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THE WAY, THE TRUTH, THE LIFE

CHRISTIAN OUTREACH

Statement of Faith

We, The Way, The Truth and The Life Christian Outreach openly declare our Faith and thereby written this declaration of the church’s position on matters that pertain to the essentials of historical Christianity. The following is our Statement of Faith:

    1. We believe the Bible to be the inspired and only infallible, authoritative Word of God. Therefore, our ministry emphasizes the exposition of God’s Word from Genesis to Revelation, line upon line, precept upon precept.
      We believe the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments to be the full record of God’s self-disclosure to mankind. Different men, while writing according to their own styles and personalities, were supernaturally moved along by the Holy Spirit to record God’s very words, inerrant in the original writings. Therefore, those applying themselves to study its literal, historical-grammatical context can accurately understand God’s Word. Scripture is fully trustworthy as our final and sufficient authority for all of life (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21).

      2. We believe there is one God, eternally existent in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The Triune God

We believe in the one living and true God, eternally (John 17:3) existing in perfect unity as three equally and fully divine Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19–20). Each member of the Godhead, while executing distinct but complementary roles in redemptive history, has precisely the same nature, attributes, and being, and is equally worthy of the same glory and honor and obedience (John 1:1–4; Acts 5:3–4).

We believe God the Father created all things in six literal days for His glory according to His own will (Revelation 4:11), through His Son, Jesus Christ. He upholds all things by the Word of His power and grace, exercising sovereign headship over all creation, providence, and redemption (Colossians 1:17, Hebrews 1:3).

 

We believe that Jesus Christ, the eternal Son, moved by love in accordance with the will of the Father, took on human flesh (John 1:1, 14, 18). Conceived through the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit, He was born of the virgin Mary. He, being fully God and fully man (John 14:8–9), lived a sinless life and sacrificially shed His blood and died on the cross in our place accomplishing redemption for all who place their faith in Him. He arose visibly and bodily from the dead three days later and ascended into Heaven, where, at the Father’s right hand, He is now Head of His Body the Church, the only Savior and Mediator between God and man, and will return to earth in power and glory to consummate His redemptive mission (1 Timothy 3:16).

Statement of Fundamental Truth

The Father

The Father is God

That the Father is God is an essential teaching of the Scriptures. In the Gospels, Jesus frequently called God “My Father” (see John 20:17) and taught His disciples to pray to God using the words “our Father” (see Matthew 6:9). Likewise, the Apostle Paul speaks of “God our Father” in his letters to the churches (see 1 Corinthians 1:3; Philippians 4:20). Therefore, from the early Christians to present-day believers, Christians have held to the conviction that the Father is God.

The Father in the Old Testament

In the Old Testament the groundwork was laid for the revelation of the Trinity through the metaphor where God relates to His people as their father. In Deuteronomy, God is pictured as the Father who created His people (see Deuteronomy 32:6). The psalmist proclaimed that God is a Father to the fatherless (see Psalm 68:5). The Lord himself spoke of His fatherly relationship with His people in saying, “I am a Father to Israel…” (Jeremiah 31:9). Christians should be cautioned that these pictures of God as a father do not in any way imply that God is a man. Being Spirit, God is neither male nor female. The metaphor represents God’s committed relationship with His people and His caring authority over them.

Some might ask why the Old Testament’s teaching of God the Father was veiled. One answer is that God sought to embed the idea of His oneness in the minds of His people, as He said in Isaiah, “I am the Lord, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me” (45:5; see also Deuteronomy 6:4). This way God’s people were ready to properly understand the oneness of the Trinity. But the simplest answer is that God waited to reveal His triune nature at the proper time, namely at the incarnation of Jesus Christ.

The New Testament reveals that the Father is holy (see John 17:11), sovereign (see Matthew 11:25), all powerful (see Mark 14:36), full of love and wanting to forgive (see Luke 15:11–32), the source of all things (see Matthew 11:27; 1 Corinthians 8:6), and all knowing (see Matthew 6:4, 8). Jesus expressed the importance of having fellowship with the Father through His deep, personal relationship with Him. He was constantly praying to the Father and always sought to accomplish His will. The New Testament, therefore, reveals that the Father is indeed God and is worthy of our worship (see John 4:23–24).

