LIVING WATER - THE CURE FOR THE THIRSTY SOUL
The woman was searching - even though she did not know that she was searching. She came from a meaningless background and happened upon a man that startled her, but also revealed the greatest of truths.
When the Samaritan woman came to the well in John 4, she did not expect a life change. In fact, this Jew was invading her territory. What started out as sheer inconvenience ultimately revealed to her the greatest of truths. "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4: 13-14 - NIV)
We have all needed a drink of that very water - the eternal life that is only found in Jesus. We are a group of believers who believe in the incarnation, death, resurrection and Lordship of Jesus Christ. He is the one who has saved us, and he is the one who reigns eternally.
It has been easy for most religious bodies to speak of what they do not believe in, or what they are against. We choose to affirm those things that we believe and have become convinced of. We invite you to continue reading below, as these basic truths will not only provide what we believe are biblical truths, but they will also provide insight into new testament Christianity.
If you are interested in additional study of the bible, we have multiple ways to help you understand God's plan for all of us. Contact us for more information.
THE WORD OF GOD
We believe the Bible came into existence through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and is God's verbal and complete revelation to man. As such, it was inerrant in its original documents and has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct. IlTim. 3:16-17;1IPet. 1:20 21
THE GODHEAD
We believe there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons, The Father and The Son and The Holy Spirit. These three are identical in nature, equal in power and glory, have precisely the same attributes and perfections, yet execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of providence and redemption. Deut. 6:4;11 Cor. 1 3:14
THE FATHER
We believe in God the Father, an infinite personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, justice, wisdom, power and love. We believe He acts mercifully in the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayers, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ. Eph. 1:3;Col. 1:3,11Pet. 1:17
THE SON
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit. We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles and teachings. We believe that He accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a propitiatory and substitionary sacrifice for our sins, and that our redemption is made sure through His bodily resurrection from the dead. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is now in heaven exalted at the right hand of the Father where, as our High Priest, He intercedes on our behalf. We believe in the imminent return of our Lord Jesus Christ and that the church is His established kingdom on earth. John 1:1,2; Luke 1:35; Rom. 3:24; I Pet. 1:3-5; Heb. 9:24; Heb. 7:25; Rom. 8:34; I John 2:1-2; I Thess. 4:13-18; Rev. 20:6
THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe that the Holy spirit, who came forth from the Father and the Son, convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every Christian, and is our present helper, teacher and guide. We believe that the Holy Spirit imparts spiritual gifts to Christians and thus equips them for effective ministry in the Body. We believe that it is the responsibility and privilege of every Christian to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit. John 15:26; John 16:8; Rom. 8-9; Eph. 1:13-14; John 14:26; John 16:13; I Cor. 12:7; Eph. 5:18
MAN'S CREATION AND FALL
We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but through sin became alienated from God, acquired a sin nature, and came under the judicial sentence of death. Gen. 1:25-26; Rom. 3:22-23; 5:12-21; Eph. 2:1-3, 12
SALVATION
We believe that all men are sinners and are, therefore, under condemnation and in need of a Savior. We believe that salvation is the gift of God offered to man by grace and received by faith in Jesus Christ as both Savior and Lord, and the genuine faith will manifest itself in works pleasing to God. Eph. 2:1-3; Eph. 2:8-10; Rom. 10:9,10
BAPTISM
We believe in water baptism by immersion as an act of obedience to Jesus' command, and as a picture of our union or sharing with Him, in the likeness of His death, burial and resurrection. Matt. 28:18-20; Rom. 6:1-4
THE CHURCH
We believe in both the universal and local church. The universal church, whose Head is Christ, is made up of all born-again persons. The local church (a portion of the body of Christ) is a group of believers who have organized for the purpose of glorifying God through carrying out His will and sharing His word in the world. Eph. 1:22-23; 5:23; Rev. 2-4
THE FINAL STATE
We believe that the condition and punishment of the lost and the salvation and blessedness of the saved are conscious and everlasting. Mark9:43-48; Rev. 20:10-15; 22:3-5,11
CONCLUSION
We believe that these truths are not just a sacred trust to be preserved and taught, but to be lived out in our daily lives as well. (Note: While the Bible teaches and we believe other doctrines, these are fundamental or foundational doctrines. Our commitment is, "In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty and in all things love.")
WHAT CHRISTIAN BAPTISM IS:
Christian baptism is immersion in water in submission to the authority of Jesus Christ. It is an act of obedience which commits one to a life of obedience. It illustrates our New Birth as a Christian. It is through this process that a person comes into contact with the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. Christian baptism symbolizes the washing away of sins and a new birth by which one becomes a new creature in Christ. It symbolizes the beginning of the new life. Christian baptism is the act which initiates the Christian into fellowship. Christian Baptism symbolizes the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus and also of the Christian, the new convert.
WHAT CHRISTIAN BAPTISM IS NOT:
It is not a guarantee of heaven. If there is not faith and repentance, water baptism is invalid.
WHY SHOULD A PERSON BE BAPTIZED?
We all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. (See Romans 3:23) God has chosen to use the act of Baptism to wash away our sins. (See Acts 22:16) To follow the example set by Jesus. (See Matthew 3:13-17)
WHY BE BAPTIZED BY IMMERSION?
Because Jesus was baptized that way. Every baptism in the New Testament was by immersion. In fact, there is no example of any conversion in the new testament where baptism by immersion was not the case.
WHO SHOULD BE BAPTIZED?
Every person who has faith in Christ:
At Levy, we wait until our children are old enough to believe and understand the true meaning of baptism before we baptize them. Some churches practice a "baptism of confirmation" for children. This ceremony is intended to be a covenant between the parents and God on behalf of the child. The parents promise to raise their child in the faith until the child is old enough to make his/her own personal confession of Christ. This custom began about 300 years after the Bible was completed.
This is different from the baptism talked about in the Bible which is only for those old enough to believe. The purpose is to publicly confess your personal commitment to Christ. At Levy, it is a membership requirement that every member must have been baptized the way Jesus demonstrated, even though some might have been "confirmed" as children. (Please note, we are not saying that a believer must be baptized at Levy, just that they have been baptized according to scripture sometime in their past.)
WHEN SHOULD I BE BAPTIZED?
The road to baptism is a simple process. It is so simple in fact that many have attempted to make it more difficult than it really is. As soon as you have believed, repentance is a natural step for those moving toward baptism - the understanding of your own sinfulness and your willingness to change. That repentant heart drives those believers to confess Jesus as their savior in front of witnesses and be baptized as an identification of your commitment and "death" of your old self to sin. One must not be a bible scholar to be baptized. One must not be perfect. In fact, if you wait until you are perfect you'll never feel good enough.
We would love to discuss baptism and the joy of christian life with you. Please feel free to contact any of our ministers at 753-4860, or visit one of our assemblies. Any of our members are willing to discuss God's plan for your life and for eternity.
