Our Beliefs
I. The Scriptures
Liberty in Christ believes that the Holy Bible was written by divinely inspired men and is God's revelation of Himself to humanity. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God as its author, salvation as its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, as its subject matter. Therefore, all Scripture is entirely true and reliable. It reveals the principles by which God judges us, and therefore is, and will remain until the end of the world, the true center of Christian unity and the supreme standard by which all human behavior, creeds, and religious opinions must be judged. All Scripture is a testimony of Christ, who is himself the center of divine revelation.
Exodus 24:4; Deuteronomy 4:1-2; 17:19; Joshua 8:34; Psalms 19:7-10; 119:11, 89, 105, 140; Isaiah 34:16; 40:8; Jeremiah 15:16; 36:1-32; Matthew 5:17-18; 22:29; Luke 21:33; 24:44-46; John 5:39; 16:13-15; 17:17; Acts 2:16ff.; 17:11; Romans 15:4; 16:25-26; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 1:1-2; 4:12; 1 Peter 1:25; 2 Peter 1:19-21.
II. God
Freedom in Christ believes that there is only one living and true God. He is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal Being, the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe. God is infinite in holiness and in all other perfections. God is all-powerful and all-knowing; and His perfect knowledge extends to all things, past, present, and future, including the future choices of His free creatures. To Him we owe the greatest love, reverence, and obedience. The eternal Triune God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being.
A. God the Father
God as Father reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, and the flow of human history according to the purposes of His grace. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving, and all-wise. God is truly Father to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. He is paternal in His attitude toward all people.
Genesis 1:1; 2:7; Exodus 3:14; 6:2-3; 15:11ff; 20:1ff; Leviticus 22:2; Deuteronomy 6:4; 32:6; 1 Chronicles 29:10; Psalm 19:1-3; Isaiah 43:3,15; 64:8; Jeremiah 10:10; 17:13; Matthew 6:9ff; 7:11; 23:9; 28:19; Mark 1:9-11; John 4:24; 5:26; 14:6-13; 17:1-8; Acts 1:7; Romans 8:14-15; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 4:6; Colossians 1:15; 1 Timothy 1:17; Hebrews 11:6; 12:9; 1 Peter 1:17; 1 John 5:7.
B. Dios el Hijo
Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation as Jesus Christ, He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. Jesus revealed and perfectly fulfilled God's will, assuming human nature with its demands and needs and fully identifying with humanity, yet without sin. He honored God's law through His personal obedience, and in His substitutionary death on the cross, He made provision for the redemption of humankind from sin. He rose from the dead with a glorified body and appeared to His disciples as the person who was with them before His crucifixion. He ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where He is the One Mediator, fully God, fully man, in whose Person reconciliation between God and man is effected. He will return in power and glory to judge the world and complete his redemptive mission. He now dwells in all believers as the living and ever-present Lord.
Genesis 18:1 onwards; Psalms 2:7ff; 110:1ff.; Isaiah 7:14; 53; Matthew 1:18-23; 3:17; 8:29; 11:27; 14:33; 16:16,27; 17:5; 27; 28:1-6,19; Mark 1:1; 3:11; Luke 1:35; 4:41; 22:70; 24:46; John 1:1-18,29; 10:30,38; 11:25-27; 12:44-50; 14:7-11; 16:15-16,28; 17:1-5, 21-22; 20:1-20,28; Acts 1:9; 2:22-24; 7:55-56; 9:4-5, 20; Romans 1:3-4; 3:23-26; 5:6-21; 8:1-3, 34; 10:4; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2:2; 8:6; 15:1-8, 24-28; 2 Corinthians 5:19-21; 8:9; Galatians 4:4-5; Ephesians 1:20; 3:11; 4:7-10; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:13-22; 2:9; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; 3:16; Titus 2:13-14; Hebrews 1:1-3; 4:14-15; 7:14-28; 9:12-15, 24-28; 12:2; 13:8; 1 Peter 2:21-25; 3:22; 1 John 1:7-9; 3:2; 4:14-15; 5:9; 2 John 7-9; Revelation 1:13-16; 5:9-14; 12:10-11; 13:8; 19:16.
