Beacon Christian Academy
Tenets of Faith and Doctrine
Lighthouse Christian Fellowship/Beacon Christian Academy
TENETS OF FAITH AND DOCTRINE
The Church accepts the Holy Bible, as the all sufficient rule of faith and practice, and for the purpose of maintaining general unity, adopts these Statements of Fundamental Truths and Doctrine.
1. The Scriptures Inspired
The Holy Bible, both Old and New Testaments, is the only infallible divine revelation of God through plenary-verbal inspiration, the infallible rule of faith and conduct, and is superior to conscience and reason, but not contrary to reason.
2. The One True God
We believe in one true God, comprised of three (3) separate and distinct personalities, revealed in the Holy Bible as The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit, who are eternally self existent, self-sufficient, self revealed and function as one entity. Jesus Christ, who is God manifested in the flesh, is the second member of the Godhead, co equal and co eternal with The Father and The Holy Spirit. We believe in the bodily ascension of Jesus to heaven, His exaltation, and personal, literal, and bodily coming again the second time for His Church.
3. Man, His Fall and Redemption
Man was created by God good and upright. But, man, by voluntary transgression, fell from his original state into sin from which he has no power to redeem himself and his only hope of redemption is in Jesus Christ the Son of God.
4. The Salvation of Man
• We believe Christ died to pay the penalty for our sins and shed his blood to ratify a new covenant between God and man, was buried and rose again bodily on the third day and personally appeared to His disciples.
• We believe in the all-sufficient atonement by the blood of Jesus Christ, to cleanse anyone from all sin who believes on Him and repents, and that salvation freely is given by grace through faith in Christ alone. On the cross Jesus Christ bore our sin and sickness providing both salvation and divine healing for all mankind.
• The evidence of Salvation. The inward evidence to the believer of his salvation is the direct witness of the Spirit. The outward evidence to all men is a life of love, righteousness, and true holiness.
• Faith and Works. Salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ alone and not by human works; however, our works will determine the rewards in eternity.
5. Baptism in Water
We believe in the necessity of water baptism, by immersion as taught in the Holy Bible. The believer identifies with the Death, Burial and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in this identification, they have been raised as new creatures to live a new life.
6. The Lord's Supper
We believe that in celebrating communion, the bread represents the body of Jesus Christ, and the cup represents His precious blood. We recall who Jesus Christ is and what He did for us when he died for us and that we have a responsibility to recognize the body and the blood of Christ lest we bring judgment on ourselves.
7. Life of Holiness
We believe in a life of holiness and separation from the world and sin, no longer serving them, but serving the Lord with a pure heart.
8. The Promise of the Father
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 endowment of power for life and service, the bestowment of the gifts and their uses in the work of the ministry. This experience with God is distinct from and subsequent to the experience of the new birth.
9. The Evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit
The full consummation of the Baptism of believers in the Holy Spirit is evidenced by the initial physical sign of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance, and by the subsequent manifestation of spiritual power in public testimony and service.
10. Gifts of the Holy Spirit
We believe in the operation and manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit within the local assembly as enumerated in the Holy Bible and manifested in the early church, God giving the gifts as He desires.
11. The Church
The church is the body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of God’s plan and purpose. Each believer, born of the Spirit, is an integral part of the general assembly and local expression of this church functioning according to New Testament order and organization and authority under the sovereign shepherding of Jesus Christ, exercising autonomous government under Him, administrating its local affairs and ministry, as well as the propagation of the Gospel.
12. Laying on of Hands
We believe in the laying on of hands by anointed ministry for blessing, dedication, confirmation, healing, ordination, and impartation of spiritual gifts.
13. Praise and Worship
We believe in individual and collective praise and worship. All expressions of praise recorded in the Old and New Testaments are meant for practice in the Church today.
14. Total Prosperity
• Spiritual. John 3:3, 11; II Cor. 5:17 21; Romans 10:9 10.
• Mental. II Tim. 1:7; Romans 12:2; Isaiah 26:3.
• Physical. Isaiah 53:4, 5; Matt. 8:17; I Peter 2:24.
• Financial. III John 1:2; Malachi 3:10 11; Luke 6:38; II Cor. 9:6 10; Deut. 28:1 14.
• Social. Proverbs 3:4.
15. Blessed Hope
Jesus is coming again to gather all His Saints to Heaven.
16. The Lake of Fire
Those who have not accepted the redemptive work of Jesus Christ will suffer eternal separation from the Godhead. The devil and his angels, the beast and the false prophet, and anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life, shall be consigned to everlasting punishment in the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
17. The Millennial Reign of Jesus
The return of our Lord Jesus Christ with His Saints from Heaven to rule and reign for one thousand years on earth as the Scriptures promised. After this, there shall be a new heaven and a new earth (Rev. 21).
18. Christian Life; Scriptural Conduct
• Personal Ethics. - (1 Cor. 6:12; Prov. 16:2; 1 Thess. 5:12)
• Obedience to Law. - (Rom. 13:1-2; Rom. 13:5-8, 11)
• Family; Household. – (Ex. 20:12; 1 Tim. 3:5; 1 Tim. 3:11; Titus 1:6-7; Titus 2:2-4; Eph. 5 :22-31, 33; Eph. 6:4)
• Control. - (2 Pet. 2:19; Rom. 15:2-3)
• Adultery; Immorality. – (Exo. 20:14; 2 Pet. 2:14; Matt. 5:27-28; 1 Cor. 6:9; 1 Cor. 5:11)
• Drunkenness; Drugs. – (Deut. 21:20-21; Gal. 5:21; 1 Cor. 6:10; Eph. 5:18; Prov. 23:21)
• Homosexuality. – (Lev. 18:22; Rom. 1:26-29; 1 Cor 6:9-10)