“In essentials unity. In non-essentials liberty. In all things love.” ~ St. Augustine
Agape Community Church is rooted in the ancient, historic teachings of Christian orthodoxy as articulated in the Apostles Creed.
The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again; He ascended into heaven, He is seated at the right hand of the Father, and He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic (Universal) Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.
Amen
Our essential beliefs are intended to be the basis for fellowship. There will always be peripheral doctrines that committed Christians disagree upon, but the essential beliefs of Christianity are non-negotiable. Below is a list of ACC’s essential beliefs.
The Bible is the Inspired Word of God
The Old and New Testament are verbally inspired by God, the only written revelation from God to man. The Bible is infallible and the authoritative rule of faith and conduct for mankind.
We believe in the authority of the Scriptures as the true Word of God, written by men under divine inspiration having God as the author and salvation as its end (2 Timothy 3:15-16; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Peter 1:21).
Jesus: The God-Man
Jesus the Messiah (Christ) is the second person of the two-personal God. The eternal Son of God became man without ceasing to be God (John 1:1-14; Philippians 2:5-11). The Scripture declares His virgin birth (Matthew 1:18-23); His sinless life (Hebrews 7:26; 1 Peter 2:22; 1 John 3:4-5); His miracles (Acts 2:222; 10:37-38); His substitutionary death on the cross (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Corinthians 15:4); His bodily resurrection from the dead (Matthew 28:1-6; ! Corinthians 15:4); and His exaltation to the right hand of God the Father to now function as our High Priest, Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate (Acts 1:9-10; Hebrews 7:25, 9:24; Romans 8:34; 1 John 2:1-2). Jesus will come again to judge the living and the dead (1 Peter 4:5; Romans 14:9; 2 Timothy 4:1).
The Fall of Man
Man was created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26). However, by a voluntary act of the will, Adam and Eve disobeyed God (Genesis 3:6). That first sin had several repercussions. Man was excommunicated from the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:23), a curse was pronounced (Genesis 3:14-19), the process of physical death began (Genesis 2:17), and man died spiritually (Romans 15:12-19). Sin separated humankind from God and left man in a fallen (sinful) condition, separated from the life and love of God (Romans 3:23).
Eternal Security
We believe that all true Christ-followers are eternally secure through the Spirit’s power (John 6:37-40); 10:27-30; Romans 8:1, 28-39; 1 Corinthians 1:4-8; 1 Peter 1:5). We believe that it’s the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word, which clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion for the flesh (Romans 13:13; Galatians 5:13; Titus 2:11-14).
We believe sanctification is the progressive work of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life by which we are made partakers of God’s holiness, purifying the sinner from the pollution of sin.
Baptism in Water
The Scripture teaches that all who repent and believe in Christ are to be baptized by immersion (Matthew 28:19). Baptism is a public profession of faith in Christ. Baptism is symbolic of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. It’s a declaration to the world that we have died to sin and have been raised with Christ to walk in the newness of life (Romans 6:4).
The Covenant of Marriage
The Covenant of Marriage between a man and a woman is holy, sacred, and beautiful. We view marriage as God’s divine design of a sacred covenant (a supernatural bonding) between a man and a woman (Genesis 2:23-24; Matthew 5:31-32; 19:1-12; Ephesians 5:25-33). In our fallen and broken world, relation-ships are often fragile. Yet we believe that with the grace and power of God—along with the guidance of Scripture and a faithful community of believers—there is hope to have healthy marriages and to experience healing from past relationships.
According to Scripture, marriage reflects the relationship between Jesus and the Church. Just as Jesus lovingly and sacrificial gave His life for His bride, the Church, the husband plays the role of Jesus by giving his life for his wife. And the wife responds to the husband’s sacrificial, loving initiatives by trusting his leadership in her family’s life, just as the Church responds to Jesus by trusting His leadership.
The One True God
God is called by many different names in the Bible because of the different dimensions of His personality, but God is one (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 22:37). God is super-dimensional and eternally self-existent (John 8:54-59).
God is love, sovereign, omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. He is the creator of the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1-2). While God is one, He is also a tri-personal being known as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19).
