SUREFIRE HOPE
Surefire : certain not to fail : sure to be successful
Hope : a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.
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“…we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf.” Hebrews 6:18-20
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13
“The hope of the righteous brings joy” Proverbs 10:28
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” Romans 5:1-5
STATEMENT OF FAITH
I believe that the Bible is inspired by God in its entirety, and is without error in the original written form, a complete and final written revelation from God. (2 Timothy 3:15-17, 2 Peter 1:21)
I believe that there is only one God, who is eternal and unchanging, and manifests Himself in three distinct Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Genesis 1:1, Deuteronomy 6:4, Matthew 28:19, John 10:30)
I believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the promised Messiah (John 1:36-42), born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23, Luke 1:34-35), totally without sin (Hebrews 4:15, Hebrews 7:26), God in human flesh (John 1:1 & 14, John 20:28) the revealer of the thoughts of our hearts (Luke 2:34-35), the One Who died on the cross for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3, Ephesians 1:7, Hebrews 2:9), was buried (John 19:40-42), rose again from the dead on the third day (John 2:19), and ascended to the right hand of the Father in heaven, where He now intercedes for us who believe in Him. (Mark 16:19, Acts 7:56, 1 Timothy 2:5,Hebrews 7:24-25)
I believe that Jesus Christ is going to return in the clouds for His church before the tribulation that is coming upon the whole earth (1 Thessalonians 4:16), and that He will return with His saints and all His holy angels to the earth at the end of the tribulation, and set up His kingdom on earth, ruling and reigning forever and ever. (Matthew 24:30, Revelation 19:13-14, 2 Timothy 2:12, Revelation 20:6, Revelation 22:5)
I believe that God loves the world (John 3:16-17), has mercy on us all (Romans 11:32) and wants everyone to be saved (1 Timothy 2:1-6), not wanting anyone to perish, but for everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9) and true belief in His Son Jesus who is the ransoming Savior of all people (1 Timothy 4:10) who tasted death for everyone (Hebrews 2:9) once and for all (Hebrews 10:10). To activate the free gift and price already paid for our salvation we have to do the work of God, which is to believe in the One He sent (John 6:29)
I believe that all humanity is lost and born with a sinful nature, and can only be saved by a personal faith in the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, and not by any human merit or performance. (John 14:6, John 3:16-19, John 5:24, Acts 4:12, Romans 3:10-12, Romans 3:21-25, Romans 5:8-10, Romans 10:8-13, Ephesians 2:8-10, Hebrews 7:24-25, Titus 3:5)
I believe in a real and literal devil, called Satan, who, along with all his fallen angels, demons, and evil spirits, are destined to spend eternity in the Lake of Fire (the final Hell), and now seek to deceive the world, defeat the believers, and destroy the work of God, but can be resisted by believers, who are protected by God, the Holy Spirit and the intercession of Jesus Christ our Lord. (Genesis 3:1, Job 1:6-12, Matthew 4:1-11, Matthew 25:41, Luke 22:31-32, Ephesians 4:26-27, Ephesians 6:10-18, 1 John 4:4, Revelation 20:10,14)
I believe that Heaven is a real place where the saved will dwell forever, and that Hell is a literal place of torment where unbelievers will suffer forever. (John 14:1-3, Revelation 20:11-15, Revelation 21:8, Revelation 22:5)
I believe that there are non-genuine believers that come into the faith, have a form of godliness but deny it power (2 Timothy 3:5), never doing the will of the Father, never taking the time to have Jesus know them (Matthew 7:21-23 and Luke 13:23-25), never putting their faith into action (James 2:14-26, Hebrews 4:1-3, Matthew 13:18-23), relying on their own works (Ephesians 2:8-9), and who tragically are deceived by religious practices (James 1:26-27), the traditions of man (Mark 7:13), and spiritual dark forces (1 Timothy 4:1, 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12) into believing they are saved and will be in Heaven. It is these “Christians” that can then can wander away from the truth having never truly received Jesus Christ or His Salvation (Hebrews 6:4-8)
I believe that genuine believers are born again by the Holy Spirit of God, and are indwelt, baptized by the fire of the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ, the true church, and sealed by the Holy Spirit, and thus, unable to be separated from the love of Jesus Christ. (Joel 2:32, John 1:12-13, John 3:1-8, John 5:24, John 6:39, John 10:27-30, John 15:16, Acts 1:4-5, Acts 13:48, Romans 8:14, Romans 8:28-39, Romans 10:8-13, Ephesians 1:4-6, Ephesians 1:11, Ephesians 1:13-14, 2 Thessalonians 2:13-15, Hebrews 7:24-25, 1 John 3:1-3, James 1:18, 1 Peter 1:1-2, 2 Peter 1:10-11)
I believe that all believers need to be filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit to live a godly life and to be bold in our witness for the Lord. (John 20:20-23, Romans 8:13-14, 1 Corinthians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Ephesians 4:30, Ephesians 5:18)
I believe in the spiritual unity of all genuine believers in the Lord Jesus Christ which is manifested by the spiritual gifts and fruit of the Holy Spirit’s presence through His love. ( 1 Corinthians 12:4-14, 1 Corinthians12:27-31, Galatians 5:22-23, Ephesians 4:7-16)
I believe that the nation of Israel has a special place in God’s plan, and that all of the promises of God to Israel will be fulfilled both now and in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ in His millennium. (Genesis 12:3, Psalm 122:1-9)