...
What We Believe ...
The ministry and
teachings of Awakening Ministries will be consistent with the
following beliefs....
THE TRINITY:
- God is the Creator
of all things; He created man in His own image and He exists
eternally-- One Godhead of three Persons: Father, Son and Holy
Spirit.
- Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God. He was born
of a Virgin, tempted in every way and was without sin. He
suffered and died upon the cross as the sacrificial Lamb of God.
With His death on the cross, full atonement was made for all
mankind. After three days, He was resurrected, defeating death,
and ascended to heaven where He now sets at the right hand of the
Father making intercession on our behalf. He will come again in
glory, to take Believers home.
- The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. He
proceeds from the Father and the Son and indwells in each
believer so men may say God truly dwells within us. He is the
promised Guide, Counselor, Friend, Comforter, Teacher and Spirit
of Truth. He draws the unbeliever toward a relationship with God
through Jesus Christ. He lives within each of us as a Guide in
our daily lives.
THE SCRIPTURES:
The Bible, which
contains 66 books, is the inspired, infallible word of God. The
product of Holy Men who spoke and wrote as the Holy Spirit moved
them. The Word of God has been given to man in the book commonly
called The Bible; no other book or collection of writings are to
be regarded as sacred, inspired Scripture; the Bible alone is our
final authority in matters of faith and practice.
THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY
SPIRIT:
When we willingly yield ourselves to God and ask, He will baptize
us with His Holy Spirit, which deepens our walk with Him and
empowers us. This is not to be confused with water baptism, which
is symbolic of our death to our old life and the rising to new
life in Christ. MAN, HIS FALL AND REDEMPTION:
Man was created by God from dust and
made in the image of God. However, through the original sin,
mankind fell from God’s grace. The Bible teaches that all men
have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Through faith
in the atoning death of Jesus Christ on the cross and in His
bodily resurrection, man can be saved. SALVATION COMES BY FAITH ALONE;
REPENTANCE FOLLOWS: Man is in no way justified by his works. It is
a free gift from God… Romans 6:23 says: “the gift of God is
eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Salvation comes
through God's grace through faith (Ephs. 2:8). That faith is to
be in the atonement of Jesus Christ; that in His suffering and
death, He paid, once and for all, the price for the sins of all
mankind; and enabled mankind to be at one with God again.
THE
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FAITH AND WORKS:
A true and lively faith
will always manifest itself in good works as pointed out by our
Lord in Matthew 25:31-46, by Paul in Ephesians 2:10, by John in
I John 3:17-18 and by James in James 2:26. However, good works
have no part in salvation. They are the by-product of one's
faith. They are one of the ways in which true believers are
known.
DISCERNING OF THOSE WHO ARE IN CHRIST: While Each man, at any given
time, will be at a different level of maturity in their walk of
faith, each man will bear fruit at different levels, the Bible
is clear that the Church can and is to discern those who are
truly of the household of faith and those who are not (I Cor 5:9-13
and Matthew 7:15-20). This accountability is not about judgment;
rather, it is for the protection of the flock and to aid those
who need a relationship with God.
SANCTIFICATION: All men are called to press
toward full sanctification, or Christ likeness. The Holy Spirit,
through our willful obedience, enables us to grow in holiness and
to live holy lives before our God. Without holiness, no man can
see God.
RESURRECTION OF MAN AND HIS JUDGMENT: Whoever believes in Him is
not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned
already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and
only Son. (John 3:18).
THE NATURE AND PERSON OF SATAN:
Satan was cast down
from heaven for rebellion and is currently loose to battle
against God's saints, to deceive and keep under deception an
unbelieving world. Jesus Christ has already won the ultimate
victory over Satan at the cross.
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