8:11), in His ascension to the right hand of the Father (Dan 7:13-14; Eph. 4:8-10), where He is now seated on the throne of His father David, ruling the nations with justice and righteousness (Psalms 89:14). Holy Spirit:
We believe the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ, to convict humankind of sin, to draw men to salvation and convict believers of righteousness (John 16:8). Also, to indwell, guide, instruct, and empower the believer for godly living thus becoming a witness in the earth (Rom. 8:14-17). We believe that every believer is filled with the Holy Spirit by grace through faith in Jesus Christ the very moment they are born again (1Cor. 6:17; Eph. 1:13; Col. 2:9-10), enabling believers to manifest God’s kingdom through signs and wonders, healings, miracles and deliverance. This promise of the Father that the Holy Spirit would be sent in power was not only to the early disciples but continues through the generations to come (John 24:49; Acts 1:8). In this we believe in all of the manifestations of the Holy Spirit, (1Cor. 12). Salvation, Regeneration:
We believe salvation, the gift of God, is provided solely by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:8). We believe salvation/regeneration was set as a biblical pattern by the apostle Peter on the day of Pentecost, by turning from sin through repentance, being baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sin and receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). By faith in Christ’s death, resurrection and enthronement, humankind receives eternal life, thus born again (Rom. 10:9). There is no other name except Jesus Christ by which humankind can be saved (Act 4:10-12). We believe that the true Church is composed of all such persons who through saving faith in Jesus Christ have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit and are joined together in the body of Christ of which He is the Head (Eph. 1:20-23). Universal Church (Body of Christ):
We believe in the One Holy Universal Apostolic Church—not the Roman Catholic Church (1 Peter 2:4-9). We believe the Church is the body of the Messiah, the King of Heaven and earth and under the earth, the fullness of Him who fulfills all things (Eph. 4:10-14). As such, it is to be a demonstration in the world of life lived under the government of the King and the instrument of His Kingdom purpose to disciple the nations and fill the earth with the glory of God. (Isa. 60:1-3, Mat. 5:14-16, John 17:20-21, 1 Cor. 12:12, Eph. 1:18-23, 3:10, Rev.21:10-27). We believe it is the churches responsibility to deal with evil still existing within this present age (Eph. 3:10). Five-Fold Ministry Gifts:
We believe in the ascension gifts (apostles, prophets, evangelist, pastors and teachers) of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that they still continue today and will do so until the Lord (through His Church) has perfected all things (Eph. 4; 1Cor 15:22-26). Water Baptism and the Lord's Supper:
We believe that water baptism and the Lord’s Supper (Holy Eucharist) are commanded ordinances/sacraments and are to be observed by the Church (Acts 2:38; Acts 8:34-38; Luke 22:19-20; 1Cor. 11:25). Believer’s Responsibility:
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ commanded all believers to proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom throughout the world and to disciple men of every nation (Matt. 28:18-20). We believe that it is the believer’s responsibility to rule in the midst of Christ’s enemies while simultaneously causing Christ’s enemies to become a footstool for His feet (Psalms 110:1-2; Acts 2:34-35; 1Cor. 15:25-26; Heb. 10:12-13). We believe that it is all believers’ responsibility to administer the message of reconciliation as well as doing the works that Jesus did and greater works (John 14:12; 2 Cor. 5:17-20). Victorious End time View:
We believe in a Victorious Eschatology, that before the return of Jesus Christ on the “Last Day" (The Final Day of History, The resurrection of the dead and final judgment) the Church will subdue the nations, making the Lord's enemies a foot stool for His feet. (Ps. 110; Isa. 66:1; Mat. 22:4; Mark 12:36; Luke 20:43; Acts 2:35; Heb. 1:13, 10:13) We believe in the bodily resurrection of the dead; of the believer to everlasting joy with the Lord, and of the unbeliever to judgment and due punishment. We believe that Jesus Christ will physically come again to the earth -- personally, visibly and bodily -- to consummate history and present to the Father a perfected Kingdom (1Cor 15). We believe we’re no longer living in the “Last Days” with the understanding that they were the last days of an Old Covenant age which came to an end in 70A.D. with the destruction of Jerusalem and the burning of the Jewish temple. We believe Matthew 24 was completely fulfilled as Jesus prophesied to His generation while on the Mount of Olives during His Olivet Discourse. We believe we are living in the kingdom age where Christ has received all authority and is presently reigning and ruling as King of king’s and Lord of lord’s, seated at the right hand of the Father on David’s throne (Matt. 28:19; Daniel 2; Daniel 7; Daniel 9; Isaiah 9:6-7; Rev 17:14,19:16; 2 Sam. 7:12-17; Mat. 11:12; Luke 1:32-33; Luke 17:21; Act 2:25-36; Heb. 12:2). Marriage—Biblical family order and Structure:
"We believe God ordained marriage and the family as the foundational institution of human society, and that the only legitimate marriage is a sacred and permanent covenant relationship between one man and one woman, symbolizing the union of Christ and his Church. The husband is to be the servant leader in the home and is to love his wife as Christ loves the church, and the wife is to submit herself to the Scriptural leadership of her husband as the church submits to the headship of Christ (Genesis 2:18-25; Matthew 19:4-6; Ephesians 5:22-25)." Giving:
We believe in faith based giving pertaining to all believers of the New Covenant, governed by grace. Giving is a biblical principle and when practiced will produce a genuine harvest in the life of the ones who give. Though we don’t believe in giving solely to receive but to bless others as an extension of God’s, love, generosity, provision and grace on earth. We believe you should never give out of compulsion, obligation, fear or duress. Giving is a privilege, an honor and at times sacrificial; in giving, an individual assists the advancing of God’s kingdom through their time, energy, finances and resources. We believe giving is a discipline, requiring believers to learn to listen for the instruction of the Holy Spirit pertaining to what He has purposed thus placed on their heart to give or fulfill. (Acts 4:32-35; 2 Cor. 9:6-15)
