Statement of Faith
Living Hope Counseling Services, Inc. believes:
God, Our Father, is Creator, Sustainer, Holy, Loving, Good, Infinite, Omnipotent (All Powerful), Omnipresent (Everywhere), Omniscient (All Knowing), Transcendent (Supreme), and Immutable (Unchangeable). (Genesis 1:1, 26; Deuteronomy 6:4; Exodus 3:14; Numbers 23:19; Leviticus 11:44-45, 19:2; Isaiah 61:1; Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 1:35; John 4:24 / 10:30; 2 Corinthians 13:14)
Jesus Christ, The Son, is God incarnate; born of a virgin; our Substitute; bodily Resurrected; sole Mediator between God and mankind; returning again (Isaiah 7:14, 53; Matthew 1:18-23, 3:17, 8:29, 14:33, 16:16, 29:5-6; Luke 22:70; 24:46-47; John 1:1-14; Acts 1:9, 2:22-27, 7:55-56; Romans 3:23-25; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Titus 2:13)
The Holy Spirit, The Comforter, is the third person of the Godhead who convicts the world of their sins and the need for God’s righteousness; He regenerates, indwells, and seals all believers at the time of conversion, and fills and gives Spiritual Gifts to all believers who are yielded to God for the maturing and work of the body of Jesus Christ, that is, the Church. (Matthew 28:19; John 2:3-7; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 2:12, 6:19, 12:7-13; Ephesians 4:30)
The Bible is God’s Word to us. Thus, it is inspired of God, complete, unified, and without error (inerrant and infallible), the final standard of faith and practice for all believers. (Deuteronomy 4:1-2; Psalm 119:11, 89, 195; Isaiah 40:8; Matthew 5:18, 22:29; John 5:39, 16:13-15, 17:17; Romans 15:4; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21-25)
Humankind is created in the Image of God and designed to be like Him in character and conduct; sinned in Adam and is now a sinner by nature and choice; remains the bearer of God’s Image even in mankind’s fallen state, and will face Judgment one day. (Genesis 1:26-30, 2:7, 3:16; Psalms 8:3-6, 32:1-5, 51:5; Isaiah 6:5; Jeremiah 17;26-31; Romans 1:19-32, 3:10-18, 5:6, 7:14-25; 5:12-14; Ephesians 2; James 3:9)
Salvation is a gift from God solely by Grace through Faith in Jesus Christ. Salvation occurs when people place their faith in the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ as sufficient payment for their sins. (Isaiah 1:18, 53:5-6, 55:7, Matthew 1:21, 27:22-66, 28:1-6; Luke 1:68-69, 2:28-32; John 1:12, 3:16, 5:24; Acts 2:21, 4:12, 16:31; Romans 1:16-18, 3:23-25, 5:8-10, 8:35-39; Ephesians 2:8-10; 1 Peter 1:3-5; 1 John 5:11-13)
Eternity is where people were created to exist forever. We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin or eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is in Hell. To be eternally in union with Him is in Heaven. Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal existence. (John 3:16, 36; Romans 6:23; 1 John 2:24, 5:11-13; Revelation 20:15)
Baptism is symbolic of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Once we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, baptism is a way to publicly declare our new life in Jesus Christ. It is also a step of obedience based on God’s commands. (Hebrews 6:1-2; Mark 16:15-16; John 3:22; Matthew 3:13-17, 16:24, 28:19-20; Colossians 2:12; Romans 6:3-6; Acts 2:38; 8:12; 22:16)
The Church is the visible Body of Jesus Christ, sent into the world to glorify God and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We believe that the people of the church are to love others as brothers and sisters. (Matthew 4:4, 16:18-19, 24, 18:15-19; Luke 22:25-27; Acts 1-2; 8:14-17; Ephesians 2:19-22; John 13:34-35; Romans 8:9, 14, 16:17; 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15; 2 Timothy 4:1-5; Jude 3)