LWC Statement of Faith

The Word of God

We believe the Holy Scriptures to be the Word of God to man contained in the book known as the Holy Bible. We believe the Holy Bible to be the infallible, inspired Word of God and the final authority on all matters for faith and lifestyle. We believe the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testament are the complete and divine revelation of God to Man. (II Timothy 3:16, 17; II Peter 1:21;I Thess. 2:13)

The One True God

We believe in the one true God who is self-existing, all knowing, infinite in power, invisible and eternal. God is Spirit who is omnipresent, holy in nature, attributes and purpose and is therefore free from all limitations. God has revealed Himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit and is the creator of the heaven(s), earth and mankind of both the visible and invisible. (Gen. 1:1; Gen. 1:27; John 4:24; Ex. 3:14 & 15; Deut. 6:4; Psalms 83:18; Mark 12:29; Heb. 11:27; I Tim. 1:17, I Tim. 6:16; I John 5:7; I John 5:20)

The Father

The Father God is the source of all things both invisible, visible, mortal and immortal. The one true God is also God the Father by His act of declaring His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. (Matthew 6:6-18; Matthew 10:32; Matthew 11:25; Hebrews 1:5; Hebrews 12:9; James 1:17; I Peter 1:3; II Peter 1:17;I John 2:23; I John 4:14)

The Son

a) His Birth: We believe that Jesus Christ was born by Immaculate Conception having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary; in order that He is born both fully God and fully man to redeem sinful man. (Matthew 1:20-25; Isaiah 7:14; John 3:16)

b) His Name: The name of our Savior, Redeemer and Lord is JESUS.There is no other name by which mankind can be saved.His name is above every other name both in the heaven(s) and the earth.Therefore, repentance and remission of sins shall be preached in the name of JESUS. (Mathew 1:21-25; Luke 24:45-48; Acts 2:38; 4;12; 10:43; Phil. 2:9-11)

c) His Sonship: The eternal, invisible, self-existing one manifested Himself in the flesh as the only begotten Son of God. (Isaiah 9:6;John 1:14; Hebrews 1: 1-6; John 3:16)

d) His Death: Jesus Christ is the perfect sinless Lamb of God who was sacrificed on the cross and takes away the sin of the world. (Genesis 22:6-14; Exodus 12:3-13; John 1:29, 36; I Peter 1:18- 20; Revelation 5:4-13).

e) His Resurrection: The Lord Jesus Christ made our salvation and justification sure by His literal physical resurrection from the dead.He ascended to Heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God the Father, where He eternally reigns and fulfills the ministry as Redeemer, Savior, Intercessor, Advocate and Lord. (Acts 1: 9-11; Hebrews 7:22-26; 9:24; Romans 8:34; I John 2:1-2; 1 Cor. 15:4)

f) His Return: Although no man knows the day or hour, the Lord Jesus will return again in the clouds to gather all born again saints unto Himself, dead and alive, to be with him forever more. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. (John 14:13; Acts 1:1:9-11; I Thess. 4:13-18; Matt. 24:30,31)

The Holy Spirit

a) His Purpose: The Holy Spirit is the Supernatural Spirit of God who testifies of Christ through proclamation and demonstration in supernatural power.The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgement.He is the Supernatural Agent of regeneration baptizing all believers into the Body of Christ and indwells in all believers.The Holy Spirit dwells inside every believer for the purpose of teaching, correcting, comforting, empowering and leading into all truth. (John 14:26; John 15:26; John 16:8-11; Romans 8:9; I Corinthians 12:12-14)

b) His Empowerment: The supernatural empowerment of the Holy Spirit is called the Baptism of the Holy Spirit in power.The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a gift to any born again believer, empowering him to be a supernatural witness in signs, wonders and miracles.This baptism of the Holy Spirit is a distinct, separate and necessary experience apart from conversion and is witnessed by the evidence of speaking in other tongues as the Holy Spirit gives the utterance. (Joel 2:28-29; Matt: 3:11; Luke 3;16; John 14:16-26; John 16:7,13; Acts 1:5; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:4; Acts 2:38 & 39; Acts 8:16,17, Acts 10:44-46; Acts 19:1-7)

c) His Gifts: We believe that all gifts of the Holy Spirit listed in scripture are available and being manifested in the church and through the church today.These gifts can be manifested in various ways and means but are of the same Holy Spirit. (Romans 12:6-8; I Cor. 12, 13 & 14, Acts 19:11 & 12; Ephesians 4:8-12; Hebrews 2:4)

