STATEMENT OF FAITH

My statement of faith comes from the statement of faith from Harvest Bible Chapel in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. I have attended Harvest for 14 years; I am a member and I am working in several of their ministries, including leadership development and teaching. I am using this statement of faith by permission of Pastor Rick Donald (Senior Associate Pastor/Pastor of Adult Ministries) and I am using it because it represents what I believe.

BIBLE: We believe the Bible to be the complete Word of God, that the sixty-six books, as originally written, comprising the Old and New Testaments, were verbally inspired by the Holy Spirit of God and were entirely free from error. II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:20-21; II Timothy 1:13; Psalm 119:160; Proverbs 30:5

GOD: We believe in one God, Creator of all things, infinitely perfect in all His attributes and eternally existing in three equal persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Genesis 1:1, 26 - 27; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; I Peter 1:2; Acts 20:28; II Corinthians 13:14

CHRIST: We believe in the absolute and essential deity of Jesus Christ, and that in becoming man He did not cease to be God. He eternally existed with the Father and agreed to become a man, die on the cross, and rise bodily from the grave to satisfy the demands of His Holy Father. Matthew 1:22 - 23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1 -5, 6:53, 14:10 - 30; Philippians 2:5-8; Hebrews 4:14 - 15; I Corinthians 15:3 -4 ; Romans 1:3 - 4; Acts 1:9 - 11; I Timothy 6:14 - 15; Titus 2:13

THE HOLY SPIRIT: We believe in the absolute deity of the Holy Spirit, whose ministry is to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ in the world. John 16:7-15, 14:16 - 17; II Corinthians 3:17; Acts 1:8; I Corinthians 2:12, 3:16; Ephesians 1:13, 5:18; Galatians 5:25

SATAN: We believe in the existence of Satan as the originator of sin and the arch-enemy of God. As a spirit being, he leads his demonic forces in continual attack upon the people and the purposes of God. I Peter 5:8; Isaiah 14:12 - 15; II Corinthians 11:3

SALVATION: We believe that salvation takes place when the sovereign election of God and the obedient response of man come together. The Holy Spirit opens the heart of an individual to see their need of Christ's death as payment for their sin. We believe that salvation is a free gift of God and cannot be earned in any way. God forgives a person's sin, making them one of His children and giving them eternal life, when they turn to Him by repenting of their sin and trusting in the atoning death of Jesus Christ as their only basis of forgiveness. Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8 & 9; John 14:6, 1:12; Titus 3:5; Galatians 3:26; Romans 5:1

THE CHURCH: The true Church is composed of all who through faith in Christ have become children of God. The true Church is manifested in specific locations called local churches whose purpose is to glorify God through the fulfillment of the Great Commission. Ephesians 5:23; Matthew 28:18-20; Romans 12:1; Acts 2:42 - 46; I Corinthians 14:26