What We Believe

Doctrinal Statement of Faith Harbor Fellowship

The Nature of God

We believe in ONE God, the creator of all things, who reveals Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

  • 1 Corinthians 8:5-6: “According to some people, there are many so-called gods and many lords, both in heaven and on earth. But we know that there is only one God, the Father, who created everything, and we exist for him. And there is only one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom God made everything and through whom we have been given life.”
  • 1 Timothy 2:5-6: “For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and people. He is the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message that God gave to the world at the proper time.”
  • John 14:26: “But when the Father sends the Counselor as my representative (in my name), and by the Counselor I mean the Holy Spirit, he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I myself have told you.”

The Authority of Scripture

We believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God.

  • 2 Peter 1:21: “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”
  • 2 Timothy 3:15-16: “And that from a child you have known the holy scriptures, which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”

Salvation

The Atoning Work of Christ

We believe in and especially emphasize the atoning work of Jesus Christ who became like us to bring our salvation through His death and resurrection.

  • Romans 5:11-12: “And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement (reconciliation). Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.”

The Resurrection and Second Coming of Christ

We believe that Jesus Christ was crucified, died, and was buried; that He rose again, ascended to the Father, and will come again in glory.

  • Matthew 26:1-2: “When Jesus had finished saying these things, he said to his disciples, ‘As you know, the Passover celebration begins in two days, and I, the Son of Man, will be betrayed and crucified.'”
  • John 19:16-20: “Then Pilate gave Jesus to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus and led him away. Carrying the cross by himself, Jesus went to the place called Skull Hill (in Hebrew). There they crucified him. There were two others crucified with him, one on either side, with Jesus between them.”
  • 1 Corinthians 15:3-4: “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”
  • Acts 4:10-12: “Let me clearly state to you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed in the name and power of Jesus Christ from Nazareth, the man you crucified, but whom God raised from the dead. For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’ There is salvation in no one else! There is no other name in all of heaven for people to call on to save them.”

The Nature of Humanity

We believe that we are all sinners and need the forgiving, cleansing work of Christ. That Christ came to set the captive free, heal the brokenhearted, and that salvation includes physical, emotional, and spiritual healing and health.

  • Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious standard.”
  • Romans 5:12: “When Adam sinned, sin entered the entire human race. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.”

Final Judgment

We believe that the saved will be resurrected to eternal life and the unsaved shall be eternally lost.

  • Matthew 5:22: “But I say, if you are angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the high council. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.”
  • Matthew 18:9: “And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better to enter heaven half blind than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell.”
  • Matthew 23:29-33: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’ Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?”
  • Matthew 25:41-46: “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his demons! For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me anything to drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me no clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me. Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’ And he will answer, ‘I assure you, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’ And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”

Church Practices

Baptism

We believe in water baptism for all believers, which we practice by immersion in the name of the eternal Godhead, to fulfill Christ’s command.

Communion

We believe in the table of the Lord, commonly called communion or the Lord’s Supper, which believers are to regularly observe in remembrance of Christ’s death until He returns.

Sanctification

The Role of the Holy Spirit

We believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the infilling of the Holy Spirit, and the prayer of faith for divine healing by prayer and the laying on of hands, not to the exclusion of medical practitioners.

  • Hebrews 6:1-3: “Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits.”

The Universal Church

We believe that there is one true universal church composed of those who have trusted in Christ for salvation.

Government and Authority

We believe that the government is ordained of God and that the powers that be are ordained as ministers of God to us for good.