Abundant Love Christian Church’s doctrine is simple: to follow the church’s Declaration of Faith. The Declaration of Faith consists of 10 points or sections, which are listed below. This list is also found in the church’s official constitution. At the end of each section, there is at least one Biblical passage which supports that section.
Section 1. The Divine Inspiration of the Bible: The 66 books that are included in the Protestant Bible were written by human authors who were fully inspired by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the Bible is the Word of God. 2 Peter 1:19-21
Section 2. The Final Authority of the Bible: Because the Bible is God’s Word, it is the final authority that is used to determine what Christians should believe and how we should live our lives. 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Section 3. The Holy Trinity: The nature of God is best described by the doctrine of the Holy Trinity because there is one God, and He exists as three persons, God the Father (often referred to in the Bible as God or the Lord God), God the Son (who is also known as the Angel of the Lord or Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. Each member of the Trinity is fully divine. Matthew 3:16-17
Section 4. The Incarnation and the Virgin Birth: God the Son was born on Earth as Jesus of Nazareth. His human conception occurred when his mother Mary, as a virgin, was overshadowed by the Holy Spirit. Luke 1:30-35
Section 5. Christ’s Provision of Salvation: Jesus of Nazareth was the true Jewish Messiah or Christ. He provided salvation for all humans by living a sinless life on earth and dying on the cross for the sins of humanity. Hebrews 9:13-14,28
Section 6. How to Be Right with God: The only way for a person to be right with God and go to heaven is by accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior unless the person does not have the capacity to do so. People who do not have this capacity include unborn babies, small children who do not have yet have the ability to understand what the Lord Jesus has done for humanity, and people who suffer from conditions, such as Down Syndrome, in a way that prevents them from understanding Christ’s sacrifice. People without the capacity to accept Christ as Lord automatically go to heaven if they die. John 14:6
Section 7. Acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior: To accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, a person must confess with his or her mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord and believe in his or her heart that the Father raised Christ from the dead. He or she must also repent of his or her sins, which means that he or she will try his or her best to walk in holiness by not habitually repeating the same sins. When a person accepts the Lord Jesus, he or she becomes “saved” or “born again.” Romans 10:9-10; Acts 17:30
Section 8. The Resurrection, Ascension, and Second Coming of Jesus Christ: After dying on the cross, Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead by the Father. He spent 40 days on Earth with His disciples, and then He ascended to heaven. He will return to Earth a second time, but this time He will not come to suffer but to reign. Acts 1:1-3,9-11; Revelation 19:11-16,19-21
Section 9. The Church’s Relationship to Secular Society: Society should be just for every person, including the unborn and the elderly, regardless of their background or beliefs. While every person should be able to prosper in society and Christians should seek to show love to all people, Abundant Love does not condone behaviors that are against Biblical teachings. For example, marriage can only be between one man and one woman. Romans 1:24-32; Matthew 5:43-48; Acts 10:34
Section 10. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit: When a person gets saved, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside of him or her. However, immersion or baptism in the Holy Spirit is a separate experience from salvation, which is available to every believer. The evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is speaking in tongues. Acts 2:1-4; Matthew 3:11