What We Believe

Impact Family Church Statement of Faith

We Believe…

THE WORD OF GOD

The Bible is the infallible will and inspired Word of God given by inspiration to men by the Holy Spirit. The New Covenant, as recorded in the New Testament, because of this, it is our guide for life. (See Matthew 24:35; II Timothy 2:15; II Timothy 3:15-17; II Peter 1:19-21; and I Thessalonians 2:13).

THE GODHEAD

We believe in the eternal, triune God, Creator of heaven and earth, and all else that is. Three persons, united, equal in every divine attribute, and eternally one in power. Those being God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. (See Isaiah 43:10; Isaiah 48:14; Isaiah 44:8; Isaiah 46:9-10; John 10:29; John 14:28; John 16:28; John 1:1-3,14; Matthew 1:23; I Timothy 2:5, Ephesians 2:18; Hebrews 7:25; John 14:26; John 15:26; and John 16:8).

MAN, HIS FALL, AND REDEMPTION

Man is a created being, made in the likeness and image of God. But through Adam’s transgression and fall, sin came into the world: “…all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” and “…There is none righteous, no, not one.” 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 (Rom. 12-15; Rom. 3:10; Rom. 3:23; and I John 3:8).

Salvation is the gift of God to man, separate from works and the Law, and is made operative by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, producing works acceptable to God (Eph. 2:8-10).

THE NEW BIRTH

The new birth must be received by all individuals in order for them to be reconciled to God. Confession of one’s faith in Christ and belief in their heart that God raised Jesus from the dead will usher eternal life into a person’s spirit.

WATER BAPTISM

Baptism in water is by immersion and is a direct commandment of our Lord. It is for believers only. This ordinance is a symbol of the Christian’s identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. (See Matthew 28:19; Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12; and Acts 8:36-39).

BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Baptism in the Holy Ghost and fire is a promise from God as promised by Jesus Christ to all believers in this dispensation and is received subsequent to the New Birth. This experience is accompanied by the initial evidence of speaking in other tongues as the Holy Spirit Himself gives utterance. (See Matthew 3:11; John 14:16-17; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:38-39; Acts 19:1-7; and Acts 2:4).

SPIRITUAL LIFE

Having received the initial infilling of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the believer should experience a continual renewing of this power from on High. Coldness, prayerlessness, apathy, idle conversation, worldliness, and a judging and critical spirit easily grieve the Holy Spirit. We are to walk in the Spirit in order to conform to the image of Christ. Living a Spirit filled life means that each believer should continually grow in the areas of love, giving, wisdom, purity, faith, patience, godliness, and brotherly kindness. (See Ephesians 5:18; Acts 4:31; Ephesians 4:30-32; I Corinthians 3:17; Galatians 5:16-25; I John 2:6; and II Peter 1:3-7).

GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Spiritual gifts are for the encouragement of the believers and a sign to the unbeliever that Christ is alive and actively involved in our lives. The Holy Spirit has the following gifts that are given as He wills to the believer: the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, divers kinds of tongues and the interpretation of tongues. These gifts should be desired by all spiritual believers and exercised in the spirit of love. (See I Corinthians 12:7-11; I Corinthians 12:31; I Corinthians 14: 18-33, 39-40; and John 15:4, 8).

SECOND COMING OF CHRIST

We believe that the second coming of Christ is imminent. The Lord will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then the believers, which are alive and remain, shall be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, so to always be with the Lord. Following the Tribulation, He shall return to earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and together with His saints who shall be kings and priests, He shall reign a thousand years (See I Thessalonians 4:16-17; Titus 2:12-13; Matthew 24:36; 44, Acts 1:11; and Rev. 20:6).

HELL AND ETERNAL RETRIBUTION

The one who physically dies in his sins without accepting Christ is hopelessly and eternally lost in the Lake of Fire and therefore, has no further opportunity of hearing the Gospel or repenting. The Lake of Fire is literal. The terms “eternal” and “everlasting,” is used in describing the duration of punishment of the damned in the Lake of Fire, carry the same thought and meaning of endless existence as used in denoting the duration of joy and ecstasy of saints in the Presence of God (Heb. 9:27; Rev. 19:20).

THE INSTITUTION OF MARRIAGE

We believe the church should only sanction or conduct a marriage between one man and one woman. God instituted marriage between male and female as the foundation of the family—the basic structure of human society. God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in other than in the context of marriage between a man and a woman. (Genesis 1:27, Genesis 2:18-25, Leviticus 18:22, Matthew 19:4-6, I Corinthians 7:2, Hebrews 13:4, I Corinthians 6:9-10, I Corinthians 7, I Timothy 1:10).