God the Holy Spirit
We believe that God is sovereign in bestowing spiritual gifts. It is, however, the believer’s responsibility to attempt to develop his or her sovereignly given spiritual gift(s).
The baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs at conversion and is the placing of the believer into the Body of Christ. We also believe that particular spiritual gift(s) are neither essential, nor do they prove to the presence of the Holy Spirit, nor are they an indication of deep spiritual experience (1 Corinthians 12:7, 11; Ephesians 5:7-8).
We believe that God does hear and answer prayer, in accordance with His own will, for the sick and afflicted. We believe that it’s the privilege and responsibility of every believer to minister according to the gift(s) and grace of God that is given to them (Romans 12:1-8; 1 Corinthians 13; 1 Peter 4:10-11). The nine fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) are the by-product of a Spirit-filed life and are evidence of spiritual maturity.
The Rescuing (Salvation) of Man
The only means of salvation is Jesus the Messiah (Acts 4:12; John 14:6). He died on the cross to pay the penalty of our sins (1 Peter 2:24) and rose from the dead on the third day according to Scripture to infuse humanity with His resurrection life. He offers each of us a pardon for our sins (Hebrews 9:26; 1 John 4:9-10) and wants us to become beloved children of God (John 1:12). When we put our faith in Christ, it triggers a spiritual chain reaction.
We become the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). Our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life (Revelation 3:5). We become citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20-21). We are given eternal life (John 3:16). We are adopted and become children of God (Galatians 4:4-7). Our sins are forgiven and forgotten (Hebrews 8:12). We are credited with the righteousness of Christ (Romans 4:4-5). We are born again (John 3:3). God takes ownership of us (1 Corinthians 6:20). We receive an eternal inheritance (Ephesians 1:13-14; 1 Peter 1:3-5).
The evidence of salvation is twofold. The internal evidence is the direct witness of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:16). The external evidence is the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). We become new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17) and are transformed into the image of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18).
The Church and Her Mission
The Church is the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-27) and has a threefold purpose: to evangelize the world as His missionaries (Acts 1:8; Matthew 28:18-20; John 17:8), to worship God (1 Corinthians 12:13), and to equip God’s people for ministry (Ephesians 4:11-16; 1 Corinthians 12:28, 14:12).
Communion
The Lord’s Table consists of two elements: the bread and cup. These elements are symbolic of the body and blood of Christ. Communion is a memorial of Christ’s sufferings on the cross and a celebration of our salvation. It’s an opportunity for a believer to examine themselves and experience the forgiveness we possess in Christ.
Twoness of Redemption and Resistance
Our ethnicity simply describes us, but Christ defines us. For believers, redemption and resistance, like piety and protest, are inseparable. Scripture unites them and binds them as one. Our internal devotion and duty toward God (piety) and outward stand against systems that violate His laws (protest) demand inseparable commitment. Such godly and righteous behavior glorifies God and contributes to human flourishing.
No one is exempt from sin; we all need God’s grace. No one is “immune” to sin and all require “immunization” from sin. God invites us to practice theological humility and engage in the work of liberation from systems, structures, and self. We believe that repentance and faith are both sacred responsibilities as well as inseparable gifts.
“Since the essence of the Gospel is spiritual adoption that releases us from our prior state, anything contradicting that must be a lie about Christ and subversive of His finished work on the cross. Racism is completely opposite of the message of Christ” (Ronnie Floyd).
“We need churches that reflect the manifold wisdom of God in the joining together of those who may have nothing else in common but the image of God, the blood of Christ, and the unity in the Spirit” (Russell Moore).
“A new relationship with God immediately means a new relationship with neighbor” (Richard Haring).
The Final Judgement
There will be a final judgement in which the dead will be resurrected and judged according to their works (Matthew 25:31-46; Romans 2:1-9). Everyone whose name is not found in the Book of Life will be consigned to hell, along with the devil and his angels (Revelation 20:11-15). Those who se names are written int he Book of Life will be resurrected and stand at the judgement seat of Christ to be rewarded for their good deeds (1 Corinthians 4:5) and enjoy God in the new heaven and new earth for all eternity (Revelation 21:1-4).