In the New Testament, God revealed His triune nature to His people. The biblical authors attest to the divinity of the Father (Matthew 11:25), the Son (John 1:1), and the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:20–21). While the Son and the Spirit are distinct Persons from the Father, they are of the same substance as the Father. God, therefore, exists as one perfectly unified being subsisting of three inseparable, distinct, and wholly equal Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Scripture teaches that God the Father is the Father from eternity, from whom the Son is eternally begotten and from whom the Holy Spirit proceeds. The Father never existed without the Son or the Holy Spirit, nor did He exist before them (John 1:1–3; Genesis 1:1–2, 26). In their divinity, all three Persons of the Trinity are coequal and coeternal. Therefore, just as we can say that the Son and the Spirit are God, we can boldly proclaim that the Father is God!

Nearly two thousand years ago, Jesus asked the question, “What do you think of the Christ? Whose Son is He?” (Matthew 22:42). A person’s answer to that question can determine his or her eternal destiny.

The Apostle John declares Jesus’ preexistence in John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Jesus says He is “the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End” (Revelation 1:8). Jesus reigns eternally and exists before all things (Hebrews 1:8, Colossians 1:17).

Jesus did not become God—He always has been God (John 5:18) and is a Person of the Trinity. Referring to His deity, Jesus said, “Before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:58). The preexistence of Jesus Christ and the deity of Jesus Christ are inseparable. You cannot accept one and deny the other.

The word incarnation means “in flesh.” It denotes the act in which the Son of God took to Himself the nature of humanity through the Virgin Birth (see Matthew 1:23). John writes, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). In the Incarnation, God the Son became the God-man. Therefore, Christ was one person with two natures—divine and human (see John 1:1–18). To put it another way, Jesus was fully God and fully man. He always was God and nothing less, but He expressed this truth within the time and frame of human structure.

For Jesus to represent sinful humanity, He had to become a man. His Virgin Birth, which was essential for Him to be sinless, was prophesied long before it occurred (Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 9:6; Matthew 1:18, 23; Luke 1:34–35; and Galatians 4:4). Jesus shared in the human experience even to the point of death. However, unlike us, Jesus was without sin (see Hebrews 4:15).

The penalty for our sins is death (Romans 6:23). Jesus died in our place and paid our penalty (Matthew 20:28; John 10:17–18; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 3:18). Jesus’ death on the cross laid the foundation for a righteous God to pardon guilty and sinful people without compromising His righteousness in any way.

Jesus’ resurrection assures us of our future resurrection. Because of His victory over death, we have victory as well. Without the Resurrection, there would be no gospel message. Christ’s resurrection is proven through fulfilled prophecies, His empty tomb, and the appearances of the risen Christ (Matthew 28:5–8; John 20:27–28).

After His resurrection, Jesus visibly departed from His disciples into Heaven (Luke 24:51; Acts 1:9). His ascension and exaltation were necessary to complete the redemptive work of God (Mark 16:19; Philippians 2:9; Ephesians 1:20–21; Hebrews 1:3).

Jesus Christ will return to this earth and receive His church, the body of Christ, to Himself (John 14:1–4; Acts 1:11; Revelation 1:7).

The Holy Spirit is a Person of the Trinity. When Jesus ascended to the Father, He promised His disciples “another Helper,” the Holy Spirit (John 14:16–17). In Greek, the word another means, “another of the same kind.” Jesus promised a supernatural Helper just like Him.

The word for God is elohim, which indicates three or more (referring to the Trinity). The Holy Spirit was active at the time of creation (see Genesis 1:1–2). When God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness” (Genesis 1:26), He was addressing the other two Persons of the Trinity.

Some have wrongly thought of the Holy Spirit as more of an “it” than a “He,” but Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as “He” (John 16). The Holy Spirit has distinct functions in the lives of believers (John 14:17; 1 Corinthians 2:10–12; Acts 5:3–4). In the original language, the Holy Spirit is called the paraclete, which literally means, “One called alongside to help.”

