Beliefs
The following are ten Statements of Belief on which all members of Open Arms agree. These statements and the scriptures they flow from are elaborated on in more detail for new friends during our quarterly "Discovering Open Arms Church" workshop.
1. God: God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He is revealed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He has eternally existed in three personhoods. These three are co-equal and are one God. (Genesis 1:1, 26-27; 3:22; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Corinthians 13:14)
2. Jesus: Jesus is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father. He was born of a virgin (Mary) and lived a sinless life. He offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for all sins by dying on a cross. He rose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He went up from the earth to sit at the Father’s right hand and will return again to the earth visibly. (Isaiah 9:6; Matthew 1:22-23; John 1:1-5; 14; Hebrews 4:15-15; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Romans 1:3-4; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Timothy 6:14-15; Titus 2:13)
3. The Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son of God. He is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus as their Savior. He also seals and lives in every believer from the moment of their salvation. He provides the Christian power for living a God-glorifying life and understanding spiritual truth. He gives “grace gifts” to believers upon being born again. (John 14:16-17; 16:7-13; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 2:12; 3:16; 2 Corinthians 3:17; Ephesians 1:13-14; 5:18; Galatians 5:25)
4. The Bible: The Bible is God’s Word to us. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian belief and living. Because it is inspired by God, it is the truth without any mixture of error. It was written by human authors under supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. (2 Timothy 1:13; 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Psalm 12:6; 119:105; 160; Proverbs 30:5; Hebrews 4:12-14)
5. Mankind: (male and female) are created in image of God. Thus all people are of extreme value and worth. But all of us are marred by an attitude of rebellion, selfishness and disobedience toward God called “sin”. This sin separates people from God and results in many problems in life. (Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; 139; Isaiah 53:6a; 59:2; Romans 3:23, 6:23)
6. Salvation: is by God’s grace alone, a free gift to all who repent (turn from sin) and by faith receive Jesus as Lord (rightful king over his life) and Savior (conviction and belief that Jesus’ death on the cross paid for his sin as his substitute). We can never make up for our sin by self-improvement, church attendance, following sacraments, or doing good works. Only by repenting and trusting in Jesus for forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin’s penalty. (Ephesians 2:8-9; John 1:12-13; John 3:16-17, 36; Romans 10:9-11)
7. Eternal Security: Because God gives us eternal life through Jesus Christ, the true believer is secure in their salvation for eternity. If one has been genuinely saved, he cannot “lose” his salvation. Salvation is maintained by the grace and keeping power of God and results in the fruit of “good works”. (John 10:27-29; 2 Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 7:25; 10:10, 14; 1 Peter 1:3-5; 1 John 5:13-14; Ephesians 2:8-10)
8. Eternity: We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin in a real place called Hell or eternally with God in a real place called heaven through the forgiveness and salvation provided by Jesus Christ and received by grace through faith. (John 3:16, 14:17; Romans 6:23; 8:17-18; 1 Corinthians 2:7-9; Revelation 20:15)
9. Marriage & Sexuality: God wonderfully and purposely creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. (Genesis 1:26-27) Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person. The term “marriage” has only one meaning; the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union as taught in Scripture. (Genesis 2:18-25) God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other. (1 Corinthians 6:18; 7:25; Hebrews 13:4) Any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, and use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God. (Matthew 15:18-20; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Leviticus 18; 20)
10. Church: The local church is an identifiable community of baptized followers of Jesus who have believed on Him as Lord and Savior and now earnestly seek to live out the “one-anothers” of Scripture, to know Him greater, and to make Him known. The purpose of membership is for a church body to publicly commit to take responsibility for those individuals – and those individuals for that church body – to actively help each other grow in following and proclaiming Jesus. Oversight and leadership is provided by pastors/elders/overseers who mutually submit to one another under Jesus as the Chief Shepherd. (Matthew 18:15-17; Acts 20:17,28; Romans 12:4-10; 1 Corinthians 12:18-27; Ephesians 4:11-13; Colossians 2:8; Hebrews 10:24-25; 1 Peter 2:9; 5:1-2)
