Statement of Faith and Purposes
Section 1.
The programs and activities governing the form of worship of Livng Waters Church, Inc., shall be based upon and at all times shall be consistent with the following creed and beliefs ( 1 Cor. 1:10; Acts 2:42 );
A. The Scriptures. The Bible is the inspired and infallible and authorative Word of God, the product of Holy Men of old who spoke and wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit, and it is our infallible guide in matters pertaining to conduct and doctrine ( II Tim. 3:16; I Thes. 2:13; II Peter 1:21; I Cor. 2:13 ).
B. The Godhead. Our God is One, but manifested in three persons, the Trinity - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit ( Phil. 2:6; Matt. 3:16-17 ).
God the Father is greater than all; the Source of the Word (Logos) and the Begetter ( John 14:28; John 16:28;
John 1:14 ).
Jesus is the Son of God, One with the Father, the Word flesh-covered, the One Begotten, and has existed with the Father and from the beginning ( John 1:11; John 1:18; John 1:14; John 10:30 ).
The Holy Spirit proceeds forth from both the Father and the Son and is eternal ( John 14:16-17, 23, 26; John 15:26; John 16:13-15 ).
(1) The terms "trinity" and "persons," in relationship to the Godhead.
The terms "trinity" and "persons," as related to the Godhead, while not found in the Scriptures, are words in harmony with Scripture, whereby we may convey to others our immediate understanding of the doctrine of Christ respecting the Being of God, as distinguished from "gods many and lods many." We therefore may speak with propriety of the Lord our God, who is One Lord, as a Trinity or as one Being of three persons, and still be absolutely scriptural (examples can be found in Matt. 28:19; II Cor. 13:14; John 14:16-17 ).
(2) Distinction and Relationship in the Godhead.
Christ taught a distinction of persons in the Godhead which he expressed in specific terms of relationship, as Father, Son and Holy Ghost, but that this distinction and relationship, as to its mode is inscrutable and incomprehensible, because unexplained ( Luke 1:35; Matt. 11:25-27; Matt. 28:19; II Cor. 13:14; I John 1:3-4 ).
(3) Unity of the One Being of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Accordingly therefore, there is that in the Son which constitutes Him the Son and not the Father; and there is that in the Holy Ghost which constitutes Him the Holy Ghost and not either the Father of the Son. Wherefore, the Father is the Begetter; the Son is the Begotten; and Holy Ghost is the One proceeding from the Father and the Son. Therefore, because these three persons in the Godhead are in a state of unity, there is but one Lord God almighty and His name one ( John 1:18; John 15:26; John 17:11, 21; Zech. 14:9; Acts 4:10-12; Phil. 2:9-11 ).
(4) Identity and Cooperation in the Godhead.
The Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost are never identical as to person; nor confused as to relation; nor divided in respect to the Godhead; nor opposed as to cooperation. The Son is in the Father and the Father is with the Son as to fellowship. The Father is not from the Son, but the Son is from the Father, as to authority. The Holy Ghost is from the Father and the Son proceeding, as to nature, relationship, cooperation and authority. Hence, no person in the Godhead either exists or works separately or independently of the others ( John 5:17-30, 32, 37; John 8:17-18 ).
(5) The Title, Lord Jesus Christ.
The appellation "Lord Jesus Christ," is a proper name. It is never applied in the New Testament either to the Father or to the Holy Ghost. It therefore belongs exclusively to the Son of God ( Rom. 1:1-7; II John 3; Phil. 2:9-11 ).
(6) The Lord Jesus Christ, God with us.
The Lord Jesus Christ, as to His divine and eternal nature, is the proper and only Begotten of the Father, but as to His human nature, He is the proper Son of Man. He is, therefore, acknowledged to be both God and man; who because He is God and man, is "Immanuel," God with us ( Matt. 1:23; I John 4:2, 10, 14; Rev. 1:13-18 ).
(7) The Title, Son of God.
Since the name Immanuel embraces both God and man, in the one person, our Lord Jesus Christ, it follows that the title "Son of God" describes His proper diety, and the title "Son of Man," His proper humanity. Therefore, the title "Son of God" belongs to the order of eternity, the title "Son of Man" to the order of time (Matt. 1:21-23; II John 3; I John 3:8; Heb. 7:3; Heb. 1:1-13 ).
(8) Transgression of the Doctrine of Christ.
Wherefore it is a transgression of the doctrine of Christ to say that Jesus Christ derived the title "Son of God" solely from the fact of the Incarnation, or because of His relation to the economy of redemption. Therefore, to deny that the Father is a real and eternal Father, and that the Son is a real and eternal Son, is a denial of the distinction and relationship in the Being of God; a denial of the Father and the Son; and a displacement of the truth that Jesus is come in the flesh ( II John 9; John 1:1-2, 14, 18, 29, 49; I John 2:22-23; I John 4:1-5; Heb. 12:2; Psalms 2:7; Acts 13:33; Heb. 4:14-16; Heb. 5:1-14; Heb. 6:1-3 ).
