Doctrines
Of Faith
Harvest Center Church accepts
the Holy Scripture as the revealed will of God, the all-sufficient
rules of faith and practice, and for the purpose of maintaining
general unity, adopts the following statements of fundamental
truths:
- The Scripture Inspired
The Scriptures, both Old and New Testament, are verbally inspired of
God and are the revelation of God to man, the infallible, authoritative
Rule of faith and conduct. (II Timothy 3:15-17; I Thessalonians 2:13;
II Peter 1:21)
- The One True God
The One true God has revealed Himself as the eternally
self-existent "I AM," the Creator of heaven and earth and
the Redeemer of mankind. He has further revealed Himself as embodying
the principles of relationship and association as Father, Son and Holy
Ghost. (Deu. 6:4; Isa. 43:10,11; Matt. 28:19, Luke 3:22)
- The Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ
The Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son Of God. The Scriptures declare:
a. His virgin birth. (Matt 1:23; Luke 1:31,35)
b. His sinless life. (Heb. 7:26, I Peter 2:22)
c. His miracles. (Acts 2:22; 10:38)
d. His substitutionary work on the cross. (I Cor. 15:3; II Cor. 5:21)
e. His bodily resurrection from the dead. (Matt. 28:6; Luke 24:39)
f. His exaltation to the right hand of God. (Acts 1:9; 2:33; Phil. 2:9-11;
Heb. 1:3)
- The Fall of Man
Man was created good and upright; for God said, "Let us make man
in our image, after our likeness." However, man, by voluntary transgression,
fell and thereby, incurred not only physical death, but also spiritual
death, which is separation from God. (Gen. 1:26,27; 2:17; 3:6; Romans
5:12-19)
- The Salvation of Man
Man's only hope of redemption is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ,
the Son of God.
a. Condition to Salvation
Salvation is received through repentance toward God and faith toward
the Lord Jesus Christ. By the washing of regeneration and renewing of
the Holy Ghost, being justified by grace through faith, man becomes
an heir of God according to the hope of eternal life. (Luke 24:47; John
3:3; Rom. 10:13-15; Eph. 2:8; Titus 2:11; 3:5-7)
b. The Evidence of Salvation
The inward evidence of salvation is direct witness of the Spirit.
(Romans 8:16) The outward evidence to all men is a life of righteousness
and true holiness. (Eph. 4:24; Titus 2:12)
- The Ordinances of the Church
a. Baptism in Water
The Ordinance of baptism by immersion is commanded in the Scriptures.
All who repent and believe on Christ as Savior and Lord are to be baptized.
Thus, they declare to the world that they have died with Christ and
that they also have been raised with Him to walk in newness of life.
(Matt. 28:19; Acts 10:47,48; Romans 6:4)
b. Holy Communion
The Lord's Supper, consisting of the elements--bread and the fruit of
the vine-- is the symbol expressing our sharing in the divine nature
of our Lord Jesus Christ (II Peter 1:4); a memorial of His suffering
and death (I Cor. 11:26); and a prophecy of His second coming (I Cor.
11:26); and enjoined on all believers "Till He comes"!
- The Baptism in the Holy Ghost
All believers are entitled to and should ardently expect
and earnestly seek the promise of the Father, the baptism in the Holy
Ghost and fire, according to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ. This
was the normal experience of all in the early Christian church. With
it comes the enduement of power for life and service, the bestowment
of the gifts and their uses in the work of the ministry (Luke 24:49;
Acts 1:4,8; I Cor. 12:1-31). This experience is distinct from and subsequent
to the experience of the new birth (Acts 8:12-17; 10:44-46; 11:14-16;
15:7-9). With the baptism in the Holy Ghost, comes such experiences
as an overflowing fullness of the Spirit (John 7:37-39; Acts 4:8), a
deepened reverence for God (Acts 2:43, Heb. 12:28), an intensified consecration
to God and dedication to His work (Acts 2:42), and a more active love
for Christ, for His Word and for the lost.
- The Evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Ghost
The baptism of believers in the Holy Ghost is witnessed by the initial
physical sign of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit of God gives
them utterance (Acts 2:4). The speaking in tongues in this instance
is the same, in essence, as the gift of tongues (I Cor. 12:4-10, 28),
but different in purpose and use.
