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Bethel Church Covenant

a.) Having been led, by the Holy Spirit of God, to receive Jesus Christ as Savior and to confess Him as Lord, and on confession of this faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, we do now, in the presence of God and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully covenant with one another, as one body in Christ, to lead a life worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him.

b.) We promise by the aid of the Holy Spirit, to forsake the ways of sin and to walk together in Christian love and in the paths of righteousness. With this in view we engage to strive together for both the peace and purity of this Church; to sustain its worship and steadfastly to cherish and hold its ordinances, discipline and doctrines; to contribute, as faithful stewards, such time, talent and money, in the measure that God prospers each of us, that the responsibility for the work of the local church and the world-wide ministry of spreading the Gospel be faithfully and effectively discharged.

c.) We also engage to maintain family and private devotion, to teach the Bible to our children; to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances; to be just in our dealings and faithful in our engagements; to be exemplary in our deportment; to avoid unkind words and unrighteous anger; to walk in the Spirit so that we will manifest the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control) in our daily lives; to pursue holiness in every aspect of life by avoiding all additions (idols) – physical, emotional, mental – that would replace our dependency on God- avoiding every form of evil; to combine zeal and knowledge in our efforts to advance the cause of our Savior; to make Christ first in all things both spiritual and temporal.

d.) We further engage to give and receive admonition with meekness and affection; to remember each other in prayer, and to aid each other in case of sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation, and, mindful of the Scriptures, to seek it without delay; to encourage one another in the blessed hope of our Lord’s return,

e.) We moreover engage that when we move from this place, we will as soon as possible unite with some local church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of the Word of God.

 

STATEMENT OF FAITH

    1. The Word of God
      We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, that it was written by men inspired by the Holy Spirit, that it was without error in the original manuscripts and that it is the supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct. II Peter 1:9-21 ; John 10:35.
    2. The Trinity
      We believe that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons; that these are equal in every divine perfection, and that they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence, and redemption. Gal. 4:4-6; Gen. 1:2; John 1:1; Gen. 1:26; Matt. 3:16, 17.
    3. God the Father
      We believe in God, the Father, perfect in Holiness, justice, and love, infinite in wisdom, and measureless in power. We rejoice that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ. Gen. 1:1-2; Ps. 145:17-19; Rom. 3:21-28.
    4. Jesus Christ
      We believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, God's only begotten son miraculous in His virgin birth, sinless in His life, making atonement for the sins of the world by His death, We believe in His bodily resurrection, His ascension into Heaven, His perpetual intercession for His people, and His personal, visible return in the air, and to the world, according to His promise. Matt. 1:18-25; Luke 24:5-7; John 3:16; John 14:3, Acts 1:9; I Thess. 4:15-17; Rev. 20:4.
    5. The Holy Spirit
      We believe in the Holy Spirit who came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and to regenerate, sanctify, and empower all who believe in Jesus Christ. We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Christ, and that He is the abiding comforter, teacher and guide. John 14:26; Rom. 8:9.
    6. Regeneration
      We believe that man was created in the image of God, and that he sinned, thereby incurring physical as well as spiritual death which is separation from God, that all human beings are born with a sinful nature, and in the case of those who reach moral responsibility, become sinners also in thought, word, and deed, condemned to everlasting conscious punishment. We believe that all who receive by faith, the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, and the atonement of His shed blood, are born again, and thereby become the children of God, possessing divine, eternal life. Gen. 1:27-31; Gen. 3; Rom. 3:8-19; Gal. 3:22; John 3:16, 17; Eph. 2:8-9.
    7. The Church
      We believe in the universal church, a living spiritual body of which Christ is the head and all regenerated persons are members. We believe that a local visible church is a company of born again believers in Jesus Christ, having upon confession of faith, been baptized by immersion in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, united for worship, fellowship, witnessing, and teaching. We believe that God has laid upon the members of the local church the primary task of giving the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world. Matt. 28:9-20; 1 Cor. 12:25-28; Acts 1:8.
    8. Christian Conduct
      We believe that a Christian should live for the glory of God and the well being of his fellow men; that his conduct should be blameless before the world, that he should be a faithful steward of possessions; and he should seek to realize for himself and others the full stature of maturity in Christ. Rom. 12:1-2; I Cor. 16:2; Eph. 4:13; II Cor. 6:17.
    9. The Ordinances
      We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to the- local church, Baptism and The Lord's Supper. We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water into the name of the Triune God. We believe that the Lord's Supper was instituted by Christ for commemoration of His death. We believe that these two ordinances should be observed and administered until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Rom. 6; I Cor. 11:23-26; Matt. 28:19-20; Matt. 3:16
    10. Religious Liberty
      We believe that every human being is responsible to God alone in matters of faith, and that each church is independent and autonomous and must be free from interference by any ecclesiastical or political authority, and therefore church and state must be kept separate as having different functions, each fulfilling its duties free from the dictation or patronage of the other. We believe that civil government is of divine appointment for the interest and good order of society; and that the authorities in power are to be prayed for and conscientiously obeyed and honored, except only in matters contrary to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ who is the only Lord of conscience and the coming Prince of the Kings of the earth. Rom. 13:1-10; I Tim. 2:1-3; Acts 5:29; Matt. 22:21.
    11. The Last Things
      We believe in the personal, visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe in the bodily resurrection of both the just and the unjust. We believe that the Church shall meet the Lord in the air according to His promise, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. We believe in the final judgment, the everlasting blessedness of the saved and the everlasting conscious punishment of the lost with the Devil and his angels. I Thess. 4:16-17; Rev. 20.

 

 

 

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