What We Believe

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6 AFFIRMATIONS OF FAITH

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]1) We believe that the Spirit of Jesus Christ works through the Word to produce a relationship with those who hear and are led to say “yes” to God’s invitation to come to Jesus Christ. Saying “yes” leads to a spiritual relationship with Christ that is called by the Scriptures, “being saved.” We believe that as a saved person walks with God through Church attendance, Bible Study, personal devotion and service and witness, that person will grow in their relationship with God. Great blessings come from an ever-growing – closer relationship with God!

2) We believe that the greatest joy and happiness in the world comes when a person is filled with the Holy Spirit. We believe that a saved person can be filled as they seek God, through worship in church, Bible study and reading, fellowship with other Christians and personal prayer. The first filling of the Holy Spirit is called the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, in the Scriptures. The Baptism of the Spirit comes to those who seek to be filled, and it takes a person to a deeper level of closeness to God and power with God. After that first filling, the believer must seek to be filled over and over again. The deep experience of the filling of the Holy Spirit enables a believer to overcome all of the deep weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities of life.

3) We believe the Bible, (also called the Scriptures) to be the inspired Word of God, from God. It was written by Holy men of God, who were moved and controlled by the Holy Spirit, in their writing. We believe the Bible to be the divine authority for all matters of life and faith. The Scriptures are words of life that nourish when read, gives peace and power when studied, make clean when memorized and bring Good News and new life when obeyed.

4) We believe the Bible reveals God as a God of justice and righteousness who commands all his children to stand up and struggle for justice and righteousness for all the oppressed in the earth.

5) We believe that God is doing a special work among African Americans through our ministry here at The Church Of The Open Door. The work of the enemy among our people is fourfold: first disbelief, second disobedience, third destructiveness and finally despair and depression. To confront this, The Church Of The Open Door preaches, teaches and promotes, a problem solving grasp of the Christian faith we call “Christian Wholism”. This is an attempt to apply the teachings of the Bible to the problems that confront us as a group. We believe that a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ gives African Americans the power to break the sinful patters of the self and the society and live the Victorious Life. Our focus on African Americans is not meant to exclude anyone. We welcome all within our midst. But we realize that only a distorted form of Christianity would prevent us from focusing on our unique problems. The Lord Jesus can break every chain and destroy every stronghold, so we can be freed from all so that we can be freed for all. For our community, for our city, for America and the entire world!

6) We believe that every Spirit filled believer in the Lord Jesus Christ can live the Victorious Life. The Victorious Life is a life full of the power of God, where the blessings of God can be seen by all. The Victorious Life is a life where, as one writer put it, obstacles are being overcome and power is growing inside oneself. The Victorious Life is a life where the believer confronts problems, challenges and difficulties, and overcomes them all through humility and the power of God. The Victorious Life is a shared life, for no one gains victory in Christ by herself or himself alone. The Victorious Life is a life full of health, strength, joy, peace and accomplishment. It is the goal of The Church Of The Open Door that we as a Church, and we as individual members in the Church become more and more obedient to our God so that we may live, the Victorious Life.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]