STATEMENT OF FAITH, what we believe in
These are the core beliefs of the membership of The New Generation Churches Community-The Shelter. This Statement of Faith is in harmony with the teaching of Scriptures and its interpretation by our ministry.
We believe in:
Section 1 Trinity:
The trinity is the biblical testimony that God is both One and Triune. The revelation of the Bible testifies that there is only one God and that He is eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
These three are co-equal and are one God. (Genesis 1:1,26, 27; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; I Peter 1:2).
About God the Father
God the Father is the creator sustainer and the ruler of the universe and all the things, and He created the universe in love. He created man in His own image for fellowship and called man back to Himself through Christ after the rebellion and fall of man.
About the Son: Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is eternally God. He was together with the Father and the Holy Spirit from the beginning, and through Him all things were made. For man’s redemption, He left heaven and became incarnate by the Holy Spirit through the Virgin Mary; henceforth, He is forever one Christ with two natures—God and man—in one person.
He lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on the cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven's glory, and is coming again soon as King of Kings and Lord of Lords to redeem His bride, the church. (Matthew 1:22,23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5; 14:10-30; Hebrews 4:14,15; 1 Corinthians 15:3,4; Romans 1:3,4; Acts 1:9-11; I Timothy 6:14,15; Titus 2:13).
About the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is God, the giver of life active in the Old Testament and given to the Church in fullness at Pentecost. He empowers the saints for service and witness, cleanses man from the old nature and conforms him to the image of Christ. The baptism in the Holy Spirit, subsequent to conversion, releases the fullness of the Spirit and is evidenced by the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit.
He provides the Christian with the power for living, enables understanding of Biblical truth, and guides them in righteous living. He provides every Christian with spiritual gifts for service at the moment of salvation. We seek to live under His control daily. (2 Corinthians 3:17; John 16:7-13, 14:16-17; Acts 1:8; I Corinthians 2:12, 3:16; Ephesians 1:13;Galatians 5:25;Ephesians 5:18).
Section 2 the Bible:
We affirm that the Bible is an inspired Word of God to us and that containing the Old and New Testaments, is alone the only infallible, and that its authority is ultimate, final and eternal. It cannot be added to, subtracted from or superseded in any regard. It is the source of all doctrine, instruction, correction and reproof. (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1: 20-21, 2 Timothy 1:13; Psalm 119:150, 160, 12:6; Proverbs 30:5).
Section 3 Man, His Fall and Redemption:
Man is a created being, made in the likeness and the image of God, but through Adam’s transgression and fall, sin came into the world (Romans 5:12). "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). "As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one" (Romans 3: 10).
This (sin) separates people from God and causes spiritual death along with many other problems in life. (Genesis 1:27, Psalm 8:3-6, 51: 1-8, Romans 3:23, Isaiah 59:1-2). Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was manifested to undo the work of the devil, and gave His life and shed His blood to redeem and restore man to God (1 John 3:8).
Section 4 Salvation:
The salvation is a free gift of God to us, based on the merits of the death of His Son, and is appropriated by faith. Salvation is affected by personal repentance, belief in the Lord Jesus (justification) and personal acceptance of Him into one’s life as Lord and Savior (regeneration). The new life in Christ includes the privileges of adoption and inheritance in the kingdom of God’s beloved Son. Salvation is an act of free will in response to God’s personal love for mankind. It is predestined only in the sense that God, through His omniscience, foreknew those who would choose Him.
It is secure in the eternal, unchanging commitment of God who does not lie and is forever the same. Salvation should produce an active lifestyle of loving obedience and service to Jesus Christ our Savior.
Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into his life by faith. (Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9, John 14:6; Titus 3:5; Galatians 3:26, Romans 5:1).
Section 5about Eternity:
Heaven is a literal place where God will wipe away every tear and there will be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain. Believers will live forever in God’s presence. We also, believe in a literal hell, which is a place of physical and spiritual torment, experienced as a result of eternal separation from God. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (John 3:16; John 14:7; Romans 6:23; Romans 8:17-18; Revelation 20:15, 1Thessalonians 4:16-17).
Section 6 about the Church:
The true Church, built upon the Foundation of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11; Ephesians 2:20), is the Body of our Lord (Romans 12:5; 1 Corinthians 12:27); Christ being the Head (Ephesians 1:22; Colossians 1:18). Its earthly constituents are all true believers, born again of the Spirit (John 3:6) and of the Word (I Peter 1:23), who are living an overcoming Christian life (Ephesians 5:27; Revelation 21:27).
The goal of the Church is to make disciples of all nations and to present the saints complete in Christ. The five-fold ministry of Ephesians 4 governs the Church, the offices of elder and deacon, as well as other offices mentioned in scripture. Church policy is a balance between congregation and eldership authority, emphasizing the final authority of the Church leadership. It is essential to the life of the Church that scriptural patterns of discipline are practiced and that oversight for Church discipline, individual and corporate, is exercised by the leadership of the Church.We believe that the church is our family where church members do care about each other love one another and do forgive each other.
Section 7 About Christian home
We believe that God has given parents the responsibility to bring their children up in the nurture and discipline of the Lord. We believe that it is the parents responsibility to educate and disciple their children in the truth of God. We believe that the church must work to compliment the parent’s efforts and facilitate Godly living within the home. (Ephesians 6:4, Proverbs 22:6, Deuteronomy 6:6-9, Joshua 24:15).
We do understand that children have right but we believe parents have the full right to educate their children according to the word of God and exercise their full authority to them.
We believe God has ordained the family unit to serve as a model for the entire church with the father as the head of the home and functioning as a servant-leader as described in Ephesians 5
Section 8 the Christian Life:
We believe that God calls us – with a holy calling -- to walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. God wants us to live in the power of His indwelling Holy Spirit, so we will not fulfill the lusts of our physical bodies. We believe that the fallen, Adamic nature of the flesh cannot be eradicated in this life. Therefore, keeping ourselves constantly in subjection to Christ, we must allow God’s Holy Spirit to live through us in a daily “walk” of faith. Otherwise, the flesh will certainly demonstrate its presence in our lives, to the Lord’s dishonor.
It is the responsibility and privilege of every Christian to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ and to seek and to make growing disciples. (Leviticus 26:30, Philippians 2:13, Ephesians 5:18, 1 Peter 3:15, Galatians 5:16).
Hence, God’s provision for His children is total, and the promises are final and forever. The shortcomings of the individual and of the Church are because of the still progressing sanctification of the saints. The Christian life is filled with trials, tests and warfare against a spiritual enemy. For those abiding in Christ until their deaths or His return, the promises of eternal blessing in the presence of God are assured. To remain faithful through all circumstances of life requires dependence upon the Holy Spirit and a willingness to die to personal desires and passions.
This latter being the NGPC-Shelter will emphasize the importance of having a good testimony for any of its church members.
Section 9 Eschatology:
We affirm the bodily, personal, second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, the resurrection of the saints, the millennium and the final judgment. The final judgment will determine the eternal status of both the saints and the unbelievers, determined by their relationship to Jesus Christ. We affirm with the Bible the final state of the new heavens and the new earth.
Section 10 Setting a Time for the Lord’s Return:
It is unwise to teach that the Lord will come at some specified time, thereby setting a date for His appearing. It is also unwise to teach, preach or publish visions of numbers and dates which would tend to fix the time of the second coming of the Lord (Mark 13:32, 33).