- Sanctification
Sanctification is an act of separation from that which is evil, and
of dedication unto God. (Rom. 12:1,2; I Thess. 5:23; Heb. 13:12) The
Scriptures teach a life of "holiness without which no man shall
see the Lord". (Heb. 12:14) By the power of the Holy Ghost, we
are able to obey the command: "Be ye holy, for I am holy".
(I Peter 1:15,16)
Sanctification is realized in the believer by recognizing his identification
with Christ in His death and resurrection and by faith reckoning daily
upon the fact of that union and by offering every faculty continually
to the dominion of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 6:1-11,13; 8:1,2,13; Gal.
2:20; Phil. 2:12,13; I Peter 1:5)
- The Church and Its Mission
The Church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God through the
Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of her great commission.
Each believer, born of the Spirit, is an integral part of the General
Assembly and Church of the First Born, which are written in heaven.
(Eph. 1:22,23; 2:22; Heb. 12:23)
Since God's purpose concerning man is to seek and to save that which
is lost, to be worshipped by man and to build a body of believers in
the image of His Son, the priority reason-of-being of Harvest Center
Church as part of the universal church is:
a. To be an agency of God for evangelizing the world.
(Acts 1:8; Matt. 28:19,20)
b. To be a corporate body in which man may worship
God. (I Cor. 12:13)
c. To be a channel of God's purpose to build a body
of saints being perfected in the image of His Son. (Eph. 4:11-16; I
Cor. 12:28; 14:12)
Harvest Center Church exists expressly to give continuing emphasis to
their reason-of-being in the New Testament apostolic pattern by teaching
and encouraging believers to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. This experience:
a. Enables them to evangelize in the power of the Spirit
with accompanying supernatural signs. (Acts 4:29-31; Heb. 2:3,4)
b. Adds a necessary dimension to worshipful relationship
with God. (I Cor. 2:10-16; 12:13,14)
c. Enables them to respond to the full working of the
Holy Spirit in expression of fruit and gifts and ministries as in New
Testament times for the edifying of the body of Christ. (Gal. 5:22-26;
I Cor. 14:12; Eph. 4:11,12; I Cor. 12:28; Col. 1:29)
- The Ministry
A divinely called and scripturally ordained ministry has been provided
by Our Lord for the threefold purpose of leading the Church in:
a. Evangelization of the world. (Matt. 28:19,20)
b. Worship of God. (John 4:23,24)
c. Building a body of saints being perfected in the
image of His Son. (Eph. 4:11-16)
- Divine Healing
Divine healing is an integral part of the gospel. Deliverance from sickness
is provided for the atonement, and is the privilege of all believers.
(Isa. 53:4,5; Matt. 8:16,17; James 5:14-16)
- The Blessed Hope
The resurrection of those who have fallen asleep in Christ and their
translation, together with those who are alone and remain unto the coming
of the Lord, is the imminent and blessed hope of the Church. (I Thess.
4:16,17; Rom. 8:23; Titus 2:13; I Cor. 15:51,52)
- The Millennial Reign of Christ
The second coming of Christ includes the rapture of the saints, which
is our blessed hope, followed by the visible return of Christ with His
saints to reign on the earth for one-thousand years. (Zech. 14:5; Matt.
24:27,30; Rev. 1:7, 19:11-14, 20:1-6)
This millennial reign will bring salvation of national Israel (Ezek.
37:21,22; Zech. 3:19,20; Rom. 11:26,27), and the establishment of universal
peace (Isa. 11:6-9; Ps. 72:3-8; Micah 4:3,4).
- The Final Judgment
There will be a final judgment in which the wicked dead will be raised
and judged according to their works. Whosoever is not found written
in the Book of Life, together with the devil and his angels, the beast
and the false prophet, will be consigned to everlasting punishment in
the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.
(Matt. 25:46; Mark 9:43-48; Rev. 19:20, 20:11-15, 21:8)
- The New Heavens and the New Earth
"We, according to His Promise, look for new heavens and a new earth,
wherein dwelleth righteousness." (II Peter 3:13; Rev. 21:21,22)
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