Jesus tells us that the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin (John 16: 8–9) and convinces the world of righteousness and judgment (John 16:10–11). The Holy Spirit also restrains the sweeping spread of evil (2 Thessalonians 2:7). Before we were Christians, the Holy Spirit spoke to our hearts, showing us our need for salvation. He drew us to Christ and convicted us of sin (John 16:7–11).

When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit dwells within us. The Apostle Paul writes, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16).

 

The Holy Spirit regenerates us (Titus 3:4–7; John 3:5; 6:63); indwells us (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19); seals us (Ephesians 1:13–14); guides us (John 16:13; Romans 8:14); teaches us (John 14:26); helps us to pray (Romans 8:26–27); and empowers us (Acts 1:8).

The greatest unused power is the Holy Spirit of the Living God. Don’t neglect the power that God has given you—Himself—through the Holy Spirit.

The Bible clearly teaches that there is only one God (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 43:11; 44:6; 1 Corinthians 8:4; Ephesians 4:6; 1 Timothy 2:5). At the same time, the Bible plainly indicates a plurality within God’s nature, subsisting of three eternal and coequal Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, each the same in basic nature, but distinct in existence. Although the word Trinity does not appear in the Bible, the principle of the Trinity is a factual conclusion, reached by comparing and combining relevant scriptural truths.

The Trinity is one of the great mysteries of the Bible that cannot be fathomed by the finite mind. If God were small enough to figure out, He wouldn’t be big enough to worship. The Bible tells us that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, nor are His ways our ways (Isaiah 55:8–9). Though we will never fully understand the doctrine of the Trinity, there is no reasonable doubt that the Bible clearly teaches its truth.

The biblical authors affirm the Father’s divinity by teaching He is holy (John 17:11), sovereign (Matthew 11:25), all powerful (Mark 14:36), full of love and forgiveness (Luke 15:11–32), the source of all things (1 Corinthians 8:6), and is all-knowing (Matthew 6:8). Jesus confirmed this truth to His disciples when He referred to God as “My Father” (John 20:17) and taught them to pray to God using the words, “our Father” (Matthew 6:9).

The Bible ascribes the same attributes of God to His Son, Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:21–23; 28:18; Luke 5:20–24; John 1:1, 14; 8:58; 17:5; Hebrews 13:8). Jesus Christ is worshipped (Matthew 14:31–33; 28:9; Hebrews 1:6); He is called God (Isaiah 9:6; Matthew 1:21–23; John 1:1,14; 20:28); and He can forgive sins (Luke 5:20–24). The Bible ascribes these attributes to God alone.

The activities and characteristics of God are attributed to the Holy Spirit (Psalm 139:7–10; Luke 1:35; 11:13; John 14:26; Hebrews 9:14). The Holy Spirit is a Person (John 16:13–15; Romans 8:27; 1 Corinthians 2:10–13; 12:11); He is Creator (Genesis 1:2; Job 33:4); and He is called God (Acts 5:1–11).

For the above reasons and more, we are left with no other balanced, biblical conclusion than to believe that God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit exist as a Holy Trinity: the God of the Bible.

There is no question of the existence of the Trinity. We should want to know God, not as whom we think He should be, but simply as whom the Bible reveals Him to be.

Salvation
What Is Salvation?

God knew that humanity would sin and need to be reconciled to Him. At the heart of God’s plan to reconcile sinful humanity to Himself is the Mediator, Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2:5–6). Salvation is deliverance from the power and effects of sin. All have sinned (Romans 3:23), but we cannot save ourselves. The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ died for sinners (1 Timothy 1:15; Romans 5:6–8).

Process of Salvation: God’s Side

On the divine side of salvation, God sovereignly acts to secure salvation for sinners through:

    • Election: Through grace, God chose salvation in Christ for those whom He knew would accept Him (Ephesians 1:4–5). The Apostle Paul tells us, “For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn, with many brothers and sisters” (Romans 8:29 NLT).
    • Regeneration: God makes us alive through Christ, enabling us to be born again, and to experience a new birth (John 3:3). Without a new birth, we are “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1).
    • Justification: When God justifies us, He declares us guiltless before Him and places all of the righteousness of Christ to our credit. Justification represents both God’s forgiveness of our sins and the righteousness He has accounted to us (Romans 3:28; 5:1).
    • Adoption: Adoption means “the placing of a son.” God gives us the full rights of inheritance in His family as though we had been born into it (Galatians 4:4–5; Ephesians 1:5). As God’s children, we can be confident that He understands us, takes care of us, and will bless us.
    • Sanctification: When we become Christians, God sanctifies us, or sets us apart, practically, and permanently for Himself (2 Thessalonians 2:13). Through sanctification, we become more and more like Jesus Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit.

