Who We Are
WHO WE ARE
STATEMENTS OF FAITH
ADOPTED FOR FRIENDSHIP CHRISTIAN CHURCH
We believe in the Triune God – the Eternally Self-Existent, "I AM", the Creator of heaven and earth and Redeemer of mankind manifested in three persons; Almighty Father, Divine Son and Holy Ghost.
(Genesis 1:1, John 5:7, John 1:1, 4:24, Matthew 10:20, II Corinthians 3:17-18)
We believe in the Bible as the inspired, infallible Word of God, inerrant in the original autographs and the only rule of faith, guide for practice and indisputable and ultimate authority of the Revelation of God, His Will and His Way.
(II Timothy 3:16-17, Psalms 19:7-11, 2 Peter 1:16-21)
We believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, the incarnation of the Father, born of a virgin, very God of very God for, and by whom all things were created.
(I John 1:1-10)
We believe in the substitutionary atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ, that He, by the grace of God tasted death for every man and that all must be born again through faith in Him or are forever lost. Redemption is accomplished by the cross and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, by grace through faith, believing in the heart that God raised Him from the dead.
Salvation is by Jesus Christ and none other for God has highly exalted Him and given a name, which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, earth and those under the earth. We further believe that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the Glory of God the Father.
(Hebrews 2:9, John 3:1-18, John 6:44-49, Ephesians 2:8, Romans 10:9, Philippians 2:9-11)
We believe in the physical resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and that He ascended bodily into the heaven and is now at the right hand of the Father as our Mediator, High Priest and Advocate.
(Acts 3:12-26, John 20, Hebrews 9:24, I Corinthians 15:12-28)
We believe in water baptism and Holy Communion – The Lord's Supper as the ordinances of the church to be observed as public declaration of salvation through Jesus Christ and the commemoration of His death, burial and resurrection in victory over satan, death, hell, and the grave.
(Matthew 3:11,14, 26:26-29,
Luke 22:17-23)
We believe in the personal, visible, imminent return of Jesus Christ both for His Saints and with His Saints in reign to victory.
(I Thessalonians 4:13-18, Corinthians 15:50-55, Revelation 19:19-20, 20:1-6)
We believe in the authority of the believer over the enemy satan and the victory to be gained by the exercise of that authority in the areas of deliverance, healing and holiness.
(Ephesians 1:20-23, 6:10-7)
We believe in the personality and reality of satan as the enemy of the Kingdom of God, Saints of God and of the Lord; and in his ultimate defeat by the Lord Jesus Christ and potential defeat in the lives of spirit filled believers clothed in the Armor of God.
(Revelation 12:9-10, Matthew 4:2-11, Isaiah 14:12-17, John 8)
We believe in the autonomy of the local church as an independent entity with regard to matters of government, polity operation and discipline.
(I Corinthians 5:5, II Thessalonians 3:6, 14-15, Acts 11:22, Titus 1:5)
We believe the scriptures teach that the first day of the week is the Lord’s Day or Christian Sabbath and is to be kept sacred for religious purposes.
We believe the Full Gospel includes the proclamation of both the eternal power of Calvary and the potential power of Pentecost; the baptizing power of Jesus Christ for salvation because of Calvary, and the filling/controlling power of the Holy Ghost for service and Holy victorious living because of Pentecost.
(Ephesians 5:18, Acts 20:27)
We believe in the perpetual and continuing ecclesiastical value of all spiritual gifts for the edification of the body of Christ until the end of this Church Age, which will be consummated by the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(Ephesians 4:11-13, I Corinthians 12-14; Romans 12)
We believe in the Divine personhood of the Holy Spirit and His present-day ministry to believers, including the sovereign distribution of spiritual gifts, which empowers believers for empowerment for service in the Contemporary Church.
(1 Corinthians 12:7-11)
We believe in Jesus Christ as the Sovereign Giver of Spiritual Gifts to the church. We further believe Spiritual Gifts are given for the perfecting of the Saints, for work of the ministry, and for the edifying of the Body of Christ and are given without regard to ethnicity, social class, or gender.
(Ephesians 4:7-12; Galatians 3:26-28)
We believe in the full autonomy of the local church as an independent entity under the Lordship of Christ, through pastoral authority, with regards to government, polity, operations, and discipline.
