BELIEFS

HOLY BIBLE
THE HOLY BIBLE, AND ONLY THE BIBLE, IS THE AUTHORITATIVE WORD OF GOD. IT ALONE IS THE FINAL AUTHORITY IN DETERMINING ALL DOCTRINAL TRUTHS. IN ITS ORIGINAL WRITING, IT IS INSPIRED, INFALLIBLE AND INERRANT (II TIMOTHY 3:16; II PETER 1:20-21; PROVERBS 30:5; ROMANS 16:25-26).

TRINITY
THERE IS ONE GOD, ETERNALLY EXISTENT IN THREE PERSONS: FATHER, SON AND HOLY SPIRIT. THESE THREE ARE COEQUAL AND CO-ETERNAL (I JOHN 5:7; GENESIS 1:26; MATTHEW 3:16-17, 28:19; LUKE 1:35; ISAIAH 9:6; HEBREWS 3:7-11).

JESUS CHRIST
JESUS CHRIST IS GOD THE SON, THE SECOND PERSON OF THE TRINITY. ON EARTH, JESUS WAS 100% GOD AND 100% MAN. HE IS THE ONLY MAN EVER TO HAVE LIVED A SINLESS LIFE. HE WAS BORN OF A VIRGIN, LIVED A SINLESS LIFE, PERFORMED MIRACLES, DIED ON THE CROSS FOR MANKIND AND THUS, ATONED FOR OUR SINS THROUGH THE SHEDDING OF HIS BLOOD. HE ROSE FROM THE DEAD ON THE THIRD DAY ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES, ASCENDED TO THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER, AND WILL RETURN AGAIN IN POWER AND GLORY. (JOHN 1:1,14, 20:28; I TIMOTHY 3:16; ISAIAH 9:6; PHILIPPIANS 2:56; I TIMOTHY 2:5).

VIRGIN BIRTH
JESUS CHRIST WAS CONCEIVED BY GOD THE FATHER, THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT (THE THIRD PERSON OF THE TRINITY) IN THE VIRGIN MARY’S WOMB; THEREFORE, HE IS THE SON OF GOD (MATTHEW 1:18, 25; LUKE 1:35; ISAIAH 7:14; MATTHEW 1:18, 23-25; LUKE 1:27-35).

REDEMPTION
MAN WAS CREATED GOOD AND UPRIGHT, BUT BY VOLUNTARY TRANSGRESSION HE FELL; HIS ONLY HOPE OF REDEMPTION IS IN JESUS CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD (GEN. 1:26-31, 3:1-7; ROMANS 5:12-21).

SALVATION
WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST; HIS DEATH, BURIAL, AND RESURRECTION. SALVATION IS A GIFT FROM GOD, NOT A RESULT OF OUR GOOD WORKS OR OF ANY HUMAN EFFORTS (EPHESIANS 2:8-9; GALATIANS 2:16, 3:8; TITUS 3:5; ROMANS 10:9-10; ACTS 16:31; HEBREWS 9:22).

REPENTANCE
REPENTANCE IS THE COMMITMENT TO TURN AWAY FROM SIN IN EVERY AREA OF OUR LIVES AND TO FOLLOW CHRIST, WHICH ALLOWS US TO RECEIVE HIS REDEMPTION AND TO BE REGENERATED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT. THUS, THROUGH REPENTANCE WE RECEIVE FORGIVENESS OF SINS AND APPROPRIATE SALVATION (ACTS 2:21, 3:19; I JOHN 1:9).

SANCTIFICATION
SANCTIFICATION IS THE ONGOING PROCESS OF YIELDING TO GOD’S WORD AND HIS SPIRIT IN ORDER TO COMPLETE THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHRIST’S CHARACTER IN US. IT IS THROUGH THE PRESENT MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE WORD OF GOD THAT THE CHRISTIAN IS ENABLED TO LIVE A GODLY LIFE (I THESSALONIANS 4:3, 5:23; II CORINTHIANS 3:18, 6:14-18, II THESSALONIANS 2:1-3, ROMANS 8:29, 12:1-2, HEBREWS 2:11).

JESUS’ BLOOD
THE BLOOD THAT JESUS CHRIST SHED ON THE CROSS OF CALVARY WAS SINLESS AND IS 100% SUFFICIENT TO CLEANSE MANKIND OF ALL SIN. JESUS ALLOWED HIMSELF TO BE PUNISHED FOR BOTH OUR SINFULNESS AND OUR SINS, ENABLING ALL THOSE WHO BELIEVE TO BE FREE FROM THE PENALTY OF SIN, WHICH IS DEATH (I JOHN 1:7; REVELATION 1:5, 5:9; COLOSSIANS 1:20; ROMANS 3:10-12, 23, 5:9; JOHN 1:29).

JESUS CHRIST INDWELLS ALL BELIEVERS
CHRISTIANS ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE INVITED THE LORD JESUS CHRIST TO COME AND LIVE INSIDE THEM BY HIS HOLY SPIRIT. THEY RELINQUISH THE AUTHORITY OF THEIR LIVES OVER TO HIM THUS MAKING JESUS THE LORD OF THEIR LIFE AS WELL AS SAVIOR. THEY PUT THEIR TRUST IN WHAT JESUS ACCOMPLISHED FOR THEM WHEN HE DIED, WAS BURIED, AND ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD (JOHN 1:12; JOHN 14:17, 23; JOHN 15:4; ROMANS 8:11; REVELATIONS 3:20).

