This Statement of Faith does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. The Bible itself, as the inspired and infallible Word of God, speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind and is the sole and final source of all that we believe. For purposes of Covenant Church’s faith, doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline, our Board is Covenant Church’s final interpretive authority on the Bible’s meaning and application.
We believe there is only one God, revealed as Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Deuteronomy 6:4, 2 Corinthians 13:14, John 1:1). In the New Testament, we see the expression of God the Father, Jesus the Son of God, and God the Holy Spirit. For example, a man can be a son, a husband, and a father while still being one person. This is how we can understand the Godhead. • God as Father, Jesus as Son, and the Holy Spirit are in complete unity. • All are a part of creation and vital to the salvation of the cosmos with specific functions. • God as Father, the master architect of the entire plan of creation. • Jesus, our Chief Minister, is the expression of God’s bridge between Himself and man. • The Holy Spirit, our Heavenly Gift, is the Revealer of Truth and serves as a down payment for eternal salvation. • God is in Jesus and Jesus is in God with the Holy Spirit as the Divine Interpreter. They are equal in purpose, equal in power, and equal in authority, completely and totally unified. • Therefore, we conclude that there is one God manifest in three persons.
We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ has always been in existence before time, currently lives outside of time, and yet lived in time centuries ago when He came to earth in the form of a baby born of the Virgin Mary. He grew as fully God and fully man and lived a sinless life. He died a vicarious and atoning death for the sins of the world, resurrected bodily for our justification, and now reigns in glory until all things are put under His feet (1 Timothy 3:16). Below are a few of the essential beliefs of Christianity: • Jesus was both 100% God and 100% human. God was His Father, and He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and placed miraculously in the womb of His earthly mother, Mary. • Mary was a virgin as the scripture records. It was a supernatural conception, a miracle! • Jesus lived His life without sin and was our sacrifice for sin. In the Old Testament, there was always a requirement of an unspotted or untainted lamb to be sacrificed for the sins of the people. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ Himself became that sacrificial lamb for the sins of the entire world. The scripture says that there can be no remission of sin without the shedding of the blood of a sacrificial lamb.
We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life is of immeasurable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally impaired, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are, therefore, called to defend, protect, and value all human life (Genesis 1:27, Jeremiah 1:5, Luke 1:15).
We believe that man was made in the image of God and is the crown of creation. Man is now, by reason of the fall, spiritually depraved and alienated from his Creator. Apart from God’s grace, man has no ability to attain his higher calling (Psalm 8, Ephesians 2:8 – 9).
We believe that justification is by grace through faith in our Lord’s sacrifice on the cross at Calvary (Romans 3:21-24). It was His sacrifice on the cross and His shed blood on that cross that justifies our sin by removing it from us. We will no longer be judged by Him for our sin because His shed blood from the cross covers our sin, just as though we have never sinned.
We believe that all of God’s people are to be buried with our Lord Jesus Christ in the waters of baptism following salvation. Water Baptism is a symbolic act of dying to our old way of living, buried in the waters of baptism, and rising again in our new life in Jesus Christ. Baptism is a command. Everyone who confesses Christ should be water baptized. Baptism is not a requirement for salvation (Matthew 28:19, Acts 2:38, Romans 6:4).
We believe that the Holy Spirit dwells in all believers, conforming them to the image of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13, Romans 8:16 – 17). The Holy Spirit sanctifies or sets us apart to fulfill God’s purpose for our lives. The Holy Spirit abides within us when we accept Christ into our heart, and He also keeps us in the faith until Christ’s return.
We believe that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is an endowment of power that happens after salvation. In the book of Acts, the Holy Spirit is demonstrated by speaking in tongues, an unknown language only known to God and sometimes can be interpreted supernaturally. The Holy Spirit produces godly character in us and produces power to do the work of the ministry or to live a holy life (Acts 1:8, Acts 2:38, Romans 8:26, Romans 15:13, Galatians 5:22-23).
