THE BIBLE
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” – 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV)
We believe both the Old and New Testament scriptures are verbally inspired by God and delivered through revelation from the Holy Spirit to man. The Bible is the infallible word of God which declares His design and plan for mankind, and gives guidance in faith and conduct.
[Also see: 1 Thessalonians 2:13 and 2 Peter 1:21]
GOD
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” – 2 Corinthians 13:14 (ESV)
We believe there is only one true God who is both the Creator of Heaven and Earth and the Redeemer of mankind. God exists eternally and has revealed Himself as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
[Also see: Deuteronomy 6:4, Isaiah 43:10,11, Matthew 28:19, Luke 3:22, John 14:16-17, Luke 1:35, 1 Corinthians 1:24, Matthew 11:25-27, 1 John 1:3-4]
JESUS CHRIST
“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” - 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (ESV)
We believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God and is the virgin born son of Mary. Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophesies, led a sinless life and performed miracles. Jesus died on the cross for our sins, so that we might be redeemed. On the third day, He rose from the dead and ascended to Heaven where He now sits at the right hand of the Father.
[Also see: Matthew 1:23, Hebrews 7:26, Acts 2:22, 1 Corinthians 15:3, Matthew 28:6, Acts 1:9]
MAN
“Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” – Genesis 1:26 (ESV)
We believe that man was created in God’s own image and likeness, but through Adam’s sin, fell, and suffered physical and spiritual death, which is separation from God. Man’s only hope for redemption is through the blood of Jesus Christ.
[Also see: Genesis 2:17, Genesis 3:6, Romans 5:12-19]
SALVATION
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16 (ESV)
We believe that Jesus died on the cross, bearing for us our sins. Salvation is received by turning towards God, establishing trust in Jesus Christ, through faith, repentance, and the renewing of the Holy Spirit. We are justified by grace through faith and are joint heirs with Jesus in the hope of eternal life. He is our personal Savior.
[Also see: Luke 24:47, John 3:3, Romans 10:13-15, Ephesians 2:8, Titus 2:11, Titus 3:5-7, Romans 8:16, Ephesians 4:24, Titus 2:12]
WATER BAPTISM
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” – Matthew 28:19 (ESV)
We believe that all who believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior are commanded by the Scriptures to be baptized by immersion, in water, declaring to the world that they have died with Christ, and have raised with Him to walk in newness of life.
[Also see: Mark 16:16, Acts 10:47-48, Romans 6:4]
HOLY SPIRIT BAPTISM
“When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.” – Acts 8:15-17 (ESV)
We believe that all believers are entitled to and should ardently expect and earnestly seek the baptism in the Holy Spirit and fire. This experience is separate from the initial salvation experience, and is evidenced by the initial physical sign of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit of God gives the utterance. This was the normal experience of all in the early Christian Church. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit brings an overflowing fullness of the Spirit, a deepened reverence for God, intensified consecration to God, and a more active love for Christ and the lost.
[Also see: Luke 24:49, Acts 10:44-46, 1 Corinthians 12:1-31, Acts 2:4]
HOLY COMMUNION
“The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me. For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” – 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 (ESV)
The Lord's Supper consisted of bread and the fruit of the vine. The act of taking Holy Communion is done in remembrance of our sharing in the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ, a memorial of His suffering and death, and a prophecy of His second coming.
At LPCC we join in Holy Communion on the 1st Sunday of each month.
[Also see: 2 Peter 1:4, Matthew 26:17-30, Mark 14:12-26, Luke 22:7-39, John 13:1-17:26]
HEALING
“Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” – James 5:14-16 (ESV)
Divine healing of the sick is an integral part of the gospel and is available to all Christians today. Deliverance from sickness is provided for in Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross, and is the privilege of all believers.
[Also see: Isaiah 53:4-5, Matthew 8:16-17]
THE CHURCH
“And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” – Ephesians 1:22-23 (ESV)
The Church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of the great commission. Each believer, born of the Spirit, is an integral part of the Church. God’s purpose for His Church is to seek and to save those who are lost, to be worshipped by man, to build a body of believers in the image of His Son, and to demonstrate His love and compassion for all the world.
[Also see: Mark 16:15-16, Hebrews 12:23, 1 Corinthians 12:12, Ephesians 4:11-16, Psalms 112:9, Galatians 2:10; 6:10]
GOD’S PLANS
“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” - 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (ESV)
The second coming of Christ includes the resurrection of Christians who have passed away from this earth and the rapture of the remaining saints, which is our blessed hope. The rapture is followed by the visible return of Christ with His saints who will reign on earth for one thousand years.
[Also see: Romans 8:23, Titus 2:13, Matthew 24:30, Revelation 19:11-14, 2 Peter 3:13]