The doctrine of Christ not only includes the Godhead ( Father, Son, and Holy Spirit ) which refers to His deity and humanity, but also includes the foundational principles as laid by the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone ( Matt. 3:16-17; Phil. 2:5-11; Heb. 5:5-14; Heb. 6:1-3; Eph. 2:19-22;
I Peter 2:4-9 ).(9) Exaltation of Jesus Christ as Lord.
The Son of God our Lord Jesus Christ, having by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high, angels and principalities and powers having been made subject unto Him. And having been made both Lord and Christ, He sent the Holy Ghost that we, in the name of Jesus, might bow our knees and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father until the end, when the Son shall become subject to the Father that God may be all in all ( Heb. 1:3; I Peter 3:22; Acts 2:32-36; Rom. 14:11;
I Cor. 15:24-28 ).(10) Equal Honor to the Father and to the Son.
Wherefore, since the Father has delivered all judgement unto the Son, it is not only the express duty of all in heaven and on earth to bow the knee, but is an unspeakable joy in the Holy Ghost to ascribe unto the Son all the attributes of deity, and to give Him all the honor and the glory contained in all the names and titles of the Godhead ( except those which express relationship, see paragraphs 2, 3, and 4 ), and thus honor the Son even as we honor the Father ( John 5:22-23; I Peter 1:8; Rev. 5:6-14; Phil. 2:8-9; Rev. 7:9-10; Rev. 4:8-11 ).
(11) The Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. The Scriptures declare:
(a) His virgin birth ( Matt. 1:23; Luke 1:31, 35 )
(b) His sinless life (Heb. 7:26; I Peter 2:22 )
(c ) His miracles ( Acts 2:22; Acts 10:38 )
(d) His substitutionary work on the cross ( I Cor 15:3; II Cor. 5:21 )
(e) His bodily resurrection from the dead ( Matt. 28:6; Luke 24:39; I Cor. 15:4 )
(f) His exaltation to the right hand of God ( Acts 1:9, 11; Acts 2:33; Phil. 2:9-11; Heb. 1:3 ).
C. Man, His Fall and Redemption. Man is a created being, made in the likeness and image of God, but through Adam's transgression and fall, sin came into the world. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. As it is written, there is none righteous, no not one. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was manifested to undo the work of the devil and gave His life and shed His blood to redeem and restore man back to God. ( Rom. 5:12; Rom. 3:23; Rom. 3:9-10; I John 3:8; Gal. 3:13-14; John 3:16-17; Rom. 10:9-10 ).
Salvation is the gift of God to man, separated from works and the law, and is made operative by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, producing works acceptable to God ( Eph. 2:8 ).
D. Eternal Life and the New Birth. Man's first step toward salvation is Godly sorrow that worketh repentance. The new birth is necessary to all men, and when experienced produces eternal life ( II Cor. 7:10; I John 5:12; John 3:3-5; II Cor. 5:17; I Peter 1:23 ).
E. Water Baptism. Baptism in water is by immersion and is a direct commandment of our Lord, and is for believers only. The ordinance is a symbol of the Christian's identification with Christ and His death, burial, and resurrection ( Matt. 28:19; Rom. 6:4; Col. 2:12; Acts 8:36-39 ).
The following recommendation regarding the Water Baptismal formula is adopted, to-wit;
"Upon the confession of your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, the Son of God, and by His authority, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Amen."
F. Baptism in the Holy Ghost. The Baptism in the Holy Ghost power is a gift from God as promised by the Lord Jesus Christ to those who are believers in this dispensation and is received subsequent to the new birth. This experience is accompanied by the initial physical evidence of the speaking in other tongues as the Holy Spirit Himself gives them utterance ( Matt. 3:11-12; John 14:16-17; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:38-39; Acts 19:1-7; Acts 2:3-4; Luke 11:13; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16-17 ).
G. Sanctification. The Bible teaches that without holiness no man can see the Lord. We believe in the doctrine of sanctification as a definite, yet progressive work of grace, commencing at the time of regeneration and continuing until the consummation of salvation ( Heb. 12:14; I Thess. 5:23; II Peter 3:18; I Cor. 3:18; Phil. 3:12-14; I Cor. 1:30 ).
Sanctification is an act of separation from that which is evil, and dedication unto God ( Rom. 12:1-2; I Thess. 5:23; Heb. 13:12 ).
Sanctification is realized in the believer by recognizing his identification with Christ in His death and resurrection, and by faith reckoning daily upon the fact of that union, and by offering every faculty continually to the dominion of the Holy Spirit ( Rom. 6:1-11, 13; Rom. 8:1-2, 13; Gal. 2:20; Phil. 2:12-13; I Peter 1:5 ).
H. Divine Healing. Healing is for the physical ills of the human body and is wrought by the power of God through the prayer of faith which may be accompanied by the laying on of hands and/or the anointing with oil. Divine healing is provided for in the atoning work of Christ, and is the privilege of every believer ( Mark 16:18; James 5:14-20; I Peter 2:24; Matt. 8:17; Isaiah 53:4-5; Acts 4:30; Acts 5:15-16; Acts 19:11-12 ).