We believe in the absolute inspiration of the Holy Scriptures, given by the Holy Spirit without error. The way the Holy Spirit moved is that He gave insight to the holy men referenced in the Bible to historically record the actual Words of God. In ancient times, history was preserved and passed on verbally or just by speaking.
God wanted His words recorded for future generations to know and read so He selected various men to record His words by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16). Furthermore, we believe that the Church has no authority to establish doctrine or practice contrary to these same Scriptures, which were accepted afterwards as canon or principles by the early Christian Church (Galatians 1:8-9).
We believe that those who are called by the name of Christ should depart from iniquity or evil living. This is part of experiencing a real-life change or becoming born again after accepting Christ in the salvation experience. Again, this is the work of the Holy Spirit who now lives in us, and we embrace the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit to create in us the character of Christ (2 Timothy 2:19). This means that your walk matches your talk or that you live a congruent life in words and actions. We can also break free from the power of sin in our lives with the help of the Holy Spirit’s sanctifying work. This produces a lifestyle change not only in our character but in our mental, spiritual and physical areas of everyday living.
We believe in the priesthood of the believer meaning that all people born of God have equal status before the Lord and direct access to Him. There is no human mediator between us and God since Jesus Christ paid the penalty of sin by dying on the cross for our sins.
We now have equal status and access to the Lord and can call upon Him anytime in prayer for other believers or for those who don’t know Him (1 Timothy 2:5, Hebrews 4:16).
We believe that the calling of Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher are all functional within the Body of Christ until the Lord’s return. We also recognize that these ministries are gifts to the Church for the purpose of equipping or training the saints for the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:11-16). We believe that these ministry gifts listed in Ephesians 4 are still in operation. The roles of these gifts are available to the believers for the functioning of the church and can be expressed in any local community of believers. However, within the church, we need to exercise balance and sensitivity in allowing the Gifts of the Holy Spirit to operate in our lives. If Gifts of the Holy Spirit are expressed in a church service, they should be done decently and in order and under the leading of the ministry oversight.
We believe in the Holy Christian Church imperfectly represented on earth by the various Christian institutions. Her unity is spiritual, her culture diverse and transitional, and her mission eternal (Hebrews 12:18-23). There are many Christian institutions, but there is only one church body in the earth. The universal church cannot be institutionalized – it is a spiritual organism whose life and activity are under the authority and control of Jesus Christ. The universal church – the Body of Christ – is primarily perceived through the local church. The local church is faithful to its identity when it takes seriously its mission to represent the universal church to its community.
We believe in the spiritual unity of all who are born of God. Although we may have differing doctrinal views than other believers, we don’t break fellowship with or exclude others because of different interpretations of Christian doctrine (1 Corinthians 12:12-14). We desire to find common ground within all the Christian churches as long as our beliefs are congruent about Jesus Christ, salvation, and the biblical requirements for living a Christian lifestyle.
We believe the identity of the Body of Christ on the earth is primarily apparent through the local church. We do encourage unity among all the local churches while recognizing the need of consensus on matters of fundamental doctrine and conduct. We strongly declare the local church to be sovereign and autonomous.
We believe in the right of local churches and ministries to form community partners to assist them in carrying out the work of God. At the same time, we reject sectarianism and divisiveness as great evils. Local churches should work with each other to establish the rule of God in the earth.
We believe that the Lord Jesus will return to the earth again with His Kingdom rule. He created the earth and lived on earth several centuries ago with a promise to return one day as outlined in Bible prophecy. His return to earth will include the resurrection of the saved to eternal life and the unrepentant to eternal separation from God (damnation). His ultimate victory over evil and wickedness will be displayed on earth through the Kingdom of God (Acts 1:9-11, Daniel 12:2, Revelation 22:1 -7).
