What We Believe
“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” – A.W. Tozer
The following are the core beliefs of New Life Church MI based on the foundational truths taught in the bible. All of our teaching and ministry is rooted in and flows out of these biblical doctrines.
God
We believe in all the fundamental doctrines of evangelical Christianity. We believe in one personal, transcendent and holy God, the Creator of all, who is eternally existent in three persons:
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; John 1:1-2; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Philippians 2:6
Bible
We believe that the Bible is God-breathed and is the supreme and foundational standard of faith. We believe in the inerrancy of the Scripture, that the Bible, Old and New Testaments in the original autographs, is the inspired, infallible Word of God, a complete and final written revelation of God.
2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Matthew 5:18; John 16:12-13
Sin
We believe that all people are by nature and choice separated from God and responsible for their own sin. Further, we believe that God offers salvation, redemption and forgiveness freely through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Genesis 3; Romans 3:23, 5:12; 1 John 1:8; Ephesians 2:3-10
Jesus Christ and Salvation
We believe that Jesus Christ, though fully God, became a human and that He is the promised Messiah, was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, provided for the atonement of our sins by His vicarious death on the cross, was bodily resurrected by the power of the Holy Spirit, ascended back to the right hand of God the Father, and lives forever to make intercession for us.
John 1:1; Matthew 1:20-23; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 1:3, 10:12; John 16:7-11; Matthew 19:28, 25:31; 2 Timothy 2:8
We believe the moment a person trusts in Jesus Christ as their savior and Lord and accepts his substitutionary death on the cross and resurrection, trusting Him alone to save, and not good works, he or she receives salvation and is immediately born again, forgiven, sealed by the Holy Spirit, and becomes a child of God.
Ephesians 1:7, 2:1-10; Romans 10:9-10; John 1:12
The Holy Spirit
After Jesus ascended to heaven, the Holy Spirit was given to all believers empowering them to be effective witnesses in the world. This privilege and responsibility continues for all Christ followers until He returns.
Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8, 4:8, 4:31
The Holy Spirit and His Work
We believe in the person and work of the Holy Spirit, who indwells, seals, sanctifies and empowers all believers, baptizing them into the Body of Christ. We believe in the fullness of the Holy Spirit for all believers who ask in faith, enabling them to preach the Gospel in power.
John 16:7-15; 1 Corinthians 12:13; 2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13; Matthew 28:16-20; Acts 1:8
We believe that all the gifts of the Holy Spirit described in the New Testament are vital for the church and should be expressed within biblical guidelines.
Hebrews 2:4; Romans 11:29; 1 Corinthians 12,14
We believe that demonstrating the genuine love of Christ is more important than all the gifts, and without this love, all exercise of spiritual gifts is worthless.
1 Corinthians 13
Redemption
Man was created good and upright, but by voluntary transgression he fell; his only hope of redemption
is in Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Gen. 1:26-31, 3:1-7; Romans 5:12-21
Regeneration
For anyone to know God, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.
John 6:44, 65
Salvation
We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ; His death, burial, and resurrection. Salvation is a gift from God, not a result of our good works or of any human efforts.
Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 2:16, 3:8; Titus 3:5; Romans 10:9-10; Acts 16:31; Hebrews
Resurrection and Final Judgment
We believe that Jesus Christ will personally and visibly return to the earth. His soon return motivates us to participate in heartfelt worship, service and witness.
Titus 2:13; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52; Acts 2:38-47; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 John 3:2-3
We believe in the resurrection of the body unto eternal life for the saved and unto eternal punishment for the lost.
Revelation 20; Acts 24:25; John 5:28-29; Luke 16:19-31; 2 Corinthians 5:8; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17; 1 John 3:2
Spiritual Life
We believe that the most important aspect of ministry is to guide each believer into an intimate walk with Jesus and being conformed into His image.
Romans 8:29; Philippians 2:1-7; 2 Corinthians 3:18
We seek to teach the Word of God in such a way that an individual can apply its message to his or her life, leading that person to greater maturity in Christ.
Isaiah 28:13; Acts 20:27; Nehemiah 8:8; Matthew 7:24; James 1:22-24
Repentance
Repentance is the commitment to turn away from sin in every area of our lives and to follow Christ, which allows us to receive His redemption and to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit. Thus, through repentance we receive forgiveness of sins and salvation.
Acts 2:21, 3:19; I John 1:9
Sanctification
Sanctification is the ongoing process of yielding to God’s Word and His Spirit in order to complete the development of Christ’s character in us. It is through the present ministry of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God that the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.
I Thessalonians 4:3, 5:23; II Corinthians 3:18, 6:14-18, II Thessalonians 2:1-3, Romans 8:29, 12:1-2, Hebrews 2:11
Salvation
We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ; His death, burial, and resurrection. Salvation is a gift from God, not a result of our good works or of any human efforts.
Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 2:16, 3:8; Titus 3:5; Romans 10:9-10; Acts 16:31; Hebrews
Sacraments
We believe Christ instituted the ordinances of water baptism and the Lord’s Supper, both of which are to be observed by believers until He returns.
Matthew 28:19-20; I Corinthians 11:23-26
Water Baptism
We believe by public water baptism a believer is identified with his Savior. Infants of believing parents may be dedicated to the Lord but should not be baptized until they can personally articulate their faith and the purpose of baptism.
Communion
We believe the Lord’s Supper is a memorial of Christ’s death, the elements being symbols of His body and blood. We believe every Christian has the opportunity to take part in Communion.
Marriage
We believe the Bible defines marriage as the permanent, exclusive, comprehensive, and conjugal “one flesh” union of one man and one woman, intrinsically ordered to procreation and biological family, and in furtherance of the moral, spiritual, and public good of binding father, mother, and child.
Genesis 1:27-28; 2:18–24; Matthew 19:4–9;
Mark 10:5–9; Ephesians 5:31–33
