Life Gate Beliefs

“In the essentials - UNITY
  in the non-essentials -  LIBERTY
  and in all things CHARITY”
                                         St. Augustine

Our core beliefs are intended to be a basis of fellowship.  Within these ‘beliefs’ we desire to see all members of the family encouraged to develop their gifts and love one another in an atmosphere that is free of legalism and religious thinking. While peripheral doctrines and variances in interpretation will always be a source for disagreement, the following foundations of Life! are the source from which our teaching, ministry and unity flow:

• We believe that the Bible is God’s Word.  It is accurate, authoritative and applicable to our every day lives (2 Timothy 3:15-17, 2 Peter 1:16-21).

 

• We believe in one eternal God who is the Creator of all things.  He exists in three Persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.  He is totally loving, completely holy, and altogether good (Genesis 1:1, Isaiah 43:10-11, Matthew 28:18-20, John 17:11, 1 John 4:16).

 

• We believe that sin has separated each of us from God and His purpose for our lives (Isaiah 59:1-2, Romans 3:23-26, Romans 6:23).  And that the Lord Jesus Christ as both God and man is the only One who can reconcile us to God.  He lived a sinless and exemplary life, died on the cross in our place and rose again to prove His victory and empower us for life (Isaiah 53:4-6, John 1:1-14, John 14:6, Colossians 2:13-15, 1 Corinthians 15:20, 57).

 

• We believe that in order to receive forgiveness and the ‘new birth’ we must repent of our sins, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and submit to His will for our lives (John 3:3-7; 15-21, Acts 2:38, Romans 10:9-13, Ephesians 2:4-10, 1 John 1:9)

 

• We believe that the next step following our "new birth" is to be baptized in water as Jesus modeled for us in Matthew 3.  Baptism in water is an outward action indicating and expressing an inward work of new life in Christ.  It symbolizes old things passing away and all things becoming new. (2 Corinthians 5:17, Colossians 2:12, Acts 8:35-38, Galatians 3:26-27, Romans 6:4; 6b; 11). Click here for more on Baptism.

 

• We believe the Holy Spirit indwells and empowers believers to live the holy and fruitful lives God intends.  This is evidenced through 1) the expression of the Fruits of the Spirit as we abide in the Vine, 2) the gifts of the Spirit given to each Believer upon "new birth", 3) the infilling (or baptism) of the Holy Spirit including speaking in tongues, and 4) the five-fold ministry gifts Jesus gave to the church.  We honor the person and work of the Holy Spirit and desire to see each person's gifts and callings be identified, come to maturity, and utilized (Ephesians 4:3-16, Acts 1:1-8, Acts 2:4; 17; 18, Galatians 5:22-25, John 15:1-5).

 

• We believe in the power and significance of the Church and the necessity of believers to meet regularly as a gathering of the ekklesia and for fellowship, prayer and the ‘breaking of bread’ (Matthew 16:17-19, Acts 2:42-47, 1 Corinthians 11:23-34). 

 

• We believe that God has individually equipped us so that we can powerfully walk in His purpose and destiny for our lives.  The strands of our DNA include worship, intercession, fulfilling our roles as the ekklesia, the bride of Christ, and the Body.  It also embraces our service and love for the community, region and nation in which we live (John 4:23-24, Galatians 6:9-10, Ephesians 2:10).

 

• We believe that God has provided for healing of the body, spirit, and soul. He desires to bless, heal, and transform us so that we can live healthy and prosperous lives, bringing glory to Him and enabling us to bless and help others more effectively (Matthew 8:16-17, 1 Thessalonians 5:23, 3 John 2, 2 Corinthians 9:10-15).

 

• We believe in the Kingdom of God being manifest and readily available “in earth as it is in heaven”.  That we are in a most-humbling, yet authoritative position of being His “re-presentatives” and ambassadors, fully capable of hearing His voice and releasing life to its fullest capacity as He determines and communicates with us through His Word, His Spirit, His prophets, and His revelation. (Matthew 6:10; 18:18-20, John 10:27; 14:26, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Joel 2:28)

 

• We believe that our eternal destination of either heaven or hell is determined by our response to the Lord Jesus Christ (John 3:36, John 5:28-29, 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9, Revelation 20:11-15) and that He is coming back again as He promised (John 14:1-3, Acts 1:11, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

 

• We believe that Messiah Jesus “has broken down the middle wall of division between [Jew and Gentile]” (Ephesians 2:14) and within God’s ultimate wisdom and purpose He will bring Gentile, non-Jewish believers and Jewish believers together to create “One New Man”.  (Ephesians 2:14-15, Isaiah 43:19a NLT, 1 Corinthians 15:46, John 17:21-22, Romans 11:11, 24-26a).  Additionally, we honor God’s promises to the Jewish people as irrevocable and we DO NOT embrace or adhere to “replacement theology” which says the church has replaced Israel in God’s eyes and inherited its blessings while the Jews are cursed...........read more at Beliefs Continued...........