Just as there is a divine side of salvation, there is also a human side that shows itself through “free will”:

 

  • Faith and Belief: Acknowledging Jesus Christ not only in our heads, but also in our hearts (John 3:18, 36; 5:24; 6:47; Romans 10:9). Faith is a confiding trust. It involves our intellect, emotions, and will (Mark 4:16–17; Romans 10:9, 17; Ephesians 2:8–9; Hebrews 11:1, 6).
  • Acceptance: True faith and belief in Christ will ultimately lead to an acceptance and confession of Jesus Christ as Lord (Romans 10:9–10). The Apostle John confirmed this when he wrote, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12).
  • Repentance: This is a sincere and thorough change of mind and heart toward sin (Psalm 51:3; 2 Peter 3:9). We must not only turn from our sins, but we must also turn to God (Acts 3:19; 26:18; 1 Thessalonians 1:9).

God created us, and Christ purchased us so that we might know Him, walk with Him, and glorify Him (Ephesians 1:11–12). He also wants us to bear much fruit (John 15:8) as we invest our lives in service to Him (Matthew 16:24–26; Galatians 6:10).

We bear fruit by winning others to Christ; by helping them grow spiritually (Romans 1:13; Proverbs 11:30); by sharing our blessings with others (Philippians 4:17); by giving praise and thanks to God (Hebrews 13:15); and by living a changed life through our conduct and character (Galatians 5:22).

Some people think that because they have “prayed to receive Christ,” they can live as they please. But salvation brings about a changed life (2 Corinthians 5:17) and motivates believers to follow God’s purpose for their lives.

The Bible

What Is the Bible?

The Bible is a book of history, science, poetry, and human behavior. Most importantly, it is a love story that reveals the heart of God through the person of His Son, Jesus Christ.

The Bible Is Unique

The Bible was written over a period of fifteen hundred years by more than forty authors in three languages on three continents. Rather than contradicting one another, the writers maintained complete historical, moral, prophetical, and theological accuracy. They wrote with harmony and continuity, from Genesis to Revelation.

The Bible was written by people under the inspiration of God (2 Peter 1:20–21; 2 Timothy 3:16). In other words, God used the personalities and characteristics of each biblical author to bring forth His word.

Studying the Bible is an absolute must for Christians. The Bible instructs, “Study to show thyself approved unto God…” (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV). The systematic preaching of the Bible is impossible without the systematic study of the Bible. We are not to skim a few verses in our daily Bible reading, nor are we to study a passage only when we’re about to share it. We need to immerse ourselves daily in God’s Word, like the Bereans who searched the Scriptures daily (Acts 17:11).

To build a model airplane, we need to follow a set of instructions. Only then will the final product look like its counterpart on the box. In the same way, we need to follow God’s instruction manual for life, the Bible. Only then will our lives reflect Jesus Christ. The Bible says, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).

The Bible was “written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope” (Romans 15:4). We find hope through learning about God, His ways, and His plans for our lives. When we discover the promises of God, we recognize there is more to life than merely existing. We discover there is life beyond this life. Through the Bible, we obtain hope, encouragement, comfort, strength, wisdom, and much more. Best of all, we gain an understanding of how to know God personally and how to live for Him righteously.

To find our way through the dark, we need a flashlight. Only then can we see clearly and avoid stumbling. The psalmist described God’s Word as “a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). As we allow the Bible to direct our lives, we’ll keep from stumbling and falling. If you want to be wise, read the Bible. If you want to be safe, believe the Bible. If you want to be right, obey the Bible.

