The worship, teaching, activities and programs of Restoration Church shall be consistent and in keeping with the following beliefs:
A) THE TRIUNE GOD:
i) God created the heavens and the earth (Gen. 1:1). He created man in His image (Gen 1:26) and He exists eternally (Ps. 90:1-2)-One God in three Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19, John 14:26, John 15:26).
ii) Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Son of Man (Luke 1:35). In Christ Jesus, God came to His people in the flesh (Philippians 2:5-7, Colossians 1:15). He was born of the Virgin Mary (Luke 1:35) and though tempted in every way just as we are, He was without sin (Hebrews 4:15). He suffered for our sake and died upon the cross as the Lamb of God, taking the punishment for our sins upon Himself (Colossians 1:21-22). In His sacrificial death on the cross, atonement was made for all mankind (II Corinthians 5:19). On the third day after His death, He rose again in a bodily resurrection (Mark 16:1-7) and ascended into heaven (Luke 24:51) where He sits at the right hand of the Father (Mark 16:19, Luke 22:69) and makes intercession on our behalf (Romans 8:34). He will come again in glory (Matthew 24:30) in the Father's own time and way (Matthew 24:26) to judge the world (Matthew 25:31-46) and take His followers home (I Thessalonians 4:16-17).
iii) The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. He proceeds from the Father and the Son (John 15:26, Galatians 4:6) and indwells each believer so that men may say God truly dwells with us (Romans 8:14-16). He is the promised Helper and Spirit of Truth (John 15:26, John16:13). He is at work in the life of the unbeliever drawing him toward a relationship with God by convicting them of their sin and the need for righteousness (John 16:8). He also leads us into a salvific relationship with Christ by pointing us to Christ...thus, no man can say Jesus is Lord except by the Spirit (I Corinthians 12:3).
B) 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 they were moved by the Holy Spirit. 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; nor shall writings other than the Bible be allowed to impose upon the believer legalistic or other religious, ritualistic or salvific requirements or any other form of demand. The Bible alone is our final authority in matters of faith and practice. It alone contains all things needful to see our way to salvation (II Timothy 3:16).
C) THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT:
When we willingly yield ourselves to God and ask Him He will baptize us with (immerse us in) His Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13) which will deepen our walk with Him and empower us to understand (I Corinthians 2:6-16) and walk in the ministry (Romans 12:4-6a) God has for us. This is the baptism of Christ (Matthew 3:11, John 4:1-2) and is separate from and not to be confused with water baptism (Acts 1:4-5) which is symbolic of our being buried and raised to new life in Christ (Colossians 2:12) and is an appeal to God for a clear conscience toward God (I Peter 3:21) (for a discussion of water baptism, see paragraph L,ii below). While our salvation does not rest on our receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit, until we do, our walk is more difficult, our power for ministry is limited and thus we can be more easily led astray and distracted by worldly opinion and influences (Acts 21:10-14). The Holy Spirit enables the Church for ministry through: opening our minds to the Truth of God (John 14:26) and by anointing each believer with spiritual gifts to empower them for ministry (I Cor. 12:4-11, Rom 12:4-8 and Ephs 4:7-13).
D) MAN, HIS FALL AND REDEMPTION.
Man was formed by God from the dust of the ground and was made in the image of God and is the glory of God (Genesis 2:7, I Corinthians 11:7-8). However, through Eve being deceived and Adam's disobedience, man transgressed God's command and fell into sin (Genesis 3:6). The Bible teaches that all men have sinned and fallen short of God's glory (Romans 3:23) and that there is none righteous, no not one (Psalms 14:3). Through faith in the atoning death of Jesus Christ on the cross and in His bodily resurrection, man can be saved (Ephesians 2:8, II Corinthians 5:19 and 21).
E) 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 free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Salvation comes through God's grace that is accessed by a man's faith and that alone (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, thereby we may stand as holy before God, Who is holy (II Corinthians 5:21).
