MESSIAH'S CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP - Church in Las Vegas, Nevada

Statement of Faith
Text Box: Section 1.        The Scriptures   We believe in the verbal inspiration and authority of the original writings of the sixty-six books of the Bible, the Word of God; and that it is the full and complete revelation of God’s will for man. It is the complete and final authority in all matters of faith and practice. (2 Tim 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21; and Jude 3)   Section 2.        The Godhead (Trinity)   We believe in one God, eternally existing in three Persons (or a Tri-unity or Trinity). The Godhead consists of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Each member of the one being of God is co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory; all having the same attributes and perfection. (Deut 6:4-5; 2 Cor 13:14; Matt 28:18-19)   Section 3.        The Person and Work of Jesus   (1)        We recognize Jesus as the eternal Son of God, who became man, without ever ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit through the Virgin Mary that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men. (John 1:1-2; John 1:14; John 1:18; Luke 1:35)   (2)        We believe that Jesus accomplished our complete redemption through His death on the cross, as a substitutionary sacrifice for our sins. This redemption is made sure to us by His literal and physical resurrection from the dead. (Rom 3:24-25; Rom 5:8-10; 1 Peter 2:24; Eph 1:7)   (3)        We fully accept as truth that Jesus ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God the Father. There He fulfills His role as High Priest, Intercessor, and Advocate on behalf of the believer. (Acts 1:9-11; Rom 8:34; 1 Tim 2:5; Heb 1:3; Heb 6:19-20; Heb 7:24; Heb 9:24; 1 John 2:1-2)   Section 4.        The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit   (1)        We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person, possessing all the attributes of deity, and that He is equally God, the third person of the Holy Trinity. (Matt 28:18-19; Acts 5:3-5; 2 Cor 13:14)   (2)        We believe that the Holy Spirit is the agent of God in regeneration, sanctification, baptizing all believers into the body of Jesus, indwelling equally and permanently every believer and sealing them unto the day of redemption.(Rom 8:9; 1 Cor 6:11; 12:12-14; Eph 1:13-14)   (3)        We believe that every un-regenerated person, the moment he exercises believing faith in Jesus, as his Savior, immediately is given the Holy Spirit. (Rom 8:9; 1 Cor 3:16, 6:19; Gal 4:6; 1 Thess 4:8) (4)        We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Divine Teacher who guides believers into all truth (John 16:1-15); that He bestows spiritual gifts upon each believer (1 Cor 12-14); and that it is the responsibility of all the saved to be filled (controlled) with the Holy Spirit (Eph 5:18) and faithful to what God has entrusted to them.   Section 5.        The Insufficiency of Man   (1)        We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26-27) but through Adam’s sin the whole race fell, became alienated from God and inherited a sin nature. (Rom 3: 22-23; 5:12)   (2)        Man is, by himself, without hope, and is utterly helpless to remedy his condition apart from the grace and mercy of God that aids the person in his faith (Eph 2: 1-3, 8-10)   Section 6.        Salvation   Salvation is a gift of God brought to sinful man by grace and received solely by personal faith alone in the Savior, Jesus Christ, who has accomplished complete redemption by His substitutionary death and shedding of His precious blood. (John 3:18; Gal 2:16; Eph 1:7, 2:8-9; Phil 3:7-9; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:18-19)   We believe salvation consist of three aspects:   (1)        Justification   We believe the believer is declared righteous through faith, for all eternally at the point of conversion. This new standing before God never changes (positional truth) in the believer’s life.   (2)        Sanctification   We believe that sanctification is a past, present and future reality (see below) in the believer’s new standing in Christ.  (John 17:17,19)   Sanctification consists of three stages in the believer’s life:   (a)        Positional Sanctification: Every believer at the point of salvation has been once and for all set apart in sanctification by the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor 1:2, 30; 6:11; Heb 10:10-14)   (b)             Progressive Sanctification:  Progressive Sanctification is a process in which the Holy Spirit on a daily basis is sanctifying the believer.  The believer is perfect in Christ at salvation (Heb.10: 14) but must go on to maturity by a Spirit-filled life. As the Holy Spirit in progressive sanctification leads the believer, he grows in the grace of God, becoming more Christ-like in his behavior. (2 Cor. 3:18; 7:1; Eph  4:24; Heb 12:10)   (c)       Ultimate or Final Sanctification: Every believer will be fully and completely sanctified, that is, set apart in holiness for all eternity (Rom 8:29; Eph 5:25-27; 2 Cor 3:18; 1 John 3:2). This final state will be fully realized with the resurrection of the righteous, in which all believers are clothed with their glorified bodies for all eternity. For those who died prior to the return of Christ (1Thess.4:13-17), the immaterial part of them, the soul and spirit, goes into the presence of God waiting to be united with their glorified bodies.   (3)        Glorification   We believe in the resurrection of the righteous when Christ will come back for the Church, in which, the believer will receive his glorified body; a body that will be with the believer for all eternity. (Rom 8:30; Phil 3:20-21)   Section 7.        