We, the Success of Christ Church, subscribe to the following declaration of the things which are more surely believed among us:
1. The Word of God
The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the inspired Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16) presenting to us the complete revelation of His will for the salvation of men, and constituting the Divine and only rule of Christian faith and practice (2 Peter 1:2 1).
2. The Triune God
We believe that there is ONE living and Triune God, eternally existing in three persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; equal in power and in glory; and that this Triune God created, upholds and governs all.
Father, We believe God the Father is eternal, omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent. God is absolutely holy, righteous and just. His love and mercy were manifested in the atoning death of His only begotten Son on Calvary.
Son, We believe in the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, His sinless life, His miracles, His vicarious sufferings and atoning death through His shed blood, His bodily resurrection, His ascension to the right hand of the Father and His personal return in power and glory.
Holy Spirit, We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person; convicts the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment; is the supernatural agent of God in the regeneration of the lost; indwells in all believers, sealing them in the body of Christ unto the day of redemption; and is the divine teacher who guides believers into all truth.
3. Man, His Fall, Redemption and Salvation
Man is a created being, made in the likeness and the image of God, but through Adam’s transgression and fall, sin came into the world (Romans 5:12). “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3: 10). Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was manifested to undo the work of the devil, and gave His life and shed His blood to redeem and restore man to God (1 John 3:8).
Salvation is made possible through the meritorious work of Jesus Christ on the cross and through Holy Spirit conviction. Godly sorrow works repentance and makes possible the experience of the new birth, and Christ formed within us is the gift of eternal life (Titus 2:11; Romans 10:13-15; Luke 24:47; Titus 3:5-7).
Salvation is the gift of God to man, separate from works and the Law, and is made operative by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, producing works acceptable to God (Ephesians 2:8).
Man is a free moral agent and can at any time after the new birth experience turn away from God and die in a state of sin; with the consequences of hell to look forward to.
4. The Church and Ministry
The true Church, built upon the Foundation of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11; Ephesians 2:20), is the Body of our Lord (Romans 12:5; 1 Corinthians 12:27); Christ being the Head (Ephesians 1:22; Colossians 1:18). Its earthly constituents are all true believers, born again of the Spirit (John 3:6) and of the Word (I Peter 1:23), who are living an overcoming Christian life (Ephesians 5:27; Revelation 21:27).
To the Church, through its members, is delegated the various gifts and offices of the Holy Ghost (1 Corinthians 12:7-lI, 27, 28) which are necessary for the successful evangelization of the world and the perfecting of the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:7; Ephesians 4:11, 12).
This universal, invisible, sanctified Church is the chaste virgin Bride of Christ (2 Corinthians 1:1,2; Ephesians 5:26, 27; Revelation 21 :9b, 27). It is this Bride for whom Jesus Christ returns, just prior to the Great Tribulation, to catch her away and take her to heaven (John 14:23; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).
God, through the Holy Spirit, definitely calls such as He desires to serve as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, and specifically endues the one called with the talents and gifts peculiar to that office or offices (Ephesians 4:11-13). Under no circumstances should anyone be ordained or set apart to any such office unless the calling is distinct and evident.
5. Water Baptism
Baptism in water is by immersion, a direct commandment of our Lord (Matthew 28:19), and is for believers only. The ordinance is a symbol of the Christian’s identification with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection (Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12; Acts 8:36-39).
The following recommendation regarding the water baptism formula is adopted, “On the confession of your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God, and by His authority, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.”
6. The Baptism of the Holy Ghost
The Baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire (Matthew 3:11), is a gift from God, as promised by the Lord Jesus Christ to all believers in this dispensation, and is received subsequent to the new birth (John 14:16, 17; Acts 1:8; 2:4, 38, 39; 10:44-48). The Baptism of the Holy Ghost is accompanied by the speaking in other tongues as the Holy Spirit Himself gives utterance as the initial physical sign and evidence (Acts 2:4) and continuation of praying in tongue as spirit gives utterance .
7. The Lord’s Supper
The ordinance of the Lord’s Supper is a commandment of our Savior; and being a memorial to His death and resurrection, is strictly limited to Christian believers (1 Corinthians 11:27). The time and frequency of its observance is left to the discretion of each congregation (1 Corinthians 11:26).
