LA GRAN VISION TENETS OF FAITH

This church accepts the Holy Scriptures as the revealed will of God, the all-sufficient rule of faith and practice, and to maintain general unity, adopts the Statement of Fundamental Truths of the Church, to wit:

  1. The Scriptures Inspired: The Scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments, are verbally inspired of God and are the revelation of God to man, the infallible, authoritative rule of faith and conduct (2 Tim. 3:15-17;1 Thess. 2:13; 2 Pet. 1:21).

  2. The One True God: The one true God has revealed Himself as the eternally self-existent “I AM,” the Creator of heaven and earth and the Redeemer of mankind. He has further revealed Himself as embodying the principles of relationship and association as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Deut. 6:4; Isa. 43:10-11; Matt. 28:19; Lk. 3:22).

  3. The Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ: The Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. The Scriptures declare:

    1. His virgin birth (Matt. 1:23; Lk. 1:31,35).

    2. His sinless life (Heb. 7:26; 1 Pet. 2:22).

    3. His miracles (Acts 2:22; 10:38).

    4. His substitutionary work on the cross (1 Cor. 15:3; 2 Cor. 5:21).

    5. His bodily resurrection from the dead (Matt. 28:6; Lk. 24:39; 1 Cor. 15:4).

    6. His exaltation to the right hand of God (Acts 1:9, 11; 2:33; Phil. 2:9-11; Heb. 1-3).

  4. The Fall of Man: Man was created good and upright; for God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” However, man by voluntary transgression fell and thereby incurred not only physical death but also spiritual death, which is separation from God (Gen. 1:26-27; 2:17; 3:6; Rom. 5:12-19).

  5. The Salvation of Man: Man’s only hope of redemption is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God.

    1. Conditions to Salvation: Salvation is received through repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ. By the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, being justified by grace through faith, man becomes an heir of God according to the hope of eternal life (Lk. 24:47; Jn. 3:3; Rom. 10:13-15; Eph. 2:8; Titus 2:11; 3:5-7).

    2. The Evidences of Salvation: The inward evidence of salvation is the direct witness of the Spirit (Rom. 8:16). The outward evidence of all men is a life of righteousness and true holiness (Eph. 4:24; Titus 2:12).

  6. The Ordinances of the Church:

    1. Baptism in Water: The ordinance of baptism by immersion is commanded in the Scriptures. All who repent and believe on Christ as Savior and Lord are to be baptized. Thus they declare to the world that they have died with Christ and that they also have been raised with Him to walk in newness of life. (Matt. 28:19; Mk. 16:16; Acts 10:47-48; Rom. 6:4).

    2. Holy Communion: The Lord’s Supper, consisting of the elements—bread and the fruit of the vine—is the symbol expressing our sharing the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 1:4); a memorial of His suffering and death (1 Cor. 11:26); and a prophecy of His second coming (1 Cor. 11:26); and is enjoined on all believers “until He comes!”

  7. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit: All believers are entitled to and should ardently expect and earnestly seek the promise of the Father, the baptism in the Holy Spirit and fire, according to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ. This was the normal experience of all in the early Christian Church.

    1. With it comes empowerment for life and service, the bestowment of the gifts and their uses in the work of the ministry (Lk. 24:49; Acts 1:4,8: 1 Cor. 12:1-31). This experience is distinct from and subsequent to the experience of the new birth (Acts 8:12-17; 10:44-46; 11:14-16; 15:7-9). 

    2. With the baptism in the Holy Spirit comes such experiences as an overflowing fullness of the Spirit (Jn. 7:37-39; Acts 4:8), a deepened reverence of God (Acts 2:43; Heb.12:28), an intensified consecration of God and dedication to His work (Acts 2:42), and a more active love for Christ, for His Word and for the lost (Mk. 16:20).

  8. The Initial Physical Evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit: The baptism of believers in the Holy Spirit is witnessed by the initial physical sign of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit of God gives them utterance (Acts 2:4). The speaking in tongues in this instance is the same in essence as the gift of tongues (1 Cor. 12:4-10,28), but different in purpose and use.

