General Statement: "The Apostles’ Creed"

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.

He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again.
He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy universal Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.
Amen.

1. God, the creator of heaven and earth, has revealed Himself throughout history in various ways, but His ultimate revelation of His character was in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:1-3).
2. Our primary source of knowledge of God's working in history and His revelation in the person of Jesus Christ is the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, which are inspired by God (2 Timothy 2:16), inerrant, and the supreme and final authority in faith and life. Further, the Scriptures are both our message--the Gospel or Good News which we proclaim--and our method book. It guides us in our conduct as individuals and HOPE CHURCH as a church; i.e., our core values and strategy.
3. Man and woman were created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) and are of immense value to God. Man and woman sinned, and thereby incurred not only physical death but also spiritual death, separation from God, and alienation from each other. Since then, all human beings are born with a sinful nature (Romans 3:23).
4. The Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins as a representative and subsitutionary sacrifice. All who believe in Him are justified on the ground of His shed blood (Ephesians 1:7). Those who believe in Christ receive eternal life, eternal from the point of believing and secure for all eternity. Because of this security, we are motivated and responsible to live a holy life (John 10:27-28; Romans 8:38; Colossians 1:21-23; 2 Peter 1:3-11).
5. The Scriptures urge those who believe in Christ as Savior to be baptized in water (Acts 2:38-41; Matthew 28:18-19). We believe in the covenant of Grace, and that Baptism is "an outward sign of an inward grace."
6. While people are "saved" by Christ on an individual basis, each one becomes a member of His Universal Church, the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-13; Ephesians 4:4), God's temple (1 Corinthians 3:16), which is visibly represented by local assemblies or churches of believers. The purpose of HOPE CHURCH is to fulfill Christ's expressed desire that we love Him, His people, and the world for which he died (John 17:20; cross-reference). Our vision for the world is reflected in both local and worldwide outreach.
7. Christ, through His Holy Spirit, has endowed believers with spiritual gifts for the edification of His church and the expansion of His kingdom (1 Corinthians 12:4; 14:13; Romans 12:4-8; Ephesians 4:4-16). We believe that God may use any of the New Testament spiritual gifts. However, for the sake of church unity and order, we do not practice the "charismatic" gifts in our services (1 Corinthians 14:1-19).
8. The Lord Jesus will one day return to judge all the peoples of the earth and establish His kingdom. Since His return could be at any time, we should strive to live holy lives (2 Peter 3:11-12).
9. We hold to the bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust, the everlasting life of the believer with God, and the everlasting punishment of those who choose to reject the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ (Revelation 20:11-14; 21:1ff).

Hope Church is a part of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, and historic church with roots in the past and a vision for the future. More information about the ARP Church is available at www.ARPSynod.org