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This is the day that the Lord has made,

Let us rejoice and be glad in it.


Our Beliefs


On this page are the beliefs upon which our Church is based:


The Bible

The Bible is God's Word to Man.

The Bible is God's Word to us, as originally given by God through human authors under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and is absolutely true and trustworthy. It is our only standard of faith and practice.
(2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Matthew 5:18; Psalm 119).

God and the Holy Trinity

There is one true and living God.

God is the Creator and Sustainer of all things. He is infinite, eternal, unchangeable, and is revealed to us as the Godhead existent in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
(Ephesians 1:3-6 and 13-14; Ephesians 4:6; Matthew 28:19; Genesis 1:1 and 26-27; Genesis 3:22; Phillipians 2:5-6; John 1:1, 3, 14, and 18; Isaiah 9:6).

God, The Father

The first person of the Trinity who orders and disposes of all things according to His purpose and grace, and who continually upholds, directs, and governs all creatures and events for His own glory. Fatherhood denotes spiritual relationship; first, within the Trinity; and second, within mankind, creativity in relation to all men, but spiritually only in relation to those who have been saved by His grace from their sin and have come to Him through Jesus Christ.
(James 1:17).

Jesus Christ, the Son

Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah of the Old Testament, born of a virgin, who lived a sinless life; who offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on the cross; who rose from the dead to provide justification for every believer; who ascended to the right hand of God where He presently intercedes for all believers; and who will again, in the fullness of the Father's time, return in visible, triumphant person form to overthrow sin, judge the world, and establish His Kingdom on earth.
(John 1:14).

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is sent from God to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgement, and to regenerate, cleanse, and secure from sin. He lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance on doing what is right. He gives every believer a spiritual gift(s) when they are saved. As Christians, we seek to live under His control daily.
(John 14:16-17; John 16:8 and 13).

Man, Sin and Satan

Man's condition is one of sin and separation from God.

Man was created in innocence directly and immediately by God, in his spiritual image, for the purpose of fellowship with God and glory for God. Man was tempted by Satan and sinned, and because of this all men have been born in sin since that time. Every person has a tremendous potential for good, but all are marred by a nature of rebellion and disobedience toward God which the Bible calls sin. Sin separates us from God, others, and all good things, ultimately and eternally in Hell. All persons need to be saved from their sin.

Last Things

Jesus Christ will return and God's plan for eternity will be carried out.

We believe in the imminent and bodily return of Jesus Christ to the earth. The dead will be raised and Christ will judge all men according to their works. Unbelievers will be cast into eternal punishment and outer darkness prepared for the devil and his angels who preceded them, and the saved will enter into the eternal state of glory with God and will, in their resurrected and glorified bodies, spend eternity.

Death and Resurrection

Everyone will face judgement before God; some to eternal life, others to eternal condemnation.

Death involves no loss of consciousness but the spirit of the redeemed passes immediately into the presence of Christ and there is separation of spirit and body until the first resurrection, when the spirit, soul, and resurrected body will be reunited in glorified form in heaven forever. All men will be bodily resurrected, the saved to everlasting life, but the lost into eternal condemnation.
(2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelations 20:11)

Salvation

God has acted in Jesus Christ to deliver us from sin.

Jesus Christ is the only Savior from sin. He provided forgiveness and atonement for our sins by shedding His blood on the cross, and rose again to provide life and justification. Apart from Christ, there is no salvation. All men are under condemnation through personal sin, and deliverance from condemnation comes only by the righteousness of Christ, and not human merit. This righteousness is credited to the believer by grace through faith. The Holy Spirit regenerates or gives new life to one who commits his life to Jesus, and he is kept by God's power forever, never to be lost.

1. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
2. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ, our Lord" (Romans 6:23).
3. "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
4. "That if you confess with your mouth 'Jesus is Lord', and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved" (Romans 10:9-10).

The Church

Jesus established the Church to continue His mission and ministry on earth.

A New Testament Church is a voluntary association of baptized believers in Christ who have covananted together to follow the teachings of the New Testament in doctrine, worship, and practice. We believe that the Church is a self-governed organization served by two types of officers; the Pastor and servant leaders.

The purpose of the Church is to glorify God by fulfilling the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:36-40) and the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20).

Worship

The responsibility of believers is to participate in public worship services together and to maintain personal daily devotions.
(John 4:24)

A Christian's Responsibilities

1. The responsibility of believers to the Church are:
(a) To walk together in Christian love.
(b) To strive for the advancement of this church in knowledge, in holiness, and comfort.
(c) To promote its prosperity and spirituality.
(d) To sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline and doctrines.
(e) To contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the Gospel through all nations.