How the atonement was accomplished:
In II Corinthians 5:21 Paul teaches that when Christ, Who lived a sinless life, hung on the cross, God placed upon Him the sins of the entire world…past, present and future…thereby making Jesus guilty of all the world's sin. As Christ endured the pain, torture, beatings, and finally death upon the cross, He was, in the eyes of God, receiving the punishment and death which each of us deserved (Matthew 20:28, Mark 10:25)…since we have all fallen short of the glory of God (Roms 3:23) and deserve eternal death (Roms 5:23). But, Christ was our substitute…thus the term "substitutionary atonement". God atoned for our sins by placing them on His own Son and then Christ took our punishment and our death for us (Heb. 9:28). This is an extension and fulfillment of the Old Covenant's sacrificial system in which a "spotless lamb" would be sacrificed to cover the sins of the people. But the death of Christ as the "Lamb of God" (John 1:29), didn't simply cover sin, it took sin away (Heb. 9:25-26)!
When we believe, accept in our hearts, and confess the good news that through faith in Christ's substitutionary death we are saved and that by His ressurection from the dead we have eternal life (Romans 10:9), God then substitutes Christ's righteousness for our unrighteousness and we become the very righteousness of God (II Cor. 5:21)!! All men have access to God and the salvation He offers (John 3:16).
Repentance and Discipleship Follows:
When a man accepts Christ, by faith, as his Savior, he must also accept Him as Lord and live in obedience to His commandments (John 14:23-24). This means turning away from his former way of living and turning to Christ. This turning away from our old life and sinful ways is called "repenting of one's sin" or "repentance". The word "repentance" literally means to "turn the other direction"...in other words, to turn away from that which you were doing and turn to something new...in this case, it would mean turning away from the ways in which you lived that were displeasing to God...and turning to God so that He can reshape you and mold you as He wishes to (Romans 12:2, Jeremiah 18:1-6). True repentance is the product of a man's mind being continually renewed by the Holy Spirit (II Cor 3:18) and it does not produce regret; rather, it produces zeal and longing to do good and a godly indignation at sin (I Cor 7:10-11). As a man continues to mature in his faith, God will continue to bring to his heart and mind things of which he must repent; in other words, repentance is an on going process that goes naturally with the spiritual maturation process.
F) 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.
G) SIGNS OF A TRUE BELIEVER…THE ACCOUNTABILITY OF THE BELIEVER.
While each man, at any given time, will be at a different level of maturity in their faith walk and 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).
To this end, the Apostle John says in I John 3:10 "In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother." The sign of a true follower of God is a life that is manifesting righteousness and love that is appropriate to a man's maturity level. Minus the demonstration of maturing righteousness and godly love, a person should not, for the sake of the church and its members, be placed in a position of leadership. Persons in positions of leadership who are not demonstrative of God's love and righteousness can only bring divisiveness and discord among the brethren.
In addition, the Bible also gives us other ways in which we may discern whether our relationship with God is healthy and progressing from one degree of glory to the next; in other words, the Scripture gives us ways in which we may hold ourselves accountable. First, what is the manifestation of the "lifestyle fruit" that is brought forth, is it of the flesh or the Spirit (Galatians 5:19-25)? Second, is there a measure of "kingdom fruit", appropriate to their maturity level, being brought forth to the glory of God's Kingdom (John 15:4)? Third, is there a measure of "repentance fruit"…or the ongoing turning away from the lusts and darkness of this world that go with ongoing Christian maturity (I John 2:15-17 and I John 1:6)? Finally, is there a measure of "Lordship fruit", or, an obvious effort to be obedient to the commandments of Christ (I John 2:3)?
H) 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 (Ezekiel 36:25-27, I Thessalonians 5:23).
I) RESURRECTION OF MAN AND HIS JUDGMENT.
All men will be resurrected to either a resurrection of eternal joy in a literal heaven or a resurrection of eternal damnation in a literal hell. We live as either spiritually condemned or resurrected men in this present life (John 3:18).
J) THE END TIMES AND THE RETURN OF CHRIST.
In God's own way and time He will bring the world to an end. There will be a period of tribulation (Matthew 24:4-14), Christ will return (Matthew 24:29-30, Revelation 19:11-21) and there will be a 1000-year reign of Christ (Revelation 20:1-4) and then will come the judgment (Matthew 25:31-46, Revelation 20:11-15). The promise is sure and worthy of full acceptance that Christ will return, according to God's preordained plan, to take His saints home to be with Him forever in Heaven (I Thessalonians 4:17). Holding a particular view of the end times is not to be made a criteria of salvation; a determination of whether or not an individual is biblically or theologically sound, or should it become a determining factor in whether or not there shall be fellowship with other believers, churches, denominations or groups.
K) THE NATURE AND PERSON OF SATAN.
