What we believe

The Bible is the Word of God

- 2 Timothy 3:16 & 1 Thessalonians 2:13

God's Word is the only completely reliable and truthful authority and we accept the Bible as our manual for living. Our first question when faced with a decision is, "What does the Bible say?" We practice daily bible reading and Bible study, The Bible is the basis for all we believe.

Jesus is the Son of God

- John 14:6

Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, lived a sinless life on earth and voluntarily paid for our sin by dying on the cross as our substitute. This accomplished salvation for all who receive grace by trusting in Him alone. He rose from the dead and is the only mediator between God and us. He baptizes believers in the Holy Spirit and will return to earth to fulfill prophecy.

 

You must be born again

- 2 Corinthians 5:17 & Matthew 16:25

God created humans to have fellowship with Him, but we defied God by sinfully going our own way. As a result, we need God's saving grace to end our alienation from Him. Salvation comes only through God's grace - not human effort - and must be received personally by repentance and faith. In the end, everyone will experience bodily resurrection and final judgment. Only those who have given their lives to Christ Jesus will have eternal fellowship with God.

Believers can be Spirit-Filled and Spirit-Led

- Acts 1:8 & Ephesians 5:18

We believe the best way to live the Christian life is by God's power within us. Every believer can be filled with the Holy Spirit by simply asking. We seek to practice a daily dependence on God's Spirit to enable us to do what is right.

 

It's not what, it's who!

When it comes to belief, most people have some type of list. They rest sure in the list of beliefs, and that not a bad thing to do unless you are resting on the beliefs and not on the one who is the object of the belief. 

Resting on beliefs is so ...religious. 

Putting hope in God, that's a relationship.

Our heart is to bring people to a place where they have a firm grasp on "what they believe" and more importantly, "who they believe." That's the first place to start, the WHO of your belief. If you put your trust in Christ, then what He says makes sense. Simply because you believe Him. He is central and first and foremost. If He is Lord, then Our list of beliefs MUST start with HIM. It must be saturated with HIM...and but be central to HIM.

That makes everything else simple. Once Christ is established as supreme, as Lord, then when someone wants to know what we believe about _______(fill in the blank), we can safely say, "We believe Jesus." 

So, if we make Him Lord, then His Word is the final word. The best Word. So, when you look at our list...remember first...Jesus is Lord and everything else revolves around that fact!

So, as you look over this page of beliefs, recognize that every is central to Jesus Christ, and outside of Christ, we are hopeless.

 

It starts with Christ

  • WE BELIEVE...The Scriptures are Inspired by God and declare His design and plan for mankind.
  • WE BELIEVE...There is only One True God-revealed in three persons...Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (commonly known as the Trinity). 
  • WE BELIEVE...In the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. As God's son Jesus was both human and divine
  • WE BELIEVE...though originally good, Man Willingly Fell to Sin-ushering evil and death, both physical and spiritual, into the world. 
  • WE BELIEVE...Every Person Can Have Restored Fellowship with God Through 'Salvation' (accepting Christ's offer of forgiveness for sin).
  • WE BELIEVE...and practice two ordinances-(1)Water Baptism by Immersionafter repenting of one's sins and receiving Christ's gift of salvation, and (2) Holy Communion (the Lord's Supper) as a symbolic remembrance of Christ's suffering and death for our salvation. 
  • WE BELIEVE...the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is a Special Experience Following Salvationthat empowers believers for witnessing and effective service, just as it did in New Testament times. 
  • WE BELIEVE... The Initial Physical Evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is 'Speaking in Tongues,' as experienced on the Day of Pentecost and referenced throughout Acts and the Epistles. 
  • WE BELIEVE...Sanctification Initially Occurs at Salvation and is not only a declaration that a believer is holy, but also a progressive lifelong process of separating from evil as believers continually draw closer to God and become more Christlike. 
  • WE BELIEVE...The Church has a Mission to seek and save all who are lost in sinWe believe 'the Church' is the Body of Christ and consists of the people who, throughout time, have accepted God's offer of redemption (regardless of religious denomination) through the sacrificial death of His son Jesus Christ. 
  • WE BELIEVE...A Divinely Called and Scripturally Ordained Leadership Ministry Serves the Church. The Bible teaches that each of us under leadership must commit ourselves to reach others for Christ, to worship Him with other believers, and to build up or edify the body of believers–the Church.
  • WE BELIEVE...Divine Healing of the Sick is a Privilege for Christians Today and is provided for in Christ's atonement (His sacrificial death on the cross for our sins).
  • WE BELIEVE...in The Blessed Hope- When Jesus Raptures His Church Prior to His Return to Earth (the second coming). At this future moment in time all believers who have died will rise from their graves and will meet the Lord in the air, and Christians who are alive will be caught up with them, to be with the Lord forever.
  • WE BELIEVE...in The Millennial Reign of Christ when Jesus returns with His saints at His second coming and begins His benevolent rule over earth for 1,000 years. This millennial reign will bring the salvation of national Israel and the establishment of universal peace. 
  • WE BELIEVE...A Final Judgment Will Take Place for those who have rejected Christ. They will be judged for their sin and consigned to eternal punishment in a punishing lake of fire. 
  • WE BELIEVE...and look forward to the perfect New Heavens and a New Earththat Christ is preparing for all people, of all time, who have accepted Him. We will live and dwell with Him there forever following His millennial reign on Earth. 'And so shall we forever be with the Lord!' 

It ends with Christ

 

The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

John 10:10

 

 

I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said.

1 Corinthians 15: 3-4, NLT

 

 

 

About

Radiant Life is an Assemblies of God congregation launched in 2007. For twelve of those years, Radiant Life served God as a mobile church, and our motto was, "You can come if you can find us"... Find out why so many followed us every week, regardless of where we met.  Now, we have a permanent home on County Road 1 in Elkhart!

If you have any questions about Radiant Life, God, or the Bible please do not hesitate to contact us. We have friendly, knowledgeable people who really want to assist you. If they don't have the answers, they will walk with you through finding the right ones.