Statment of Faith

This is an excerpt from the document REGULATIONS OF WORSHIP (full text only available in Turkish and Spanish)

 

2.1.      THE BIBLE (Old Testament, i.e. Taurat, Zabur and Nabi, and New Testament, i.e. Injil; Luke 24:44) is in all of its original texts (Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek) ıs the inspired and inerrant Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 2:20-21; 3:15-16). It is the only authoritative and sufficient source to determine doctrine and practice in matters of faith (1 Corinthians 4:6; 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15). The process of inspiration and the writing down of revelation was sealed (ended) with the coming of Christ and the fixing of the canon of the New Testament (Luke 16:16; Revelation 22:18-19).

 

2.2.      There is ONE GOD (Deuteronomy 6:4; Mark 12:29), creator, sustainer, ruler and judge of the universe; omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient, who has revealed Himself as Father (invisible ESSENCE ), Son (eternal WORD) and Holy Ghost (divine SPIRIT) and exists in these three PERSONS from eternity to eternity as one single divine BEING (Genesis 1:1-3; Matthew 28:19). God is LOVE (1 John 4:8, 16) and His ultimate purpose is to share eternal bliss with the redeemed (1 Timothy 2:4-5).

 

2.3.     HUMAN BEINGS were created to enjoy a relationship of love and devotion to God, delighting in Him and glorifying Him in everything (John 4:23-24; Isaiah 43:7, 21; 1 John 4:7-8). But because all men have sinned, all have fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), having inherited from their parents the fallen condition (Romans 5:12; 1 Peter 1:18) and now are totally incapable of meeting the demands of divine justice and holiness (Romans 3:10-20). Therefore, from the moment of birth and unless they don't surrender to the Saviorö all individulas are under the just judgment of God (John 3:18, 36; Ephesians 2:1-2).

 

2.4.      JESUS CHRIST is the Savior foretold by the prophets (Luke 24:27; Acts 3:18). He is the Word of God made ​​flesh by the power of the Holy Spirit through the Virgin Mary (the term Son of God has a purely spiritual meaning, not biological; John 1:1-3, 14, 18). His sinless life, atoning death and resurrection on the third day (John 1:29; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4), is the only merit that is eternally valid, necessary and sufficient to save man from eternal damnation (Romans 5:18; Hebrews 5:9-10). He ascended to the Father's right hand after defeating death. Our Savior lives to intercede on behalf of the redeemed (Ephesians 1:20-23; Hebrews 7:25).

 

2.5.      All who by REPENTANCE and genuine FAITH in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior turn unconditionally to him, are justified before God without his/her works being imputed as merit (Romans 3:24-25; 4:4-8). The beneficiary of this salvation, as a result of this grace and expression of devotion and gratitude (Romans 5:1-2; Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14), surrenders his/her life in obedience to the Lord (Romans 1:5, 15:18-19, 16:26) seeking to please Him in everything and striving to do the good works which He prepared in advance for us to do (2 Corinthians 5:9; Ephesians 2:8-10; 1 John 2:6).

 

2.6.      At the time of conversion THE HOLY SPIRIT produces a new birth in the spirit of the believer, while stamping his mark as a guarantee of the eternal inheritance of the redeemed (John 3:3-8; Ephesians 1:13-14). The Holy Spirit permanently dwells in every believer (John 14:16; Romans 8:9), fully strengthening each person to pursue a life of holiness and communion with God (Galatians 5:22-23). The Holy Spirit equips all believers with spiritual gifts which enable every individual to devote himself/herself to the service of others in, through, and in benefit of the Chrisitan community (1 Corinthians 12:4-7, 11).

 

2.7.      THE COMMUNITY OF THE FAITHFUL is formed by all of those who are saved (the Church, Acts 2:47). It is organized and meets regularly in local congregation for worship and religious practice to jointly meet spiritual needs, practice the faith, and mutually grow in maturity while learning from the Word of God (Acts 2:42). Aside from the appointed leaders for each local congregation, the NT does not endorse a centralized government system which gathers all the churches. Jesus Christ is the only and untransferable Head of the Universal Church (Ephesians 1:22, 4:15, 5:23; Colossians 1:18).

 

2.8.      SATAN, who was created as a perfect angel, rebelled against God in his selfishness and pride (Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:12-19), becoming His enemy par excellence. He is defeated on the cross according to God's promise (Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 3:15; 1 John 3:8) and has been stripped of his "weapons" (Matthew 12:28, 29; Colossians 2:15), but he is still blinding the minds of unbelievers with his deceptions (2 Corinthians 4:4). Through the sacrifice of the cross and the Holy Spirit's presence believers receive strength and grace to overcome him (Revelation 12:10-11). Through faith and obedience believers resist his lies, temptations, and attacks (Ephesians 6:10-18; James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:9).

 

2.9.      Jesus Christ has promised to return to earth in person to consolidate his reign of peace and justice (Matthew 25:31). At THE END OF THE WORLD as we know it, the dead will be raised to stand the Last Judgment. The saved will enter the bliss of eternal communion with God and with all the redeemed, while those who have rejected God's grace will be delivered to perdition and eternal shame, never to experience God's presence, glory, and power (Matthew 25:46, John 5:29; 2 Thessalonians 1: 9; Revelation 21:1-7, 22:1-5).