2. The responsibility of believers to our faith are:
(a) To maintain family and secret (private) devotions.
(b) To religiously educate our children.
(c) To seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances.
(d) To walk circumspectly in the world.
(e) To be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our lifestyle.
(f) To avoid all tattling, backbiting, and excessive anger.
(g) To be zealous in our efforts to advance the Kingdom of our Savior.

3. The responsibility of believers to our brothers and sisters in Christ are:
(a) To watch over one another in brotherly love.
(b) To remember each other in prayer.
(c) To aid each other in sickness and distress.
(d) To cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling, and courtesy in speech.
(e) To be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation; and mindful of the rules of our Savior, to secure it without delay.

Evangelism and Missions

The Church body is responsible to reach people for Jesus, and to develop their lives to spiritual maturity; to equip them to use their skills and careers to promote God's will and His Kingdom in their lives in order to magnify God's name; and to share the good news of Jesus Christ with as many people as possible in our community and throughout the world.
(Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; 2 Peter 3:9).

Education and Discipleship

The Church body is responsible to help members develop toward full Christian maturity and to train them for an effective ministry; and to promote spiritual growth and discipleship through Bible teaching.
Ephesians 4:11-13; Matthew 18:20; 2 Timothy 2:2).

Ministry and Service

The Church body is responsible to serve unselfishly, in Jesus' name, meeting the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of those in Church, community, and in the world.
(1 Peter 4:10-11; Matthew 25:35-40; 1 Thessalonians 5:11; Galatians 5:13).

Fellowship

The Church body is responsible to encourage, support, and pray for each other as members of the family of God; and to share our lives together.
(1 John 1:7; Acts 2:44-47; Hebrews 10:23-25; Romans 15:5 and 7; John 13:34-35).

Ordinances

We believe in two Biblical ordinances: Baptism and the Lord's Supper.

Baptism

Baptism has nothing to do with salvation, but it has much to do with obedience.

1. Who were baptized? Those that heard and repented of their sins (Matthew 3:5-6). Jesus was an example to believers (Matthew 3:13-17).

2. The meaning behind baptism:
(a) That we believe that Christ died, was buried, and rose again, to save us from sin and its penalties, and that we are depending upon Him for salvation.
(b) That by faith in Him we have died to sin, have buried the old life, and have risen to walk in newness of life.
(c) That through Christ's power we expect our bodies to be raised from the dead and made like His own glorious body (John 14:19).

The Lord's Supper

1. The meaning behind the Lord's Supper:
(a) That He died for us. In just a few hours after the first Supper, Jesus was to hang on the cross. His body was to be broken and His blood shed for the sins of the world. He wanted to leave behind Him something that would keep His followers reminded of the fact that He had given His life for the sins of the world. So He gave the Supper and said "Do this in remembrance of me".
(b) That our spiritual lives are sustained by Him. "He is our life, and we live in Him; He is our all in all, and we are complete in Him." When we eat the Lord's Supper, we are to remember that just as our physical bodies require food in order that they may live and grow, so our souls must feed upon the Bread of Life if we are to grow in Him.
(c) That he is coming again. "For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink the cup, ye proclaim the Lord's death till He come." Jesus knew that though He was to be crucified and buried, He would ascend to the Father, and that someday He would come again to take those who love Him to live with Him. So He left us the Lord's Supper to keep us reminded and watching for His return.

2. Criteria for observing the Lord's Supper:
(a) That only the saved should eat the Supper.
(b) That only the pure of heart should eat the Supper.

Tithing

1. Why we should give:
(a) Because God is the owner of all we have (Psalm 24:1; Haggai 2:8).
(b) Because He commands it (Proverbs 3:9; Luke 6:38; Psalm 96:8).
(c) Because our gifts are needed for His work.
(d) Because giving makes us like Him.

2. How we are to give:
(a) Give cheerfully (2 Corinthians 9:7).
(b) Give systematically (1 Corinthians 16:2; Deuteronomy 16:16-17).
(c) Give proportionately (Malachi 3:10; Leviticus 27:30).
(d) Give sacrificially (Acts 2:44-45; Mark 12:42-44).


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Copyright © 2005 New Beginnings Fellowship Church, Gaffney, South Carolina. All rights reserved.