Only unfermented grape juice, the fruit of the vine, as recommended by our Lord (Matthew 26:29; Mark 14:25; Luke 22:18) shall be used in connection therewith.
8. Foot Washing
Foot washing is recognized among many believers as a Christian practice, and the time, manner and frequency of its observance is left to the discretion of each local congregation (John 13).
9. Divine Healing
Healing is for the physical ills of the human body and is wrought by the power of God, through the prayer of faith, and by the laying on of hands and anointing oil (Mark 16:18; James 5:14, 15). It is provided for in the atonement of Christ and is available to all who truly believe.
10. The Resurrection of the Just
The Bible promises, “This same Jesus shall so come in like manner” (Acts 1:11). His coming is imminent; when He comes, “The dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17). Following the tribulation, He shall return to earth as King of kings and Lord of lords, and together with His saints, who shall be kings and priests, He shall reign a thousand years (Revelation 20:6).
11. Setting a Time for the Lord’s Return
It is unwise to teach that the Lord will come at some specified time, thereby setting a date for His appearing. It is also unwise to teach, preach or publish visions of numbers and dates which would tend to fix the time of the second coming of the Lord (Mark 13:32, 33).
12. The Coming of the Lord
We believe the Bible presents the coming of Christ as personal, imminent, pre-tribulation and pre-millennial. We further contend that this position alone admonishes watchfulness, incites holy living, prevents spiritual declension, and provides maximum incentive and motive for urgency and zeal in evangelizing the unsaved. As demonic deception and satanic darkness deepens, we urge our ministers to maintain and proclaim this doctrinal viewpoint as the “blessed hope” of the Church.
Furthermore, we recommend that should any of our preachers hold to the mid or post-tribulation doctrine, they refrain from preaching and teaching it. Should they persist in emphasizing this doctrine to the point of making it an issue, their standing in the fellowship will be seriously affected.
13. Hell and Eternal Retribution
The one who physically dies in his sins without Christ is hopelessly and eternally lost in the Lake of Fire, and therefore has no further opportunity of hearing the Gospel or for repentance (Hebrews 9:27). The Lake of Fire is literal (Revelation 19:20). The terms “eternal” and “everlasting” used in describing the duration of the punishment of the damned (Matthew 25:41-46) in the lake of fire, carry the same thought and meaning of endless existence, as used in denoting the duration of joy and ecstasy of saints in the presence of God.
14. Tithes
We recognize the scriptural duty of all our people, as well as ministers, to pay tithes as unto the Lord (Hebrews 7:8).
Tithes should be used for the support of the active ministry and for the propagation of the Gospel and work of the Lord in general and not given to charity or used for other purposes (Malachi 3:7-Il; Hebrews 7:2; 1 Corinthians 9:7-lI; 16:2).
15. Doctrinal Principles
We believe that the Core Doctrinal Principles of the Church consist of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17, Deuteronomy 5:7-21) and the following Seven Fundamental Doctrines described in Acts 2:38-42.
- Repentance
- Baptism by Immersion
- Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit
- Listening to the Word of God
- Fellowship with the Believers
- Breaking of Bread
- Prayer The teachings of Jesus Christ and the Apostles as seen in the
- New Testament also form the guiding principles of the Church.
16. Marriage and Divorce
We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as described in Scripture (Genesis 2:18-25, Malachi 2). We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other (1 Corinthians 6:18, 7:2-5, Hebrews 13:4). We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of sexual immorality (including, but not limited to, pre-marital sex, adultery, fornication, homosexual behaviour, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, transgender conduct or use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God (Matthew 15:18-20, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10).
We believe in the sanctity of marriage and that marriage should be between one man and one woman who are both believers. We believe that God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16). Divorce is contrary to the principles of marriage and its original institution by God, and was only allowed for the hardness of men’s hearts (Deuteronomy 24:1, Matthew 19:3-9). The members should refrain from divorce except due to such situations as described in Matthew 19:9.
Pastors/Ministers and the members of Success Chapel shall not perform same-sex weddings for members and non-members but will conduct wedding ceremonies for one man and one woman as biologically designed by birth.