( I Corinthians 5:5, Matthew 18:15-17, 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 14-15, Titus 1: 5, Acts 15:1-35.)
We believe in the value of Biblical terminology for leadership in the contemporary church: Bishop, Overseer, Pastor, Elder, Minister, and Deacon. We believe all of these are designations for servant-leaders.
(Jeremiah 3:15; Acts 20:28 ; 2 Corinthians 6:4; 1 Timothy 3:1-7)
We believe in the formal and intentional praise and worship of Almighty God as a proper, spirit-led, corporate acknowledgement and response to His person and work (Psalm 46-50; John 4:23, 24)
We believe in Jesus Christ as the Baptizer with the Holy Spirit. Whereby He, by means of the Holy Spirit, brings men and women at salvation into relationship with Himself and His Body, the church. It is , in fact, the baptism of the Holy Ghost that places one into the Body of Christ. All believers have been baptized by Christ with the Holy Ghost.
(Matthew 3:11; John 1:33 ; 1 Corinthians 12:13)
We believe in the indwelling of the Holy Ghost for all Christians. It is, in fact, this indwelling of the Holy Ghost that verifies and validates the Believer as part of the Body of Christ for he only indwells believers.
(Romans 8:9)
We believe in the spirit-filled life as desirable, valuable, and an issue of obedience for all believers who are commanded to be filled with the Holy Ghost. We acknowledge that within the Body of Christ, the term, “filled with the Holy Ghost” is often used interchangeably with the term, “baptism of the Holy Ghost.” The controlling presence and power of the Holy Ghost, as a result of the alternation of terms. We believe it is the will and command of God that every believer be filled with the Holy Spirit.
(Ephesians 5:18)
We believe that all believers are exhorted to be filled, walk in, be led by, and live in the power of the Holy Ghost.
(Ephesians 5:18, Galatians 5;16, 18, 25)
We believe that it is God’s desire that all believers live under the control of or being continuously filled with the Holy Ghost. We believe that the filling and there is to be an ongoing filling ministry of the Spirit in the life of the believer for empowerment to effectively and victoriously live a life that glorifies God.
(Acts 1:8, 2:4, 3:10, 4:8, 4:31)
We believe the Holy Ghost fills or empowers believers for service in the Kingdom of God. Being filled with the Holy Ghost is the result of continuing submission to Divine power and control.
(Acts 1:8, Ephesians 5:18)
We believe that all believers are baptized with the Holy Ghost and all believers “should be” filled with the Holy Ghost.
(1 Corinthians 12:13, Ephesians 5:18)
We believe in the Baptism of the Holy Ghost and the filling of the Holy Ghost is the distinct, separate, valid, and valuable ministry of the Holy Ghost, which may occur simultaneously at salvation. Being filled with the Holy Ghost may and should occur subsequent to salvation in obedience to Biblical exhortation. The baptism of the Holy Ghost occurs once and for all at salvation. Being filled with the Holy Ghost should not only be a continuous reality, but an ongoing characteristic of the believer’s consecrated holiness.
We believe that the term 'marriage' has only one meaning and that is marriage sanctioned by God which joins one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture. We site this from the following scriptures;
- Genesis 2:24, "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh".
- Matthew 19:4-5, “Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female. And he said, “‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one."
We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to only occur between a man and a woman who are married to each other. We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman.
We believe that any form of sexual immorality, such as adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, pornography or any attempt to change one's sex, or disagreement with one's biological sex, is sinful and offensive to God.
We site and adhere to this according to the following scriptures:
- Colossians 3:5-6, Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience’.
Exodus 20:14, You shall not commit adultery.
- Leviticus 18:22-23, 22, Do not practice homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman. It is a detestable sin. A man must not defile himself by having sex with an animal. And a woman must not offer herself to a male animal to have intercourse with it. This is a perverse act. NLT.
- Corinthians 6:9-11, Don't you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don't fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people-none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
We, believe that in order to preserve the function and integrity of the church as the local Body of Christ, and to provide a biblical role model to the church members and the community, it is hereby stated that our Pastor and any Ministers of our congregation shall not perform any same-sex wedding ceremonies, and that our church facilities not be used for any such ceremonies or celebrations. This includes the use of any of our facilities for such receptions or parties.
We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ.
We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity. Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with scripture nor the doctrines of the church.