The Church/Assembly/Fellowship

The Value of Church

It is an absolute necessity to be involved in a church in order to walk with God and grow spiritually. The Bible instructs us to “consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together…” (Hebrews 10:24–25).

What Is Church?

In the New Testament, temple and synagogue are the only words that describe a building as a place of worship. Today’s church is not a building, but an assembly of people who make up the body of Christ (Colossians 1:24; Romans 16:5). The universal church consists of genuine Christian believers of all ages, both on earth and in Heaven. There won’t be any denominations in Heaven; there will only be believers!

Although we are all members of the universal church, the body of Christ, it’s very important for a Christian to identify with a body of believers in a local church. We need each other in order to develop fully as Christians (1 Corinthians 12:4–27) and to make disciples (Matthew 28:19).

What makes the church effective today is no different from what made the early church effective. It’s the Spirit of God working through the Word of God in the hearts of the people of God. Jesus told His disciples, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Only a Spirit-filled church can be an effective church. We simply need to ask God to empower us.

Ultimately, the purpose of the church is to know God intimately and make Him known. Through the Holy Spirit, the church accomplishes this in three ways.


First, the church is to exalt God (Ephesians 1:12).

Second, the church is to edify the saints (Colossians 1:28).

Third, the church is to evangelize the world (Mark 16:15).


WTLCO as a church in adhering to these purposes, while keeping them in their proper balance.

A healthy church is one that is a:

  • Worshipping church
  • Evangelizing church
  • Learning church
  • Loving church
  • We find the trademarks of a healthy church in the book of Acts: “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine, and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayer…and the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (2:42, 47).

Ordinances of the church are outward rites or symbolic observances commanded by Jesus, which set forth essential Christian truths.

WTLCO observe the ordinances of water baptism and Communion.

The Bible says that the head of the church is Jesus Christ Himself (Ephesians 1:22; 5:23). “Under His direction, the whole body [the church] is fitted together perfectly” (Ephesians 4:16 NLT).

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you…”—Jesus, Son of God

To do God’s work, we need God’s power. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is for all who believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, and who are children of God through Him (Acts 2:38–39).

The baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs when the Spirit of God comes upon a believer. The Holy Spirit fills the believer’s mind with a genuine understanding of truth, takes possession of the believer’s abilities, and imparts gifts that qualify the believer for service in the body of Christ.

When a person accepts Jesus Christ as his or her Savior and Lord, the Holy Spirit dwells inside him or her (John 14:15–17; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 12:13). But believers also need the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5–8).

The purpose of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is to empower believers for service, to witness, for spiritual warfare, and for boldness in their testimonies (Acts 1:8; 4:19–20, 29–31; 6:8–10; 1 Corinthians 2:4).

Jesus commanded the disciples not to begin the work to which He called them until they were baptized in the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:48–49; Acts 1:4, 8). When the apostles met other believers in Christ, they at once asked whether the believers had received the Holy Spirit. If not, they made sure they received Him (Acts 8:14–16; 19:1–5).

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is an absolute necessity in every Christian’s life for the service to which God has called us.

Jesus said, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Luke 11:13). God fulfills His promises in a variety of ways, and no two human beings are alike in how they receive spiritual things.
The New Testament tells us that some believers received the baptism of the Holy Spirit at the moment of their conversion, such as Cornelius and his family (Acts 10). Others, such as the believers in Ephesus, received it at a later time (Acts 19:1–5). We should never limit God by our own expectations. He is sovereign and will work in whatever way He chooses.

Children and Family

“Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them. And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, ‘Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me, but Him who sent Me.’”—Mark 9:36–37

Children Are the Ministers of the Future

WTLCO realize the future will one day be in our children’s hands. We want to do all we can to encourage and equip the children in our congregation to walk with God, both now and throughout their adulthood.

The Bible says that children are a heritage and a reward from the Lord (Psalm 127:3). God has given Christian parents the tremendous responsibility of raising their children in the ways of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). He entrusts parents with the responsibility of establishing a foundation built upon Jesus Christ early in the lives of their children.

Baby dedications are actually family dedications. The entire family needs to be lifted up in prayer so that family members will be empowered to keep their responsibilities.