C. God the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the fully divine Spirit of God. He inspired holy men of old to write the Scriptures. Through enlightenment, He enables people to understand the truth. He exalts Christ. He convicts people of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He calls people to the Savior and effects regeneration. At the moment of regeneration, He baptizes every believer into the Body of Christ. He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows spiritual gifts through which they serve God in His church. He seals the believer until the day of final redemption. His presence in the Christian is the guarantee that God will bring the believer to the fullness of Christ. He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service.
Genesis 1:2; Judges 14:6; Work 26:13; Psalms 51:11; 139:7ff; Isaiah 61:1-3; Joel 2:28-32; Matthew 1:18; 3:16; 4:1; 12:28-32; 28:19; Mark 1:10,12; Luke 1:35; 4:1,18-19; 11:13; 12:12; 24:49; John 4:24; 14:16-17,26; 15:26; 16:7-14; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4,38; 4:31; 5:3; 6:3; 7:55; 8:17,39; 10:44; 13:2; 15:28; 16:6; 19:1-6; Romans 8:9-11, 14-16, 26-27; 1 Corinthians 2:10-14; 3:16; 12:3-11, 13; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30; 5:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:19; 1 Timothy 3:16; 4:1; 2 Timothy 1:14; 3:16; Hebrews 9:8,14; 2 Peter 1:21; 1 John 4:13; 5:6-7; Revelation 1:10; 22:17.
III. Man
Freedom in Christ believes that man is God's special creation, made in His own image. He created them male and female as the crowning achievement of His creation. The gift of gender is, therefore, part of the goodness of God's creation. In the beginning, man was innocent of sin, and his Creator endowed him with free will. Through his free will, man sinned against God and brought sin into the human race. Through Satan's temptation, humanity transgressed God's command and fell from its original innocence, thereby bequeathing to its descendants a nature and environment predisposed to sin. Therefore, insofar as they are capable of moral action, they become transgressors and are under condemnation. Only God's grace can bring humanity into holy fellowship with Him and enable them to fulfill God's creative purpose. The sanctity of the human personality is evident in the fact that God created man in His own image, and that Christ died for man; therefore, every person of every race possesses full dignity and is worthy of Christian respect and love.
Genesis 1:26-30; 2:5,7,18-22; 3; 9:6; Psalms 1; 8:3-6; 32:1-5; 51:5; Isaiah 6:5; Jeremiah 17:5; Matthew 16:26; Acts 17:26-31; Romans 1:19-32; 3:10-18,23; 5:6,12,19; 6:6; 7:14-25; 8:14-18,29; 1 Corinthians 1:21-31; 15:19,21-22; Ephesians 2:1-22; Colossians 1:21-22; 3:9-11.
IV. Salvation
Freedom in Christ believes that salvation involves the redemption of the whole person and is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer. In its fullest sense, salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.
A. Regeneration, or the new birth, is a work of God's grace by which believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus. It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds with repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace.
Repentance is a genuine change from sin to God. Faith is the acceptance of Jesus Christ and the commitment of one's whole being to Him as Lord and Savior.
B. Justification is God's complete and gracious absolution, based on His justice, for all sinners who repent and believe in Christ. Justification brings the believer into a relationship of peace and favor with God.
C. Sanctification is the experience, beginning at regeneration, by which the believer is set apart for God's purposes and is empowered to progress toward moral and spiritual maturity through the presence and power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Growth in grace must continue throughout the regenerated person's life.