Our Statement of Faith does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. The Bible itself, as the inspired and infallible Word of God, speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind and is the sole and final source of all that we believe. For purposes of Covenant Church’s faith, doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline, our Board is Covenant Church’s final interpretive authority on the Bible’s meaning and application.
We believe there is only one God, revealed as Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Deuteronomy 6:4, 2 Corinthians 13:14, John 1:1). In the New Testament, we see the expression of God the Father, Jesus the Son of God, and God the Holy Spirit. For example, a man can be a son, a husband, and a father while still being one person. This is how we can understand the Godhead. • God as Father, Jesus as Son, and the Holy Spirit are in complete unity. • All are a part of creation and vital to the salvation of the cosmos with specific functions. • God as Father, the master architect of the entire plan of creation. • Jesus, our Chief Minister, is the expression of God’s bridge between Himself and man. • The Holy Spirit, our Heavenly Gift, is the Revealer of Truth and serves as a down payment for eternal salvation. • God is in Jesus and Jesus is in God with the Holy Spirit as the Divine Interpreter. They are equal in purpose, equal in power, and equal in authority, completely and totally unified. • Therefore, we conclude that there is one God manifest in three persons.
We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ has always been in existence before time, currently lives outside of time, and yet lived in time centuries ago when He came to earth in the form of a baby born of the Virgin Mary. He grew as fully God and fully man and lived a sinless life. He died a vicarious and atoning death for the sins of the world, resurrected bodily for our justification, and now reigns in glory until all things are put under His feet (1 Timothy 3:16). Below are a few of the essential beliefs of Christianity: • Jesus was both 100% God and 100% human. God was His Father, and He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and placed miraculously in the womb of His earthly mother, Mary. • Mary was a virgin as the scripture records. It was a supernatural conception, a miracle! • Jesus lived His life without sin and was our sacrifice for sin. In the Old Testament, there was always a requirement of an unspotted or untainted lamb to be sacrificed for the sins of the people. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ Himself became that sacrificial lamb for the sins of the entire world. The scripture says that there can be no remission of sin without the shedding of the blood of a sacrificial lamb.
We believe that the Holy Spirit dwells in all believers, conforming them to the image of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13, Romans 8:16 – 17). The Holy Spirit sanctifies or sets us apart to fulfill God’s purpose for our lives. The Holy Spirit abides within us when we accept Christ into our heart, and He also keeps us in the faith until Christ’s return. (John 20:2, 2 Cor 1:21, Ephesians 4:30, John 20:2)
We believe in the absolute inspiration of the Holy Scriptures, given by the Holy Spirit without error. The way the Holy Spirit moved is that He gave insight to the holy men referenced in the Bible to historically record the actual Words of God. In ancient times, history was preserved and passed on verbally or just by speaking.
God wanted His words recorded for future generations to know and read so He selected various men to record His words by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16). Furthermore, we believe that the Church has no authority to establish doctrine or practice contrary to these same Scriptures, which were accepted afterwards as canon or principles by the early Christian Church (Galatians 1:8-9).
We believe that justification is by grace through faith in our Lord’s sacrifice on the cross at Calvary (Romans 3:21-24). It was His sacrifice on the cross and His shed blood on that cross that justifies our sin by removing it from us. We will no longer be judged by Him for our sin because His shed blood from the cross covers our sin, just as though we have never sinned.
We believe that all of God’s people are to be buried with our Lord Jesus Christ in the waters of baptism following salvation. Water Baptism is a symbolic act of dying to our old way of living, buried in the waters of baptism, and rising again in our new life in Jesus Christ. Baptism is a command. Everyone who confesses Christ should be water baptized. Baptism is not a requirement for salvation (Matthew 28:19, Acts 2:38, Romans 6:4).