  9. Sanctification: Sanctification is an act of separation from that which is evil, and of dedication unto God (Rom. 12:1-2; 1 Thess. 5:23; Heb. 13:12). The Scriptures teach, “without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14). By the power of the Holy Spirit we are able to obey the command: “Be holy, because I am holy” (1 Pet. 1:16).

  10. The Church and Its Mission: The Church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of her great commission. Each believer, born of the Spirit, is an integral part of the General Church and Church of the Firstborn, which are written in heaven (Eph. 1:22-23; 2:22; Heb. 12:23).

    1. Since God’s purpose concerning man is to seek and to save that which is lost, to be worshiped by man, and to build a body of believers in the image of His Son, the priority reason-for-being part of the Church is:

      1. To be an agency of God for evangelizing the world (Acts 1:8; Matt. 28:19-20; Mk. 6:15-16).

      2. To be a corporate body in which man may worship God (1 Cor. 12:13).

      3. To be a channel of God’s purpose to build a body of saints being perfected in the image of His Son (Eph. 4:11-16; 1 Cor. 12:28; 1 Cor. 14:12).

    2. The church exists expressly to give continuing emphasis to this reason-for-being in the New Testament apostolic pattern by teaching and encouraging believers to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. This experience:

      1. Enables them to evangelize in the power of the Spirit with accompanying supernatural signs (Mk. 16:15-20; Acts 4:29-31; Heb. 2:3-4).

      2. Adds a necessary dimension to worshipful relationship with God (1 Cor. 2:10-16; 1 Cor. 12-14).

      3. Enables them to respond to the full working of the Holy Spirit in expression of fruit and gifts and ministries as in New Testament times for the edifying of the body of Christ (Gal. 5:22-26; 1 Cor. 14:12, 12:28; Eph. 4:11-12; Col. 1:29).

  11. The Ministry: The divinely called and scripturally ordained ministry has been provided by our Lord for the three-fold purpose of leading the Church in: (1) Evangelization of the world (Mk. 16:15-20), (2) Worship of God (Jn. 4:23-24), (3) Building a body of saints being perfected in the image of His Son (Eph. 4:11-16).

  12. Divine Healing: Divine healing is an integral part of the gospel. Deliverance from sickness is provided for in the atonement, and is the privilege of all believers (Isa. 53:4-5; Matt. 8:16-17; Jam. 5:14-16).

  13. The Blessed Hope: The resurrection of those who have fallen asleep in Christ and their translation together with those who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord is the imminent and blessed hope of the Church (1 Thess. 4:16-17; Rom. 8:23; Titus 2:13; 1 Cor. 15:51-52).

  14. The Millennial Reign of Christ: The second coming of Christ includes the rapture of the saints, which is our blessed hope, followed by the visible return of Christ with His saints to reign on the earth for one thousand years (Zech. 14:5; Matt. 24:27,30; Rev. 1:7; 19:11-14; 20:1-6). This millennial reign will bring the salvation of national Israel (Ezek. 37:21-22; Zeph. 3:19-20; Rom. 11:26-27) and the establishment of universal peace (Isa. 11:6-9; Psa. 72:3-8; Mic. 4:3-4).

  15. The Final Judgment: There will be a final judgment in which the wicked dead will be raised and judged according to their works. Whosoever is not found written in the Book of Life, together with the devil and his angels, the beast and the false prophet, will be consigned to everlasting punishment in the lake which burns with fire, which is the second death (Matt. 25:46; Mk. 9:43-48; Rev. 19:20; 20:11-15; 21:8).

  16. The New Heavens and the New Earth: “But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness” (2 Pet. 3:13; Rev. 21:22).

  17. Position on Christian Conduct: We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, and adultery are perversions of God’s gift of sex.

    1. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one’s gender by surgery or appearance (Gen. 2:24, 19:5, 13; 26:8-9; Lev. 18:1-30; Rom. 1:26-29; 1 Cor. 5:1, 6:9; 1 Thess. 4:1-8; Heb. 13:40).

    2. We believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one woman (Gen. 2:24; Rom. 7:2; 1 Cor. 7:10; Eph. 5:22-23).