D. Glorification is the culmination of salvation and is the final blessed and permanent state of the redeemed.
Genesis 3:15; Exodus 3:14-17; 6:2-8; Matthew 1:21; 4:17; 16:21-26; 27:22-28:6; Luke 1:68-69; 2:28-32; John 1:11-14,29; 3:3-21,36; 5:24; 10:9,28-29; 15:1-16; 17:17; Acts 2:21; 4:12; 15:11; 16:30-31; 17:30-31; 20:32; Romans 1:16-18; 2:4; 3:23-25; 4:3ff; 5:8-10; 6:1-23; 8:1-18, 29-39; 10:9-10, 13; 13:11-14; 1 Corinthians 1:18, 30; 6:19-20; 15:10; 2 Corinthians 5:17-20; Galatians 2:20; 3:13; 5:22-25; 6:15; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-22; 4:11-16; Philippians 2:12-13; Colossians 1:9-22; 3:1ff.; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; 2 Timothy 1:12; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 2:1-3; 5:8-9; 9:24-28; 11:1-12:8.14; James 2:14-26; 1 Peter 1:2-23; 1 John 1:6-2:11; Revelation 3:20; 21:1-22:5
V. The Purpose of God's Grace
Freedom in Christ believes that election is God's merciful purpose, by which He regenerates, justifies, sanctifies, and glorifies sinners. It is consistent with human free will and encompasses all means in relation to the end. It is the glorious display of God's sovereign goodness and is infinitely wise, holy, and unchanging. It excludes boasting and promotes humility.
All true believers endure to the end. Those whom God has accepted in Christ, and sanctified by His Spirit, will never fall away from the state of grace, but shall persevere to the end. Believers may fall into sin through neglect and temptation, whereby they grieve the Spirit, impair their graces and comforts, and bring reproach on the cause of Christ and temporal judgments on themselves; yet they shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.
Genesis 12:1-3; Exodus 19:5-8; 1 Samuel 8:4-7,19-22; Isaiah 5:1-7; Jeremiah 31:31ff.; Matthew 16:18-19; 21:28-45; 24:22,31; 25:34; Luke 1:68-79; 2:29-32; 19:41-44; 24:44-48; John 1:12-14; 3:16; 5:24; 6:44-45,65; 10:27-29; 15:16; 17:6,12,17-18; Acts 20:32; Romans 5:9-10; 8:28-39; 10:12-15; 11:5-7,26-36; 1 Corinthians 1:1-2; 15:24-28; Ephesians 1:4-23; 2:1-10; 3:1-11; Colossians 1:12-14; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14; 2 Timothy 1:12; 2:10,19; Hebrews 11:39–12:2; James 1:12; 1 Peter 1:2-5,13; 2:4-10; 1 John 1:7-9; 2:19; 3:2.
VI. La Iglesia
Libertad En Cristo cree que una iglesia del Señor Jesucristo del Nuevo Testamento es una congregación local autónoma de creyentes bautizados, asociados por pacto en la fe y la comunión del evangelio; observando las dos ordenanzas de Cristo, gobernadas por Sus leyes, ejerciendo los dones, derechos y privilegios investidos en ellas por Su Palabra, y procurando extender el evangelio hasta los confines de la tierra. Cada congregación opera bajo el Señorío de Cristo a través de procesos democráticos. En tal congregación, cada miembro es responsable ante Cristo como Señor. Sus oficiales bíblicos son pastores y diáconos. Si bien tanto los hombres como las mujeres están dotados para el servicio en la iglesia, el oficio de pastor está limitado a los hombres calificados por las Escrituras.
El Nuevo Testamento también habla de la iglesia como el Cuerpo de Cristo que incluye a todos los redimidos de todas las edades, creyentes de toda tribu, lengua, pueblo y nación.
Mateo 16:15-19; 18:15-20; Hechos 2:41-42,47; 5:11-14; 6:3-6; 13:1-3; 14:23,27; 15:1-30; 16:5; 20:28; Romanos 1:7; 1 Corintios 1:2; 3:16; 5:4-5; 7:17; 9:13-14; 12; Efesios 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 3:8-11,21; 5:22-32; Filipenses 1:1; Colosenses 1:18; 1 Timoteo 2:9-14; 3:1-15; 4:14; Hebreos 11:39-40; 1 Pedro 5:1-4; Apocalipsis 2-3; 21:2-3.