We believe that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is an endowment of power that happens after salvation. In the book of Acts, the Holy Spirit is demonstrated by speaking in tongues, an unknown language only known to God and sometimes can be interpreted supernaturally. The Holy Spirit produces godly character in us and produces power to do the work of the ministry or to live a holy life (Acts 1:4, Acts 1:8, Acts 2:1-4, Acts 2:38, Acts 8:4-19, Acts 9:17-18, Acts 10:44-48; Acts 19:1-6, Romans 8:26, Romans 15:13, Galatians 5:22-23).
We believe in the priesthood of the believer meaning that all people born of God have equal status before the Lord and direct access to Him. There is no human mediator between us and God since Jesus Christ paid the penalty of sin by dying on the cross for our sins.
We now have equal status and access to the Lord and can call upon Him anytime in prayer for other believers or for those who don’t know Him (1 Timothy 2:5, Hebrews 4:16).
We believe that the calling of Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher are all functional within the Body of Christ until the Lord’s return. We also recognize that these ministries are gifts to the Church for the purpose of equipping or training the saints for the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:11-16). We believe that these ministry gifts listed in Ephesians 4 are still in operation. The roles of these gifts are available to the believers for the functioning of the church and can be expressed in any local community of believers. However, within the church, we need to exercise balance and sensitivity in allowing the Gifts of the Holy Spirit to operate in our lives. If Gifts of the Holy Spirit are expressed in a church service, they should be done decently and in order and under the leading of the ministry oversight.
We believe that those who are called by the name of Christ should depart from iniquity or evil living. This is part of experiencing a real-life change or becoming born again after accepting Christ in the salvation experience. Again, this is the work of the Holy Spirit who now lives in us, and we embrace the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit to create in us the character of Christ (2 Timothy 2:19). This means that your walk matches your talk or that you live a congruent life in words and actions. We can also break free from the power of sin in our lives with the help of the Holy Spirit’s sanctifying work. This produces a lifestyle change not only in our character but in our mental, spiritual and physical areas of everyday living.
We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life is of immeasurable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally impaired, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are, therefore, called to defend, protect, and value all human life (Genesis 1:27, Jeremiah 1:5, Luke 1:15).
We believe that man was made in the image of God and is the crown of creation. Man is now, by reason of the fall, spiritually depraved and alienated from his Creator. Apart from God’s grace, man has no ability to attain his higher calling (Psalm 8, Ephesians 2:8 – 9).
We believe in the Holy Christian Church imperfectly represented on earth by the various Christian institutions. Her unity is spiritual, her culture diverse and transitional, and her mission eternal (Hebrews 12:18-23). There are many Christian institutions, but there is only one church body in the earth. The universal church cannot be institutionalized – it is a spiritual organism whose life and activity are under the authority and control of Jesus Christ. The universal church – the Body of Christ – is primarily perceived through the local church. The local church is faithful to its identity when it takes seriously its mission to represent the universal church to its community.
We believe in the spiritual unity of all who are born of God. Although we may have differing doctrinal views than other believers, we don’t break fellowship with or exclude others because of different interpretations of Christian doctrine (1 Corinthians 12:12-14). We desire to find common ground within all the Christian churches as long as our beliefs are congruent about Jesus Christ, salvation, and the biblical requirements for living a Christian lifestyle.
We believe the identity of the Body of Christ on the earth is primarily apparent through the local church. We do encourage unity among all the local churches while recognizing the need of consensus on matters of fundamental doctrine and conduct. We strongly declare the local church to be sovereign and autonomous.
We believe in the right of local churches and ministries to form community partners to assist them in carrying out the work of God. At the same time, we reject sectarianism and divisiveness as great evils. Local churches should work with each other to establish the rule of God in the earth.
We believe that the Lord Jesus will return to the earth again with His Kingdom rule. He created the earth and lived on earth several centuries ago with a promise to return one day as outlined in Bible prophecy. His return to earth will include the resurrection of the saved to eternal life and the unrepentant to eternal separation from God (damnation). His ultimate victory over evil and wickedness will be displayed on earth through the Kingdom of God (Acts 1:9-11, Daniel 12:2, Revelation 22:1 -7).
