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The
Apostles' Creed
This statement is
among the oldest in Christianity. We affirm our agreement with it along
with our Christian brothers and sisters from various churches and
denominations throughout the world.
We believe in God,
the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. We believe in Jesus
Christ, God's only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered
under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried;
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
He ascended into heaven,
He is seated at the right hand of the Father, and He will come again to
judge the living and the dead.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the church of Jesus Christ,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. |
The following statements represent the doctrinal beliefs of Faith United Church.
In stating them, we understand that there are lots of good churches who differ somewhat
in their doctrine. We believe that our faith in Jesus Christ as God Incarnate
and the only way to Salvation unites us with those who follow Him in that way,
too. We are blessed to be part of the Body of Christ alongside any group who
glorifies Him and we state our Doctrine here, not to separate from them,
but to be clear about what we believe and teach.
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Faith United Church
Covenant
We have given ourselves to God. Now, we now give ourselves to each
other, His church, and covenant with each other, as also with God.
We will strive to resist temptation and avoid sin. We
will forsake all unrighteousness, even the appearance of evil. We will
abstain from all sinful pursuits and pleasures; we will eliminate all
hurtful habits; we will avoid all evil associations.
We will walk in Christ. We will pursue righteousness
and holiness in the fear and love of God. We will seek first the
kingdom of God and His righteousness, trusting that all needful and
helpful things will be given to us; we will seek a deeper relationship
with God; we will live a life of prayer; we will listen to the Holy
Spirit within us; and we will be satisfied only when we have evidence
that we are pleasing to God.
We will support Faith United Church. We will attend and
support the services of the church, the preaching, the social
services, the conferences; we will tithe and contribute freely of our
means; we will cooperate with our brothers and sisters in God’s
work, for His glory, so that others might come to know Him.
We will be Christ-like in our behavior. We will be
tender and affectionate toward each other; we will be careful of each
other’s reputation, thinking no evil, and avoiding gossip; we will
return good for evil; we will be just and honest, truthful and
honorable in all our dealings; we will do unto others as we would be
done by; we will be meek, loving, kind and forgiving.
We will do God’s work. We will do whatever work comes
to hand, shunning no cross, shirking no duty; we will seek
opportunities to do good, glorify God, and share the Gospel; we will
study the Bible and seek to win our friends, relatives, associates,
and neighbors, all whom we may influence, to become Christians; we
will count it more than our food and our drink, more than anything
else, to do the will of God and fulfill His Commission.
If God should lead us to move away from this place we
will, as soon as possible, unite with another church where we can
continue to live by the Spirit of this Covenant and the principles of
the Bible. |
1.
GOD
We believe that there is only one God and that He has revealed Himself as
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
2. THE
BIBLE
We believe that the Holy Scriptures
are the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments; the inspired and infallible Word
of God and therein is found the only reliable guide of faith and conduct.
3. MAN
We believe that God created man in His
own image to bring Him honor through obedience, and that when man disobeyed, he
became a fallen and sinful creature, unable to save himself. We believe that
infants are in the covenant of God's grace and that all persons become
accountable to God when they reach a state of moral responsibility.
4.
SALVATION
We believe that Salvation has been
provided for all mankind through the life, death, resurrection, ascension, and
intercession of Jesus Christ, and that this Salvation can be received only
through repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
5.
ASSURANCE AND ENDURANCE
We believe that those who abide in Christ have the assurance of salvation.
However, we believe that the Christian retains his freedom of choice; therefore,
it is possible for him to turn away from God and be finally lost.
6.
CHRISTIAN DUTIES
We believe that Christians should live
faithfully by serving in and through a local church, studying the Bible,
praying, tithing, sharing their faith with others, living according to the
teachings of Christ, and showing loving kindness to everyone.
7. THE
CHURCH
We believe that the Body of Christ is the fellowship of all Christians, and that
its members have been called out from the world to live under the authority and
teachings of Christ. We believe that a local church is a fellowship of
Christians, a part of the Body of Christ, united together locally for worship,
nurture, and service.
8.
ORDINANCES
We believe that Baptism and Communion
are ordinances instituted by Christ to be observed by Christians only. We also
believe that the Biblical mode of Baptism is immersion and that participation in
the Communion should be open to all Christians.
9. THE
LORD'S DAY
We believe in the sanctity of the
Lord's Day, the first day of the week, and that this day ought to be observed by
worshiping God, witnessing for Christ, fellowshipping with other Christians, and
ministering to the needs of humanity. We believe that other activities on Sunday
should be limited to cases of necessity or mercy.
10. LAST THINGS
We believe in the personal return of
Jesus Christ, and in the bodily resurrection of the dead. We believe that God
will judge all mankind by Jesus Christ; that He will reward the righteous with
eternal life in heaven, and that He will banish the unrighteous to everlasting
punishment in hell.
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