Bethesda
Temple
Church Inc
WHAT WE BELIEVE
We believe the Word of God to be the final authority on all spiritual matters. We do our best to live by and pattern our lives after the teachings of Jesus Christ and His Apostles. We believe the New Testament Church, described in the Book of Acts, is God’s model and pattern for every church.
SALVATION
We believe that salvation is a gift from God given to humanity by grace and received by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that all people are sinners by nature and are alienated from God until reconciled to Him by obeying the Gospel as described in the scriptures. A person is saved by faith in the work and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross. This saving faith is demonstrated as a person identifies with Christ’s death, burial and resurrection through repenting of our sins, being baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost with the initial evidence of speaking in other tongues. The experience of repentance, water-baptism and the infilling of the Holy Ghost constitutes the New Birth as described in St. John 3:3-5.
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John 3:3-5; Acts 2:4, Acts 2:38-39; Acts 10:44-46; Acts 19:6; Titus 3:5; Hebrews 9:22; James 2:17-18
GOD
God is the creator and ruler of the universe. We believe this one, true God has manifested Himself as Father in creation, as the Son in redemption and as Holy Spirit working in the lives of people today. These are not three distinct persons but manifestations of the one, true living God. He is, eternal; infinite in power and wisdom; holy in His nature, attributes and purpose. He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of humanity. He hears and answers prayer and saves from sin and death all who believe according to His Word.
JESUS CHRIST
Jesus Christ is God manifested in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16). He is both God and man. He is the image of the invisible God. He is the one and only true God – the Jehovah of the Old Testament – taking upon Himself the form of man and, as the Son, was born of the virgin Mary. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on the Cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven and will return again someday to earth to reign as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.
The Name of Jesus Christ is a Name above every name. It is the Name by which we are saved and there is salvation in no other Name. The authority of God is vested in the Name of Jesus. All that the believer does in word or deed, including baptism, is to be done in Jesus’ Name.
HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Ghost is the Spirit of God working in the earth and in the lives’ of believers. The Holy Ghost provides the believer with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth and guidance in doing what is right. The Holy Ghost brings comfort to the believer according to John 14:26. The “Baptism of the Holy Ghost” describes the Holy Ghost completely filling, or immersing, a believer and permanently residing in his or her life. This experience is a gift according to Acts 2:38. It is the basis for all spiritual gifts and without the infilling of the Holy Ghost there are no gifts in action.