New Life International Church

Statement of Faith

New Life International Church is an independent Christian church, not belonging to any church denomination. We are Protestant and hold evangelical beliefs. We accept followers of Christ from other Christian churches (Protestant or Catholic) as long as they hold to the core Christian beliefs stated below and do not hold other beliefs that seem to contradict the most basic of Christian tenets. Of course, being a Christian is not merely a matter of correct theology, but requires personal faith in God and love for God and man.

What We Believe

We believe in the one true Christian God, as revealed by Jesus Christ, Creator of all and Lord of all.

We believe that the true God is holy, loving, and true. In him is no darkness.

We believe that the true God cannot be represented by other gods, other religions, or idols.

We believe the Christian God is Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

We believe in the deity and eternal nature of Jesus, his virgin birth, his life on earth as a man, his death upon the cross and bodily resurrection.

We believe in the condemnation of man because of his sin, which results in eternal death, thus hell, for all humans.

We believe that Jesus, God’s Son, died upon the cross to atone for sins.

We believe that salvation (forgiveness of sins and eternal life) is given only in response to one’s faith in Christ and Christ’s atoning death, not because of good works that one does.

We believe that man is unable to believe in God without God’s help, and our faith is given to us as a gift of God’s grace.

We believe in repentance from sins and living a life of love toward God and man. Repentance and love do not earn our salvation, but are a natural response of anyone who truly believes in Christ.

We believe in baptism as a sign of our faith in Christ.

We believe in the Second Coming of Jesus, and we wait for him to return to earth.

We believe that at that time all Christians, alive and dead, will receive new bodies and live forever with God.

Other Beliefs and Practices of the Church

We invite all Christians to worship with us regardless of small differences we may have. However, for your reference, we present the follow beliefs and practices which may help you to understand our positions on commonly debated topics.

Baptism

Believers are saved by faith before the actual moment of baptism, but a true believer will accept baptism. Since baptism requires faith, we baptize children and adults, not babies, but we accept those who were baptized as babies.

Omniscience, Omnipotence, and Omnipresence

God knows all things past, present, and future without limit. He has all power without limit. He is present everywhere.

Predestination

God has chosen before the beginning of time those who will become Christians. Since God must reach out toward humans to save us, and since God cannot take the slightest action without knowing exactly how he will influence others, predestination is more than mere foreknowledge.

Free Will in Predestination

Man has freedom to follow or reject God, but his own wicked desire prevents him from choosing God, so God must aid man in choosing God. Yet God also works in the hearts of many people who ultimately choose not to become Christians.

Loss of Salvation

Those who become Christians can later cease to believe in Jesus, thus ending their eternal life and status as a Christian. Loss of salvation is not due to ”bad sins” but to a cessation of faith in Jesus.

The Dead in Christ

When a Christian dies, he does not enter a state of sleep but goes immediately to heaven to be with Christ.

The Great Tribulation

Near the end of the world, an evil man named Anti-Christ will rule the world, and great wars, famines, and trials will come upon the earth for seven years.

The Second Coming of Jesus

Jesus will come to earth at the end of the Great Tribulation. (We hold a post-tribulation view of the Second Coming of Jesus.) Jesus will complete our salvation at that time and rule the earth during a time called the Great Millennium.

Great Millennium

After Jesus comes to earth, for a period of 1,000 years he will rule the nations, along with the Christians.

Great White Throne Judgment

At the end of the Great Millennium, God will judge all men and women who have ever lived, assigning some to heaven and some to hell.

Hell and God’s Punishment

All have sinned, so all who do not believe in Jesus will be punished eternally in hell for their sins.

The Bible

The writers of the Christian Bible were inspired by the Holy Spirit. The Bible is completely true and historically accurate.

Creation

God created the heavens and the earth within 6 ”days” (periods of time) and then he rested. Man did not evolve from animals, but he was created in God’s image and is higher than the animals.

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit dwells in every Christian, but he wishes to baptize all believers in a second experience called ”the baptism in the Holy Spirit.”

Evidence of Baptism in the Holy Spirit

Some people who are baptized in the Holy Spirit speak in tongues (an unknown language), but many who are baptized in the Holy Spirit do not speak in tongues.

Spiritual Gifts

We believe in all spiritual gifts taught in the Bible, including speaking in tongues and prophecy. However, we do not allow people to speak publicly in tongues without an interpretation during the church service. We especially encourage the gift of prophecy and other public gifts.

Spiritual Offices

We believe in apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers for the church today, as taught in the Bible. However, we do not associate ourselves with the current ”apostolic movement.”

Methods of Worship

We try to follow the Bible’s teaching regarding methods of worship during the church service: singing songs, reading of scriptures, reciting of creeds, teaching from the Bible, celebrating the Lord’s Supper, prayer for church and community, and collecting money offerings. We tend to use traditional methods of worship, while using modern up-beat music. We often raise our hands as we pray or praise God. We encourage tithing (giving 10% of one’s income to the church) but we do not require our people to give any certain amount of money.

Prayer

We pray to the Father in Jesus’ name. We believe in many types of prayers taught in the Bible, including laying on of hands, anointing people with oil, commanding and rebuking sicknesses and the devil. We encourage fasting from food as a strong assistance to prayer.

Spiritual Warfare

We believe in spiritual warfare against evil spirits by praying to the Father for protection and by commanding the evil spirits. However, we attempt to stay very close to the Bible’s teachings and do not accept teachings about prayer and spiritual warfare which give imbalance or simply assert teachings which are not in the Bible.

Blessings from God

We believe that God blesses his children, but we do not believe that God intends all Christians to become rich.

The Christian Church

We accept Christian brothers and sisters from many denominations and church groups who have a true faith in Christ. We accept Protestant and Catholic believers who truly understand and follow the most central teachings of Christianity. We do not accept Mormons (the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) nor do we accept Jehovah’s Witnesses as true Christians.