Church Beliefs

At Hope In Christ Ministry, what we believe is not just words on a page—it is the solid foundation we stand on, preach from, worship in, and live out daily (John 1:1-3). As Christian followers and people with fire, we hold fast to the authority of God's Word, the power of the blood of Jesus, and the present work of the Holy Spirit in and through the church.

Our Church Statement of Belief

We believe the Bible is the ultimate authority for every area of faith and life, fully inspired by God the Father, who is the Creator of the universe and Ruler over all. We worship one God, eternally existing in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—perfect in unity, equal in power and glory. We confess that Jesus Christ is the one and only Son of God and our only source of salvation. Eternal life in heaven is offered by grace through faith in Christ alone, following true repentance from sin and surrender to Him as Lord.

Our Doctrinal Statement

The Scriptures

We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are verbally inspired by God and the Holy Spirit, without error in the original writings, and that they are the final and supreme authority in all matters of faith and life (II Peter 1:21; II Tim. 3:16-17). We preach, teach, and live by the Word, believing it is living and powerful, able to save, correct, and transform.

The Godhead

We believe in one true and living God, eternally existing in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—who are one in essence and equal in every divine perfection (Deut. 6:4; Matt. 3:13-17; Matt. 28:19; II Cor. 13:14). The Father plans, the Son redeems, and the Spirit empowers, yet They are one God, worthy of all worship and praise.

Jesus Christ

We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, and is truly God and truly man (Matt. 1:18-20; John 1:1-2, 14). We believe the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures as our representative and substitutionary sacrifice, and that all who believe in Him are justified by His shed blood (I Cor. 15:3; II Cor. 5:21; Rom. 3:21-26).

We believe in the literal resurrection of His crucified body, His ascension into heaven, and His present ministry as our High Priest and Advocate (Matt. 28:1-10; Acts 1:9; Heb. 7:25-28). We also joyfully look for “that blessed hope”—the personal, pre-millennial, and imminent return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (I Thess. 4:14-17; I Cor. 15:51-53; I Thess. 5:9; Rom. 5:9). As a Christian fellowship, we preach Christ crucified, risen, and soon coming King.

The Holy Spirit

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity, who is fully God and actively at work in the world today. We believe His ministries include restraining evil according to the will of God, convicting the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, regenerating those who believe, indwelling every saved person, and continually filling yielded believers with power for holy living, bold witness, and effective service (II Thess. 2:7; John 3:6; 16:7-11; Rom. 8:9; Eph. 4:30; 5:18).
We believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and that speaking in tongues can be a sign of the filling or baptism of the Spirit (Acts 2:4; 10:46; 19:6), and must be exercised and interpreted according to the order given in Scripture (I Cor. 12:10). We also believe that God, according to His will, hears and answers prayer for the sick and afflicted, and that healing is one of the ways He reveals His mercy and power (I Cor. 12:11, 30; 13:8; James 5:14-16).

Salvation

We believe that mankind was created in the image of God, but that man sinned and incurred both physical death and spiritual death, which is separation from God (Gen. 3:1-24; Rom. 5:12-21; Eph. 2:1-6). All human beings are born with a sinful nature and, by choice, become sinners in thought, word, and deed.
We believe that salvation is the free gift of God, given by grace and received through personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of sins. Salvation is solely by grace through faith in Christ’s finished work and not by human merit or works (Eph. 2:8-9; John 1:12; 3:5-7). All who truly believe are born again as sons and daughters of God, and all the elect of God are kept by His power and are secure in Christ by faith (John 10:27-30; Rom. 8:31-39). We call all people to repentance and faith, believing that today is the day of salvation.

Sanctification

We believe that sanctification is presented in three ways in Scripture:

1. Every saved person has been sanctified—set apart to God—through the once-for-all death of Christ.

2. Every believer is being sanctified daily by the Holy Spirit, growing in holiness and Christlikeness.

3. Every believer will be completely sanctified and glorified in the presence of the Lord.

We acknowledge that every believer has two natures—new and old—that cannot be eradicated in this life (Hebrews 10:10; John 17:17; Eph. 5:25-27; I Thess. 4:13-18; Gal. 5:17; Romans 7:18-25). As Christian followers and God-led believers, we encourage a Spirit-filled walk, continual surrender, and victory over sin through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Church

We believe in the Church as a living, spiritual body of which Christ is the Head and of which all regenerated believers of this age are members (Matthew 16:16-18; 1 Corinthians 12:12-17). We believe a local church is a body of baptized believers in Jesus Christ who have made a credible profession of faith and are joined together for worship, work, and fellowship.

We believe the local church is autonomous under Christ, the center of God’s program in this age, and that every Christian is called by Scripture to faithfully serve, support, and submit to the ministry of their local church (Acts 2:42-47; 1 Timothy 3:15-16). At Hope In Christ Ministry, we gather, pray, praise, preach, and go out from the church house to reach a lost world, trusting the Lord to build His Church by the power of the Holy Spirit.

This is what we believe. This is what we preach. And by God’s grace and the power of the Holy Spirit, this is how we desire to live—standing on the Word, exalting Jesus, and expecting God to move.