Christian Outreach Center Confession of Faith

Christian Outreach Center Confession of Faith & Doctrine

1. THE ONE TRUE GOD: The one true God has revealed Himself as the Eternal, Self-sufficient, Incomprehensible, Holy, and Sovereign God, who as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is three distinct persons yet one in substance. (Rev, 1:8, Acts 17 24-25, Isa. 55:8, 2 Chron. 20: 6, Matt. 28:19)
2. THE HOLY SCRIPTURES: The Bible is the inspired Word of God, a revelation from God to man, the infallible rule of faith and conduct, and is superior to conscience and reason. The written Word of God is the central means that the Lord uses to speak to His children so all Christians should make the reading of the Word a priority in their lives. (2 Tim. 3: 15-16, 2 Pet. 1. 20-21. Psalm 19:7)
3. MAN HIS FALL AND HIS STATE: Man was created good and in the image of God Almighty. But mankind, through the imputation of sin acquired from Adam, the first man is now self- seeking wicked, idolatrous, dead in spirit and a natural enemy of God. There is nothing in man that would desire a relationship or reconciliation with God the Father. (Gen. 1: 26-31, Rom. 5: 12-21, Rom. 3: 10-18, Eph. 2: 1, Jer 17: 9, Rm. 8:7)
4. THE SALVATION OF MAN: Since man is totally depraved, unable and not wanting to be saved-man's salvation is completely dependent on the Mercy and Grace of God through Faith and Trust in the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Even this Faith is a gift from God so no man deserves or can earn his salvation through heritage, religious affiliation or good works. This salvation is divinely imputed by the Holy Spirit, who brings spiritual life to man's dead spirit by the usual means of the preaching of the Word of God and most importantly, by God's Eternal Election and Decrees. Since this salvation is all a work of Grace, a true believe can be secure that the Lord will keep them in the faith. As a Just and Holy God the Father has the divine right to dispense His Justice and Mercy on whomever He chooses according to His good and sovereign purposes. Salvation is an undeserved gift. (Rm. 3:10-18, 8:29- 30, 9:15-33, 10:10-15, 12:3, Eph.2:4-10, John 10:28, Phil.1:6)
5. THE SACRAMENTS: A sacrament is a visible sign of God's promise of grace to believers. We believe that the Lord has left us with two such sacraments: Baptism and the Lord's Supper. They are not to be empty rituals and they do not automatically convey the things that they signify, but they have been ordained by Christ and designed to signify, instruct and seal the believers who receive them in faith. They are a vital part of the worship of God and the nurture of the Christian life.
A. BAPTISM: The ordinance of Baptism, identifying the believer with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ should be observed by all who have repented and in their hearts have truly believed in Christ as Savior and Lord. In doing so, they have the body washed in pure water as an outward symbol of cleansing, while the heart has already been sprinkled with the Blood of Christ as an inner cleansing. Thus, they declare to the world that they have died with Jesus, and been raised with Him to walk in newness of life. Infants and children can be dedicated by believing parents as a sign by which God seals His pledge to the elect that they are included in the Covenant of Grace, just as the circumcision of the young in the Old Testament was a sign of God's Covenant. As adults they ought to be baptized to show their coming to faith. Although Baptism signifies regeneration or rebirth it does not automatically convey rebirth. (Gen. 17: 1-14, Col 2:11- 15; Acts 2:38-39; 16:31-34, Matt. 28: 19)
B. THE LORD'S SUPPER: The Lord's Supper, consisting of the elements bread and the fruit of the vine is the symbol expressing our covenant relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ a memorial of His suffering and death; a special presence of His Grace; and a prophecy of His second coming. It is to be celebrated by believers as often as possible until the day when the Lord Jesus finally celebrates His Supper with us at the Marriage Feast of the Lamb. (Matt. 26: 17-30, 1 Cor. 11: 23-32)
6. THE CHURCH: The Church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of the great commission. Each believer is an integral part of the Church and should be encouraged and trained to flow in their giftings so that the Church will function in a healthy and fruitful manner. The Lord has divinely called and scripturally ordained leadership to teach, guide, correct, train and prepare the Church for works of service. (Eph.1:22-23, Eph. 2: 22, Heb. 12: 23, Eph. 4: 11-13, Heb. 10: 25)
7. SANCTIFICATION: The Scriptures teach that a life of holiness is necessary and a sign of one's salvation. This sanctification is two-fold in nature: positional, in that at the moment of regeneration the believer is imputed with the Righteousness of Christ which eradicates the sinful nature from one's spirit while exchanging it with the Spirit of Christ; and progressive, in that as the believer grows in Grace, he will, by the power of God's indwelling Spirit, put to death the misdeeds of the flesh and in so doing be gradually conformed into the image of Christ. The eradication of the believer's sinful nature does not imply that the believer is now without sin. The sin that we may now commit is the direct result of walking in the flesh-that part of our constitution (soul, mind, emotions, will, thoughts, etc.) which has been contaminated by our former sinful nature. The life of victory is lived as we say no to the desires of the flesh which no longer rules us, and yes to the Spirit of Christ who now loves and directs us. (Heb. 12: 14, 1 Pet. 1: 15-16, 1 John 2: 6, 1 Cor. 1: 30, 2 Cor. 5: 21, Rom. 6:6; 6:11-13; 8:13; Gal. 2: 20 )
8. THE BAPTISM/FILLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT: Although all believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit at their conversion, the LORD has promised to continue to fill His children with His Holy Spirit for the purpose of enduing them with spiritual power and for the dispersing of gifts for ministry to the Church. The evidence of these fillings will be a power from God to love, witness, proclaim the Word, fruit-bearing or supernatural manifestations as described in Acts and 1 Corinthians. These fillings can begin at the point of regeneration but are often experienced as one grows in their walk with the Lord and are ultimately contingent on God's sovereign grace. (Luke 24: 49, Acts 1: 4-8; 2:1-21; 10:44-48; 1 Cor. 12 - 14)
9. HEAVEN AND HELL: The Scriptures plainly teach that those who are redeemed and of the Elect will one day, either by physical death or by spiritual translation, be changed and resurrected to a completely new dimension of life and will spend eternity in the Glorious Presence of the Lord This is all the result of God's Gracious Mercy towards His children through Christ. The devil, his angels, and anyone else not redeemed or whose name is not found written in the Lamb's Book of Life, shall be consigned to everlasting punishment in the Lake of Fire (Hell, Gehenna, Second Death). This is all the result of God's Holy and Perfect Justice. (1 Thess. 4: 16-17, 1 Cor. 15: 12-58, Rom. 8: 23, John 3: 16, Rev. 20: