Declaration of Faith

The Holy Bible, and only the Bible, is the authoritative Word of God.

It alone is the final authority in determining all doctrinal truths.

In its original writing, it is inspired, infallible and inerrant.

(2Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Proverbs 30:5; Romans 16:25-26)

There is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and co-eternal.

(I John 5:7; Genesis 1:26; Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19; Luke 1:35; Isaiah 9:6; Hebrews 3:7-11)

Jesus  Christ is God the Son, the second person of the Trinity. On earth,  Jesus was 100% God and 100% man. He is the only man ever to have lived a sinless life. He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, performed miracles, died on the cross for mankind, and thus, atoned for our sins through the shedding of His blood. He rose from the dead on the third day according to the Scriptures, ascended to the right hand of the  Father, and will return in power and glory.

(John 1:1,14, 20:28; 1Timothy 3:16; Isaiah 9:6; Philippians 2:5-6; 1Timothy 2:5)

Jesus  Christ was conceived by God the Father, through the Holy Spirit (the  third person of the Trinity) in the virgin Mary’s womb; therefore, He is  the Son of God.

(Matthew 1:18, 25; Luke 1:35; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18, 23-25; Luke 1:27-35)

Man was created good and upright, but by voluntary transgression he fell;  his only hope of redemption is in Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

(Gen.1:26-31, 3:1-7; Romans 5:12-21)

For anyone to know God, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.

(John 6:44, 65)

We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, His death, burial,  and resurrection. Salvation is a gift from God, not a result of our good works or any human effort.

(Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 2:16, 3:8; Titus 3:5; Romans 10:9-10; Acts 16:31; Hebrews 9:22)

Repentance is the commitment to turn away from sin in every area of our lives and to follow Christ, which allows us to receive His redemption and to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit. Thus, through repentance, we receive  forgiveness of sins and appropriate salvation.

(Acts 2:21, 3:19; 1 John 1:9)

 Sanctification  is the ongoing process of yielding to God’s Word and His Spirit in  order to complete the development of Christ’s character in us. It is  through the present ministry of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God that  the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.

(Thessalonians 4:3, 5:23; 2 Corinthians 3:18, 6:14-18, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3, Romans 8:29, 12:1-2, Hebrews 2:11)

The  Blood that Jesus Christ, who is sinless, shed on the Cross of Calvary was sinless and is 100% sufficient to cleanse mankind of all sin. Jesus allowed Himself to be punished for both our sinfulness and our sins,  enabling all those who believe to be free from the penalty of sin, which  is death.

(1 John 1:7; Revelation 1:5, 5:9; Colossians 1:20; Romans 3:10-12, 23, 5:9; John 1:29)

Christians are people who have invited the Lord Jesus Christ to live inside them through His Holy Spirit. They relinquish the authority over their lives to him, thus making Jesus the Lord of their lives as well as their Savior. They put their trust in what Jesus accomplished for them when He  died, was buried, and rose again from the dead .

(John 1:12; John 14:17, 23; John 15:4; Romans 8:11; Revelations 3:20)

Christians are people who have invited the Lord Jesus Christ to live inside them through His Holy Spirit. They relinquish the authority over their lives to him, thus making Jesus the Lord of their lives as well as their Savior. They put their trust in what Jesus accomplished for them when He  died, was buried, and rose again from the dead .

(John 1:12; John 14:17, 23; John 15:4; Romans 8:11; Revelations 3:20)

The  Holy Spirit is manifested through a variety of spiritual gifts to build and sanctify the church, demonstrate the validity of the resurrection,  and confirm the power of the Gospel. The list of these gifts in the Bible is not necessarily exhaustive, and the gifts may occur in various combinations. All believers are commanded to desire the manifestation of the gifts in their lives earnestly. These gifts always operate in harmony with the Scriptures and should never be used in violation of  Biblical parameters.

(Hebrews 2:4; Romans 1:11, 12 :4-8; Ephesians 4:16; 2 Timothy 1:5-16, 4:14; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31, 14:1-40; 1 Peter 4:10)

The church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit,  with divine appointments for the fulfillment of Jesus’ great commission. Every person who is born of the Spirit is an integral part of the church as a member of the body of believers. There is a spiritual  unity of all believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.

(Ephesians 1:22, 2:19-22; Hebrews 12:23; John 17:11, 20-23)

Both men and women are empowered to preach, teach, lead, govern, or serve in any office or ministry of the Church, as directed by the Holy Spirit and affirmed by the Church. We believe that although men and women are different, they are created equal, and it is God’s will for men and women to work together and honor each other in the work of the ministry.