The Church

a)We believe the local church, as part of the world wide church, is both the called out Body and Bride of Christ that is solely made up of persons who have accepted salvation by repentance and believing on the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord.(Matthew 16:18; Acts 2:47; Acts 9:31; I Corinthians 12:12-14;Ephesians 1:22 & 23;Ephesians 5:25-27)

b)We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures.(Acts 14:27; Acts 20:17, Acts 20:28; I Timothy 3:1-15; Titus 1: 5-11)

c)We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any external authority or control.(Acts 15:19-31; Acts 20:28;I Cor. 3:9-11,16; I Cor. 5:12, 6:1-3; I Peter 5:1-4)

d)We recognize water baptism by emersion and the Lord’s Supper as the two scriptural ordinances of obedience for the church in this age of Christ church.(Matthew 28:19-20;Acts 2:41&42; Acts 8:12;I Cor. 11:23-26)

Creation and Fall of Man

We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, pure and perfect.However, by the deceitfulness of Satan and the penalty of sin, Adam fell from that eternal condition and glorious position, became alienated from God and death entered into all mankind.Thus, man is totally depraved and utterly unable to remedy his own lost condition apart from Christ.(Gen. 1:26-27; 2:7; 2:16 & 17; 3:17-19; I Cor. 15:21-22; Eph. 2:1-3; Romans 5:12-15)

Gospel of Salvation

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes.It is the good news of salvation as the gift of God brought to man by grace, that by the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, those who believe on Him are eternally saved. (John 1:12; Romans 1:16; Romans 8:34;Romans 10: 9,10; Ephesians 1:7; Ephesians 2:8-10; I Peter 1:18-21)

The New Birth

The Gospel teaches that man must be born again to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.And that whosoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.(John 3:3-8; I John 5:1; I Peter 1:23; John 6:44, 65)

Water Baptism

a)All believers in Jesus Christ are commanded to be baptized by being immersed in water in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ as an outward witness of their salvation as a believer.(Matthew 3:13-15; Acts 2:38; 10:48; 16:33; 19:5; 22:16).

b)We baptize new converts in Jesus name, UNTO the Father and the Holy Spirit.We believe this to be a picture of the death of the old man, buried symbolically with Christ and raised a new in Christ resurrection and into the Kingdom of God. (Matthew 28:19)

Institutions of Authority

We believe that God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions:1) the home, 2) the church, and 3) 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 of these institutions specific Biblical responsibilities and balanced those responsibilities with the understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the other.(Romans 13:1-7; Ephesians 5:22-24; Hebrews 13:17; I Peter 2:13-14)

Lifestyle, Human Sexuality & Marriage

a)We believe that born again Christians should be striving for and practicing holiness in thought, deed, conversation and appearance so as not to bring reproach to the Lord Jesus Christ and His church.Thus, the born again Christian is to separate himself from worldly and sinful practices, according to scripture.(Titus 2:11 & 12; I Cor. 3:16 & 17; II Cor. 6:14-17; I Peter 1:15 & 16; II Peter 3:11)

b)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.We believe that God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one’s gender by surgery or appearance.(Genesis 2:24; Genesis 19:4-14; Leviticus 18:1-30;Romans 1:26-32; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13; 6:9-10; I Thessalonians 4:1-8; Hebrews 13:4)

c)We believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one woman.(Genesis 2:24;Romans 7:2;I Corinthians 7:10;Ephesians 5:22-23)