Safe Haven Statement of Faith

Safe Haven Berean Fellowship Statement of Faith

WE BELIEVE:

There is only one true God who has been revealed in three persons…the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This tri-union is often referred to as the Holy Trinity.
Jesus Christ is the Messiah and He is our Lord and King. He is God’s Son and was both human and divine.
The Holy Spirit is God and is the Spirit that indwells all true believers in Jesus Christ.
The Scriptures are inspired (God-breathed) and declare His design and plan for mankind. We believe in a literal approach to Scriptural interpretation and that the Scriptures are without error as originally given.
Though originally created good, man willingly sinned against God’s commandment. This single act of disobedience (sin) resulted in both evil and death, both physical and spiritual, being brought into the world.
Jesus Christ, God’s one and only Son, lived a sinless life, died a cruel death on a cross, was buried and resurrected on the third day. On the cross, He took the punishment for the sins of all mankind in His body. This redeeming, ransom act provides for “salvation” to all who will believe.
Because of Christ’s life, death and resurrection, every person born on the earth can have restored fellowship with God through this salvation by exercising their free will ability to choose to repent and accept Christ’s offer of forgiveness for their sins. All who will, can be saved.The salvation offered by God is by grace through faith. One cannot, by any deeds of the flesh, earn their salvation. The act of believing faith is not a “works” but is the channel through which God’s grace is imparted to the repentant sinner.
There are two ordinances prescribed by the Holy Scriptures:
- water baptism by immersion after repenting of one’s sins and receiving Christ’s gift of salvation, and
- Holy Communion (the Lord’s Supper) as a symbolic remembrance of Christ’s suffering and death for our salvation.
Sanctification initially occurs at salvation and is not only a declaration that a believer is holy, but is also a progressive, lifelong process of separation from evil as believers continually draw closer to God and become more Christ-like.
At salvation, the believer is given new life from above. And, although the spirit of man is made alive, the body containing the old nature still lives. It is incumbent upon the believer to live a “life by the Spirit” putting to death the deeds of the flesh.
The Church, which is the body of Christ, is a living organism, not an organization. It consists of the people who, throughout the ages, have accepted God’s offer of redemption (regardless of religious denomination) through the sacrificial death of His son, Jesus Christ.
- The church has a divine mandate to teach its members the things that Jesus taught. (second half of the great commission in Mt. 28:19-20)
- It is the church’s responsibility to train and equip the saints so that they grow from childhood into full adulthood, able and ready to serve its Lord in His mission to the world.
- The church has divine mandates to love God with all their heart, soul, strength and mind and to love their neighbor as they love themselves. The basic attitude of a believer’s relationship towards all people should be genuine love.
- We believe that the fundamental public characteristic of the church is that its people will continue steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, the breaking of bread, and in prayers. (Acts 2:42)
The Church has been given a mission in the world to preach the gospel to all who are lost in sin.
God makes no distinction among mankind based upon race, creed or color.
The scriptures contain numerous passages that foretell God’s “plan of the ages” for all of mankind.
With reference to the End Times, we believe:
- in the Blessed Hope, that moment in time (which is unknown to all except the Father) when Jesus raptures His church. This is a distinct and separate event from His 2nd coming.
  At this future moment in time, all those in Christ who have died will rise from their graves and will meet the Lord in the air. Christians who are alive on the earth at this time will be caught up into the air with them to be with the Lord Jesus Christ forever.
- in the Millennial Reign of Christ. When Jesus returns with His saints at His second coming, He will defeat His enemies at Armageddon and establish His benevolent rule over earth for 1,000 years. This millennial reign (kingdom) will bring salvation to the nation of Israel and the establishment of peace throughout the world. All who enter the Millennial reign of Christ will be believers.
- A final judgment will take place for those who have rejected Christ at what is known as “The Great White Throne Judgment.” These will be judged for their sin and consigned to eternal punishment in the lake of fire.
- We believe in and look forward to the perfect New Heavens and New Earth that Christ is preparing for all people, of all time, who have accepted Him as their Lord and Savior. Following His millennial reign on earth and final defeat of all of His enemies, we will live and dwell with Him there forever.
Regarding marriage, the cornerstone of society:
- What the Bible says about marriage is clear, definitive and unchanging.
- We affirm biblical, traditional, natural marriage as the uniting of one biological man and one biological woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. The Scriptures’ teaching on marriage is not negotiable. We stake our lives upon the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
- The Lord Jesus affirmed that design by quoting Genesis: “But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” (Mark 10:6-9). Jesus later said: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.” (Mark 13:31).
- In the light of these Scriptural teachings, marriage is specified to be between a man and a woman.
- Therefore, only weddings between one biological man and one biological woman are allowed at the Safe Haven Berean Fellowship meeting facilities.
- This fellowship regards this sacred marriage ceremony to be a Christian worship service. Any use of the ministry’s physical facilities must be in accordance with God’s Word and for the religious purposes of the Fellowship.

Safe Haven Statement of Faith Supplement