A Statement of Faith is a written declaration of the ministry's position on matters that pertain to the essentials of historical Christianity. For the purpose of transparency and integrity of ministry, the following statements comprise Gather and Gain’s Statement of Faith.
We believe that the Bible is inspired by God in its entirety, and is without error in the original autographs, a complete and final written revelation from God. (2 Timothy 3:15-17, 2 Peter 1:21)
We believe that there is only one God, who is eternal and immutable, and manifests Himself in three distinct Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Genesis 1:1, Deuteronomy 6:4, Matthew 28:19, John 10:30)
We believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the promised Messiah (John 1:36-42), born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23, Luke 1:34-35), totally without sin (Hebrews 4:15, Hebrews 7:26), God in human flesh (John 1:1 & 14, John 20:28) the One Who died on the cross for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3, Ephesians 1:7, Hebrews 2:9), was buried (John 19:40-42), rose again from the dead on the third day (John 2:19), and ascended to the right hand of the Father in heaven, where He now intercedes for us who believe in Him. (Mark 16:19, Acts 7:56, 1 Timothy 2:5)
We believe that Jesus Christ is going to return in the clouds for His church before the tribulation that is coming upon the whole earth (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 2 Thessalonians 2:5-8), and that He will return with His saints and all His holy angels to the earth at the end of the tribulation, and set up His kingdom on earth, ruling and reigning forever and ever. (Matthew 24:30, Revelation 19:13)
We believe that the Creation and Fall of Man is understood to mean the creation of Adam, not by any evolutionary process, but by the spoken Word of God on the sixth day of creation, which day was a 24hr day including an evening and morning. The Fall of man is not a mythical or symbolic story but a literal event in a literal and real garden of Eden and was an act of disobedience in partaking of literal fruit previously forbidden by God. It resulted in man’s fall from innocence, when the human race became guilty, died spiritually and now passes on to its offspring a fallen sinful nature prone to sin and disobedience, yet able to respond to the gracious saving work of the Holy Spirit. (Genesis 1-2, Exodus 20:8-11)
We believe that all humanity is lost and born with a sinful nature, and individuals can only be saved when a repentant sinner exercises faith in the life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. At that instant, he passes from death unto life, becomes a child of God and is in-dwelt by the Holy Spirit. (John 3:16-19, John 5:24, Romans 3:10, Romans 3:23, Romans 5:8-9, Ephesians 2:8-10, Titus 3:5)
We believe that genuine believers are born again by the Holy Spirit of God, and are indwelt, baptized into the body of Christ, the true church, and sealed by the Holy Spirit, and thus, unable to be separated from the love of Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 12:13, John 3:1-6, Acts 1:4-5, Romans 8:35-39, Ephesians 1:13-14)
We believe in a real/literal devil, called Satan, who, along with all his fallen angels, demons, and evil spirits, are destined to spend eternity in hell, and now seek to deceive the world, defeat the believers, and destroy the work of God, but can be resisted by believers, who are protected by God, the Holy Spirit and the intercession of Jesus Christ our Lord. (Genesis 3:1, Job 1:6-12, Matthew 4:1-11, Luke 22:31-32, 1 John 4:4, Revelation 20:10)
We believe that heaven is a real place where the saved will dwell forever, and that hell is a literal place of torment where unbelievers will suffer forever. (John 14:1-3, Revelation 20:11-15, Revelation 21:8, Revelation 22:5)
We believe that all believers need to be filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit to live a godly life and to be bold in our witness for the Lord. (Romans 8:13-14, 1 Corinthians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Ephesians 4:30, Ephesians 5:18)
We believe in the spiritual unity of all genuine believers in the Lord Jesus Christ which is manifested by the spiritual gifts and fruit of the Holy Spirit’s presence through His love. (I Corinthians 12:12-13, Galatians 5:22-23, Ephesians 4:8-12)
We believe that the nation of Israel has a special place in God’s plan, and that all of the promises of God to Israel will be fulfilled both now and in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ in His millennium. (Genesis 12:1-3, Psalm 122:1)
We believe the human race was created as male and female by a direct act of God to fully reveal His image. (Genesis 1:26-28)
We believe that the solemnizing of a marriage is a sacred and profound event that shall be entered into only where the proposed covenantal union is in compliance with the Word of God. (Genesis 4:1)
We believe that the solemnizing of a marriage between men and women of the same sex is contrary to the Word of God and is a sin before God. (Romans 1:21-27)
We believe in the sanctity of human life in all stages from conception to natural death. The church, based upon clear biblical teaching and by obedience to the Holy Scriptures, believes that life is to be preserved without exception. (Psalm 82:3-4, Genesis 1:27, Psalm 127, 3, Exodus 20-13, Exodus 20:13, Micah 6:7, John 10:10)
We believe in the essential process of gathering ourselves together as a body of believers for worship, to stir up love and good works, and to exhort one another. (Hebrews 10:19-25)
We believe in the standard of holy living set forth in Holy Scripture and agree that as believers in the Lord we must adhere to right living, preserving our witness before the unsaved world. We agree that we are living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God and that without the Holy Spirit’s indwelling and recurring filling for Christian power, we cannot fully display Christ. (Romans 12:1, 1 Peter 2:5)