AT HOPE ST PETE WE BELIEVE…
01: In the core of our convictions, we have unity.
“There is one body and one spirit…there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of us.” Ephesians 4:4-6
02: In matters less fundamental, we embrace freedom.
“Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters…Who are you to judge someone else‘s servant? To his own master he stands or falls…So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God…So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God.” Romans 14:1, 4, 12, 22
03: Throughout all our beliefs, love remains our guiding principle.
“…If I hold in my mind not only all human knowledge but the very secrets of God, and if I also have the absolute faith which can move mountains – but have no love, I amount to nothing at all.” 1 Corinthians 13:2
FOUR ESSENTIAL BELIEFS
At Hope we prioritize coming together on the fundamental beliefs that bind us, allowing each person the space for the Holy Spirit to guide on less critical matters, and, above all, making love a cornerstone in everything we believe and do.
THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD.
The sole basis for our belief is the Bible, which is uniquely and fully God-inspired, and inerrant when interpreted within the genre it is written. We believe the Bible is not a static record of what God is, but a dynamic, progressive, moving and inspirational accurate record of what people thought God was leading to the final revelation of God, in the risen Christ. See Proverbs 30:5; Romans 16:25-26; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21; and 2 Peter 1:20-21.
JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD.
Jesus Christ is God the Son, the second person of the Trinity. On earth, Jesus was one hundred percent God and one hundred percent man. He is the only man to have ever lived a sinless life. He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, performed miracles, died on the Cross for humankind and, thus, atoned for our sins through the shedding of His blood. He rose from the dead on the third day according to the scriptures, ascended to the right hand of the Father, and will return again in power and glory. See Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1,14; 20:28; Philippians 2:5-6; and 1 Timothy 2:5;3:16.
YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN
Humanity was created good and upright, but by voluntary transgression, it fell. Humanity’s only hope for redemption is in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. See Genesis 1:26-31; 3:1-7; and Romans 5:12-21.
We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ: His death, burial and resurrection. Salvation is a gift from God, not a result of our good works or of any human effort. See Romans 10:9,10; Acts 16:31; Galatians 2:16; 3:8; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5; and Hebrews 9:22.
BELIEVERS CAN BE SPIRIT FILLED AND SPIRIT LED.
Given at Pentecost, the baptism of the Holy Spirit is the promise of the Father. It was sent by Jesus after His ascension to empower the Church to preach the gospel throughout the whole earth. See Joel 2:28, 29; Matthew 3:11; Mark 16:17; and Acts 1:5; 2:1-4,17,38-39; 8:14-17; 10:38, 44-47; 11:15-17; 19:1-6.
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 lists of these gifts in the Bible 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. See Romans 1:11;12:4-8;I Corinthians 12:1-31;14:1-40; Ephesians 4:16; I Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy I:5-I6; Hebrews 2:4; and I Peter 4:10.