What We Believe

The gospel is the good news of God’s grace invading the darkness of this world. It is the grand narrative of creation, fall, redemption, and consummation ordained by God and orchestrated through the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. Christ’s crucifixion is the heart of the gospel. His resurrection is the power of the gospel. His ascension is the glory of the gospel.

Christ’s death is a substitutionary sacrifice for our sins. It satisfies the demands of God’s holy justice and appeases His holy wrath. It also demonstrates His mysterious love and reveals His amazing grace. Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and man. There is no other name by which men can be saved. At the heart of all sound doctrine is the cross of Jesus Christ and the infinite privilege that redeemed sinners have in glorifying God because of what He has accomplished. Therefore, we want all that takes place in our hearts, churches, and ministries to proceed from and be related to the gospel.

The following are the core beliefs of LIFE Church based on the foundational truths taught in the Bible. All of our teaching and ministry is rooted in and flows out of these biblical doctrines.

God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe.  He has eternally existed in three persons:  the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  These three are co-equal and are one God. (Genesis 1:1, 26-27; 3:22 / Psalm 90:2 / Matthew 28:19 / II Corinthians 13:14 / I Peter 1:2,11)

Man is made in the spiritual image of God, to be like Him in character.  He is the supreme object of God's creation.  Although man has tremendous potential for good, he is marred by disobedience toward God which is called "sin."  This disobedience separates man from God.

Man was created to exist forever.  He will either exist eternally separated from God by sin or in union with God, through forgiveness and salvation.  To be eternally separated from God is Hell.  To be eternally in union with Him is Eternal Life.  Heaven and Hell are places of eternal existence. (John 3:16 / Romans 6:23 / I John 2:25; 5:11-13 / Revelation 20:15)

Jesus Christ is the Son of God.  He is co-equal with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all men by dying on the cross.  He rose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death.  He ascended to Heaven's glory and will return again to earth to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  (Isaiah 9:6 / Matthew 1:22-23 / John 1:1-5; 14:10-30 / Acts 1:9-11 / Romans 1:3-4 / I Corinthians 15:3-4 / I Timothy 6:14-15 / Titus 2:13 / Hebrews 4:14-15)

Salvation is a gift from God to man.  Man can never make up for his sin by self-improvement or good works.  Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God's offer of forgiveness can man be saved from sin's penalty.  Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into his life by faith.  (John 1:12; 14:6 / Romans 5:1; 6:23 / Galatians 3:26 / Ephesians 2:8-9 / Titus 3:5)

Because God gives man eternal life through Jesus Christ, the believer is secure in that salvation for eternity.  Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the Christian.  It is the grace and keeping power of God that gives this security.  (John 10:29 / II Timothy 1:12 / Hebrews 7:25; 10:10-14 / I Peter 1:3-5)
 

The Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and the Son as God.  He is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ.  He also lives in every Christian from the moment of Salvation.  He provides understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right.  The Christian seeks to live under His control daily.  (John 14:16-17; 16:7-13 / Acts 1:8 / I Corinthians 2:12; 3:16 / II Corinthians 3:17 / Galatians 5:25 / Ephesians 1:13; 5:18)
 

The Bible is God's Word to all men.  It was written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit.  It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living.  Because it is inspired by God, it is the truth without any mixture of error.  (Psalm 12:6; 119:105, 160/ Proverbs 30:5 / II Timothy 1:13; 3:16 / II Peter 1:20-21)

The church is a body of believers who have been given a mission by their leader, Jesus Christ, to preach the Gospel, making disciples of all nations and baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Every person who is a believer by trusting Jesus as his or her personal Lord and Savior is an integral part of the church and experiences spiritual unity with other believers in and through Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:22, 2:19-22; Hebrews 12:23; John 17:11, 20-23).

We believe God designed marriage for humanity. Biblical marriage, as described in the Creation story (Genesis 2:24) and affirmed by Jesus (Mark 10:6-9), is designed by God to be a covenantal, life-long, exclusive relationship between one man (born a man) and one woman (born a woman) and that all intimate sexual activity outside of the marriage relationship is immoral and sinful (Proverbs 2:16-17; Malachi 2:14). We believe God created two distinct sexes, male and female (Genesis 1:27). The life-long, sexually exclusive relationship also brings children into the world and thus sustains the stewardship of the earth. Biblical marriage should be marked by faithfulness, sacrificial love and joy, because it displays the relationship between God and His people (Exodus 20:14, 17; Leviticus 18:22-23; Hosea 2:16; Matthew 5:27-28, 19:4-9; John 2:1-12; Romans 1:18-32; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; 1 Timothy 1:8-11; Hebrews 13:4; Jude 7; Revelation 21:1-9).