1. God: God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He is revealed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He has eternally existed in three personhoods. These three are co-equal and are one God. (Genesis 1:1, 26-27; 3:22; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Corinthians 13:14)
2. Jesus: Jesus is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father. He was born of a virgin (Mary) and lived a sinless life. He offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for all sins by dying on a cross. He rose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He went up from the earth to sit at the Father’s right hand and will return again to the earth visibly. (Isaiah 9:6; Matthew 1:22-23; John 1:1-5; 14; Hebrews 4:15-15; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Romans 1:3-4; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Timothy 6:14-15; Titus 2:13)
3. The Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son of God. He is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus as their Savior. He also seals and lives in every believer from the moment of their salvation. He provides the Christian power for living a God-glorifying life and understanding spiritual truth. He gives “grace gifts” to believers upon being born again. (John 14:16-17; 16:7-13; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 2:12; 3:16; 2 Corinthians 3:17; Ephesians 1:13-14; 5:18; Galatians 5:25)
4. The Bible: The Bible is God’s Word to us. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian belief and living. Because it is inspired by God, it is the truth without any mixture of error. It was written by human authors under supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. (2 Timothy 1:13; 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Psalm 12:6; 119:105; 160; Proverbs 30:5; Hebrews 4:12-14)
5. Mankind: (male and female) are created in image of God. Thus all people are of extreme value and worth. But all of us are marred by an attitude of rebellion, selfishness and disobedience toward God called “sin”. This sin separates people from God and results in many problems in life. (Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; 139; Isaiah 53:6a; 59:2; Romans 3:23, 6:23)
6. Salvation: is by God’s grace alone, a free gift to all who repent (turn from sin) and by faith receive Jesus as Lord (rightful king over his life) and Savior (conviction and belief that Jesus’ death on the cross paid for his sin as his substitute). We can never make up for our sin by self-improvement, church attendance, following sacraments, or doing good works. Only by repenting and trusting in Jesus for forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin’s penalty. (Ephesians 2:8-9; John 1:12-13; John 3:16-17, 36; Romans 10:9-11)
7. Eternal Security: Because God gives us eternal life through Jesus Christ, the true believer is secure in their salvation for eternity. If one has been genuinely saved, he cannot “lose” his salvation. Salvation is maintained by the grace and keeping power of God and results in the fruit of “good works”. (John 10:27-29; 2 Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 7:25; 10:10, 14; 1 Peter 1:3-5; 1 John 5:13-14; Ephesians 2:8-10)
8. Eternity: We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin in a real place called Hell or eternally with God in a real place called heaven through the forgiveness and salvation provided by Jesus Christ and received by grace through faith. (John 3:16, 14:17; Romans 6:23; 8:17-18; 1 Corinthians 2:7-9; Revelation 20:15)
9. Marriage & Sexuality: God wonderfully and purposely creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. (Genesis 1:26-27) Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person. The term “marriage” has only one meaning; the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union as taught in Scripture. (Genesis 2:18-25) God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other. (1 Corinthians 6:18; 7:25; Hebrews 13:4) Any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, and use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God. (Matthew 15:18-20; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Leviticus 18; 20)
10. Church: The local church is an identifiable community of baptized followers of Jesus who have believed on Him as Lord and Savior and now earnestly seek to live out the “one-anothers” of Scripture, to know Him greater, and to make Him known. The purpose of membership is for a church body to publicly commit to take responsibility for those individuals – and those individuals for that church body – to actively help each other grow in following and proclaiming Jesus. Oversight and leadership is provided by pastors/elders/overseers who mutually submit to one another under Jesus as the Chief Shepherd. (Matthew 18:15-17; Acts 20:17,28; Romans 12:4-10; 1 Corinthians 12:18-27; Ephesians 4:11-13; Colossians 2:8; Hebrews 10:24-25; 1 Peter 2:9; 5:1-2)