what we believe at New Horizons
THE HOLY SCRIPTURES:
We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the verbally and plenary inspired Word of God. The Scriptures are inerrant, infallible and God-breathed, and therefore are the final authority for faith and life. The sixty-six books of the Old and New Testament are the complete and divine revelation of God to man. The Scriptures shall be interpreted according to their normal grammatical-historical meaning. The inerrancy and infallibility of the Scripture is inherent in the original autographs. (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pt. 1:20-21)
THE TRUE GOD:
We believe that there is one, and only one, living and true God and infinite, intelligent Spirit, the Maker and Supreme Ruler of Heaven and Earth; that He is inexpressibly glorious in holiness and worthy of all possible honor, confidence, and love; that in the unity of the Godhead, there are three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, equal in every divine perfection and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work and redemption and in the accomplishment of His eternal plan and purpose. (Gen. 1:1; Ps. 90; I Jn. 5:6-12)
THE PERSON AND WORK OF JESUS CHRIST:
1. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men. (Isa. 7:14; 9:6; Lk. 1:35; Jn. 1:1-2, 14; 2 Cor. 5:19-21; Gal. 4:4-5; Phil. 2:5-8)
2. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and, that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended into Heaven, at the right hand of God, where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate. (Acts 2:18-36; Rom. 3:24-25; I Pt. 2:24; Eph. 1:7; I Pt. 1:3-5)
THE PERSON AND WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT:
1. We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and, that He is the supernatural agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption. (Jn. 16:8-11; Rom. 8:9; I Cor. 12:12-14; 2 Cor. 3:6; Eph. 1:13-14)
2. We believe that He is the Divine teacher who assists believers to understand and appropriate the Scriptures, and that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the Spirit. (Eph. 1:17-18; 5:18; I Jn. 2:20, 27)
3. We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowal of spiritual gifts to every believer. God uniquely uses evangelists, pastors, and teachers to equip believers in the assembly in order that they can do the work of the ministry. (Rom. 12:3-8; I Cor. 12:4-11; Eph. 4:7-12)
4. We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and the gift of healing, were temporary. We believe that speaking in tongues was never the common sign of the baptism of the Holy Spirit or proof of being Spirit-filled. We believe that ultimate deliverance of the body from sickness or death awaits that consummation of our salvation in the resurrection, though God frequently chooses to answer the prayers of believers for physical healing. (I Cor. 1:22; 13:8; 14:21-22; Js. 5:14-15)
SATAN OR THE DEVIL:
We believe that Satan was once holy and enjoyed heavenly honors; but through pride and ambition to be as the Almighty, he fell and drew after him a host of angels and is now the malignant prince of the power of the air and the unholy god of this world. He is the open and declared enemy of God and man; and, that he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire, a place prepared for him and his angels, as well as all of the unbelievers of the ages. (Ezek. 28:12-17; Isa. 14:12-25; Mt. 4:2-11; I Pt. 5:8-9; Rev. 20:10)
THE CREATION:
We believe that God created the universe in six literal, 24-hour periods; the Genesis account of creation is accepted as literal. We believe that man was created in God's own image, not in any evolutionary sense or change in species. We further hold that Evolution, the Gap Theory, the Day-Age Theory, and Theistic Evolution are unscriptural theories of origin. (Gen. 1-2; Ex. 20:11)
THE FALL OF MAN:
We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam's sin the human race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God; and, that man is totally depraved, in and of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition. (Gen. 1:26-27; Rom. 3:22-23; 5:12; 6:23; Eph. 2:1-3; 4:17-19)
SALVATION:
We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins. (Jn. 1:12; Eph. 1:7; 2:8-10; I Pt. 1:18-19)
ETERNAL SECURITY AND ASSURANCE OF THE BELIEVER:
1. We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God's power and are thus secure in Christ forever. (Jn. 6:37-40; 10:27- 30; Rom. 8:, 38-39; I Cor. 1:4-8)
2. We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God's Word, which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as a license to sin. (Rom. 13:13-14; Gal. 5:13; Titus 2:11-15)
SEPARATION OF THE BELIEVER:
We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as to not bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord; and, that separation from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices and associations is commanded of God. (Rom. 12:1-2; 14:14; 2 Cor. 6:14-7:1; 2 Tim. 3:1-5; I Jn. 2:15-17; 2 Jn. 9-11)
THE CHURCH:
1. We believe that a New Testament church is a congregation of baptized believers associated by a covenant of faith and fellowship of the Gospel observing the ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, and exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word. (I Cor. 12:12-14; 2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 1:22-23; 5:25-27)
2. We believe the true mission of the Church is found in the "Great Commission" which instructs us first, to make individual disciples; second, to baptize the converts; and third, to teach and instruct as He commanded. We do not believe in the reversal of this order. (Mt. 28:19-20)
3. We believe that the establishment and continuation of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures. (Acts 14:27; 20:17, 28-32; I Tim. 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11)
4. We believe in the autonomy of the local church. The local church has the absolute right of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations; free from any external authority or control. (Acts 13:1-4; 15:19-31; 20:28; Rom. 16:1, 4; I Cor. 3:9, 16; 5:4-7, 13; I Pt. 5:1-4)