The Bible gives us an example of dedicating a child to the Lord through the account of Hannah in 1 Samuel 1:11, 26–28. Unable to have children, Hannah wept before the Lord because of her condition. As she was weeping, she made a vow to God and said, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life…” (1 Samuel 1:11). God honored Hannah’s request and gave her a son, Samuel. Hannah kept her vow and dedicated (which means “to set apart”) Samuel to the Lord.

To dedicate a child to the Lord is to make a vow to submit your child completely to the will of God and raise that child in the ways of the Lord.

Parents who have not placed their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord will be unable to submit their children to God’s will and His ways, because they themselves do not know the ways of the Lord. As a result, we must decline any requests to involve an unbelieving parent in the dedication of a child. We view this as an act of protection rather than rejection, as we cannot encourage someone to make a vow to God that we know he or she cannot keep.

The Bible says, “It is a trap for a man to dedicate something rashly and only later to consider his vow” (Proverbs 20:25 NIV). The Bible records instances where God dealt severely with those who broke their vows to Him (for example, read Acts 5:1–11).

A believing parent may dedicate a child independently of an unbelieving spouse.

Christian parents are to do all they can to “set apart” their child to God until that child can make his or her own choice regarding a relationship with Jesus Christ. By dedicating a child to the Lord, parents make a vow to raise their child in God’s ways and not their own. They commit themselves to this promise and must do all they can to keep it. The responsibilities God has entrusted to Christian parents include continuously praying for their children (see Job 1:5), instructing them in the way of the Lord (Proverbs 22:6), setting a godly example (Proverbs 20:7), and disciplining them as Scripture commands (Proverbs 29:15, 17; 13:24). These responsibilities can only be fulfilled in Christ’s strength (Philippians 4:13).

Prayer.
What Is Prayer?

The greatest privilege a Christian has is the privilege of prayer. Not only is it a privilege, but it is also the responsibility of every believer. Jesus said that we “ought always to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1). Prayer is simply talking to God, letting our concerns and requests be made known to Him. When we pray, we admit our need for God and our utter dependence on Him. Only through a relationship with Jesus Christ do we have access to God (1 Timothy 2:5). We approach God in Jesus’ name, not our own. Prayer is not a means of trying to get from God what we want, but rather a means by which we enable God to give us what He wants.

Why Pray?

We’re to pray because God commands it (2 Chronicles 7:14; Luke 18:1). Through prayer, we receive things (James 4:2), experience fullness of joy (John 16:24), and find help in times of trouble. Prayer is the cure for worry (see Philippians 4:6) and also helps us resist temptation (Matthew 26:41).

We are to pray always (Ephesians 6:18). The Bible instructs us to “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

Types of Prayer.
Praise and Adoration

Through praise and adoration, we acknowledge God’s goodness. We must recognize that when we pray, we enter God’s presence (Matthew 6:9). As we reverence the Lord by communing with Him in prayer, our relationship with Him becomes more intimate and our love more tender.

Confession and Repentance

Confession and repentance are prerequisites for approaching God. The Bible assures us of forgiveness if we confess our sins to God. Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8).

We should continually thank God for what He has done for us. We’re to thank Him during the good times, as well as the bad times, “giving thanks always for all things…” (Ephesians 5:20). We’re also to make our requests to God “with thanksgiving” (Philippians 4:6).

We are to pray for our needs and ask God for help in our daily affairs. We must never think that our requests are too small or too big to bring before God. As Christians we are to pray about everything, being confident that God hears us, cares about us, and acts on our behalf.

Intercession means to pray on behalf of—and for—other people (1 Timothy 2:1). We’re to pray for our family, friends, leaders, our country, and whatever else God lays on our hearts. We are to pray for them as seriously as we pray for ourselves.

Neglecting to pray is a sin. Samuel said, “Far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you” (1 Samuel 12:23).

D. L. Moody summarized the necessity of prayer with this observation: “Jesus never taught His disciples how to preach, but only how to pray.”

Worship.
What Is Worship?

God created humanity with a capacity to know, love, and worship Him. Worship is that place where the heart of God and the heart of His child meet.

