"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls aroundlike a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."
1 Peter 5:8
"To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve;"
1 Peter 5:1-2
"Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetings."
Romans 16:16
“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
Acts 1:11
"For we were all baptized by[a] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink."
1 Corinthians 12:13
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works."
2 Timothy 3:16–17
"Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
John 14:6
"Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God,be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen."
1 Timothy 1:17
G. The Church of Jesus
1. Jesus Christ is the Head of the "Church" (Ephesians 1:22; 5:23)
2. All those who have experienced God's salvation through faith in Christ are a part of God's "eternal family" (John 1:12) referred to in the Bible as the "Church" (Ephesians 3:15, 21)
3. The Filipino International Christian Church is then known as a "local" church of the greater "body" of the "Church", just as were many churches that the apostle Paul wrote to in his letters (Romans 16:16; I Corinthians 1:2; 2 Thessalonians 1:4)
4. The focus of the "church" is always on the people as the church, not a building or organization (2 Corinthians 1:1; Ephesians 1:1; Philippians 1:1)
5. All believers (members of the spiritual body or church) are directed in scripture to associate together with other believers in the local assembly (Hebrew 10:25)
6. Pastors are called to be Shepherds of the local church, responsible for its oversight (I Peter 5:1-2; Acts 20:17-28)
7. The Management Council of the Filipino International Christian Church is the governing body (Acts 15:2) responsible for the care of its people (Acts 20:28) and the oversight of its ministries (I Timothy 5:17-18; I Peter 5:1-2)
8. The people of the Filipino International Christian Church are called to be "ministers" to accomplish the work of God through their own unique spiritual gifts and personal abilities (Romans 12:4-8; I Corinthians 12:23-31)
"And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church.."
Ephesians 1:22
H. Baptism and the Lord's Supper
1. Baptism, following an individual's spiritual decision to put their faith in Jesus Christ, and receiving the Lord's supper (communion), are commanded by Christ Himself for the believer to observe (Matthew 28:19-20)
2. Baptism is an outward sign of what the Holy Spirit has spiritually performed in the heart of the believer (Romans 6:3-4; Colossians 2:12). Baptism by immersion is observed by the Filipino International Christian Church.
3. The Lord's Supper is observed by the believer in memory of the sacrifice of Christ's body and the shedding of His blood to redeem us from our sinful nature (Matthew 26:26-29)
4. Neither of these is to be regarded as a part of our salvation or for the forgiveness of sin. They are representative symbols of spiritual truths accomplished for us by Christ Himself when on earth (Ephesians 2:8-9; (I John 1:7)
I. Satan
1. Satan exists today as a real spiritual being (I Peter 5:8)
2. Satan is the enemy of God and all believers in Christ (I John 3:7-10)
3. He is the source of all that is untrue in our world (John 8:44)
4. Satan will suffer his doom in the everlasting lake of fire along with all who have not chosen to put their faith in Jesus Christ and receive His salvation (Revelation 20:10,15)
J. The Return of Christ
1. Jesus Christ will return personally at some future date for all believers (Actsl:ll)
2. The return of Christ is a source of expectant hope and encouragement for all believers (I Thessalonians 4:18; Titus 2:12-13)
"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[a] sin."
1 John 1:7
D. Holy Spirit
1. He persuades individuals to repent of their sins and confess Jesus as Lord (John 16:7-13)
2. He enters into the life of the believer the moment the person believes in Jesus (John 3: 6-8; Ephesians 1:13-14; I Corinthians 12:13)
3. He teaches and guides the believer (John 16:13-14)
4. He enables us to live a godly and holy lives (Romans 8:1-14; Ephesians 5:17-21)
E. Man's Need of Salvation
1. All men and women were created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26; 2-27)
2. Through the fall of Adam into sin, all people are sinners (Romans 5:12, 3:23)
a. Because of sin, people are eternally separated from God apart from the salvation that comes through faith and grace in Jesus Christ (Romans 6:23)
b. We are spiritually born into eternal family through repentance of our sin (I Peter 3:9,1 John 1:9) and heartily believe in Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31; Romans 10:9-10)
F. The Gift of Salvation
1. Jesus Christ is the only basis for our being able to stand before God(John 14:6; Acts 4:12)
2. Through faith in Christ, we receive forgiveness of our sin (Romans 6:23)
3. This salvation comes to us by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9)
4. The believer in Christ can rest in the assurance of their eternal relationship with God because of the power of God's love and grace (Romans 6:23; 8:35-39; I John 5:10-13)
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in[a] Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 6:23
We Believe In
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast."
Ephesians 2:8-9
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind...
..The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."
John 1:1-4,14
"Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."
Romans 6:3-4
A. The Authority of the Word of God - the Bible
1. The Bible is the inspired Word of God (2 Tim.3:16-17)
2. The Bible is the final authority for Christian faith and living (Deuteronomy 4:2; 12:32; John 8:31,32)
B. God
1. God exists in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit (I Tim. 1:17; Matthew 28: 19; 2 Corr. 3-14)
2. Revealed Himself in Perfect love (I John 4:8, 10-16)
3. Righteous in all His ways (Psalm 145:17; Thessalonians 1:19)
4. Creator of all things (Genesis 1:1; Colossians 1:16-17) 5. Has the total knowledge of all things (Psalm 147:5)
C. Jesus Christ, the Son of God
1. Jesus is true God and true man (John 1: 1-4,14)
2. He was born as the son a virgin (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:20-23)
3. He lived a sinless life (2 Corinthians 5:21)
4. He died on the cross to give life and forgiveness of sin to those who put their faith in Him (Titus 2:14; I John 1:19; I John 2:2)
5. He arose from the dead to authenticate His power and message (I Corinthians 15:2-22)
6. He ascended into heaven to prepare an eternal place for those who trusted in Him (John 14:1-6)
7. He is now in heaven and takes care of us through His spirit (Romans 8:31-39)