(Galatians 3:28; Genesis 1:26-30; Exodus 15:20; Judges 4:4; Romans 16; Philippians 4:2-3; Acts 2:16-18)

We are called as Christians to live unified in our diversity across  barriers of race and culture. We believe racial reconciliation, healing,  and equality has been made possible through the death and resurrection  of Jesus Christ. We are called as the Church to model for the world what  it means to live racially reconciled as brothers and sisters in Christ.  We believe that by advocating for racial equality and justice, opposing  racism and helping those marginalized and oppressed, we display God’s  heart for all humanity.

We envision a future at Liberty Church  around the world where honor, inclusion, and celebration of all God’s  people is infused into every aspect of our culture and that we  acknowledge and actively work against racism and prejudice. We  acknowledge, lament, and repent of the Church’s complicity in racism,  and are committed to the continual work of reconciliation and healing  that reflects the fullness of Christ on the earth.

(Leviticus  19:15; Micah 6:8; Matthew 12:18-21; Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 10:34-35;  Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 2:14; 1 Corinthians 12:21-27; 2 Corinthians  5:18-19; Revelation 7:9)

Water Baptism:  

Following faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the new convert is commanded by the Word of God to be baptized in water in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. The act of baptism symbolizes leaving behind one's old life in the water and being raised to walk in newness of life, helping believers feel the importance of their new beginning in Christ.

(Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38) These verses highlight the biblical basis for water baptism and the call to repentance, encouraging believers to follow these teachings faithfully.

Communion:  

A special time for believers to partake together of elements representing the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, in remembrance of His sacrifice on the Cross, which establishes a new covenant for us all.

(Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 16:16; Acts 8:12, 36-38; 10:47-48; 1Corinthians 10:16, 11:23-25)

Healing of the sick is illustrated in the life and ministry of Jesus and is included in His commission to His disciples. It is given as a sign to follow believers. It is also a part of Jesus’ work on the Cross and one of the gifts of the Spirit.

(Psalm 103:2-3; Isaiah 53:5; Matthew 8:16-17; Mark 16:17-18; Acts 8:6-7; James 5:14-16; 1 Corinthians 12:9, 28; Romans 11:29)

It is the Father’s will for believers to become whole, healthy, and blessed in all areas of life. Wherever the promises of Christ are not yet fully realized, our prayer is “your kingdom come, your will be done on Earth  as it is in Heaven”- Matthew 6:10.

Spiritual (John 3:3-11; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Romans 10:9-10).
Mental and Emotional (2 Timothy 1:7, 2:11; Philippians 4:7-8; Romans 12:2; Isaiah 26:3).
Physical (Isaiah 53:4-5; Matthew 8:17; 1 Peter 2:24).
Financial  (Joshua 1:8; Malachi 3:10-11; Luke 6:38; 2 Corinthians 9:6-10;  Deuteronomy 28:1-14; Psalm 34:10, 84:11; Philippians 4:19).

Jesus  Christ was physically resurrected from the dead in a glorified body  three days after His death on the cross. In addition, both the saved and  the lost will be resurrected; they that are saved to the resurrection  of life, and they that have not accepted the gift of salvation through  Jesus Christ to eternal separation from God.

(Luke 24:16, 36, 39; John 2:19-21, 20:26-28, 21:4; Acts 24:15; 1 Corinthians 15:42, 44; Philippians 1:21-23, 3:21)

Heaven  is the eternal dwelling place for all believers in the Gospel of Jesus  Christ, where, in the presence of God, his perfect will is manifested  for all of eternity.

(Matthew 5:3, 12, 20, 6:20, 19:21, 25:34; John 17:24; 2 Corinthians 5:1; Hebrews 11:16; 1 Peter 1:4)

After living one life on earth, those who have not accepted the salvation of  Jesus Christ will be judged by God and cut off from his presence. They will be sent to Hell, where they will be eternally tormented with the  Devil and the Fallen Angels. However, God is patient, not wanting anyone  to perish but everyone to come to repentance.

(Matthew 25:41; Mark 9:43-48; Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 14:9-11, 20:12-15, 21:8)

Jesus  Christ will physically and visibly return to earth for the second time to establish His Kingdom. This will occur at a date undisclosed by the  Scriptures

(Matthew 24:30, 26:63-64; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8; Revelation 1:7)