WATER BAPTISM

DEMONSTRATES THAT AN INDIVIDUAL'S LIFE HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED BY SALVATION THROUGH JESUS CHRIST. IT IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR SALVATION, BUT A PUBLIC RECOGNITION THAT SALVATION HAS TRANSFORMED AN INDIVIDUAL LIFE. AT IMPACT CHURCH WE BELIEVE BAPTISM CAN ONLY BE MADE BY A MAN, WOMAN OR CHILD WITH THE CAPABILITY OF UNDERSTANDING WHAT SALVATION MEANS. WE CALL IT BELIEVER’S BAPTISM OR WATER BAPTISM (BECAUSE IT INVOLVES IMMERSION IN A BODY OF WATER).

BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT
GIVEN AT PENTECOST, IT IS THE PROMISE OF THE FATHER, SENT BY JESUS AFTER HIS ASCENSION, TO EMPOWER THE CHURCH TO PREACH THE GOSPEL THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EARTH. BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, OR “HOLY GHOST” BAPTISM, IS A NOTICEABLE INDICATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE BELIEVER’S LIFE, SUCH AS HAPPENED IN THE SECOND CHAPTER OF THE BOOK OF ACTS. IT CAN SHOW IN MANY WAYS. AT IMPACT YOU’LL COMMONLY HEAR MEMBERS SPEAKING IN TONGUES, A MEANS OF COMMUNICATION WITH GOD THAT DOESN’T USE ANY HUMANLY RECOGNIZABLE LANGUAGE. THAT IS JUST ONE OF MANY MANIFESTATIONS OF HOLY GHOST BAPTISM YOU’LL FIND AT OUR CHURCH. SPEAKING IN TONGUES IS NOT A SPIRITUAL BADGE OF HONOR, INDICATING SOME LEVEL OF CHRISTIAN MATURITY THAT THOSE WHO DON’T DO IT DON’T HAVE (WE’RE SORRY IF YOU’VE EVER HAD IT PRESENTED TO YOU THAT WAY). IT DOES PERMIT THOSE WHO PRACTICE IT A DIMENSION TO THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD THEY DIDN’T HAVE BEFORE. (JOEL 2:28-29; MATTHEW 3:11; MARK 16:17; ACTS 1:5,2:1-4, 17, 38-39, 8:14-17, 10:38, 44-47, 11:15-17, 19:1-6).

THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
THE HOLY SPIRIT IS MANIFESTED THROUGH A VARIETY OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS TO BUILD AND SANCTIFY THE CHURCH, DEMONSTRATE THE VALIDITY OF THE RESURRECTION, AND CONFIRM THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL. THE BIBLE LISTS OF THESE GIFTS ARE NOT NECESSARILY EXHAUSTIVE, AND THE GIFTS MAY OCCUR IN VARIOUS COMBINATIONS. ALL BELIEVERS ARE COMMANDED TO EARNESTLY DESIRE THE MANIFESTATION OF THE GIFTS IN THEIR LIVES. THESE GIFTS ALWAYS OPERATE IN HARMONY WITH THE SCRIPTURES AND SHOULD NEVER BE USED IN VIOLATION OF BIBLICAL PARAMETERS. (HEBREWS 2:4; ROMANS 1:11,12 :4-8; EPHESIANS 4:16; II TIMOTHY 1:5-16, 4:14; I CORINTHIANS 12:1-31, 14:1-40; I PETER 4:10).

THE CHURCH
THE CHURCH IS THE BODY OF CHRIST, THE HABITATION OF GOD THROUGH THE SPIRIT, WITH DIVINE APPOINTMENTS FOR THE FULFILLMENT OF JESUS’ GREAT COMMISSION. EVERY PERSON WHO IS BORN OF THE SPIRIT IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE CHURCH AS A MEMBER OF THE BODY OF BELIEVERS. THERE IS A SPIRITUAL UNITY OF ALL BELIEVERS IN OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. (EPHESIANS 1:22, 2:19-22; HEBREWS 12:23; JOHN 17:11, 20-23).

MARRIAGE

THE UNITING OF ONE BIOLOGICAL MAN AND ONE BIOLOGICAL WOMAN IN A SINGLE, EXCLUSIVE UNION, AS DELINEATED IN SCRIPTURE. WE BELIEVE THAT GOD INTENDS SEXUAL INTIMACY TO OCCUR ONLY WITHIN THE CONFINES OF MARRIAGE. BECAUSE MARRIAGE IS A COVENANT BETWEEN ONE MAN, ONE WOMAN, AND GOD, THE CHURCH HAS THE RESPONSIBILITY, IN ITS SOLE DISCRETION, TO EVALUATE THE READINESS OF THOSE SEEKING TO ENTER INTO THE MARRIAGE COVENANT. THE CHURCH MAY DECLINE TO SOLEMNIZE OR HOST A MARRIAGE CEREMONY THAT IS CONTRARY TO THE CHURCH’S STATEMENT OF FAITH OR THE BIBLE.

TITHING

TITHING IS GOD’S COMMAND FOR HIS PEOPLE TO GIVE TO HIS WORK THROUGH LOCAL CONGREGATIONS. A TITHE IS 10 PERCENT OF ONE’S GROSS (BEFORE TAXES) INCOME. WE BELIEVE THE BIBLE SUPPORTS PAYING ONE’S TITHE TO HIS OR HER LOCAL CONGREGATION.

OFFERINGS

FINANCIAL GIFTS ABOVE AND BEYOND THE TITHE. THEY ARE COMMONLY TARGETED TOWARD A SPECIFIC CHURCH PROJECT, SUCH AS A COMPASSIONATE OUTREACH OR OTHER EVENT, OR THE PURCHASE OR CONSTRUCTION OF FACILITIES. THEY CAN ALSO BE GIVEN AS AN INDICATION OF TRUSTING GOD FOR A SPECIFIC NEED IN YOUR PERSONAL LIFE.