SonSeeker Church accepts the Holy Scriptures as the revealed Will of God and the all-sufficient rule of faith and practice, and it adopts the following statement of fundamental truths, to wit: “And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world (the Gospel of Christ is not merely a western Gospel, as some claim, but is for the entirety of the world), and preach the Gospel to every creature (‘preaching’ is God’s method, as is here plainly obvious; as well, it is imperative that every single person have the opportunity to hear; this is the responsibility of every Believer).” Mark 16:15 2 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; and they are the infallible, authoritative rule of faith and conduct (I Thess. 2:13; II Tim. 3:15-17; II Pet. 1:21).
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; Mat. 28:19; Lk. 3:22).
The Deity Of The Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. The Scriptures declare the following: a. His virgin birth (Mat. 1:23; Lk. 1:31, 35). b. His sinless life (Heb. 7:26; I Pet. 2:22). c. His miracles (Acts 2:22; 10:38). d. His Substitutionary Work on the Cross (I Cor. 15:3; II Cor. 5:21). e. His bodily Resurrection from the dead (Mat. 28:6; Lk. 24:39; I Cor. 15:4). f. His Exaltation to the Right Hand of God (Acts 1:9,11; 2:33; Phil. 2:9-11; Heb. 1:1-3).
The Fall Of Man. Man was created good and upright, for God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Gen. 1:26). 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).
The Salvation Of Man. Man’s only hope of Redemption is through the shed Blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. a. Conditions Of 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, 3 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). b. The Evidences Of Salvation. The inward evidence of Salvation is the direct witness of the Spirit (Rom. 8:16). The outward evidence to all men is a life of Righteousness and true Holiness (Eph. 4:24; Titus 2:12).
The Ordinances Of The Church. Two ordinances of the Body of Christ are set forth in Scripture: a. Baptism In Water. The ordinance of baptism by immersion is commanded in the Scriptures. All who repent and believe on Christ as Saviour and Lord are to be baptized. Thus, they declare to the world that they have died with Christ and that they have also been raised with Him to walk in newness of life (Mat. 28:19; Mk. 16:16; Acts 10:47; Rom. 6:4). b. Holy Communion. The Lord’s Supper, consisting of the elements of bread and the fruit of the vine, is the symbol expressing the Divine Nature of our Lord Jesus Christ (II Pet. 1:4). It is a memorial of His suffering and death (I Cor. 11:26); a prophecy of His Second Coming (I Cor. 11:26); and it is enjoined on all Believers “till He come.”
The Baptism with The Holy Spirit. All Believers are entitled to and should ardently expect and earnestly seek the promise of the Father, the Baptism with 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. With it comes the enduement of power for life and service, the bestowment of the gifts, and the use of the gifts in the work of the ministry (Lk. 24:49; Acts 1:4, 8; I 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). With the Baptism with the Holy Spirit comes such experiences as an overflowing fullness of the Spirit (Jn. 7:37-39; Acts 4:8), a deepened reverence for God (Acts 2:43; Heb. 12:28), an intensified concentration to 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). 4
The Evidence Of The Baptism With The Holy Spirit. The Baptism of Believers with 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; 10:45-46; 19:6). The speaking in tongues in this instance is the same in essence as the gift of tongues (I Cor. 12:4-10, 28), but is different in purpose and use.
Sanctification. Sanctification is an act of separation from that which is evil and of dedication unto God (Rom. 12:1-2; I Thess. 5:23; Heb. 13:12). The Scriptures teach a life of “holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14). By the Power of the Holy Spirit we are able to obey the command: “Be ye holy; for I am holy” (I Pet. 1:15-16). Sanctification is realized in the Believer by the Believer recognizing his identification and union with Christ in His Death and Resurrection, by relying daily in faith upon that union, and by offering every faculty continually to the communion of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 6:11, 13; 8:1-2, 13; Gal. 2:20; Phil. 2:12-13; I Pet. 1:5).
The Church. 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 assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in Heaven” (Heb. 12:23; Eph. 1:22-23; 2:22).
The Ministry. Divinely called and scripturally ordained ministry has been provided by our Lord for a twofold purpose: 1. The edifying of the Body of Christ (Eph. 4:11-13) and 2. The evangelization of the world (Mk. 16:15-20).
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; Mat. 8:16-17; James 5:14-16).
The Blessed Hope. 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 Earth for one thousand years (Zech. 14:5; Mat. 24:27, 30; Rev. 1:7; 19:11-14; 20:1-6). This Millennial Reign will bring the Salvation of Israel (Ezek. 37:21-22; Zeph. 3:19-20; Rom. 11:26-27) 5 and the establishment of universal peace (Ps. 72:3-8; Isa. 11:6-9; Mic. 4:3-4).