VII. Bautismo y Cena del Señor
Libertad En Cristo cree que el bautismo cristiano es la inmersión de un creyente en agua en el nombre del Padre, del Hijo y del Espíritu Santo. Es un acto de obediencia que simboliza la fe del creyente en un Salvador crucificado, sepultado y resucitado, la muerte del creyente al pecado, la sepultura de la vida anterior y la resurrección para andar en novedad de vida en Cristo Jesús. Es un testimonio de su fe en la resurrección final de los muertos. Al ser una ordenanza de la iglesia, es un requisito previo para los privilegios de ser miembro de la iglesia y para la Cena del Señor.
La Cena del Señor es un acto simbólico de obediencia mediante el cual los miembros de la iglesia, al participar del pan y del fruto de la vid, conmemoran la muerte del Redentor y anticipan Su segunda venida. En Libertad En Cristo observaremos la Cena del Señor una vez al mes en honor a nuestro Señor y Salvador Jesucristo y por lo que ha hecho por nosotros como creyentes en Él.
Mateo 3:13-17; 26:26-30; 28:19-20; Marcos 1:9-11; 14:22-26; Lucas 3:21-22; 22:19-20; Juan 3:23; Hechos 2:41-42; 8:35-39; 16:30-33; 20:7; Romanos 6:3-5; 1 Corintios 10:16,21; 11:23-29; Colosenses 2:12.
VIII. El Día del Señor
Libertad En Cristo cree en el día del Señor bíblico.
Genesis 2:2-3; Éxodo 20:8-11; Éxodo 31:16-17; Deuteronomio 5:12-15; Isaías 56:1-8, 58:13-14; Ezequiel 20:12, 19-20; Nehemías 13:19-22
Marcos 2:23-28; Matteo 12:1-8; Hechos 16:13, 17:2-3, 18:4; Lucas 4:16
IX. The Kingdom
Freedom Christian Church believes the Kingdom of God includes both His general sovereignty over the universe and His particular kingship over men who willfully acknowledge Him as King. Particularly the Kingdom is the realm of salvation into which men enter by trustful, childlike commitment to Jesus Christ. Christians ought to pray and to labor that the Kingdom may come and God’s will be done on earth. The full consummation of the Kingdom awaits the return of Jesus Christ and the end of this age.
Genesis 1:1; Isaiah 9:6-7; Jeremiah 23:5-6; Matthew 3:2; 4:8-10,23; 12:25-28; 13:1-52; 25:31-46; 26:29; Mark 1:14-15; 9:1; Luke 4:43; 8:1; 9:2; 12:31-32; 17:20-21; 23:42; John 3:3; 18:36; Acts 1:6-7; 17:22-31; Romans 5:17; 8:19; 1 Corinthians 15:24-28; Colossians 1:13; Hebrews 11:10,16; 12:28; 1 Peter 2:4-10; 4:13; Revelation 1:6,9; 5:10; 11:15; 21-22.
X. Evangelism and Missions
Freedom Christian Church believes it is the duty and privilege of every follower of Christ and of every church of the Lord Jesus Christ to endeavor to make disciples of all nations. The new birth of man’s spirit by God’s Holy Spirit means the birth of love for others. Missionary effort on the part of all rests thus upon a spiritual necessity of the regenerate life, and is expressly and repeatedly commanded in the teachings of Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ has commanded the preaching of the gospel to all nations. It is the duty of every child of God to seek constantly to win the lost to Christ by verbal witness undergirded by a Christian lifestyle, and by other methods in harmony with the gospel of Christ.
Genesis 12:1-3; Exodus 19:5-6; Isaiah 6:1-8; Matthew 9:37-38; 10:5-15; 13:18-30, 37-43; 16:19; 22:9-10; 24:14; 28:18-20; Luke 10:1-18; 24:46-53; John 14:11-12; 15:7-8,16; 17:15; 20:21; Acts 1:8; 2; 8:26-40; 10:42-48; 13:2-3; Romans 10:13-15; Ephesians 3:1-11; 1 Thessalonians 1:8; 2 Timothy 4:5; Hebrews 2:1-3; 11:39-12:2; 1 Peter 2:4-10; Revelation 22:17.
