Our Belief
WHAT WE BELIEVE
The Christian faith begins not with what we think about God, but with what God has revealed of Himself.
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At The Holy Christian Church International, Holy Scripture is our supreme and final authority for faith, doctrine, worship, and Christian living. We receive the faith revealed in Scripture, proclaimed by the apostles, confessed by the historic Christian Church, and centered wholly in Jesus Christ.
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These are the essential truths we believe, teach, confess, and seek faithfully to live:
THE HOLY TRINITY
We believe in one living and true God, eternally existing as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three distinct Persons, one in divine being, glory, power, and majesty. God is holy, eternal, sovereign, Creator and Sustainer of all things visible and invisible, and He alone is worthy of worship.
Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14
JESUS CHRIST
We believe Jesus Christ is truly God and truly man, the eternal Son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He lived without sin, offered Himself upon the cross for our sins, rose bodily from the dead, ascended to the Father, reigns as Lord, intercedes for His people, and will personally and gloriously return. He is the only Savior of the world and Head of the Church.
John 1:1–14; Philippians 2:5–11; 1 Corinthians 15:3–4; Acts 1:9–11
THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe the Holy Spirit is fully and eternally God, present and active in Christ's Church. He convicts, regenerates, indwells, sanctifies, fills, guides, and empowers believers, glorifies Jesus Christ, and distributes spiritual gifts. We affirm His continuing presence, ministry, gifts, and works according to His sovereign will.
John 14:16–17; 16:7–15; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 12:4–11
HOLY SCRIPTURE
We believe the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments are the inspired, infallible Word of God, without error in all they affirm, and the Church's supreme and final authority for faith, doctrine, worship, holiness, and Christian living. Every doctrine, spiritual experience, and ecclesiastical practice must therefore be tested by Holy Scripture.
Psalm 119:105; 2 Timothy 3:15–17; 2 Peter 1:20–21
HUMANITY, SIN, AND SALVATION
We believe humanity was created male and female in the image and likeness of God, but through sin became fallen and alienated from Him. God graciously draws sinners to repentance and faith, and salvation is His gift through the atoning death and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. Those who believe are justified, regenerated by the Holy Spirit, adopted into God's family, and called to persevere in faith and holiness.
Genesis 1:26–27; Romans 3:23–26; Ephesians 2:8–10; Titus 3:4–7
SANCTIFICATION AND HOLINESS
We believe God calls His people to holiness of heart and life. Sanctification begins with the new birth and includes God's gracious work of entire sanctification, or perfect love, by which the believer is more fully consecrated to God and empowered by the Holy Spirit to love God and neighbor wholeheartedly. Believers continue throughout life to grow in grace and conformity to Jesus Christ.
John 17:17; Romans 12:1–2; 1 Thessalonians 5:23–24; Hebrews 12:14; 1 Peter 1:15–16
BAPTISM AND FULLNESS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe every believer receives the Holy Spirit in the new birth, and we believe in the baptism and continuing fullness of the Holy Spirit for worship, witness, holy living, ministry, and service. We affirm speaking in other tongues, prophecy, healing, miracles, discernment, and the other gifts of the Spirit as continuing manifestations of His sovereign work. The fullness of the Spirit is also evidenced through Christlike character, holy living, love, spiritual fruit, and power for witness.
Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4–8; 2:4; 10:44–46; 1 Corinthians 12:4–11; Galatians 5:22–25
THE CHURCH
We believe in one, holy, catholic [universal], and apostolic Church, the Body and Bride of Jesus Christ, of which Christ alone is Head. The Church is visibly expressed wherever believers gather under His Lordship around the Word and Sacraments for worship, prayer, fellowship, discipleship, the ministry and gifts of the Holy Spirit, and witness to the Gospel.
Matthew 16:18; Acts 2:41–47; Ephesians 1:22–23; 4:4–16
THE SACRAMENTS
We believe Holy Baptism and the Holy Eucharist are sacraments instituted by Jesus Christ and entrusted to His Church as outward and visible signs of God's covenant grace, received by faith. We baptize believers in water in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and receive Holy Communion in remembrance of Christ, fellowship with Him and His Body, thanksgiving for His once-for-all sacrifice, and expectation of His return.
Matthew 28:19; Romans 6:3–4; Luke 22:19–20; 1 Corinthians 10:16–17; 11:23–26
DIVINE HEALING
We believe God still heals. The Church faithfully prays for the sick and ministers healing in the name of Jesus Christ through prayer, anointing with oil, laying on of hands, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. We trust God's sovereign wisdom whether healing comes immediately, progressively, through medical care, or ultimately in the resurrection.
Isaiah 53:4–5; Matthew 8:16–17; James 5:14–16
MARRIAGE, SEXUALITY, AND CHRISTIAN LIFE
We believe God created humanity male and female and instituted marriage as the covenantal union of one man and one woman. Sexual intimacy belongs within this covenant, and Christians are called to sexual purity and marital fidelity. As God's holy people, we pursue integrity, modesty, stewardship, justice, mercy, love of neighbor, and faithfulness to Christ in every dimension of life.
Genesis 1:27; 2:24; Matthew 19:4–6; 1 Corinthians 6:18–20; Ephesians 5:21–33
THE RETURN OF CHRIST AND THE WORLD TO COME
We believe Jesus Christ will personally and gloriously return, the dead will be raised, and all humanity will stand before God in judgment. Evil, Satan, sin, suffering, and death will finally be defeated, and the redeemed shall dwell eternally with God in the new heavens and new earth, where righteousness dwells.
John 14:1–3; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18; 1 Corinthians 15:51–57; Revelation 20:11–15; 21:1–5
OUR CONFESSION
We belong to the Father, who created us.
We are redeemed by the Son, who saved us.
We are sanctified and empowered by the Holy Spirit, who dwells within and among us.
We therefore seek to be a people grounded in Holy Scripture, gathered in Christ's Church, nourished by Word and Sacrament, transformed in holiness, empowered by the Holy Spirit, devoted to love and service, and awaiting the coming Kingdom. This closely preserves the theological synthesis already developed in the Articles of Holy Faith.
One Lord. One Faith. One Baptism. One Holy People. One Eternal Hope.
To the Father, through the Son, in the Holy Spirit, be all glory, honor, and praise, now and forever. Amen.