The Final Judgment. There will be a final judgment in which the wicked dead will be raised and judged according to their works. He whose name is not found writ- ten in the Book of Life will be consigned to everlasting punishment, together with the Devil and his angels and the false prophet, in “the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death” (Rev. 21:8; Mat. 25:46; Mk. 9:43- 48; Rev. 19:20; 20:11-15).
The New Heavens and The New Earth. “We, according to His promise, look for new Heavens and a new Earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (II Pet. 3:13; Rev., Chpts. 21-22).
Marriage and Sexuality We believe that because God our Creator established marriage as a sacred institution between one natural-born man (hereinafter “man”) and one natural-born woman (hereinafter “woman”), the idea that marriage is a covenant only between one man and one woman has been the traditional definition of marriage for all of human history (“Traditional Definition of Marriage”). In Genesis 2:18-24, the Lord God specifically made Eve (woman) to be the help meet for Adam (man) and created the first Marriage Union. Upon receiving his help meet, Adam said, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall cleave unto his wife.” This fundamental principle of marriage is found again in Matthew 19:4-6 where in speaking about marriage Jesus referred to the fact that “He which made them at the beginning made them male and female.” Because of the longstanding importance of the Traditional Definition of Marriage to humans and their relationships and communities, and, most importantly, the fact that God has ordained that marriage be between one man and one woman, as clearly conveyed in God’s inerrant Scriptures, the Church hereby creates this policy, which shall be known as the “Marriage and Sexuality Policy.” We believe that in order to preserve the function and integrity of the Church as the local Body of Christ, and to provide a biblical role model to the church members and the community, it is imperative that all persons employed by the church in any capacity, or who serve as volunteers, should abide by and agree to this Church’s Marriage and Sexuality Policy and conduct 6 themselves accordingly. Under this Church’s Marriage and Sexuality Policy, the Traditional Definition of Marriage is the only definition of marriage that will be recognized or accepted. No elder, officer, employee, servant, agent, volunteer, or any person, corporation, organization, or entity under the direction or control of this Church shall commit any act or omission, or make any decision whatever, that would be inconsistent with, or that could be perceived by any person to be inconsistent with, full support of this Church’s Marriage and Sexuality Policy and strict adherence to the Traditional Definition of Marriage rather than any alternative to the Traditional Definition of Marriage. WEF’s Marriage and Sexuality Policy specifically prohibits acts or omissions including but not limited to permitting any Family Worship Center Church (Church) assets or property, whether real property, personal property, intangible property, or any property or asset of any kind that is subject to the direction or control of the Church, to be used in any manner that would be or could be perceived by any person to be inconsistent with this Church’s Marriage and Sexuality Policy or the Traditional Definition of Marriage, including but not limited to permitting any church facilities to be used by any person, organization, corporation, or group that would or might use such facilities to convey, intentionally or by implication, what might be perceived as a favorable impression about any definition of marriage other than the Traditional Definition of Marriage. Further, use of any of the Church assets and/or property (as described above) for the purpose of hosting any marriage ceremony and/or related gatherings (i.e., showers, receptions, etc.) is limited to active members of the Church only. Active membership in the Church shall be determined based at least in part upon the individual’s regular attendance at Church services and functions as well as his/her tithing. We believe that any form of sexual immorality, such as adultery, fornication, homosexuality, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, pornography or any attempt to change one’s sex, or disagreement with one’s biological sex, is sinful and offensive to God. We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. 7 We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity. Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with scripture nor the doctrines of this Church. We believe this Fellowship’s Marriage and Sexuality Policy is based upon God’s Will for human life as conveyed to us through the Holy Scriptures, upon which this Church has been founded and anchored, and this Marriage and Sexuality Policy shall not be subject to change through popular vote; referendum; prevailing opinion of members or the general public; influence of or interpretation by any government authority, agency, or official action; or legal developments on the local, state, or federal level.
The Message of the Cross. We believe that the Message of the Cross—faith continually exercised in Jesus Christ and Him crucified for salvation and sanctification—is the new covenant. This message, originally given to the apostle Paul, is supported by these four elements of biblical truth: a. Jesus Christ is the source of all things that believers receive from God (Jn. 1:1, 14, 29; 14:6, 20; Col. 2:10-15). b. The Cross of Christ is the means by which all of these things are given to believers (Rom. 6:1-14; Gal. 6:14; Col. 2:14-15). c. The Cross of Christ must be the believer’s object of faith (I Cor. 1:17, 18, 23; 2:2). d. The Holy Spirit, who works exclusively within the parameters of the finished work of Christ, superintends this entire process in the believer’s life. (Rom. 8:1-14; Eph. 2:13-18).
Alcohol. We believe that every Christian should be opposed to the consumption of alcohol in any form or amount. Believers, especially those called to ministry, should desire to set a good example before the world and take a public stand against any and all use of alcohol. Isaiah 28:7 says, “But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way 8 through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgement.” (See also Prov. 20:1, 23:29-32; Isa. 5:11,22, 28:1,7; Hab. 2:15-17).