XI. Administración
Libertad En Cristo cree que Dios es la fuente de todas las bendiciones, temporales y espirituales; todo lo que tenemos y somos se lo debemos a Él. Los cristianos tienen una deuda espiritual con todo el mundo, una santa tutela en el evangelio y una mayordomía vinculante en sus posesiones. Por lo tanto, están obligados a servirle con su tiempo, talentos y posesiones materiales; y deben reconocer todos estos como encomendados a ellos para usarlos para la gloria de Dios y para ayudar a los demás. De acuerdo con las Escrituras, los cristianos deben contribuir de sus recursos con alegría, regularidad, sistemática, proporcional y generosamente para el avance de la causa del Redentor en la tierra.
Génesis 14:20; Levítico 27:30-32; Deuteronomio 8:18; Malaquías 3:8-12; Mateo 6:1-4,19-21; 19:21; 23:23; 25:14-29; Lucas 12:16-21,42; 16:1-13; Hechos 2:44-47; 5:1-11; 17:24-25; 20:35; Romanos 6:6-22; 12:1-2; 1 Corintios 4:1-2; 6:19-20; 12; 16:1-4; 2 Corintios 8-9; 12:15; Filipenses 4:10-19; 1 Pedro 1:18-19.
XI. Stewardship
Freedom Christian Church believes God is the source of all blessings, temporal and spiritual; all that we have and are we owe to Him. Christians have a spiritual debtorship to the whole world, a holy trusteeship in the gospel, and a binding stewardship in their possessions. They are therefore under obligation to serve Him with their time, talents, and material possessions; and should recognize all these as entrusted to them to use for the glory of God and for helping others. According to the Scriptures, Christians should contribute of their means cheerfully, regularly, systematically, proportionately, and liberally for the advancement of the Redeemer’s cause on earth.
Genesis 14:20; Leviticus 27:30-32; Deuteronomy 8:18; Malachi 3:8-12; Matthew 6:1-4,19-21; 19:21; 23:23; 25:14-29; Luke 12:16-21,42; 16:1-13; Acts 2:44-47; 5:1-11; 17:24-25; 20:35; Romans 6:6-22; 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 4:1-2; 6:19-20; 12; 16:1-4; 2 Corinthians 8-9; 12:15; Philippians 4:10-19; 1 Peter 1:18-19.
XII. The Family
Freedom Christian Church believes God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. It is composed of persons related to one another by marriage, blood, or adoption.
Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. It is God’s unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His church and to provide for the man and the woman in marriage the framework for intimate companionship, the channel of sexual expression according to biblical standards, and the means for procreation of the human race.
The husband and wife are of equal worth before God, since both are created in God’s image. The marriage relationship models the way God relates to His people. A husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church. He has the God-given responsibility to provide for, to protect, and to lead his family. A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ. She, being in the image of God as is her husband and thus equal to him, has the God-given responsibility to respect her husband and to serve as his helper in managing the household and nurturing the next generation.
Children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord. Parents are to demonstrate to their children God’s pattern for marriage. Parents are to teach their children spiritual and moral values and to lead them, through consistent lifestyle example and loving discipline, to make choices based on biblical truth. Children are to honor and obey their parents.
Genesis 1:26-28; 2:15-25; 3:1-20; Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Joshua 24:15; 1 Samuel 1:26-28; Psalms 51:5; 78:1-8; 127; 128; 139:13-16; Proverbs 1:8; 5:15-20; 6:20-22; 12:4; 13:24; 14:1; 17:6; 18:22; 22:6,15; 23:13-14; 24:3; 29:15,17; 31:10-31; Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; 9:9; Malachi 2:14-16; Matthew 5:31-32; 18:2-5; 19:3-9; Mark 10:6-12; Romans 1:18-32; 1 Corinthians 7:1-16; Ephesians 5:21-33; 6:1-4; Colossians 3:18-21; 1 Timothy 5:8,14; 2 Timothy 1:3-5; Titus 2:3-5; Hebrews 13:4; 1 Peter 3:1-7.