Satan is a literal being (Luke 4:1-2) who was cast down from heaven for rebellion (Isaiah 14:12-14) and now wages war on all believers (Job 1:6-12, I Peter 5:8). While Satan is currently loose to battle against God's saints and to deceive and keep under deception an unbelieving world, Jesus Christ has already won the ultimate victory over Satan at the cross (Ephesians 6:12, Colossians 1:20). Satan's eternal punishment in the Lake of Fire is sure (Revelation 20:10).
L) SACRAMENTS OR ORDINANCES OF THE CHURCH.
There are two sacraments or ordinances in Christ's Holy Church.
i) The Lord's Supper is the sacrament or ordinance through which we celebrate and remember the death of the Lord Jesus Christ until He returns again (I Corinthians 11:26). The Lord's Supper, or Communion, is open to all people who profess a personal faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior regardless of denominational affiliation (I Corinthians 11:27). We believe that through the power of the Holy Spirit, the bread and wine or juice are, in essence, the Body and Blood of Christ, yet, in substance, retain their original nature…that of bread and wine and we are called to discern this presence (I Corinthians 11:29).
ii) Baptism. Jesus Christ, in the Scriptures, commands the sacrament or ordinance of baptism with water. While baptism is not salvific, out of obedience to Christ all that repent and believe on Christ Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior are to be baptized. Baptism is to be through immersion in water and done in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19).
Since only persons of a certain maturity level are capable of accepting Christ for themselves, infants are not suitable candidates for baptism, although a dedication ceremony is most certainly appropriate. The Pastor, after meeting with a baptismal candidate, shall determine if a candidate has reached the appropriate physical, mental and spiritual maturity level to understand the act of Baptism.
As baptism has no saving efficacy, baptisms performed by other Christian denominations will be recognized and rebaptism will not be required as long as the baptism was done in the name of the Triune God, with water and the person being baptized was of the age they understood their actions and acted by faith.
Persons baptized as infants must be biblically baptized. This is not out of a legalistic demand; rather, it is out of obedience to the call of Christ to be baptized upon one's recognition, acceptance by faith and profession of their faith in Christ as their Lord and Savior.
Constant and repetitive acts of rebaptism by members are not to be encouraged; however, if a long backslidden Christian comes to the point of repentance and rededication of themselves, rebaptism may be appropriate. The Pastor will make this decision.
M) GIVING IN SUPPORT OF CHRIST'S CHURCH.
Support for the ministry of Christ's Church is, and has always been, accomplished through giving. The early church gave and received special offerings (II Corinthians 9). Even Jesus Christ received financial support from His followers (Luke 8:1-2). And Paul commanded that those who work in ministry ought to make their living through ministry...thus the need for giving is clear (I Timothy 5:17-18). It is clear that giving is the means through which God chooses to support His work in the Church.
Tithing, while commanded in the Old Testament (Malachi 3:10) is portrayed in the New Testament as a spiritual response to a close, personal relationship with God (II Corinthians 9:6-7)...however, it must be clear that nowhere is tithing rejected...in fact, Jesus spoke of tithing. However, as with all the aspects of the law, tithing is no longer a legalistic demand; it is now part and parcel of our spiritual faith walk with Christ and is a direct reflection of our relationship with Christ.
For many, a biblical guideline for giving is the tithe, or 10% of a man's income (Genesis 14:20). However, the New Testament really opens the door to, and indeed expects, a different motivation for giving. Rather than our giving being based on a static percent, Paul speaks to a man's conscience, means, and faith in God as the basis for giving (II Corinthians 9:6-8, I Corinthians 16:2, I Timothy 6:17-19).
Thus, if one wished to use tithing as a giving guideline, it must be understood that God is clear in that He expects us to do that as a minimum. Thus, tithing, with the New Testament imperative of giving more if one is blessed with more, is the Scriptural model for giving and is therefore expected of members as part of their spiritual walk.
Offerings and alms, are gifts that are over and above a person's regular giving. God does not recognize an offering or alms as such until a man has first paid at least his tithe.
The giving of one's time and talents is not biblically considered a tithe. The Bible teaches that service is expected, and indeed, our duty in addition to our tithe (Matthew 23:22). A tithe is of one's income. Service is of one's time.
The tithe is to go to the local church (Malachi 3:10) as long as the local church is using it to a godly end; alms and offerings may be given to the local church or to any worthy, Christian cause.
