Accelerate Bible Training College Statement of Faith
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THE BIBLE
The Old and New Testaments are the inspired, infallible, and authoritative Word of God. In the Word, we find the revelation of God’s eternal and unchanging will for men of all ages. The Word is the divine and final authority for the Christian life. For purposes of church doctrine, the head pastor, with guidance from the board of directors, is LW’s final interpretive authority on the Bible’s meaning and application. (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20–21; 1 Thess. 2:13)
THE TRINITY
There is one God, the creator of all things, who is infinitely perfect and eternally existent in three equal persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. (Col. 2:9; Matt. 28:19)
JESUS
Jesus Christ is the union of God and man. He is true God and true man, conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life and died on the cross as a sacrifice for the sins of all men. He arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven and is presently seated at the right hand of the Father as our high priest and advocate. (Phil. 2:6–11; John 1:1, 14, 18, 14:28)
SALVATION
Man was created in the image of God, but fell into sin, which resulted in his spiritual death and separation from God. Only through regeneration by the Holy Spirit can salvation and spiritual life be obtained. This process of regeneration, referred to in the Word as being “born again,” takes place through a combination of faith and confession. As a person makes the decision to believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and confesses with his mouth the lordship of Jesus in his life, a miracle of regeneration by the Holy Spirit takes place. A new Christian is born into the kingdom of God. For him, old things are passed away and all things are new! (Rom. 3:10, 23, 5:12, 10:9–10; 1 John 3:8; Eph. 2:8; 2 Cor. 5:17; John 3:3, 5–7)
BAPTISM AND COMMUNION
Water baptism and communion are ordinances to be observed by the Church during the present age. They are not, however, to be confused with or regarded as a means of salvation. The shed blood of Jesus Christ and His resurrection provide the only grounds for justification and salvation. (Matt. 28:19; Rom. 6:4; Col. 2:12; Acts 8:36–38; Luke 22:19–20; 1 Cor. 10:16)
THE HOLY SPIRIT
The present-day ministry of the Holy Spirit is to comfort and guide the believer, with the final purpose of glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ in the earth. During this age, He indwells, guides, instructs, and empowers the believer for godly living and service. Every believer should be filled with the Holy Spirit, with speaking in tongues as the initial physical evidence. (Matt. 3:11; John 14:16–17; Acts 1:8, 2:4, 38–39; 19:1–7)
PRAYER
All born again, Spirit-filled believers should maintain a consistent prayer life by praying regularly with their understanding and in their heavenly language. (1 Cor. 14:15; 1 Thess. 5:16–18; Eph. 6:17–18)
FAITH & VICTORY
Without faith, it is impossible to please God. The Word tells us that the just—those who have been justified by the blood of Jesus—shall live by faith. The redemptive work of Jesus not only provided salvation for the believer, but also healing and prosperity for our spiritual, soulish, and physical man. We are redeemed from the curse of the law—poverty, sickness, oppression, and any other thing that prevents us from fulfilling His plan. Our lives can be prosperous and healthy in every realm as we walk in the light of this redemption by faith in God’s Word. (Heb. 11:6; Rom. 1:17; James 5:14–15; Mark 16:18; Isa. 53:4–5; Matt. 8:17; 1 Peter 2:24; 3 John 1:2; Deut. 8:18; Gal. 3:13–14)
THE CHURCH
The universal Church is composed of all those who are born again. Through the new birth, we are united together in the body of Christ. Jesus Christ is the Lord and head of the Church and has provided leadership for the local church through the ministry gifts, which only He can give. Every local church has the right, under Christ, to decide and govern its own affairs. (John 3:3; Eph. 1:22, 4:8; 1 Cor. 12:12–14)
MARRIAGE AND SEXUALITY
We believe that marriage is a covenant sanctioned by God to join one man (born as and continuing to be a male) and one woman (born as and continuing to be a female) in a single, exclusive, holy union. This is the only definition of marriage the Church will recognize as a valid marriage. We believe the Church is charged with upholding and protecting God’s original design for marriage. (Gen. 2:2–25)
We believe that sexual activity is a gift from God to be enjoyed only between a married man and woman. Same-sex sexual orientation and sex-nonconforming lifestyles are inconsistent with our faith and doctrine. (1 Cor. 7:2–5; Heb. 13:4; 1 Cor. 6:9–10, 18–20; Gen. 1:26–27)
SANCTITY OF HUMAN LIFE AND GENDER
We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. God intentionally and purposefully designed each person to be a particular gender as evidenced at birth (or at the chromosomal level when necessary). Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are, therefore, called to defend, protect, and value all human life. (Gen. 1:26–27; Ps. 139:13–18)
THE RETURN OF CHRIST
The premillennial Second Coming of Jesus Christ is two-part in nature; He will come in the air to resurrect the righteous dead and catch away the living saints; He will then come to the earth to establish His physical kingdom and begin His thousand-year reign. (Acts 1; 1 Thess. 4:16–17; Rev. 20:6)
THE RESURRECTION
There will be a bodily resurrection of the dead— the believer to everlasting joy with the Lord and the unbeliever to judgment and eternal punishment. (Heb. 9:27–28; Rev. 19:20)