Oswald Chambers said, “Worship is giving God the best He has given you.” Worship carries the idea of showing reverence to God. It’s an active, adoring response whereby we declare His worth. To worship means to pay homage to God: “Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker” (Psalm 95:6).

Who Do We Worship?

Jesus said, “You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve” (Matthew 4:10). People are not worthy of worship, and neither are things. God alone deserves our worship.

We worship not to get something for ourselves, but because God is Lord and is worthy of our worship (Psalm 45:11). The Bible declares, “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power” (Revelation 4:11). We worship God because of the splendor of His being. He doesn’t need our worship, but He desires it—not for His benefit, but for ours.

“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). Worshipping in spirit means giving God the homage of an enlightened mind and an affectionate heart. Worshipping in truth is to worship God according to the truth He has revealed in His Word, the Bible.

Worship should not resemble a spectator sport where we sit and watch others play. Worship requires participation. We worship the Lord through our words of praise and exaltation of God, by giving thanks to God in all things, by blessing His name through living a godly life, and by sharing His love with others. Worship is a sacrifice: “Offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship” (Romans 12:1 NIV). We can make every day a worship experience when we yield ourselves to the Lord. God has created each of us with a mind, heart, and spirit. He wants us to use them for His glory. True worship is not lip service, but life service. It is to be as much a part of our lives as breathing and eating. Worship should be demonstrated in every area of our lives.

We express our worship as we read the Bible (Psalm 119), pray, give tithes and offerings, and offer praise through music. But the greatest demonstration of worship is through the lives we live.

True worship always magnifies God and our outlook toward Him. As God is magnified, everything else becomes insignificant. We begin to see beyond our circumstances and limitations, our fears diminish, and our spirits become refreshed.

Communion.
What Is Communion?

Communion, often called “The Lord’s Supper,” is a memorial in which Christians identify with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 10:16; 11:20). It’s a time for believers to remember the Lord’s broken body and His shed blood for all people (Luke 22:19–20).

Institution of Communion

Jesus Christ instituted Communion on the eve of His death when He ate the Passover meal with His disciples (Matthew 26:26–29; Mark 14:22–25; Luke 22:14–20; 1 Corinthians 11:23–25).

Bread and wine were once served for the Lord’s Supper. Today, many churches, including ours, use host and grape juice. The bread symbolizes Christ’s body, which was beaten and broken for us as He died for the sins of humanity. The cup of wine symbolizes His blood, which was shed for us as He paid for our sins (see John 10:17–18; Ephesians 1:7; Romans 5:8–9).

Anyone who participates in the Lord’s Supper must first be a believer. Jesus commanded His disciples to observe Communion (Matthew 26:26); therefore, a person must have placed his or her faith in Jesus Christ for salvation before taking part in Communion.

In addition to being believers, we must prepare our hearts to participate in the Lord’s Supper. Paul instructed believers not to “eat this bread or drink this cup in an unworthy manner…” (1 Corinthians 11:27).

Last, we must examine our lives for any unconfessed sin. Paul reminds us, “Let a man examine himself” (1 Corinthians 11:28) to avoid bringing judgment upon ourselves. As we become right with God through confessing our sins (1 John 1:9), we may then participate in the Lord’s Supper in a worthy manner.

Communion is a time to look back, remembering the Lord’s death on the cross. His death was more than just an atoning death—it was a substitutional death. Christ died in our place so that we might live. He took our sins upon Himself so that we can receive His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Communion is a time to look within, considering our lives in light of our profession of faith. As we enter into Communion, we are to thank Him for our salvation and the privilege of being His child.

Communion is a time to look ahead toward the second coming of Jesus Christ. Paul said we’re to “proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). The Lord’s Supper foreshadows the great marriage supper of the Lamb (see Revelation 19).

Giving, Tithing, and Stewardship.
What the Bible Says

The Bible contains more than two thousand verses on the subject of Christians and their money. Time and again, the Bible associates our money with our commitment and relationship to the Lord.

What Is Giving?

The word give has been defined as “to make a present of.” One of the many ways we can give to others is to give financially. Through giving, the early church helped one another and invested in what God was accomplishing. Sadly, the concept of giving has become distorted today. Yet our giving is vitally connected to who we are.

