
Arise Church Statements of Faith
Before You Read…
Below is Arise Church’s Statements of Faith. We first and foremost believe in relationship and unity among those who profess Jesus Christ. If there are any questions or concerns, we invite you to meet with one of our elders to discuss the scriptures and ask for an open heart and mind. We hold everything below as biblically supported and is the faith that sets us apart from the kingdom of darkness. It is from these beliefs of faith and values that all of our ministries are built upon.
1. The One True God
We believe that 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 Spirit or the tri-unity of the Godhead (Deut 6:4, Gen 1:1, John 6:27, Rom 1:7, 1 Peter 1:2, John 1:1, 14, Rom 9:5; Col 2:9, Heb 1:8, 1 John 5:20, John 14:16-17, Acts 2:1-4, Acts 5:3-4, Rom 8:9, 1 Cor 3:16)
2. The Bible is the Inspired Word of God
We believe that the Bible, the accepted Canon of the Sacred Scriptures, is a supreme revelation verbally inspired by God to man, superior to conscience and reason, though not contrary to reason, and is therefore our infallible, authoritative rule of faith and practice (John 17:17, 2 Peter 1:21, 2 Tim 3:16-17, John 1:1-2)
3. The Deity Of The Lord Jesus Christ
We therefore believe that Jesus Christ came into the world to reveal the Father and was the brightness of His Glory and the express image of His Person, that Jesus Christ was the Creator of all things, for by Him the worlds were made. The Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. The Scriptures declare: His virgin birth (Is 9:6-7, Matt 1:23, Luke 1:30-35), His sinless life (Heb 7:26, 1 Peter 2:22), His miracles (Acts 2:22, 10:38), His substitutionary work on the cross (1 Cor 15:3, 2 Cor 5:21), His bodily resurrection from the dead (Matt 28:6, Luke 24:39, 1 Cor 15:4), and His ascension to the right hand of God (Heb 1:3, Luke 1:26-38; Luke 2:4-7).
4. The Lordship Of Christ
Wherefore, we acknowledge the Lordship of Jesus Christ over all things in heaven, and in the earth and under the earth (Phil 2:9-10).
5. The Fall Of Man
We believe that man, by voluntary transgression, fell from a state of righteousness and holiness in which he was first rested, into a state of death in trespasses and sins, and thereby incurred not only physical death but also spiritual depravity and death or separation from God in which he is held as a slave of sin and an enemy of God, until he is delivered by the power of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God (Rom 5:12, Gen 3).
6. Man as a Triune being as a Reflection of the creator, the Triune God
We believe that man is made in the image of God (Gen 1:26) who is three parts (God the Father, God the son and God the Holy Spirit). As expressed in 1 Thes 5:23, man imitates God in spirit, soul, and body. Salvation is completed through man’s spirit that was once dead but made alive by faith in Christ and joined into union in the spiritual realms. From there, believers pull things from the heavenly realms through their soul into the physical and seen realms.
7. The New Birth
We believe the words of Jesus that “You must be born again”, that being born again signifies the partaking in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ (John 3:3-7, 1 Cor 15:1-4), that “By grace you are saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God – not of works, lest anyman should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). We further believe that the emphasis for a continual walk in grace should be of heart righteousness and purity. We hold that all believers must live a pure life, being an example to both the believing and the unbelieving (John 3:7, 2 Cor 5:17, Rom 6:4). We now put God on display. We purpose to know Jesus and make Him known because effective ministry is born out of intimacy (Matt 5:16).
8. The Work Of Repentance And Faith In God.
We believe that repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ produces the work of justification in the believer. Through faith in the shed blood of Christ, the believer is brought onto the grounds of the New Covenant and made a partaker of the death of Christ (Mark 1:15, John 1:12; John 3:3, 7, 16; John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Eph 2:8)
9. Oneness with Christ in Spirit upon Salvation
Upon receiving Christ as Savior and submitting to Him as Lord and leader of a believers life, we believe that our once dead spirit is now “alive to Christ” and have been joined to him, as a husband and wife becomes one at marriage. The believer’s spirit is now connected to God’s spirit and has access to heavenly realms of eternity (John 17:3, 21-23). This complimented with becoming baptized by the Holy Spirit after salvation, enables a believer to walk in the full expression and authority to carry out the complete great commission in intimacy with Christ and Holy Spirit’s anointing and power.
10. The Church Is The Body Of Christ
We believe that the true Church is the Body of Christ (1 Cor 12:12-27), not intended to be the edifice or institution, but the habitation of God through the Holy Spirit. We know we are called to be Christ on this earth by being One with Christ and demonstrating His Love, Character, and Presence to others. Christ is One with us in our spirit and therefore anything He is, so are we in this world. (1 John 4:17).
11. The Mission Of The Church
The Body of Christ is to be an agency for evangelizing the world (Mat 28:19-20). To be a corporate body in which man may worship God (1 Cor 12:13). To be a channel of God’s purpose to build a body of saints being perfected in the image of His son, to equip the Believers for service through the fivefold ministry with emphasis on Gods Love, Grace, and power of Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12:28, 14:12, Eph 4:11-16, Matt 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-18; Eph 4:10-16)
12. The Ordinances Of The Church
Baptism in water, Holy Communion or the Lord’s Supper. The Lord’s Supper, consisting of bread and the fruit of the vine, is an expression of faith in our sharing the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ, and is enjoined on all believers until He comes (Matt 28:19-20, Rom 6:4, 1 Cor 23:26).
