HOPE ANEW, its leadership and staff, do affirm and declare their belief in and the defense of the historic Christian faith as set forth in the following:
1. WE BELIEVE that the Bible, including both the Old and New Testaments, is the very Word of God, verbally inspired in all parts by the Holy Spirit and therefore without error in the original manuscripts, and that the Bible is the supreme and final authority in faith and conduct. Thus, we affirm the historic values and morals of the Bible in all areas of life.
WE REJECT, any teachings using human prophecy to supersede the Word of God. For example, some groups within Christendom profess to have prophets and apostles whose stature is greater than those who wrote the Bible. These groups claim that the teachings of their prophets and apostles are more valid than, and take precedence over, the Word of God. At Hope Anew, we believe this to be unbiblical teaching.
2. WE BELIEVE in one infinite God, eternally self-existing in three distinct Persons – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; the upholder of all things, distinct from and sovereign over the universe.
3. WE BELIEVE in the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the image of the invisible God, the eternal Word and unique Son of God; who, being conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, continues forever as both true God and true Man, one Person with two natures; who gave Himself in death upon the cross as a substitutionary sacrifice for the sin of the world; who arose from the dead in the same body in which He was crucified; in which body He ascended into Heaven, where He is now our High Priest, interceding for us.
4. WE BELIEVE in the Holy Spirit, who is the Third Person of the Godhead; who came forth from the Father and the Son to convict the world of sin and to regenerate and indwell those who believe; who was sent to seal, sanctify, guide, teach, and empower those who follow Christ, that they might truly worship and serve the Triune God.
5. WE BELIEVE that man was created in the image of God; that by willful disobedience to the revealed will of God, man in every part of his nature was corrupted by sin and thereby incurred, not only physical death, but also spiritual death, which is separation from God; that man became the progenitor of a fallen race, so that all human beings are born with a sinful nature and, in the case of those who reach moral responsibility, become sinners in thought, word, and deed; and that man is by himself utterly incapable of remedying his lost condition.
6. WE BELIEVE in salvation from sin by God’s grace; that salvation is the free gift of God received exclusively through personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; that all who trust in Him are granted forgiveness of sins on the ground of His shed blood, and that they are born spiritually and thereby become children of God.
7. WE BELIEVE in the creation and in God as the Creator. We believe that God created man and that He created them male and female. As such, He created them different so as to complement and complete each other. God instituted monogamous marriage between male and female as the foundation of the family and the basic structure of human society. For this reason, homosexuality, and all other “sexual preferences” and “orientations” are unnatural, sinful and unacceptable to God. Accordingly, this ministry will not condone or recognize such same-sex marriages, civil unions, or domestic partnerships even if the laws are passed that provide for recognition of such relationships. [Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-6; John 4:16-18; Romans 1:18-32; 1 Corinthians 5:11; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, 18-20; 1 Corinthians 7:1-3, 8-9; Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 5:3-7; 1 Timothy 1:9-11]
8. WE BELIEVE that the one true Church is composed of all who through saving faith in Christ have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit and are united together in the Body of Christ, of which He is the head; and that its mission is to witness concerning its Lord, preaching the gospel among all nations, baptizing and teaching those who believe.
9. WE REJECT THE FOLLOWING:
The teaching of “positive confession”. This is the doctrine put forth by the faith movement teachers, stating we as human beings can have unlimited health and wealth. The doctrine teaches if a person confesses health and wealth consistently, that is what they will have. Conversely, the Christian living in sickness, poverty or persecution is settling for less than his full inheritance in Christ.
Within the Hope Anew leadership, we observe that many believers, both in daily life, and of the Bible, are often afflicted. This is, we believe, not because their confession is wrong, but simply because believers live in a fallen, broken, hostile world. John 16:33, Matthew 16:24, 1 Peter 4:12-19
We believe the “health and prosperity doctrine” is an unbalanced perversion of Scripture and is often used to fleece the flock of God. We believe we must always submit to His perfect will, even in affliction. Man cannot command God to heal or provide.
WE REJECT: the over-emphasis of spiritual gifts and experiential signs and wonders, when it diminishes or excludes Biblical teaching.
10. WE BELIEVE in the personal and imminent return from heaven of Jesus Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords.
11. WE BELIEVE in the bodily resurrection and everlasting conscious fellowship in glory with Christ of all who are saved; and in the bodily resurrection, the final judgment, and the everlasting, conscious punishment of all who are finally impenitent.