Statement of Faith
The following are the foundational beliefs of Hope Christian Church - NY based on the foundational truths taught in the bible. These are core to our constitution and formation as a church body. All of our teaching and ministry is rooted in and flows out of these biblical doctrines.
Section 1
The Person of God: We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (Eph. 4:6; Isa. 48:16; Gen. 1:26; Matt. 3:16-17; Matt. 28:19; II Cor. 13:14).
- Father: We believe God the Father is eternal, omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. God is absolutely holy, righteous and just. His love, grace, mercy and justice were manifested in the atoning death of His only begotten Son on Calvary, giving salvation through faith to all who believe. (Isa. 9:6; Deut. 33:7; Ps. 147:5; Ps. 139:2-4; Ps. 139:10; Ps 62:11; Ex. 15-11. Ps. 36:6; John 3:16; Rom. 5:6-10).
- Son: We believe in the absolute deity of our Lord Jesus Christ and the absolute humanity of our Lord through His virgin birth. We believe in the perfectly sinless life of our Lord, though He was tempted at all points in His humanity. We believe in His vicarious suffering and atoning death through His shed blood, His bodily resurrection, His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and His personal return in glory and power. (John 1:11-12; Acts 2:22; John 1:14; Matt. 1:18-25; Heb. 4:15; Isa. 53:4-6; I Cor. 15:3-6; acts 2:22-23; Eph. 1:20; Acts 1:9-11; I Thess. 4-16).
-The Holy Spirit: We believe the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, who convicts the world concerning sin, righteousness and judgment. He is the agent of God in the regeneration of the lost. He is the gift of the Christ to the Church, indwelling all believers, sealing them in the body of Christ unto the day of redemption. He is the divine teacher who guides believers in all truth. He imparts the gifts of the Spirit as found in Scripture. (John 16:7-15; Titus 3:5-7; John 14:17-18; John 15:26; Romans 8:11; Eph. 1:13; John 16:13; I Cor. 12:4-11).
- Father: We believe God the Father is eternal, omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. God is absolutely holy, righteous and just. His love, grace, mercy and justice were manifested in the atoning death of His only begotten Son on Calvary, giving salvation through faith to all who believe. (Isa. 9:6; Deut. 33:7; Ps. 147:5; Ps. 139:2-4; Ps. 139:10; Ps 62:11; Ex. 15-11. Ps. 36:6; John 3:16; Rom. 5:6-10).
- Son: We believe in the absolute deity of our Lord Jesus Christ and the absolute humanity of our Lord through His virgin birth. We believe in the perfectly sinless life of our Lord, though He was tempted at all points in His humanity. We believe in His vicarious suffering and atoning death through His shed blood, His bodily resurrection, His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and His personal return in glory and power. (John 1:11-12; Acts 2:22; John 1:14; Matt. 1:18-25; Heb. 4:15; Isa. 53:4-6; I Cor. 15:3-6; acts 2:22-23; Eph. 1:20; Acts 1:9-11; I Thess. 4-16).
-The Holy Spirit: We believe the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, who convicts the world concerning sin, righteousness and judgment. He is the agent of God in the regeneration of the lost. He is the gift of the Christ to the Church, indwelling all believers, sealing them in the body of Christ unto the day of redemption. He is the divine teacher who guides believers in all truth. He imparts the gifts of the Spirit as found in Scripture. (John 16:7-15; Titus 3:5-7; John 14:17-18; John 15:26; Romans 8:11; Eph. 1:13; John 16:13; I Cor. 12:4-11).
Section 2
The Holy Scriptures: We believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be verbally inspired of God and to be the revelation of God to man, inerrant and infallible in their original writing. They are the supreme and final authority for faith and practice.
(II Tim. 3:16; II Peter 1:20-21; II Peter 3:15-16).
(II Tim. 3:16; II Peter 1:20-21; II Peter 3:15-16).
Section 3
Man: We believe that man is originally created in the image of God, but the entire race of man was separated from God through sin. We believe no man can reconcile himself with God. Therefore man remains separated from God until he is regenerated through faith in Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit. (Gen. 1:27; Gen. 3:24; Rom. 3:23; Rom. 3:9-12; Eph. 2:8-9; Rom. 5:1-11; John 3:3; II Cor. 5:17-19).
Section 4
Satan: We believe that Satan is the author of sin and the instigator of the fall of man. He has been defeated by the finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary, and he and his angels shall be punished eternally at the coming of Christ.
(Gen. 3-1-7; Col. 2:14-15; John 12:31-33; Rev. 20:10).
(Gen. 3-1-7; Col. 2:14-15; John 12:31-33; Rev. 20:10).
Section 5
Sin: We believe sin is every lack of conformity to the will of God or transgression of the law of God. Sin is manifest in the selfishness, rebellion and total depravity of man's attitude, conduct, and behavior before God and man .
(James 4:17; Rom. 14:23; I John 3:4; I John 5:17; Rom. 3:9-18; Eph. 2:1-3).
(James 4:17; Rom. 14:23; I John 3:4; I John 5:17; Rom. 3:9-18; Eph. 2:1-3).
