Donate

Hope Haven’s Statement of Faith

We believe that the Holy Bible was written by Divine inspiration and that it is a record of God’s revelation of Himself to man. It is a book of Divine instruction.

We believe there is only one Living and True God and that the eternal God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each member of the Trinity has distinct personal attributes but is still one God.

  • God the Father:    He is fatherly in His attitude toward all people. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, omnipresent, omnipotent, and sovereign.
  • God the Son:     Jesus is the eternal Son of God. We believe He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. He was crucified, willingly shedding His blood for the redemption of mankind and forgiveness of sins to all who would receive the sacrifice. He was crucified, buried, and dead but on the third day, He arose from the grave with a glorified body, appeared to His disciples, ascended into Heaven, and is now exalted at the right hand of God. He is the One Mediator bringing reconciliation between God and mankind. He will return in power and glory to judge the world and complete His redemptive mission. He now dwells in all believers as the Living and Ever-Present LORD.
  • God the Holy Spirit:     The Holy Spirit is the Comforter, Intercessor, Strengthener, and Counselor. He illuminates people to understand truth, and He draws people to the Father. He convicts of sin, righteousness, and judgement. He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service.

We believe mankind was created in the image of God by a special act of God Himself. Mankind was created free of sin and innocent, but with free will.  By man’s choice, sin entered the world and humanity. Thus, the fall came by choosing to follow satan and his temptation. Redemption comes through receiving Christ as a free gift and believing in one’s heart that Jesus died for all sins through the shedding of His own blood, accepting salvation offered to “whosoever will”.

We believe in the new birth of a believer as a work of God’s grace whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus. It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sins to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the LORD Jesus Christ.

The Church is the universal Body of Christ. It consists of all true believers who are associated by their covenant in the faith and fellowship of the Gospel.  The various local churches are smaller entities of the universal body of true believers. The church operates under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and He raises up pastors and deacons or elders as leaders. The pastors are the shepherds of these individual flocks.

We believe in following the example of Christ in water baptism by immersion. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer’s faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Savior, as well as the believer’s death to sin, burial of the old life, and a resurrection to walk in the newness of life in Christ Jesus.

We believe in the Lord’s Supper as a symbolic act of obedience where members of the church commemorate and remember the death of Christ by partaking of the bread and fruit of the vine.

We believe that God ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. It is composed of people related to one another by marriage, blood, or adoption.  We affirm that God designed and defined marriage as the lifelong covenant relationship between one biological male and one biological female.

We believe that all human life is precious; that each human is a treasure to God. We believe that humans have been created in the image of God as biological male and biological female.  Every person has been fearfully and wonderfully made by God and should be afforded love, kindness, compassion, and dignity.This Statement of Faith does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs at Hope Haven of East Texas. The Bible itself, as the inspired and infallible Word of God that speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind, is the sole and final source of all that we believe. When meaning is in question, our Board of Directors is the final interpretive authority for the organization.