Living Word Ministries Tenets of Faith

The Scriptures: The Bible is the inspired Word of God, the product of holy men of old who spoke and wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. The New Covenant, as recorded in the New Testament, we accept as our infallible guide in matters pertaining to conduct, doctrine and correction (2 Timothy 3:16; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Peter 1:21).

The Godhead: Our God is one, but manifested in three persons; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, being coequal (Philippians 2:6)

God the Father is greater than all; the Sender of the Word (Logos) and the Begetter (John 14:28; John 16:28; John 1:14).

The Son is the Word flesh covered, the One Begotten, and has existed with the Father from the beginning (John 1:1; John 1:18; John 1:14).

The Holy Spirit proceeds forth from the Father and the Son and is coequal (John 15:26).

Man, His Fall and Redemption: Man is a created being, made in the likeness and image of God, but through Adam's transgression and fall, sin came into the world. "All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." As it is written, "There is none righteous, no not one." Jesus Christ, the Son of God was manifest to undo the work of the devil and gave His life and shed His blood to redeem and restore man back to God (Romans 5:14; Romans 3:10; Romans 3:23; John 3:8). Salvation is the gift of God to man, separate from works and the law, and is made operative by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, producing works acceptable to God (Ephesians 2:8).

Eternal Life and the New Birth: Man’s first step toward salvation is godly sorrow that worketh repentance. The New Birth is necessary to all men, and when experienced produces eternal life (2 Corinthians 7:10; 1 John 5:12; John 3:3-5).

Water Baptism: Baptism in water is by immersion, is a direct command of our Lord, and is for believers only. The ordinance is a symbol of the Christian's identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection (Matthew 28:19; Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12; Acts 8:36-39).

The following recommendation regarding the water baptismal formula is adopted to wit:

"On the confession of your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and by His authority, I baptize you in the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Amen."

Baptism in the Holy Spirit: The Baptism in the Holy Spirit and fire is a gift from God as promised by the Lord Jesus Christ to all believers in this dispensation and is received subsequent to the New Birth. This experience is accompanied by the initial evidence of speaking in tongues as the Holy Spirit Himself gives utterance (Matthew 3:11; John 14:16-17; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:38-39; Acts 19:1-7; Acts 2:4).

The Lord's Supper: The Lord's Supper, consisting of the elements, bread and wine, are symbols expressing our sharing the divine nature of the Lord Jesus Christ, a memorial of His suffering and death and a prophecy of His gathering together of the believing ones to Himself and is enjoyed by all believers until He comes (Matthew 26:25-29; Mark 14:22-26; Luke 22:17-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26).

The Virgin Birth: We believe as it is written in the scriptures, that Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit in a virgin named Mary, betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David (Matthew 1:18-21; Luke 1:26-35; Isaiah 7:14;).

Sanctification: The Bible teaches that without holiness no man can see the Lord. We believe in the Doctrine of Sanctification as a definite, yet progressive work of grace, commencing at the time of regeneration and continuing until the consummation of salvation at the return of our Lord Jesus Christ (Hebrews 12:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; 2 Peter 3:18; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Philippians 3:12-14; 1 Corinthians 1:30).

Divine Healing: Healing is for the physical ills of the human body and is wrought by the power of God through the prayer of Faith, and by the laying on of hands. It is provided for in the atonement of our Lord Jesus Christ, and is the privilege of every member of the Church today (Mark 16:18; James 5:14-16; 1 Peter 2:24; Matthew 8:17; Isaiah 53:4-5).

Resurrection of the Just and Return of Our Lord: The angels said to Jesus' disciples, “...this same Jesus ...shall so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven." His coming is imminent. When He comes, "...the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remaining shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air..." (Acts 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:17-17)

Following the Tribulation, He shall return to earth as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, and together with His saints, who shall be kings and priests, He shall reign a thousand years (Revelation 20:6).

Hell and Eternal Retribution: The one who physically dies in his sins without accepting Jesus Christ is hopelessly and eternally lost in the Lake of Fire and, therefore, has no further opportunity of hearing the Gospel or repenting. The Lake of Fire is literal. The terms "eternal" and "everlasting" used in describing the duration of the punishment of the damned in the Lake of fire, carry the same thought and meaning of endless existence as used in denoting the duration of joy and ecstasy of saints in the presence of God (Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 19:20).

Marriage and Sexual Relations: The Church shall not sanction or conduct any marriage between persons of the same gender. God instituted monogamous marriage between male and female as the foundation of the family, the basic structure of human society. (Genesis 2:24) For this reason, homosexuality, and all other “sexual preferences” or “orientations” are unnatural, sinful and unacceptable to God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11, 1 Timothy 1:9-11). God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in other than in the context of marriage between a man and a woman. (Genesis 19:5, Genesis 26:8-11, Leviticus 18:1-30, Romans 1:26-29, 1 Corinthians 5:1, 6:9, 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8, Hebrews 13:4)

Homosexuality and Other Sexual Perversions: Any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, and/or pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex between a man and a woman in marriage. Homosexuality is sin, detestable to God, and inconsistent with the Christian life. (1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Leviticus 18:22, Leviticus 20:13)