Eternal Security   We believe in the eternal security of the regenerated believer.   (a)        Because of the eternal purpose of God, the miraculous nature of salvation and the promise of God, all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by the power of God, sealed by the Holy Spirit, for the day of redemption (Eph 1:13-14); that is, the receiving of the believer’s glorified body when Christ comes back for His Church. (1 Thess.4: 13-17)   (b)        It is further recognized that God is holy, righteous and the Father of all the redeemed. He cannot overlook the sin of His children, and, when they persistently sin, will chasten and correct them in His infinite love. (Heb 12:5-11) This chastisement by the Father is to cleanse the believer in the process of progressive sanctification, and never onto eternal lost of salvation. (1 Cor 11:32)   (c)        The believers’ rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word, which compels them (cf. 2 Cor. 5:14) with an ongoing desire to serve the Father with all their hearts through the power of the Holy Spirit. (Rom 8:9-11)   Section 8.        The Believer’s Walk   (1)        We believe that the believer has victory over the sinful nature by his union with Christ and therefore can walk according to the demands of righteousness that God has put upon His children. (Rom 6:1-13; Col 3:1-10; 1 Peter 1:3-8)   (2)        All believers are called to live in a manner worthy of the gospel that brings glory to God and upholds the truth of Christ in doctrine and life. (Phil 1:27; 1Tim 4:11-16) The believer is responsible to separate himself from all worldly and sinful pleasures, and practices that could lead to compromise in the faith. (2 Cor 6:14 –18)   Section 9.        The Assembly of the local Church within the One Universal church   (1).       We believe in the One Universal Church called the Body of Christ (invisible church), made-up of all born-again believers, Jew and Gentile, which began at Pentecost and will continue until Jesus Christ comes back for His Church. (Eph 1:22; 1 Thess 4:13-18)   (2)        We believe in the importance of the local church (visible church), a place of worship and teaching, as the meeting place for all believers to grow in the faith. (cf. Acts 2: 42; Eph 4: 11-13)   (3)        We believe that the purpose of the church is to fulfill the Great Commission; making disciples of all nations and baptizing and instructing them in the ways of righteousness (cf. Matt. 28:19-20). Every believer is instrumental in helping the church as a whole reach this purpose. Therefore, it is the obligation of every believer to participate in the local body using their gifts with the intended purpose of bringing about the fulfillment of this awesome task, proclaiming the Gospel to all mankind. (Matt 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8; 2 Cor 5:19-20)   (4)        The government of the church   (a)        The offices of the local church are made up of elders and deacons who conduct the necessary needs for the organization of the church. (1Tim. 3: 1-15)   (b)               We believe within the ruling elders, according to the testimony of Scripture (1 Tim 1:18-19; 3:1; 5:17), to recognize a principal elder or shepherding elder also known as a pastor-teacher (Eph 4:11) or Bishop (1Tim.3: 1). This is not to suggest that the other elders are less than pastors or the principal elder lords it over the other elders in the decision process of the church. However, he is respected for his maturity and longevity in the faith and is instrumental in representing the church’s beliefs and upholding the direction that God has given to the local church as a whole.   (c)        Although we recognize other forms of government exercised in other churches, considering the latitude given in Scripture, we believe this is the most effective and best approach to maintain unity in our local body.    Section 10.      Dispensations   (1)        We believe in a dispensational approach to Scripture in that God in His progressive revelation has entrusted man with varying responsibilities in successive periods. These dispensations are divine testing periods or economies in which man is responsible for the revelation revealed to him.    (2)        Seven dispensations are revealed in Scripture; these dispensations consist of:   (a)                The dispensation of Innocence, before the Fall (b)               The dispensation of Conscience, after the Fall (c)                The dispensation of Human Government, after the Flood (d)               The dispensation of Promise, during the time of the Patriarchs (e)                The dispensation of Law, from the time of Moses to the death and resurrection of Christ (f)                 The dispensation of Grace, from the resurrection of Christ to His Millennial Reign (g)                The dispensation of the millennial reign of Christ; following His Second Coming (Rev 20:1-10)   (3)        We believe in the necessity for a dispensational approach for the following reasons:   (a)        In order to maintain a clear distinction between the nation of Israel and the Church; God has not dismissed His promises to Israel and the Church has not replaced Israel in God’s kingdom program.   (b)        In order to show that the dispensation of Law has come to an end; the believer is no longer under the law and with the new dispensation of grace, the Holy Spirit leads all believers into the righteousness of Christ that has been imputed to the believer at salvation.   (c)        In order to maintain a proper approach to the interpretation of Scripture under the principle of context; for example, what is God saying to Israel under the Theocracy of the Old Testament and what is God saying to the Church under the New Covenant.   Section 11.      The Person and reality of Satan   (1)        We believe that Satan is a personal being, who, at one time, was the highest in rank of all angelic creatures (cf. Ezekiel 28:16); who sinned and rebelled against God along with a third of the angels. (Isa 14:12-15; Rev. 12:4)   (2)        In this present reality of God’s kingdom program he attempts to thwart the plans of God and destroy the faith of God’s children. (cf. Eph 6:10-12)   (3)        Although he is the god of this age (2 Cor.4: 4), he has no authority over those who have put faith in Christ. (1 John 5:4-5)   (4)        He shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire along with all the fallen angels. (Matt 25:41; Rev 20:10)   Section 12.      The Afterlife of the righteous and unrighteous   (1)        The Righteous   We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection when the spirit and soul of the believer is united with his glorified body for all eternity. (Luke 23:43; 2 Cor 5:8; Phil 1:3; 3:21; Thess 4:16-17; Rev 20:4-6)   (2)        The Unrighteous   We believe that the spirit and soul of unbelievers remain after death in conscious misery in Hades until the Great White Throne Judgment. (Luke 16:25; Rev. 20: 11-15)   Section 13.      Eschatology    (1)        Tribulation   We believe the fulfillment of the seventieth week of Daniel (Dan 9:27), that is, the Tribulation (Rev. chs.6-19), will precede Jesus Christ’s return to rule on earth. During this period of seven years, there will be a time of judgment unleashed on the whole earth, at the end of which the times of the Gentiles (Luke 21:24) will be brought to a close.   (2)        The future return of Christ; the Blessed Hope   (a)        Concerning the Rapture of the Church   We believe in the personal return of the Lord Jesus, known as the rapture of the church, to gather His people unto Himself. This includes those who are alive and remain at His coming, and those also who have fallen asleep in Christ (1Thess. 4:13-17). We also believe that this event is the blessed hope set before us in Scripture, and in light of this hope the believer should be encouraged to live his life in a God-honoring way.  The specific day of His coming is concealed during this dispensation of Grace.   *          We recognized the differences that exist between Pre-Millenarians concerning the timing of the rapture. Consideration of and flexibility is given for these varying rapture positions (Pre-Trib; Mid-Trib; Post-Trib) within our fellowship. No specific Rapture position is held within this church’s statement of faith.   (b)        Concerning the blessings associated with the return (Second Coming) of Christ   1.         The return of Christ following the Tribulation, will lift the curse which now effects the whole creation, restore the nation of Israel to her own land along with all the promises God has made to the nation under the Abrahamic Covenant.   2.         The first resurrection, the resurrection of the righteous, will be complete and God’s people, Jew and Gentile, will reign with Christ for a thousand years (Rev. 20:6).   (c)        Concerning the Millennial Reign of Christ   1.         The promises made to Israel under the Abrahamic Covenant will be realized in the following 1000 years as Christ, following His return, sets up His Millennial Kingdom (Rev 20: 1-7; Matt 19:28) taking His place on the throne of David in fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant (cf. Psalm 89:3-4, 20-29)   2.         Satan will be bound in the abyss during this period only to be released to lead a short-lived rebellion at the close of Christ’s millennial reign. Satan will be defeated and thrown into the Lake of Fire to be tormented for all eternity. (Rev 20:1-3)   (d)        Concerning Judgment   We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain after death in a state of conscious misery in Hades until the Great White Throne Judgment. At that time, following judgment, there will be a second resurrection, the resurrection of the unrighteous (Rev 20:5), in which their existence will continue in external torment in the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment. (Rev 20:11-15; Matt 25:41)   (e)        Concerning the Eternal State   We believe the Millennial Kingdom and Great White Throne Judgment will be followed by the eternal order of things, the Eternal State (Rev. 21-22). There will be a New Heaven and a New Earth along with the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven. The dwelling of God will be among His people and the righteous will be satisfied for all eternity.     Section 14.      Concerning the Jewish heritage of the Church   (1)        Messiah’s Christian Fellowship recognizes the composition of the church being made-up of Jews and Gentiles. (cf. Eph 2:11-22)   (2)        Messiah’s Christian Fellowship realizes the importance of the Church’s Jewish roots in the Old Testament in order to maintain the Jews’ identity in the church, as well as the present reality of Israel and their future restoration.   (3)        We believe that Jewish believers are free in Christ to maintain their Jewish heritage by participating in certain ceremonial practices of the Old Covenant. These practices are acceptable within the church as long as the message of grace (faith alone) is not compromised or in any way these practices are suggesting that the law, as a means of perfecting righteousness, is still for today. 

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