Giving is a spiritual sacrifice and an expression of love and gratitude, because everything we have comes from God (1 Chronicles 29:14). Some people say, “I can’t afford to give!” In reality, we can’t afford not to give. David said that he will not give to the Lord that which cost him nothing (2 Samuel 24:24). No matter what we give to God, what is left will always sustain us better than if we hadn’t given at all.

The way we give indicates a great deal about our spirituality. Our giving reveals our value system. Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). God does not ask us to give because He needs our resources. Rather, He challenges us to make Him the focus of our lives instead of our money and possessions.

Although the Apostle Paul never overemphasized the subject of giving, he never neglected its importance either. In 1 Corinthians 16:1–2, we find specific guidelines for giving: it is to be a universal practice for believers; it is to be done regularly; it is a personal act; and it is something we should be prepared to do. As we give, God will meet our needs and prosper us (2 Corinthians 9:6–10).

God promises to bless us if we have the right attitude toward giving (Luke 6:38; Proverbs 3:9–10). However, some people give with the wrong motives. They may give in an attempt to manipulate God, to relieve guilt, to increase self-worth, to achieve recognition, to obtain power, or to gain tax advantages. However, the Bible instructs us to “let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). The motives that God desires for our giving are to express our love to Him, please Him, lay up treasures in Heaven, and help reach the world for Jesus Christ.

A steward oversees the affairs and property of another person. Stewardship implies that everything we have belongs to God. Being a good steward means to manage our resources well and use them to glorify God.

Old Testament law required God’s people to give ten percent of their income, which could include flocks, herds, or crops. This ten percent was known as a tithe. In addition to the tithe, God’s people were required to give offerings to the Lord for the care of the temple and the salaries of the priests. In the days of Israel, tithing was not voluntary giving. It was demanded as a form of taxation.

Dr. J. B. Gabrell made this observation: “It is unthinkable from the standpoint of the cross that anyone would give less under grace than the Jews gave under law.” God makes an incredible promise to those who give to His work. He will “open for you the windows of Heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it” (Malachi 3:10–11).

Water Baptism.
What is Water Baptism?

Water baptism is not a personal choice, but a command for believers. Jesus established water baptism as an ordinance when He gave the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16).Water baptism is a public, outward testimony that indicates a personal, inward faith. It  gives evidence of the inner change that has already occurred in the believer’s life when he or she was “born again” through faith in Jesus Christ.

Baptism identifies the believer with the message of the gospel, the Person of Jesus Christ, and other believers. It associates the believer with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and signifies the believer’s death to the old life and his or her resurrection as a new creation in Christ (Romans 6:1–8; Colossians 2:12).

Why are We to be Baptized?

We are to be baptized because Jesus Christ commanded it (Matthew 28:19), and because we love the Lord. Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Throughout the Book of Acts, we read how the early church gave importance to water baptism (Acts 2:41; 8:12, 38; 9:18; 10:47–48; 16:15, 33; 19:3–5).

All born-again believers in Jesus Christ—and only believers—should be baptized (Mark 16:15–16; Acts 8:12, 36–38; 16:31–33; 18:8).

After Peter spoke at Pentecost, “those who gladly received his word were baptized” (Acts 2:41). In the New Testament, every instance in which a person was baptized and his or her identity was given, that person was an adult. In light of Scripture, infant baptism must be ruled out, because infants cannot receive the Word of God and

understand it. However, infants are to be dedicated to the Lord (1 Samuel 1:26–28).

Children may be baptized if they receive and understand God’s Word.

As part of the Great Commission, Jesus instructed the disciples to baptize “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19).

The Bible clearly teaches that we are saved by grace through faith and according to God’s mercy (Ephesians 2:8–9; Titus 3:5). The thief on the cross next to Jesus had no time to be baptized; yet Jesus promised that he would be with Him in Paradise that day (Luke 23:43). The Bible contains no record of Jesus baptizing anyone—a strange omission if baptism was essential for salvation. The Apostle Paul declared, “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel…” (1 Corinthians 1:17). This clearly indicates that salvation is a response of faith to the gospel—not the act of baptism. Therefore, water baptism is not an act of salvation, but an act of obedience.