growing in our purpose
We believe every believer should be growing both vertically and horizontally.
Vertical Growth begins after we commit fully to follow and obey Jesus as His disciple. Our relationship begins to flourish as we study His Word, establish a prayer life, learn to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit and endeavor to live a life of obedience to God, we grow vertically.
Horizontal Growth begins as we form relationships with His Body “the Church”. Church attendance, Bible studies, small groups, fellowship, prayer, serving the community and other Kingdom minded activities help us grow horizontally. God did not save us so that we could be alone. He saved us to serve the Him thru ministry. At The City of Refuge we believe that each Christian is called to have some sort of ministry both to the Body and those yet to be saved.
the local church
We believe that the Church is a body of people and not a structure. The Body of Christ exists to glorify God and accomplish His will while we’re here on earth. We believe every individual who professes relationship with Jesus Christ should be involved in a local community of believers and actively involved in winning the lost. The local church should be a representation of Jesus Christ in our homes, communities, nation, and world.
The Bible
We believe the Bible in the original manuscripts are God’s inspired Word, without error and the authority on which we base our faith, conduct, and doctrine. It cannot be added to, subtracted from, or superseded by any other writings. The Bible is the source of all doctrine, instruction, correction, and reproof.
The godhead
There is one God, Creator of all things. He is all knowing, has no beginning or ending, and is eternally existing in three manifestations: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This is best represented by the Hebrew word “Elohim”, which gives definition to the plurality of the nature of God.
father
God as our Heavenly Father brought us into existence; He cares for us as His own children and patiently waits for us to come back to Him. Scripture states that “the heavens are His throne and the earth is His footstool”, yet such an unmeasurable God would care for and love each one of us individually.
Jesus christ
Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of Immaculate Conception by the Virgin Mary. He gave His life on Calvary’s cross to atone for our sins. Further, He arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven. He is seated at the right hand of God and is now our High Priest, Advocate and Judge.
the holy spirit
The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ and during this age, to convict men of sin, regenerate the believing sinner, indwell, guide, instruct, and empower the believer for godly living and service. Man was created in the image of God but fell into sin and is therefore lost, and only through regeneration by the Holy Spirit can salvation and spiritual life be obtained. Scripture tells us that no man can come to God unless the Spirit leads him and the Holy Spirit will lead and guide believers in all truth.
Salvation
We believe Jesus died on the cross and shed His blood for our sins. The Word of God declares clearly that salvation is a gift from God. We believe that salvation is found by placing our faith in what Jesus did for us on the cross and committing to follow Him as His disciple. Salvation is affected by personal repentance (Changing how one thinks, hating and resisting sinful behavior), belief in the Lord Jesus (personal acceptance of Him as life as Lord and Savior), Obedience to the Scriptures and living a Holy life.
Sanctification
We believe that those who are called by the name of Christ should depart from iniquity. Understanding that salvation from the penalty of sin only begins the process of redemption, we acknowledge that one work of the Holy Spirit is to create in us the character of Christ. (2 Timothy 2:19) In order to achieve this new character, we believe:
- your walk matches your talk,
- we can break free from the power of sin,
- in complete restoration, not just redemption,
- in a lifestyle change in every arena of life: mental, spiritual and physical.
- in a life that reflects the nature and character of Jesus Christ.
water baptism
We believe that all of God’s people are to be buried with our Lord Jesus Christ in the waters of baptism, subsequent to conversion. We believe water baptism is a symbol of the cleansing power of the blood of Christ and a testimony to our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Baptism comes from the word “baptize” which means to immerse. We baptize in the authority of the Name of Jesus Christ in accordance with the scripture. (Matthew 28:18)
baptism in the holy spirit
We believe that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is an endowment of power, subsequent to conversion and is given by God to anoint the believer for sanctification and evangelism. Evidence of the empowerment of the Holy Spirit is demonstrated by a personal prayer language, a manifestation of the Gifts of the Spirit and boldness as recorded in the book of Acts. It is our understanding that the supernatural charisma of the Holy Spirit is active within the Body of Christ until the coming of the Lord. Furthermore, we believe the development of the charismatic gifts ought to be encouraged for the health and benefit of the local and global Church.
We Believe in the Sanctity of Human Life
- Man is created in the image of God. Man is spirit, he has a soul (mind, will, emotions) and lives in a body (house or shell for the spirit).
- Man does not come from an animal.
- Man is not inherently good by nature; because of Adam and Eve’s disobedience, we are alienated from God and can never measure up to God’s standard of right standing with Him.
- This alienation is called “sin”. Sin means to “miss the mark or not come up to the established standard”.
- We can never satisfy the established standard without intervention from God. No amount of good deeds on our part could satisfy His requirements to be just in His eyes.