We believe there is only one God, revealed as Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Deuteronomy 6:4, 2 Corinthians 13:14, John 1:1). In the New Testament, we see the expression of God the Father, Jesus the Son of God, and God the Holy Spirit. For example, a man can be a son, a husband, and a father while still being one person. This is how we can understand the Godhead. • God as Father, Jesus as Son, and the Holy Spirit are in complete unity. • All are a part of creation and vital to the salvation of the cosmos with specific functions. • God as Father, the master architect of the entire plan of creation. • Jesus, our Chief Minister, is the expression of God’s bridge between Himself and man. • The Holy Spirit, our Heavenly Gift, is the Revealer of Truth and serves as a down payment for eternal salvation. • God is in Jesus and Jesus is in God with the Holy Spirit as the Divine Interpreter. They are equal in purpose, equal in power, and equal in authority, completely and totally unified. • Therefore, we conclude that there is one God manifest in three persons.
We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ has always been in existence before time, currently lives outside of time, and yet lived in time centuries ago when He came to earth in the form of a baby born of the Virgin Mary. He grew as fully God and fully man and lived a sinless life. He died a vicarious and atoning death for the sins of the world, resurrected bodily for our justification, and now reigns in glory until all things are put under His feet (1 Timothy 3:16). Below are a few of the essential beliefs of Christianity: • Jesus was both 100% God and 100% human. God was His Father, and He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and placed miraculously in the womb of His earthly mother, Mary. • Mary was a virgin as the scripture records. It was a supernatural conception, a miracle! • Jesus lived His life without sin and was our sacrifice for sin. In the Old Testament, there was always a requirement of an unspotted or untainted lamb to be sacrificed for the sins of the people. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ Himself became that sacrificial lamb for the sins of the entire world. The scripture says that there can be no remission of sin without the shedding of the blood of a sacrificial lamb.
We believe that the Holy Spirit dwells in all believers, conforming them to the image of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13, Romans 8:16 – 17). The Holy Spirit sanctifies or sets us apart to fulfill God’s purpose for our lives. The Holy Spirit abides within us when we accept Christ into our heart, and He also keeps us in the faith until Christ’s return (John 20:2, 2 Cor 1:21, Ephesians 4:30, John 20:2).
We believe in the absolute inspiration of the Holy Scriptures, given by the Holy Spirit without error. The way the Holy Spirit moved is that He gave insight to the holy men referenced in the Bible to historically record the actual Words of God. In ancient times, history was preserved and passed on verbally or just by speaking.
God wanted His words recorded for future generations to know and read so He selected various men to record His words by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16). Furthermore, we believe that the Church has no authority to establish doctrine or practice contrary to these same Scriptures, which were accepted afterwards as canon or principles by the early Christian Church (Galatians 1:8-9).
We believe that justification is by grace through faith in our Lord’s sacrifice on the cross at Calvary (Romans 3:21-24). It was His sacrifice on the cross and His shed blood on that cross that justifies our sin by removing it from us. We will no longer be judged by Him for our sin because His shed blood from the cross covers our sin, just as though we have never sinned.
We believe that all of God’s people are to be buried with our Lord Jesus Christ in the waters of baptism following salvation. Water Baptism is a symbolic act of dying to our old way of living, buried in the waters of baptism, and rising again in our new life in Jesus Christ. Baptism is a command. Everyone who confesses Christ should be water baptized. Baptism is not a requirement for salvation (Matthew 28:19, Acts 2:38, Romans 6:4).
We believe that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is an endowment of power that happens after salvation. In the book of Acts, the Holy Spirit is demonstrated by speaking in tongues, an unknown language only known to God and sometimes can be interpreted supernaturally. The Holy Spirit produces godly character in us and produces power to do the work of the ministry or to live a holy life (Acts 1:4, Acts 1:8, Acts 2:1-4, Acts 2:38, Acts 8:4-19, Acts 9:17-18, Acts 10:44-48; Acts 19:1-6, Romans 8:26, Romans 15:13, Galatians 5:22-23).
