Belief Statement
Lakeview Bible Church believes:
1. In one God, Creator of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three persons: All three, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, are eternal in being, identical in essence, equal in power and glory, and have the same attributes and perfections (Deuteronomy 6:4; 2 Corinthians 13:14).
2. That Jesus Christ is true God and true man, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life on earth, and died on the cross, a sacrifice for our sins, in fulfillment of the Scriptures. Further, He arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven, where, at the right hand of God the Father, He is now our High Priest and Advocate (Luke 1:35; John 1:1-2, 14; Acts 1:9-10; Romans 3:24-25; 4:25; 8:34; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Timothy 4:10; Hebrews 2:9; 7:25; 9:24; 1 Peter 1:3-5; 2:24; 2 Peter 2:1; 1 John 2:1-2).
3. That the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ, and during this age, to convict men of sin, regenerate the believing sinner, and indwell, guide, instruct and empower the believer for godly living and service (John 16:8-11, 13; 2 Corinthians 3:6; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 1:13-14; 5:18; 1 John 2:20, 27).
4. The Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, to be the only inspired Word of God, the final authority for faith and life, inerrant in the original writings, infallible and God-breathed (Matthew 5:18; John 16:12-13; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21).
5. That man was created in the image of God but fell into sin. As a result, we are born into sin and are therefore lost, and only by repenting of our sin and placing one’s faith in Christ, and through the regeneration by the Holy Spirit can salvation and spiritual life be obtained (Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 3:22-23; 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3, 12).
6. That the shed blood of Jesus Christ and His resurrection provide the only basis for justification and salvation for all who believe, and only those who receive Jesus Christ are born of the Holy Spirit, and become children of God (John 1:12; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-10; 1 Peter 1:18-19).
7. That water baptism and the Lord’s Supper are ordinances to be observed by the Church until the return of Christ. They are not to be regarded as a means of salvation (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; 18:8; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26).
8. That the true Church is composed of people who, through saving faith in Jesus Christ, have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit and are united together in the Body of Christ, of which He is the Head (Ephesians 1:22-23; 5:25-27; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; 2 Corinthians 11:2).
9. In the literal and imminent return to earth second coming) of our Lord Jesus Christ and that this truth has a vital bearing on the personal life and service of the believer. The believers living during His second coming will be “caught up” to join Christ (Zechariah 14:4-11; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 4:13-18; 5:9; Titus 2:13; Revelation 3:10; 19:11-16).
10. In the bodily resurrection of the dead of the believer to everlasting blessedness and joy with the Lord, and the unbeliever to judgment and everlasting separation and punishment (Matthew 25:46; John 5:28-29; 11:25-26; Revelation 20:5-6, 12-13).
11. That God has established marriage as a lifelong, exclusive relationship between one man and one woman and that all intimate sexual activity outside the marriage relationship, whether heterosexual, homosexual, or otherwise, is contrary to God’s design and therefore sin (Genesis 2:24-25; Exodus 20:14, 17, 22:19; Leviticus 18:22-12, 20, 20:13, 15-16; Matthew 19:4-6, 9; Romans 1:18-31; I Corinthians 6:9-10, 15-20; I Timothy 1:8-11; Jude 7). We believe that God created the human race male and female and that all conduct with the intent to adopt a gender other than one’s birth gender is contrary to God’s design and therefore sin (Genesis 1:27; Deuteronomy 22:5).