5. We recognize baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper as the Scriptural ordinances of obedience for the church in this age. (Mt. 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; 18:18; I Cor. 11:23-26)
THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST:
We believe in that "blessed hope," the personal, imminent return of Christ who will rapture His Church prior to the seven-year tribulation period. At the end of the Tribulation, Christ will personally and visibly return with His saints, to establish His earthly Messianic Kingdom which was promised to the nation of Israel. (Ps. 89:3-4; Dan. 2:31-45; Zech. 14:4-11; I Thess.. 1:10; I Thess. 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; Rev. 3:10; 19:11-16; 20:1-6)
THE ETERNAL STATE:
1. We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment. (Mt. 25:46; Jn. 5:28-29; 11:25-26; Rev. 20:5-6, 12- 13)
2. We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the lord wherein conscious bliss they await the first resurrection, when the spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord. (Lk. 23:43; 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23; 3:21; I Thess. 4:16-17; Rev. 20:4-6)
3. We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious punishment and torment until the second resurrection, when with soul and body reunited they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment, and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, to suffer everlasting conscious punishment and torment. (Mt. 25:41-46; Mk. 9:43-48; Lk. 16:19-26; 2 Thess. 1:7-9; Jude 6-7; Rev. 20:11-15)
CIVIL GOVERNMENT:
1. We believe that God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: the home, the church, and the state. Every person is subject to these authorities, but all (including the authorities themselves) are answerable to God and governed by His Word. God has given each institution specific biblical responsibilities and balanced those responsibilities with the understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the other. (Rom. 13:1-7; Eph. 5:22-24; Heb. 13:17; I Pt. 2:13-14)
2. We believe that civil government is of divine appointment for the interest and good of human society; that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored and obeyed except only in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 5:29; Rom. 13:1-5; I Tim. 2:1-3)
HUMAN SEXUALITY:
1. We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery and pornography are sinful perversions of God's gift of sex. (Gen. 2:24; 19:5, 13; 26:8-9; Lev. 18:1-30; Rom. 1:26-29; I Cor. 5:1; 6:9; I Thess. 4:1-8; Heb. 13:4)
2. We believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one woman. (Gen. 2:24; Rom. 7:2; I Cor. 7:10; Eph. 5:22-23)
3. We believe that men and women are spiritually equal in position before God, but that God has ordained distinct and separate spiritual functions for men and women in the home and the church. The husband is to be the head of the home and men are to be the leaders (pastors and deacons) of the church. Accordingly, only men are eligible for licensure and ordination by the church. (Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:18; I Tim. 2:8-15; 3:3-5, 12)
DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGE:
We believe that marriage was instituted by God to be a permanent union. We further believe that God hates divorce and intends marriage to last until one of the spouses dies. Divorce and remarriage is regarded as adultery except on the grounds of fornication and spiritual desertion. Although divorced and remarried persons may hold positions of service in the Church and be greatly used of God for Christian service, they may not be considered for the offices of pastor or deacon. (Gen. 2:24; Mal. 2:14-17; Mt. 19:3-12; Rom. 7:1-3; I Cor. 7:12-16; I Tim. 3:2, 12; Titus 1:6)
ABORTION AND EUTHANASIA:
We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the mental well-being of the mother are acceptable. (Job 3:16; Ps. 51:5; 139:14-16; Isa. 44:24; 49:1, 5; Jer. 1:5; 20:15-18; Lk. 1:44)
We believe that life is sacred and any act of putting to death a person suffering from a distressing disease, illness or health problem from injury (euthanasia or mercy killing) for his own good is virtually an instance of self-deification usurping a right that belongs to God (Ps. 68:20; II Kings 5:7; Job 1:21; 2:6; Heb. 9:27).
MISSIONS AND MISSIONARIES:
We believe that all men everywhere are lost and condemned and that the command to go and preach the Gospel to the world is clear and unmistakable and that this commission was given to the churches. Following New Testament endeavors should be under the ultimate sponsorship of the local congregation and that no mission board should ever misconstrue its purpose to attempt, to hold, or to assign authority to itself. (Mt. 28:19-20; Acts 13)
LAWSUITS BETWEEN BELIEVERS:
We believe that Christians are prohibited from bringing civil lawsuits against other Christians or the church to resolve personal disputes. We believe the Church possesses all the resources necessary to resolve personal disputes between members. We do believe, however, that a Christian may seek compensations for injuries from another Christian's insurance company as long as the claim is pursued without malice or slander. (I Cor. 6:1-8; Eph. 4:31-32)
THE GRACE OF GIVING:
We believe that God's method of financing His earthly work of spreading the Gospel to all nations, the care of the churches and the support of the ministry, is by the tithes and offerings of God's people. We believe that they are to be given to the Lord through His church or storehouse and are to be distributed as directed by the leadership of the Holy Spirit as the need arises. We believe that the time to tithe is upon the first day of the week. We also believe that everyone is accountable to the Lord for a minimum standard of giving one tenth of his income and that the offerings are to be given above the tithe as God has prospered the individual. (Mal. 3:8-10; I Cor. 16:2; 2 Cor. 9:6-7)