We believe in the priesthood of the believer meaning that all people born of God have equal status before the Lord and direct access to Him. There is no human mediator between us and God since Jesus Christ paid the penalty of sin by dying on the cross for our sins.
We now have equal status and access to the Lord and can call upon Him anytime in prayer for other believers or for those who don’t know Him (1 Timothy 2:5, Hebrews 4:16).
We believe that the calling of Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher are all functional within the Body of Christ until the Lord’s return. We also recognize that these ministries are gifts to the Church for the purpose of equipping or training the saints for the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:11-16). We believe that these ministry gifts listed in Ephesians 4 are still in operation. The roles of these gifts are available to the believers for the functioning of the church and can be expressed in any local community of believers. However, within the church, we need to exercise balance and sensitivity in allowing the Gifts of the Holy Spirit to operate in our lives. If Gifts of the Holy Spirit are expressed in a church service, they should be done decently and in order and under the leading of the ministry oversight.
We believe that those who are called by the name of Christ should depart from iniquity or evil living. This is part of experiencing a real-life change or becoming born again after accepting Christ in the salvation experience. Again, this is the work of the Holy Spirit who now lives in us, and we embrace the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit to create in us the character of Christ (2 Timothy 2:19). This means that your walk matches your talk or that you live a congruent life in words and actions. We can also break free from the power of sin in our lives with the help of the Holy Spirit’s sanctifying work. This produces a lifestyle change not only in our character but in our mental, spiritual and physical areas of everyday living.
We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life is of immeasurable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally impaired, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are, therefore, called to defend, protect, and value all human life (Genesis 1:27, Jeremiah 1:5, Luke 1:15).
We believe that man was made in the image of God and is the crown of creation. Man is now, by reason of the fall, spiritually depraved and alienated from his Creator. Apart from God’s grace, man has no ability to attain his higher calling (Psalm 8, Ephesians 2:8 – 9).
We believe in the Holy Christian Church imperfectly represented on earth by the various Christian institutions. Her unity is spiritual, her culture diverse and transitional, and her mission eternal (Hebrews 12:18-23). There are many Christian institutions, but there is only one church body in the earth. The universal church cannot be institutionalized – it is a spiritual organism whose life and activity are under the authority and control of Jesus Christ. The universal church – the Body of Christ – is primarily perceived through the local church. The local church is faithful to its identity when it takes seriously its mission to represent the universal church to its community.
We believe in the spiritual unity of all who are born of God. Although we may have differing doctrinal views than other believers, we don’t break fellowship with or exclude others because of different interpretations of Christian doctrine (1 Corinthians 12:12-14). We desire to find common ground within all the Christian churches as long as our beliefs are congruent about Jesus Christ, salvation, and the biblical requirements for living a Christian lifestyle.
We believe the identity of the Body of Christ on the earth is primarily apparent through the local church. We do encourage unity among all the local churches while recognizing the need of consensus on matters of fundamental doctrine and conduct. We strongly declare the local church to be sovereign and autonomous.
We believe in the right of local churches and ministries to form community partners to assist them in carrying out the work of God. At the same time, we reject sectarianism and divisiveness as great evils. Local churches should work with each other to establish the rule of God in the earth.
We believe that the Lord Jesus will return to the earth again with His Kingdom rule. He created the earth and lived on earth several centuries ago with a promise to return one day as outlined in Bible prophecy. His return to earth will include the resurrection of the saved to eternal life and the unrepentant to eternal separation from God (damnation). His ultimate victory over evil and wickedness will be displayed on earth through the Kingdom of God (Acts 1:9-11, Daniel 12:2, Revelation 22:1 -7).