13. The Baptism Of The Holy Spirit
We believe that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is an important and necessary experience in the life of every believer, which is not dependent upon a believer’s worthiness, but is a free gift of God. (John 3:3-7, Acts 2:38, Eph 1:13). We therefore believe that all believers are entitled to, and should ardently expect to receive the promise of the Father, the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, according to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ. This was the normal experience of all believers in the early Christian Church (Luke 24:29, Acts 1:4, 8, 11:14-16). With the Baptism in the Holy Spirit come 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). Through scripture, we see that believing on the name of the Lord Jesus as savior is not standalone enough to be baptized with the Holy Spirit, but is an additional infilling after Salvation to move in power and anointing(Acts 8:15-17, Acts 19:1-7). Once one with Jesus in spirit, a believer then receives His life power through baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:38). We know a relationship with the Holy Spirit is essential and that is accomplished through receiving Him as the Gift Christ gave us, and surrendering to His Voice and leading in the life. Holy Spirit is the Teacher of the Church, He is the Counselor, and He is the Comforter and to be an effective Believer one must have a valid, vibrant, and consistent relationship with Him. We live connected to Him and we abide in loving union with Christ through His indwelling life (John 15:4-5).
14. Physical Signs Of The Baptism Of The Holy Spirit
We hold that God has provided glossolalia (tongues) as a heavenly prayer language for the purpose of intercession, praise and communication with God, and that all believers may speak with other tongues. Evidence of the Holy Spirit is not limited to speaking in other tongues, but is also demonstrated through the dispensation of all the Gifts of the Spirit as the Holy Spirit determines. (1 Cor 12 and 1 Cor 14). The full consummation of the Baptism of believers in the Holy Spirit can be the initial physical sign of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance, and afterwards has a continual twofold aspect, as speaking to God for personal edification and speaking to men for the edification of the whole congregation accompanied by an interpretation (Acts 2:4).
15. The Healing Of The Body
We believe divine healing is an integral part of the Gospel. Deliverance from sickness is provided for in the atonement, and is the privilege of all believers and available for those who will believe. (James 5:14-16, Deut 28; Isaiah 53:5; Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts etc).
16. The Unity Of The Body
We believe that we are one Body being members one of another, and that the basis of our fellowship is in Christ in the power of the Spirit (Rom 12:4-5, Col 3:15).
17. The Local Church
We believe in the autonomy of the local church expression, and adherence to the Scriptural revelation of its life, ministry, and worship (1 Tim 3:14-15).
18. Sanctification & Identity in Christ
We believe that sanctification is a definite yet progressive work of grace, as taught in the Scriptures, which leads to holiness (Rom 6:22) and that God by the Holy Spirit, definitely calls who He desires, both male and female, to serve in their calling. God qualifies the ones called with power, talent, wisdom and gifts (2 Tim 2:21, 1 Thes 5:23, Gal 2:20). We also walk in a living daily, sanctified, and set-apart life for Jesus Christ and abstaining from all appearance of evil. This is accomplished by the Power provided by the Holy Spirit. (John 14:15-17; John 15:26 & 27; John 16:5-15; Acts 2, 3, and 4; Rom 12:1 & 2; Gal 5:16-24; Heb 12:14; 1 Peter 1:13-16). We get our identity in Christ. We believe the truest thing about us is what God says about us (2 Cor 5:17). We partner with Christ in relational, Jesus-style disciple making (1 Cor 1:11). We are called in the great commission to make disciples of people and nations (Matt 28:18-20).
19. The Holy Matrimony
We believe that God has established marriage as a lifelong, exclusive relationship between one man and one woman and that all intimate sexual activity outside the marriage relationship, whether heterosexual, homosexual, or otherwise, is immoral and therefore sin (Gen. 2:24-25; Ex. 20:14, 17, 22:19; Lev. 18:22-23, 20:13, 15-16; Matt. 19:4-6, 9; Rom. 1:18-31; I Cor. 6:9-10, 15-20; I Tim. 1:8-11; Jude 7). We believe that God created the human race male and female and that all conduct with the intent to adopt a gender other than one’s birth gender is immoral and therefore sin (Gen. 1:27; Deut. 22:5).
20. The Tithe Is Holy
We believe that the tithe (at least 10% of one’s individual gross earnings) is Holy unto God. We believe that “bringing all the tithes into the storehouse” of the local Church and giving freewill offerings joyfully is to be practiced continually by all believers and is an outward expression of the Lordship of Christ in the believer and the unity of the Church, the Body of Christ, as it joins together in support of the work of the Lord. We know giving of tithes and offerings is God's primary method of financial provision for the church and a major avenue of blessing for the giver. (Mal 3:10-11, Gen 14:20).
21. The Blessed Hope
We believe in the resurrection of those who are dead in Christ and their translation together with those who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord is the imminent and blessed hope of the church (Titus 2:13).
22. The Personal Return Of Our Lord
We believe in the personal return of our Lord and the restitution of all things spoken by the mouth of all the prophets since the world began (Mark 14:62). We believe we will be raptured along with the resurrection of the dead in Christ and their translation together with those who are alive and remain. We believe Christ's personal, pre-millennial second coming with His saints to this earth to set up His kingdom and rule over the nations. (1 Thess 4:13-18; Rev 19)
23. The Final Judgment
We believe that the fearful, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, fornicators, sorcerers, idolaters, and liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death if they did not believe on the Lord Jesus as their Savior and Lord (Hebrews 9:27).
24. The New Heaven And New Earth
We believe that there shall be a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwells righteousness at the end of time (2 Peter 3:13) and we believe that we can expereince this as the Ekklesia now on earth before Christ’s return where the Lord is given full authority in an organization
In addition, we also are in unity with the Apostles Creed and Nicene Creed.
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
— Hebrews 11:6 KJV