Confession of Faith

Confession of Faith

Harvest’s Confession of Faith

  1. We believe there is only one living and true God (Deuteronomy 6:4; Jeremiah 10:10), the Creator of all things (Genesis 1:1; John 1:3), and that there are three Persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; Luke 3:21-22), and that these three are one true, eternal God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory (John 1:1; Hebrews 1:8, 10; Acts 5:3-4), although distinguished by their personal properties (Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14).
  2. We believe that the Holy Scriptures contained in the Old and New Testaments were breathed out by God (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21) to be the rule of faith and practice for all believers (Psalm 19:7-11, 119:11; Acts 17:11).
  3. We believe that God made all things for His own purpose (Proverbs 16:4; Isaiah 43:7); that all His works were known to Him from the beginning (Isaiah 25:1, 46:10; Acts 15:18), that He works all things after the counsel of His own will (Daniel 4:35; Romans 8:28; Ephesians 1:11, 3:11) His purpose will be established (Isaiah 46:10, 14:24; Psalm 33:11; Proverbs 19:21), and that His laws, principles and government are perfectly holy, just and good (Psalms 19:7-8, 97:2, 89:14, 45:6, 99:4; Romans 7:12).
  4. We believe that God created man in His own image, without sin (Genesis 1:26-27; Ecclesiastes 7:29), and that man fell from that happy state by transgressing the divine command (Genesis 3:1-6), and that in consequence of the first apostasy, all men, prior to regeneration, are fully depraved, destitute of holiness, unreconciled to God, and under condemnation (John 3:18; Romans 5:12-19; 1 Corinthians 15:21-22).
  5. We believe the Son of God has, by His incarnation (John 1:14) obedience (Romans 5:19; Philippians 2:8; Hebrews 5:8), sufferings (Hebrews 5:8, 13:12; 1 Peter 2:21, 4:1), blood (Hebrews 9:14, 22; 1 Peter 1:18-19; Revelation 1:5), death (Romans 5:10; 6:10; Colossians 1:22) and bodily resurrection (Acts 4:33; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8), made an adequate, unlimited atonement for sin (John 3:16; Romans 8:3; 1 John 2:2, 4:14), and that all who are saved are wholly indebted to the sovereign grace of God through His atonement (Ephesians 2:5, 8; Titus 2:11).
  6. We believe that such provision is made in the Gospel, that whoever will, may take of the water of life freely (Matthew 11:28; John 7:37-38), yet, that sinners will not come to Jesus Christ (Matthew 22:3; John 3:19, 5:40; Romans 3:11) except they are made willing by the special regenerating influences of God the Holy Spirit (John 1:13; 1 Corinthians 2:14).
  7. We believe, that for those who are appointed to eternal life (Acts 13:48; Romans 8:28-30, 33, 11:5, 7), who alone believe in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:11; Romans 11:7), there is no condemnation; but they will be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation (1 Peter 1:5; Romans 8:1).
  8. We believe the evidence of salvation is, in the sight of God, real piety (Luke 12:5; Romans 11:20; 2 Corinthians 5:11; Philippians 2:12-13; 1 Peter 1:17), and in the sight of man apparent piety (Luke 23:40; Acts 9:31; 2 Corinthians 7:1; Ephesians 5:21; James 2:24; 1 Peter 1:14-15), and that all who are in right standing with God have a right to the two divine ordinances: the Lord’s Table and Baptism (Matthew 28:19; Luke 22:17-19; 1 Corinthians 11:23-30; Romans 6:3-4).
  9. We believe that every local Church is autonomous and has the authority and responsibility from her Head (Ephesians 1:22, 4:15; Colossians 1:18) to administer censure upon members who walk disorderly in order that the testimony of Jesus Christ and the Church not be injured and that the doctrine of Christ be not blasphemed, and that it is not required to refer their decisions to any other earthly tribunal (Matthew 18:15-18; 1 Corinthians 5:1-5, 7, 9-13, 6:4).
  10. We believe in the forgiveness of sins (John 8:1-11; 1 John 1:9) and that the Church as Christ’s body is to be a community of forgiving people who model the Lord’s own heart of forgiveness to a lost world (Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13; Matthew 18:21-35).
  11. We believe that private and family prayer (Matthew 6:6, 14:23, 26:36; 1 Corinthians 7:5), the reading of the Scriptures (John 5:39; Acts 17:11; 1 Timothy 4:13), punctual attendance to the public worship of God and gathering together of His people (Nehemiah 8:1-8; Psalm 40:9-10; Matthew 18:20; Acts 2:42; 11:26; Ephesians 2:19-22; 1 Timothy 4:13; Hebrews 10:25), and special appointments for the purpose of corporate prayer (Acts 1:14, 2:42, 12:5; Colossians 4:2), Bible study (Acts 17:2, 11; Romans 15:4; 1 Timothy 4:13, 16, 5:17; 2 Timothy 3:16) and Christian fellowship (Acts 2:42; Philippians 2:1-2; Hebrews 10:25) are in accordance with the Scriptures, and are important privileges and duties of professed Christians (Hebrews 10:25; Acts 20:7), and that obedience is the best evidence we can give of genuine love for the Lord (Psalm 81:15; John 14:15, 21, 23-24, 15:10, 14; Romans 16:19; 2 Corinthians 10:5-6; 1 Peter 1:22). 
  12. We believe that, at the rapture of the Church, all believers of this present age shall be bodily resurrected and caught up into the clouds to meet with the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, 5:9-11; Revelation 4:1).
  13. We believe that, following a period of Tribulation (Jeremiah 30:7; Daniel 9:26-27; Matthew 24:24, 29; Mark 13:19; Revelation 7:17), the Lord Jesus Christ shall return to make war with His enemies (Zechariah 14:3-7; Matthew 24:29-30; Acts 1:11; Revelation 19:11-16), separate believers from unbelievers, consign the damned to Torments, and welcome the saved into His one-thousand-year earthly kingdom (Ezekiel 20:33-38; Matthew 13:37-43, 16:27, 24:31, 25:31-46).
  14. We believe that at the end of the kingdom age, the Lord will judge the reprobate living and dead before His great white throne and commit them to the eternal Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:11-15), while the saved of all the ages shall live with God in His eternal kingdom in a blessed state (Revelation 21:1-22:8).