CORE BELIEFS
"In the essentials we need unity, in the non-essentials
we need freedom; but in all things we need love."
-Rupertus Meldenius
Our Core Beliefs are not intended to be an exhaustive list of do's and don'ts; rather, they are a system of beliefs, which bind us together, and work to create unity and fellowship in the body. There will no doubt always be theologies that Christians debate and disagree on, but at Illumination Church we strive to major on the majors and minor on the minors (the Core Beliefs of Christianity are non-negotiable).
The Bible is God's Holy, inspired Words and is inerrant (free from flaw). It is God's word and will given to mankind in perfect word and revelation, and is the only authority to live in accordance with the will of God.
1 Timothy 1:5; 2:5; 3:15-17, 2 Peter 1:19-21, Galatians 1:8,9; 3:11, 24, 25, Revelation. 22:18-19 4:9, Colossians 2:16, Matthew 22:37-40, James 2:8
The Nature of God is evidenced throughout scripture as the Triune God with many characteristics, though one true and living God, eternal, indivisible, of infinite power, wisdom and goodness. He is the Creator and Preserver of all things visible and invisible. In this Godhead there is a Trinity (3 parts) of one substance and power, and coeternal, namely the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Genesis 1:1, Exodus 3:14, Deuteronomy 6:4, John 8:58, 1 Timothy 1:17, Matthew 28:19, 2 Corinthians 13:14
Jesus Christ is the second person of the Trinity, the eternal Son of God. The Scripture declares his virgin birth; His sinless life; His miracles; His substitutionary death on the cross; His bodily resurrection from the dead; His exaltation to the right hand of God.
Matthew 1:18-34, Hebrews 7:26, 1 Peter 2:22, 1 John 3:4-5, Acts 1:9,11; 2:22; 10:37-38, 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Peter 2:24, 1 Corinthians 15:4, Matthew 28:1-6, Philippians 2:9-11
The Holy Spirit is one Being with the Father and the Son. He convicts of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. The Spirit leads men in the fellowship of the Church. He comforts, sustains, empowers and sanctifies (makes holy) the faithful, and guides them into all truth. The nine Fruit of the Spirit are the by-product of a Spirit-filled life as evidenced in, and lead to a mature Christian life. The nine gifts of the Spirit are different manifestations of the Spirit to build up the body. We are instructed to diligently seek the gifts, but they must be exercised in an orderly way in the context of love.
John 15:26-27; 14:16-17; 16:8-11, Acts 5:3-4, Galatians 5:22-23, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11; 12:31 – 14:1; 13:1-13
The Church has a five-fold mission: To worship God as a lifestyle and as an act of public adoration, to disciple believers, growing them in their faith and knowledge of the things of God, to share the good news with others (evangelism) taking our faith to our families, our communities, our workplaces and around the word, to connect to others through conversations, relationships, events and activities, and to impact our world by serving others in the name of God.
Matthew 22:36-37; 28:19-20, John 4:24, Acts 1:8; 2:42-47, 1 Corinthians 12:12- 27, Ephesians 4:11-16
The Fall of man, though created in the image of God, by a voluntary act of the will, Adam and Eve disobeyed God. That first sin had several repercussions. Man was excommunicated from the Garden of Eden, a curse was pronounced, the process of physical death began, and man died spiritually. Sin separated humankind from God and left man in a fallen or sinful condition in which man desires evil apart from God.
Genesis 2:26; 2:17; 3:6; 3:14-19; 3:23, Romans 5:12-19, Ephesians 2:11-18; 3:23
Salvation only comes through Jesus Christ. He lived a sinless life though died a sinner's death on a cross paying the penalty of our sins. Jesus offers each of us a pardon for our sins and His desire is for us to become children of God. When we put our faith in Christ, it triggers a spiritual chain reaction. We become new creations and transformed into the image of Christ, we become the Temple of the Holy Spirit, our names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life, we become citizens of heaven, we are given eternal life, we are adopted and become children of God, our sins are forgiven and forgotten, we are credited with the righteousness of Christ, we are born-again, God takes ownership of us, and we receive an eternal inheritance as co-heirs of Jesus Christ.
Acts 4:12, John 1:12; 3:3; 3:16; 14:6, 1 Peter 2:24; 3:5, Hebrews 8:12; 9:26, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Revelation 3:5, Philippians 3:20-21, Galatians 4:4-7; 5:22-23, Romans 4:4-5, Ephesians 1:13-14, 2 Corinthians 3:18; 5:17
The Holy Ordinances or sacraments, ordained by Christ, are not only pledges and symbols of the Christian's profession, but they are also signs of God's love and grace toward us, by which He works invisibly in us, quickening, strengthening and confirming our faith in Him. There is Christ ordains two sacraments: Baptism and Communion.
The Scripture teaches that baptism is for all who repent and believe in Christ, and that they are to be baptized with water. Baptism is a public profession of faith in Christ. It is symbolic of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. It is a declaration to the world that we have died to sin and have been raised with Christ to walk in newness of life.
Communion or The Lord's Supper is a symbolic representation of our redemption, a memorial of the sufferings and death of Christ, and a token of love and union, which Christians have with Christ and with one another.
Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 2:38-41; 8:36-39; 16:30-33, Luke 22:19-22, 1 Corinthians 11:23-29, Romans 6:4
The Second Coming of Christ is the declaration of Christ's bodily return to the earth that will cause the fulfillment of all prophecies made concerning His final and complete triumph over all evil. Faith in the imminence of Christ's return is the hope for the people of God.
Acts 1:9-11, 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18, Titus 2:11-13
Final Judgment will be a judgment in which the dead, both righteous and unrighteous, will be resurrected and judged according to their works. Everyone whose name is not found written in the Book of Life, along with the devil and his angels, will be consigned to everlasting punishment in the lake of fire (hell). Those whose names are written in the Book of Life will be resurrected and stand at the judgment seat of Christ to be rewarded for their good deeds.
Matthew 25:31-46, 1 Corinthians 4:5 Romans 2:1-9, Revelation 20:11-15
Celebration Services is a public act of worship and is the responsibility and privilege of every believer who, in the presence of God, bows in adoration, humility and dedication. It's essential to the life of the church, and to Christians for fellowship and spiritual growth. The Bible teaches that the order of public worship doesn't need to be the same in all places but may be adjusted by the church according to circumstances, culture and context and the needs of men. It should be in a language and form understood by the people, consistent with the Word of God with the intention of building up the believers.
Psalm 95:1-2; 6, Ephesians 4:11-16; 5:19, 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Acts 5:1-11, 1 Corinthians 5:1-7
Healing is an act that God is able to accomplish and that we ought to pray for, especially for those who suffer from sickness. Although healing cannot be demanded of God, it may be sought in accordance with the instructions in James. The Bible teaches that God heals in three ways: (1) through the natural processes of the human body which may be aided by medical help, (2) through the instantaneous intervention of God bringing healing to the body, and (3) through the death and resurrection of the body to a glorified state.
James 5:13-16