N) CHRIST'S HOLY CHURCH.
The Church consists of those who, having heard God's call, answered that call in faith by entering into a relationship with Him through acceptance of Christ's atoning death on the cross and then being baptized as an act of obedience and a sign of our dying to ourselves and living anew to Christ. All true believers in all denominations comprise the Body of Christ (I Corinthians 12:12-13). On the local level, the Church is lived out through a group of believers fellowshipping together for the purpose of worship, evangelism, learning, service, discipleship, and accountability (Hebrews 10:24-25).
O) THE FAMILY.
Family is seen in Scripture as the basic unit through which mankind is perpetuated (Genesis 1:28). The traditional family is created when a man and woman are joined together through, first, the making of a covenant between them and God to be as one flesh for the remainder of their lives, and second, through the making of a covenant between themselves to be faithful and supportive (Ephesians 5:31-33). Yet, it is clear that family can be understood in a number of ways.
i) The traditional view of family is the union of a man and woman and the children, if any, born to that union. According to Scripture, the husband is the head of the home and the wife is to respect and be submissive to her husband in all things godly; the husband is to love his wife sacrificially as Christ loved the Church (Ephesians 5:22-23, 33), not being harsh with her (Colossians 3:19) and he is not to provoke his children (Ephesians 6:4); children are to obey and respect their parents while growing in wisdom and stature with God and man (Ephesians 6:1-3).
ii) Another understanding of family is a single individual who lives a celibate lifestyle until married (Mark 7:21-23, I Corinthians 6:18). This family unit, while only consisting of one person, is lived out through involvement in, and in a covenant with, a local body of believers...thus bringing fellowship, accountability and relationship into the person's life.
iii) Another understanding of family is the single parent who has undergone the pain of losing a mate to death or the tragedy of divorce and is raising their child(ren), if any, by themselves. This family is one in which the parent and child(ren), if any, involves themselves in a local body of believers, the parent remains celibate and the child (ren), if any, respect and obey their parent(s).
iv) The practice of homosexuality is not compatible with the Christian faith and shall not be endorsed or condoned (I Corinthians 6:9-10, Romans 1:26-32). While homosexuals are persons of great value to God, homosexual unions are not considered a valid marriage union or a valid family unit in the Scripture; therefore, the union shall not be recognized (Matthew 19:4-5).
v) A heterosexual couple living together without the benefit of marriage is not recognized in scripture as an acceptable family and shall not be accepted, condoned by the church (I Corinthians 6:18, I Thessalonians 4:3-7, I Corinthians 7:9 and 36, Hebrews 13:4); rather, couples shall be welcomed with love, yet counseled and encouraged to live apart in a celibate relationship until such time as they are united in the covenant of marriage.
vi) Sex outside of marriage is fornication and is sinful; those who are unmarried are to practice celibacy (I Corinthians 6:18, I Thessalonians 4:3-7). Adultery is sinful (Exodus 20:14). Persons are to practice fidelity in marriage (Hebrews 13:4).
vii) The dissolution of the covenant relationship of marriage through divorce is recognized on only three grounds: adultery (Matthew 5:32), abandonment by an unbelieving member of the covenant (I Corinthians 7:15-17) and the refusal of one spouse to allow the other to serve or follow God (Luke 18:29-30...the greek word translated "leave" in this passage is the same word translated "divorce" in Matthew 5:32 and I Corinthians 7:15-17). Divorce for any other reason is not biblical and therefore not acceptable. However, even in the face of these conditions, every effort should first be made on the part of both persons, through pastoral counseling and/or professional Christian counseling, to save the marriage covenant. The church shall not, in any case, withhold ministry to those who have been divorced for any reason; but rather, the church shall seek to minister to, and include, those who have been divorced. A divorce on biblical grounds shall not exclude a man or woman from service as a deacon or a man from service as an elder.
viii) The Pastor shall not perform a marriage ceremony in which one of the participants has been divorced for a reason other than the three biblical reasons cited in Article I, Section 1, Paragraph O, subsection vii. The exceptions are if the person who is seeking remarriage is a widow or widower (I Corinthians 7:39), or if the divorce occurred prior to the person(s) accepting Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior (II Corinthians 5:17). In order for the Pastor to perform a marriage ceremony, each person must be a baptized Christian who is attending a Church regularly and the couple must also submit to any pre-marital counseling that the Pastor may require. In addition, the Pastor shall help the young and single members of his church to take seriously the biblical injunction against being unequally yoked to an unbeliever as they seek to choose a covenant partner (II Corinthians 6:14). The Pastor shall have the right to refuse to perform a marriage covenant ceremony for any reason.
