Our Beliefs
We believe in ONE GOD, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19, Genesis 1:26)
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 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. He 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 again in power and glory. (John 1:1,14, 20:28; I Timothy 3:16; Isaiah 9:6; Philippians 2:5-6; I Timothy 2:5).
(John 3:16; Acts 1:9-11; Romans 1:3-6)
(John 3:16; Acts 1:9-11; Romans 1:3-6)
We believe in the Scriptures of the old and new testaments to be verbally inspired of God, and inerrant in the original writings and that they are the supreme and final authority in faith and life. (II Peter 1:21)
We believe that man was created in the image of God, that he sinned and thereby incurred, not only physical death, but also spiritual death, which is separation from God; and that all human beings are born with a sinful nature, and in the case of those who reach moral responsibility, become sinners in thought, word and deed. (Isaiah 53:6, Romans 5:12-21)
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice; and that all who believe in Him are justified on the ground of His shed blood. (Romans 5:9; 1 Corinthians 5:21)
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 of any human efforts (Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 2:16, 3:8; Titus 3:5; Romans 10:9-10; Acts 16:31; Hebrews 9:22).
We believe that those born again possess two natures and that they may be victorious over the old through the power of the new, but that the eradication of the old nature is unscriptural. (Romans 7:15-8:17)
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 (I Thessalonians 4:3,5:23; II Corinthians 3:18, 6:14-18, II Thessalonians 2:1-3, Romans 8:29, 12:1-2, Hebrews 2:11).
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 (I Thessalonians 4:3,5:23; II Corinthians 3:18, 6:14-18, II Thessalonians 2:1-3, Romans 8:29, 12:1-2, Hebrews 2:11).
Given at Pentecost, it is the promise of the Father, sent by Jesus after His Ascension, to empower the Church to preach the Gospel throughout the whole earth (Joel 2:28-29; Matthew 3:11; Mark 16:17; Acts 1:5,2:1-4, 17, 38-39, 8:14-17, 10:38, 44-47, 11:15-17, 19:1-6).
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).
We believe in the eternal security of all the saved; that such only are real believers as endure unto the end, that their persevering attachment to Christ is the grand mark which distinguishes them from superficial professors; and that a special providence watches over their welfare; and that they are kept by the power of God through faith unto eternal salvation. (John 10:27-30)
We believe in the eternal security of all the saved; that such only are real believers as endure unto the end, that their persevering attachment to Christ is the grand mark which distinguishes them from superficial professors; and that a special providence watches over their welfare; and that they are kept by the power of God through faith unto eternal salvation. (John 10:27-30)
The Lord’s Supper
We believe that the Lord’s Supper is a provision of bread and wine, representing Christ’s broken body and shed blood, partaken of by believers assembled for that purpose, in commemoration of the death of their Lord, showing their faith and participation in the merits of His sacrifice, their dependence on Him for spiritual life and nourishment, and their assurance of life eternal through His resurrection from the dead; its observance to be preceded by faithful self-examination. (I Corinthians 11:23-24)
We believe that the Lord’s Supper is a provision of bread and wine, representing Christ’s broken body and shed blood, partaken of by believers assembled for that purpose, in commemoration of the death of their Lord, showing their faith and participation in the merits of His sacrifice, their dependence on Him for spiritual life and nourishment, and their assurance of life eternal through His resurrection from the dead; its observance to be preceded by faithful self-examination. (I Corinthians 11:23-24)
Baptism
We believe that Christian Baptism is the immersion in water of a believer, in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit; showing forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem our union with the crucified, buried and risen Savior. (Matthew 28:19; Romans 6:3-5)
We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord, in His ascension into Heaven, and in His present life there for us, as High priest and Advocate. (I Corinthians 15:1-4; Acts 1:9; I John 2:1)
We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust, the everlasting felicity of the saved, and the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost. (John 6:39-40; I Corinthians 15:22-24; Revelation 20:12-15)
We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust, the everlasting felicity of the saved, and the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost. (John 6:39-40; I Corinthians 15:22-24; Revelation 20:12-15)
Heaven is the eternal dwelling place for all believers in the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Matthew 5:3, 12, 20, 6:20, 19:21, 25:34; John 17:24; II Corinthians 5:1; Hebrews 11:16; I Peter 1:4).
After living one life on earth, the unbelievers will be judged by God and sent to Hell where they will be eternally tormented with the Devil and the Fallen Angels. (Matthew 25:41; Mark 9:43-48; Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 14:9-11, 20:12-15, 21:8)
We believe in “THAT BLESSED HOPE,” the personal and imminent coming of our Lord into the air for His saints. We believe in the personal, visible, and glorious return of Christ to the earth, with His saints. We believe that between these events shall be the seven years of Daniel’s seventieth week (Daniel 9:27), the last three and one half years of which mark “THE GREAT TRIBULATION,” culminating in the Battle of Armageddon. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Revelation 19:11-16 and 7:14)
Our Music
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” (Colossians 3:16 ESV)
It is our desire and goal to follow the instruction of this verse in our times of corporate worship.
We understand that singing together is not simply an enjoyable activity. Singing is one way we teach the Gospel.
At Hope, we strive to sing the best songs available to us. This means singing rich, time-tested hymns as well as new songs. While singing older, more familiar songs is beneficial in letting the truths of Scripture dwell richly in us, we believe it is also important to incorporate solid, Biblical, edifying songs from modern hymnwriters.
For an example of songs you may hear on a Sunday morning, listen to this playlist: