THE DOOR OF FAVOR THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
My open door to purpose and destiny
There is one God (Deuteronomy 6:4), who is infinitely perfect (Matthew 5:48), existing eternally in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). Jesus Christ is the true God and the true man (Philippians 2:6–11). He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary (Luke 1:34–38). He died upon the cross, the Just for the unjust (1 Peter 3:18), as a substitutionary sacrifice (Hebrews 2:9), and all who believe in Him are justified on the ground of His shed blood (Romans 5:9). He arose from the dead according to the Scriptures (Acts 2:23–24). He is now at the right hand of Majesty on high as our great High Priest (Hebrews 8:1). He will come again to establish His kingdom, righteousness and peace (Matthew 26:64)
The Holy Spirit is a divine person(John 14:15–18), sent to indwell, guide, teach, empower the believer(John 16:13; Acts 1:8), and convince the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment (John 16:7–11) .
The Old and New Testaments, inerrant as originally given, were verbally inspired by God and are a complete revelation of His will for the salvation of men. They constitute the divine and only rule of Christian faith and practice (2 Peter 1:20–21; 2 Timothy 3:15–16) .
Man was originally created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:27) : he fell through disobedience, incurring thereby both physical and spiritual death. All men are born with a sinful nature (Romans 3:23) , are separated from the life of God, and can be saved only through the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians15:20–23). The portion of the unrepentant and unbelieving is existence forever in conscious torment (Revelation 21:8); and that of the believer, in everlasting joy and bliss (Revelation 21:1–4).
Salvation has been provided through Jesus Christ for all men; and those who repent and believe in Him are born again of the Holy Spirit, receive the gift of eternal life, and become the children of God (Titus 3:4–7).
It is the will of God that each believer should be filled with the Holy Spirit and be sanctified wholly (1 Thessalonians 5:23), being separated from sin and the world and fully dedicated to the will of God, thereby receiving power for holy living and effective service (Acts 1:8). This is both a crisis and a progressive experience wrought in the life of the believer subsequent to conversion (Romans 6:1–14).
Provision is made in the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ for the healing of the mortal body (Matthew 8:16–17). Prayer for the sick and anointing with oil are taught in the Scriptures and are privileges for the Church in this present age (James 5:13–16).
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is manifested through a variety of spiritual gifts to build and sanctify the church, demonstrate the validity of the resurrection, and confirm the power of the Gospel. The Bible lists of these gifts are not necessarily exhaustive, and the gifts may occur in various combinations. All believers are commanded to earnestly desire the manifestation of the gifts in their lives. These gifts always operate in harmony with the Scriptures and should never be used in violation of Biblical parameters (Hebrews 2:4; Romans 1:11, 12 :4- 8; Ephesians 4:16; 2 Timothy 1:5-16, 4:14; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31, 14:1-40; 1 Peter 4:10).
The Church
The church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of Jesus' great commission. Every person who is born of the Spirit is an integral part of the church as a member of the body of believers. There is a spiritual unity of all believers in our Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:22, 2:19-22; Hebrews 12:23; John 17:11, 20-23).
Healing of the Sick
Healing of the sick is illustrated in the life and ministry of Jesus, and included in the commission of Jesus to His disciples. It is given as a sign which is to follow believers. It is also a part of Jesus' work on the Cross and one of the gifts of the Spirit (Psalm 103:2-3; Isaiah 53:5; Matthew 8:16-17; Mark 16:17-18; Acts 8:6-7; James 5:14-16; 1 Corinthians 12:9, 28; Romans 11:29).
God’s Will for Provision
It is the Father's will for believers to become whole, healthy and successful in all areas of life. But because of the fall, many may not receive the full benefits of God's will while on Earth. That fact, though, should never prevent all believers from seeking the full benefits of Christ's provision in order to better serve others.
Spiritual (John 3:3-11; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Romans 10:9-10).
Mental and Emotional (2 Timothy 1:7, 2:11; Philippians 4:7-8; Romans 12:2; Isaiah 26:3).
Physical (Isaiah 53:4-5; Matthew 8:17; 1 Peter 2:24).
Financial (Joshua 1:8; Malachi 3:10-11; Luke 6:38; 2 Corinthians 9:6-10; Deuteronomy 28:1-14; Psalm 34:10, 84:11; Philippians 4:19).
The Church consists of all those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, are redeemed through His blood, and are born again of the Holy Spirit. Christ is the Head of the Body, the Church (Ephesians 1:22–23), which has been commissioned by Him to go into all the world as a witness, preaching the gospel to all nations (Matthew 28:19–20) . The local church is a body of believers in Christ who are joined together for the worship of God, for edification through the Word of God, for prayer, fellowship, the proclamation of the gospel, and observance of the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper (Acts 2:41–47).
There shall be a bodily resurrection of the just and of the unjust; for the former, a resurrection unto life (1 Corinthians 15:20–23); for the latter, a resurrection unto judgment (John 5:28–29).
The second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is imminent (Hebrews 10:37) and will be personal, visible, and premillennial (Luke 21:27). This is the believer’s blessed hope and is a vital truth which is an incentive to holy living and faithful service (Titus 2:11–14).
Water Baptism
The ordinance of water baptism (Matt. 28:19, Acts 2:38) shall be administered by all established places of worship to all those who have repented of their sins and who have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ to the saving of their souls (Rom. 6:3-5; Col. 2:12).
The Lord’s Supper
The ordinance of the Lord’s Supper shall be observed annually by all established places of worship, as enjoined in the Scriptures (Luke 22:19, 20; 1 Cor. 11:23-26).
Foot Washing
The ordinance of shall be observed as seen fit by all established places of worship, as enjoined in the Scriptures (John 13:1-17; Luke 7:36-50).