What We Believe

OUR BELIEFS


At Now Church, we believe:

  • The Scriptures, Old and New Testaments, are God-breathed: that by the supernatural influence of the Holy Spirit, the biblical writers wrote the divine, trustworthy, and authoritative Word of God, the only rule of faith and practice (Matthew 5:18; 24:35; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21).

  • In the one true God who has revealed Himself as eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; distinguishable yet indivisible (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; Luke 3:21-22; 2 Corinthians 13:14)

  • In the Incarnation: the deity of Jesus of Nazareth - that He is Lord, the Son of the living God, was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, and is truly God and truly man (Luke 1:26-35; John 1:1, 14, 18; Isaiah 7:14; 9:6; Philippians 2:5-11; Revelation 1:7-8; 22:12-13, 16).

  • Mankind was originally created by God in His image, fell into sin through disobedience, marred God's image, plunged all of creation into depravity, and made it impossible for man to save himself (Genesis 1:27; 3; Romans 5:12).

  • In the Substitutionary Atonement: that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for our sins, obtained eternal redemption for us, was buried, and was raised bodily from the dead on the third day, fulfilling Old Testament prophecy, and appeared to His disciples (Isaiah 53; Luke 24:1-3; Acts 1:1-3; 2:22-36; 1 Corinthians 15:1-8; Hebrews 9:12-14).

  • Jesus of Nazareth ascended bodily into heaven, was exalted to the right hand of the Father, and that He will literally and physically return the second time for the Church (John 14:2-3; Acts 1:9-11; Philippians 2:9-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11; Hebrews 9:28).
    The personal salvation of the repentant sinner, by grace through faith is the finished work of Christ on the Cross, produces the "Abundant Life" (Isaiah 53:4-5; Matthew 8:16-17; John 10:10; 19:30; Acts 17:30-31; Romans 5:1-2; Ephesians 2:8-9; 1 Peter 2:24).

  • In water baptism by immersion, as an obedient response of the believer to the command of the Lord (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38; 19:1-5).In the baptism with the Holy Spirit, the promise of the Father for empowering believers to witness about Christ (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-8; 2:1-4).

  • Speaking in other tongues is an initial manifestation of the Baptism with the Holy Spirit that every believer has a right to expect, and that the charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit are to operate in the local church until Jesus returns (Acts 2:4; 10:44-46; 19:6; Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:8-10; Ephesians 4:11).

  • In the local church as the primary instrument of God in the earth to disciple men, and to establish the kingdom of God through prayer, fellowship, and the ministry of the Word (Matthew 28:19- 20; Acts 2:42-47; 6:4; 20:28; Ephesians 4:11-16; 2 Timothy 2:2; Hebrews 10:25).

  • On the "Last Day": Jesus will return in the "Second Coming", there will be a resurrection of the dead including the righteous and the wicked, and after judgment the righteous will be rewarded, but the wicked will be punished (Daniel 12:2; John 5:28-29; 6:39, 40, 44, 54; 11:24; Acts 24:15; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-5:11; Revelation 20:11-15; cf. also Matthew 25:31-46).