P) HOMOSEXUALITY
he practice of homosexuality is not compatible with the Christian faith and shall not be endorsed, condoned or accepted as normal or God-ordained (I Corinthians 6:9-10, Romans 1:26-32). The Bible clearly teaches that the God-ordained sexual orientation is that of heterosexual (Genesis 1:27, Genesis 2:20-24, Matthew 19:4). Neither homosexual civil unions nor marriages are considered valid relationships in Scripture; therefore, the union shall not be recognized (Matthew 19:4-5), nor shall the church be compelled by members or local, state or federal law to violate this tenant of faith. While the practice of homosexuality is sinful, unbiblical and not compatible with Christianity, those who struggle with the sin of homosexuality are to be welcomed, loved, ministered to and challenged to repent and live life in obedience to God's Word (I Corinthians 6:9-11).
Q) ABORTION
The practice of abortion is incompatible with what Scripture teaches us about the sanctity of human life (Jeremiah 1:5, Psalm 139:13-16) and is considered a violation of God's Word as it relates to the taking of innocent life (Proverbs 6:16-17). All life is created by God; indeed, the very ability to pro-create was created and given to us by God (Psalm 139:13-16). With this in mind, whether an individual wishes to refer to a fertilized egg as a baby, a fetus, or a mass of cells, since pro-creation is a God created and given process, that which is created through that process is also God created and God given…therefore, it is sacred.
The church fully supports and endorses adoption as a godly and scripturally respectful way to deal with unwanted or unplanned pregnancies (Acts 7:20-21, Genesis 48:5, Esther 2:7).
The church shall not withhold ministry or fellowship from women who have had abortions. Rather, they church shall help them deal with the emotional and spiritual results and ramifications so that they may repent and once again lay claim to a spiritually and emotionally abundant life.
R) HIRING PRACTICES/EMPLOYMENT CONDITIONS
The church reserves the right, based on Scripture, to not hire persons whose sexual orientation is that of homosexual or bisexual, or persons who are transgender or persons who practice any other gender bending practices or other lifestyle choices that are not supported in Scripture. The church reserves the right, based on Scripture (I Corinthians 5:11), to dismiss any employee, volunteer or other person who may hold a position of authority if it is discovered that they hold to, support, or practice any of the above mentioned sexual, gender or lifestyle choices.
In addition, the church reserves the right, based on Scripture, to refuse to hire, or to decide to dismiss persons based on their religious beliefs; all employees and others in authority in the church must adhere to the Articles of Faith as laid out in the by-laws in Article I, Section 1, Paragraph A-S (Jude 3-4).
S) GOVERNMENT
Government is a God ordained institution which God uses to bring order to a chaotic, unbelieving world (Romans 13:1-2). The church believes that citizens who are believers are bound by Christian duty to pay the taxes that are required of them by the government (Matthew 22:17-22) and to follow all laws that are not in direct violation of the Word of God; in addition, the church does not oppose government insurance plans such as Social Security (Romans 13:6-7).
However, when government laws or regulations clash with clear and unambiguous writ of Scripture, we are bound to follow God's holy Word (Acts 5:29).
We believe that the Scripture gives us full right and authority to proclaim the Gospel to all men freely and unencumbered by excessive government restriction, regulation, or interference (Acts 4:18-20).
We recognize, and will support, the right of men and women of sincere faith to conscientiously object to service in the nation's military service…this objection must be based on a religious objection to military service and/or combat.
We also reserve the right to offer sanctuary to any person seeking the protection of the church; however, that sanctuary is not meant to help individuals avoid arrest or prosecution for any crime they may have committed or are accused of committing; rather, the church will offer sanctuary as a place in which the individual may prepare to turn themselves in to authorities in a dignified manner, unencumbered by authorities, with the church's covering of prayer and love...or as a place to for persons to find sanctuary and safety from abuse, fear, or hurt.
If you have any questions about our Articles of Faith, please drop us an email and we will do our best to answer all of your questions from God's Word!!
