Statement of Faith of the

Angola Hillcrest Bible Church

An Indépendant Bible Church

We believe  that there is one God.  We believe He has revealed Himself not only as the Father of all creation, but He has also been revealed in His fullness by His only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  He continues to reveal Himself by His Holy Spirit, who is the promised Comforter to the Church, and the Convictor of men of righteousness, their sin and unrighteousness.

We believe  the Holy Scriptures to be wholly inspired by God Himself through His Holy Spirit, the scriptures testifying to this fact.  It is God-Breathed, and is inerrant in it’s original manuscripts.

We believe  that these three Persons; Father, Son and Holy Spirit make up what is referred to in scripture as the “Godhead”.  We also believe that the entire comprehension of this wonderful union is a mystery.

We believe  that the Lord Jesus Christ was both fully God, and fully human.  That He is the express image of the invisible Godhead.  That He is to be worshiped, praised and adored for who He is, and for what He has done to secure our great and complete salvation.  He is the SON OF  GOD, AND HE IS GOD THE SON.

We believe  that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one in substance and purpose, but different in position and authority.  We do not believe that the Father and the Son are the same person.  We also do not believe that the Holy Spirit of God is just a force, as Jesus Himself referred to the Holy Spirit as “He”.  Scripture itself proclaims clear distinctions between them, and they are three wonderful and eternal revelations of the one true and living God.  We do not believe that polytheism is a definition of the Trinity, because there is not three separate Gods, but monotheism which is one God, and additionally we believe that He is manifested in three persons.

We believe  that the Lord Jesus Christ was born when the “Word became flesh” as the scriptures proclaim, and that He was born of a Virgin; one who had never before knew a man.  We also believe that He completely fulfilled the requirement of sinlessness by the Law of Moses, and through this perfect life fulfilled all righteousness.  Him being tempted and tested sorely, never once yielding to sin; He was the perfect sacrifice sent for this purpose from God, to pay the debt owed to God for our sin.

We believe  that when the the Lord Jesus Christ was on this earth, he was rejected by men, and because of this they rejected the Father also, and the perfect ransom for sin that He offered.  We believe that this Jesus suffered terrible cruelty under men, ultimately being nailed to the Cross and shedding His own blood for the forgiveness of sins and trespasses. He did this according to the scriptures to take away the sins of the whole world.

We believe  that He Himself bore in His body, our sins, suffering the most horrible of all fates, which was separation from the Father.  This is the same separation all who die without having believed on the Lord Jesus Christ will experience; both immediately after death and in all eternity to come.  

We believe  that a person must be “Born-Again” as the Lord Jesus Christ taught, and in so becoming, becomes a new creature in Christ.  Wholly righteous before God, because of believing on the name of the only begotten Son of God; the Sons righteousness being fully credited to our eternal account.

We believe  that He was buried after His death in a sealed tomb, guards having been placed to keep watch over it.  Three days later as He prophesied, He rose from the grave, His body having not seen corruption.  In His resurrection He obtained victory over the grave, over hell, over Satan, and over death.  He took away the sting of death for all of us that believe on His name;   us who believe having passed from death to life through the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit.  Through His resurrection, He was given the Name that is above every name;  that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

We believe  that a person is saved by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Grace in this case, being the undeserved love of God for us who do not deserve it because of sin, having given to us His Son, who satisfied Gods anger against us.  Salvation is a free gift, and man must change his mind about who Christ is and what He has done for us, and to change our mind about sin and its penalty.  This is known as repentance.  We must receive this free gift of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

We believe  that we are not saved by grace through faith  and  works.  We also do not believe that we are saved by  works alone .  We believe as the scriptures teach that first, salvation must come, and then we walk in newness of life through the indwelling Holy Spirit.  God has already prepared the works that we should walk in after we are saved.  We rest from our labors to be righteous, and depend wholly upon Christ’s righteousness that secured our salvation.   Good works  come after salvation, not  saving works .  It is our nature after salvation to do good works as a witness to others that we are Born-Again.

We believe  that God has appointed a day of judgement and wrath called the  great and terrible day of the Lord , and that this judgement begins with the House of God.  In the church, Jesus taught that there will be sheep and goats, wheat and tares. The sheep and goats are being separated today, true Christians and the false.  The tares, or unbelievers, will continue to grow with the wheat until the day they are separated, at the Second coming of Christ.

We believe  that the Lord Jesus Christ will come physically once again to this earth  “coming on the clouds with great power and glory along with multitudes of His Saints” .  This time, He will not be coming to save the world or offer salvation, but is coming to reap judgement upon the world and avenge the honor of His Father and the blood of all those who “died for the testimony of God”.

We believe  that the Lord will return for His bride; the Church, as the Bridegroom at the appointed time of the Father, who alone knows the day and time.  This is referred to as the “ Blessed Hope ”.  It is the resurrection of those who died in Christ, and the catching up of those that are alive upon this earth when He comes.  We do not argue about what one believes concerning His imminent return, but all do agree that He is coming again in the clouds to receive us unto Himself.  As the bride who must always be ready, waiting, and watching for the bridegroom, we too must continue to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit and firm in the faith; waiting for His soon return.  We must be ready daily, listening for that trumpet call of God.

We believe  in a literal 1000 year reign of Christ Jesus with His saints at His second coming to this earth.  After the 1000 year reign, God will destroy all things that were created in the beginning, heaven and earth, and will create all things new.  It will be as heaven and earth were intended before man fell into sin in the garden.  Satan, having been cast into the lake of fire and brimstone with all others who believed not on the name of the only begotten of the Father, we will live forevermore with Christ; righteousness having overcome unrighteousness forever and ever.

AMEN.