Section 6
Salvation: We believe salvation to be the whole counsel of God. It is the gift of God by grace, received through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. This faith is manifested in works pleasing to God. (I Peter 1"3-12; Eph. 2:8-10)
Section 7
Kingdom of God: We believe the Kingdom of God to be the eternal, sovereign rule of God over all the universe. We also believe that the Kingdom of God is also a spiritual kingdom - which was prophesied through the law and prophets, and came to fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The Spiritual Kingdom of God refers to God’s spiritual rule over the hearts and lives of those who willingly submit to God’s authority for their lives and is entered into by being born again. We believe Jesus is the King of the Kingdom, and He is working toward it's consummation at the end of this age. (Psalm 103:19; Daniel 4:3 Mark 1:14; Matt. 12:28; Luke 11:20; Luke 17:20-21; Rev. 19:11-16; Romans 13:1; 1 Cor. 6:9; I Cor. 15-24-28; Rev. 20:11-15).
Section 8
Heaven and Hell: We believe that heaven is the throne of God manifested in His Kingdom on this earth. For those who are not redeemed, hell is a literal place of eternal separation from God. (Isa. 66:1; Acts 7:49; Matt. 6:10; Luke 16:19-31; Rev. 20:1-15).
Section 9
The Church: We believe that the church is composed of all born-again believers everywhere. We believe that the local church is comprised of born-again believers who come together in devotion to the Lord and one another for mutual worship, instruction, conformity to the Lord's will and Christian service. We believe all believers are placed by God in specific local Churches.
(Matt. 16:18; Cor. 12:26; Col. 1:24; I Peter 2:4-6; Heb. 10:24-25; I Cor. 3:9-11).
(Matt. 16:18; Cor. 12:26; Col. 1:24; I Peter 2:4-6; Heb. 10:24-25; I Cor. 3:9-11).
Section 10
Mission of the Church: The mission of the church is to demonstrate the power and reality of the Kingdom of God on the earth, specifically through the transformation of people's lives into the likeness of Jesus by the power of the cross of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. The biblical means of accomplishing this is evangelism and discipleship. God fulfills His purpose for His church through local churches.
(Matt. 5:13-16; Eph. 3:10; Matt. 28-19; Col. 2:19).
(Matt. 5:13-16; Eph. 3:10; Matt. 28-19; Col. 2:19).
Section 11
Sacraments: A sacrament is a formal act that is sacred as a sign or symbol of a spiritual reality that was instituted or recognized by our Lord Jesus Christ. These sacraments include water baptism and the Lord's Supper.
-Baptism: Water baptism, the immersion of the believer, is a visible testimony to the work of regeneration and a mark of identification and union with Christ. It is an appeal to God for a good conscience, hence, should be administered to those who, by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, have realized the forgiveness of their sins and have the assurance of acceptance with God, having turned from their past lives to follow Jesus. (Acts2:41; I Peter 3:21; Matt. 28:19; Acts 2:38; Acts 10:46-48).
- The Lord's Supper: The Lord's supper is a sacrament of the New Testament, wherein by giving and receiving the bread and the cup according to the appointing of Jesus Christ, His death is proclaimed. Those who worthily partake in remembrance of Him feed upon Him to their spiritual nourishment and growth in grace, have their union and communication with Him confirmed, testify and renew their thankfulness and commitment to God and their mutual love and fellowship with each other as members of the same body. (I Cor. 11:23-26).
-Baptism: Water baptism, the immersion of the believer, is a visible testimony to the work of regeneration and a mark of identification and union with Christ. It is an appeal to God for a good conscience, hence, should be administered to those who, by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, have realized the forgiveness of their sins and have the assurance of acceptance with God, having turned from their past lives to follow Jesus. (Acts2:41; I Peter 3:21; Matt. 28:19; Acts 2:38; Acts 10:46-48).
- The Lord's Supper: The Lord's supper is a sacrament of the New Testament, wherein by giving and receiving the bread and the cup according to the appointing of Jesus Christ, His death is proclaimed. Those who worthily partake in remembrance of Him feed upon Him to their spiritual nourishment and growth in grace, have their union and communication with Him confirmed, testify and renew their thankfulness and commitment to God and their mutual love and fellowship with each other as members of the same body. (I Cor. 11:23-26).
Section 12
Baptism in the Holy Spirit: We believe that the baptism in the Holy Spirit is distinct from the new birth. It is the initial filling of God's power for witness and Godly living. Those who receive the baptism in the Spirit are able to receive and function in the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
(I Cor. 12:1-31; Matt. 3:11; Acts 2:1-4; Acts 8:14-17; Acts 19:1-7).
(I Cor. 12:1-31; Matt. 3:11; Acts 2:1-4; Acts 8:14-17; Acts 19:1-7).
Section 13
Holiness: God demands that His people be holy as He is holy. His holiness is produced in us, His people, by the Holy Spirit as we believe and obey His word. (I Peter 1:2, 13-16).
Section 14
Wholeness: We believe God to be concerned for the whole person, and as such, we believe that Christ can bring healing to our bodies and feelings as well as delivering us from any evil. (I Thess. 5:23; III John 2; James 5:14-15; Col. 1:28).
Section 15
Marriage/sexual relations: “We believe that God has established marriage as a lifelong, exclusive relationship between one man and one woman and that all intimate sexual activity outside the marriage relationship, whether heterosexual, homosexual, or otherwise, is immoral and therefore sin. We believe that God created the human race male and female and that all conduct with the intent to adopt a gender other than one’s birth gender is immoral and therefore sin. (Gen. 1:27; Gen. 2:24-25; Ex. 20:14,17; Ex. 22:19; Lev. 18:22-23, 20:13-16; Deut. 22:5; Matt. 19:4-6,9; Rom. 1:18-32; I Cor. 6:9-10, 15-20; I Tim. 1:8-11; Jude 7).