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"WHAT WE BELIEVE"

Tenets of Faith & Structure

 

Tree of Life Church is based on the description of the New Testament Church found in the Bible. As believers in Christ, we are united by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit as we seek a personal relationship with God and His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus is the head of the church and people are accountable to Him.

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

The Godhead Our God is one, but is manifested in three persons — the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, being co-equal (I John 5:7).

Man - His Fall and Redemption Man is a created being, made in the likeness and the image of God, but through Adam's transgression and fall, sin came into the world (Romans 3:23). "As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one" (Romans 3:10). Jesus Christ, the Son of God was manifested to destroy the work of the devil and to give His life and shed His blood to redeem and restore man back to God (I John 3:8). Salvation is the gift of God to man, separate from works and the law, which is made operative by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and produces works acceptable to God (Ephesians 2:8).

Eternal Life and New Birth Man's first step toward salvation is godly sorrow that works repentance. The new birth is necessary to all men, and when received, produces eternal life (John 3:3-5, II Corinthians 7:10, I John 5:12).

Water Baptism Baptism in water by immersion is a direct commandment 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, Acts 8:36-39, Romans 6:4, Colossians 2:12).

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

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 (Hebrews 12:14, I Thessalonians 5:23, II Peter 3:18, I Corinthians 1:30, II Corinthians 3:18, Philippians 3:12-14).

Divine Healing Healing is for the physical, emotional and mental ills of the human body. It 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 Christ and is the privilege of every member of the Church today (Isaiah 53:4-5, Matthew 8:17, Mark 16:18, James 5:14-16, I Peter 2:24).

Resurrection of the Just and Return of Our Lord The angels said, "This same Jesus...shall so come in like manner" (Acts 1:11). His coming is imminent. When He comes, "...the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air..." (I Thessalonians 4:16-17). Following the tribulation, He shall return to earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Then together with His saints, who shall be kings and priests, He shall reign for a thousand years (Revelation 20:6).

Hell and Eternal Retribution The one who physically dies in his sins without 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).