Statement of Faith
1. The Father - We believe in God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob, the God who is known as YHWH, and He is our Father. He is God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. He is First Person of the God Head, the Trinity - Three in One.(Genesis 1, Exodus, Matthew : , )
2. The Son - We Believe in the Son, Yeshua - Jesus the Christ - is our King and our Master. Jesus Christ, was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and 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. He is the Second Person of the Godhead, the Trinity - Three in One. He is Fully God and Fully Man. ( )
3. The Holy Spirit - We believe in the Holy Spirit, sometimes called the Holy Ghost, who is our Comforter, Adviser, and Convector (in as so much as leads to repentance and forgiveness of sins). He is the Third Person of the God Head, the Trinity - Three in One.
7. All that we do, we seek to do for His service. - We believe we are to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and love our neighbors as ourselves. Jesus told us that by our love for one another, we would be known as His disciples. Jesus left us with the task of making disciples of nations (tribes, tongues, nations, cultures, subcultures, ethnic groups), and we seek to follow the Early Churches example of devoting ourselves to the Apostles' teaching (Bible and Apostles' Creed), fellowship, communion, prayer, living simply while taking up our cross daily, and caring for those who have need.
Simple Statements on Other Subjects:
Reaching the Subcultures:
It is a long held mandate from the Old Testament (example: 1 Chronicles 16:24), and the NT (example: Matthew 28:19-20), and the Early Church Fathers (example: Confession of Saint Patrick) that the Gospel is for all Humanity. This would include every tribe, tongue, nation, culture, subculture, ethnic group, and any other cultural group past, present and future. At Nightwatch Underground Ministry, we excluded no one in sharing the Gospel, but our primary focus is the Subcultures because it is to them we are sent. This is based on Paul's explanation of becoming all things to all men, that by some means he might reach some.
Homosexuality:
It is understood in the Old Testament (Leviticus 18:22) and the New Testament (1 Corinthians 6:9-10), and among the early Church (), that homosexuality is a sin. This belief has been continued in the modern church (examples: 1978 SCOBA statements and SBC Resolution on Homesexuality - 1988). At Nightwatch Underground Ministry we stand in continuity with this belief, understanding that it like all sin is forgivable by God through the salvation offered in Jesus Christ, if one repents and turns from their wicked deeds. (This forgiveness holds true for all sexual sin.)
Universalism (all paths lead to God):
When Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life." (John 14:6), He meant it. His death and resurrection are a gift to all - a gift that must be accepted. If a gift is rejected, it is of no value to that person. Salvation (the repentance of sins and accepting of the gift) through Jesus Christ, is, as it has always been taught, the only method of redemption.
Thanks to the Apostles, Early Church Fathers, Lady Michaela of ChristianGoth.Com, GothMom Donna Sheehy of The Graverobbers Ministry, and the Admins (Wayno, Marcus, J David, Chris) at the Christian Goth Group for their examples and clarity on most of the above issues.
*1 The Apostles Creed, which much of the statement of faith is based around, is believed to have been written by the Apostles as a basic explanation of the faith between the years 33AD to 67AD. The exact date is unknown.
2. The Son - We Believe in the Son, Yeshua - Jesus the Christ - is our King and our Master. Jesus Christ, was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and 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. He is the Second Person of the Godhead, the Trinity - Three in One. He is Fully God and Fully Man. ( )
3. The Holy Spirit - We believe in the Holy Spirit, sometimes called the Holy Ghost, who is our Comforter, Adviser, and Convector (in as so much as leads to repentance and forgiveness of sins). He is the Third Person of the God Head, the Trinity - Three in One.
4.) The holy Church and The Communion of Saints - We believe in the holy Church, that is the body of Christ, those believers who believe the Gospel as presented by Jesus Christ and the Apostles, who are the called out ones. We believe in the Communion of Saints, those called out ones, disciples, who believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, both those living and dead. This solidarity of belief units us as one in the holy Church is what compels us to work inter-denominationally.
5.) The Forgiveness of Sins -
6.) The Resurrection of the Body and Everlasting Life -
7. All that we do, we seek to do for His service. - We believe we are to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and love our neighbors as ourselves. Jesus told us that by our love for one another, we would be known as His disciples. Jesus left us with the task of making disciples of nations (tribes, tongues, nations, cultures, subcultures, ethnic groups), and we seek to follow the Early Churches example of devoting ourselves to the Apostles' teaching (Bible and Apostles' Creed), fellowship, communion, prayer, living simply while taking up our cross daily, and caring for those who have need.
Simple Statements on Other Subjects:
Reaching the Subcultures:
It is a long held mandate from the Old Testament (example: 1 Chronicles 16:24), and the NT (example: Matthew 28:19-20), and the Early Church Fathers (example: Confession of Saint Patrick) that the Gospel is for all Humanity. This would include every tribe, tongue, nation, culture, subculture, ethnic group, and any other cultural group past, present and future. At Nightwatch Underground Ministry, we excluded no one in sharing the Gospel, but our primary focus is the Subcultures because it is to them we are sent. This is based on Paul's explanation of becoming all things to all men, that by some means he might reach some.
Homosexuality:
It is understood in the Old Testament (Leviticus 18:22) and the New Testament (1 Corinthians 6:9-10), and among the early Church (), that homosexuality is a sin. This belief has been continued in the modern church (examples: 1978 SCOBA statements and SBC Resolution on Homesexuality - 1988). At Nightwatch Underground Ministry we stand in continuity with this belief, understanding that it like all sin is forgivable by God through the salvation offered in Jesus Christ, if one repents and turns from their wicked deeds. (This forgiveness holds true for all sexual sin.)
Universalism (all paths lead to God):
When Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life." (John 14:6), He meant it. His death and resurrection are a gift to all - a gift that must be accepted. If a gift is rejected, it is of no value to that person. Salvation (the repentance of sins and accepting of the gift) through Jesus Christ, is, as it has always been taught, the only method of redemption.
Thanks to the Apostles, Early Church Fathers, Lady Michaela of ChristianGoth.Com, GothMom Donna Sheehy of The Graverobbers Ministry, and the Admins (Wayno, Marcus, J David, Chris) at the Christian Goth Group for their examples and clarity on most of the above issues.
*1 The Apostles Creed, which much of the statement of faith is based around, is believed to have been written by the Apostles as a basic explanation of the faith between the years 33AD to 67AD. The exact date is unknown.
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