The IHACA Statement of Faith

(January 2000)

I BELIEVE, "that there is only one God, the Father who created everything, and we exist for Him. And there is only one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom God made everything and through whom we have been given life."1   "Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.  He existed before God made anything at all and is supreme over all creation."2   "There is salvation in no one else!  There is no other name in all of heaven for people to call on to save them."3  but, "Satan, the god of this evil world, has blinded the minds of those who don't believe, so that they are unable to see the glorious light of the good news that is shining upon them."4    However, "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.  He will not be presenting his own ideas; he will be telling you what he has heard."5   "All that the Father has is mine; this is what I mean when I say that the Spirit will reveal to you whatever he receives from me."6   "So if the Son sets you free, you will indeed be free."7   "For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and people.  He is the man Christ Jesus.  He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone."8   "....it is impossible to please God without faith.  Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely, seek him."9   

I BELIEVE, "God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them."10  "And God has given us the task of reconciling people to him."11   "What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons.  They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone.  A new life has begun!"12  "And even we Christians, although we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, also groan to be released from pain and suffering. We, too, wait anxiously for that day when God will give us our full rights as his children, including the new bodies he has promised us.  Now that we are saved, we eagerly look forward to this freedom."13   "For his Holy Spirit speaks to us deep in our hearts and tells us that we are God's children.  And since we are his children, we will share his treasures - for everything God gives to his Son, Christ, is ours, too.  But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering."14   "God saved you by his special favor when you believed.  And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God.  Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it."15  "He has broken down the wall of hostility that used to separate us."16  "Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death and our hostility toward each other was put to death."17  "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.  God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.  There is no judgment awaiting those who trust him.  But those who do not trust him have already been judged for not believing in the only Son of God."18   "Jesus replied, ÔI assure you, unless you are born again, you can never see the Kingdom of God'."19  "And God will open wide the gates of heaven for you to enter into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."20   "Those the Father has given me will come to me and I will never reject them."21  "For it is my Father's will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life - that I should raise them at the last day."22  "I assure you, anyone who believes in me already has eternal life."23  "I assure you, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life.  They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life."24

I BELIEVE,  "God created people in his own image; God patterned them after himself; male and female he created them.  God blessed them and told them, ÔMultiply and fill the earth.."25  "When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers - the moon and the stars you have set in place - what are mortals that you should think of us,..For you made us only a little lower than God, and you crowned us with glory and honor.  You put us in charge of everything you made,..."26   "...The Lord who stretched out the heavens, laid the foundations of the earth and formed the spirit within humans."27 God says,  "I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb."28  "Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex."  "You made all the delicate inner parts of my body. You watched me as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.  You saw me before I was born.  Every day of my life was recorded in your book.  How precious are your thoughts about me O God."29  "For we are God's masterpiece.  He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."30 

I BELIEVE, " ...each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband."31   "Since they are no longer two but one, let no one separate them, for God has joined them together."32  "Don't you know that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her?  For the Scriptures say, ÔThe two are united into one.'  But the person who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him."33  "Don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who lives in you and was given to you by God?  You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price.  So you must honor God with your body."34 

I BELIEVE,   "Children are a gift from the Lord."35   "Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged, parents are the pride of their children."36 "Jesus said, ÔLet the children come to me.  Don't stop them! For the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.'"37  "For they say, ÔYou have taught children and infants to give you praise.'"38 "Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes my Father who sent me."39   But "They have committed both adultery and murder - adultery by worshipping idols and murder by burning their children as sacrifices..."40   

I BELIEVE, we must, "Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to death; don't stand back and let them die.  Don't try to avoid responsibility by saying you didn't know about it.  For God knows all hearts, and he sees you.  He keeps watch over your soul, and he knows you knew!  And he will judge all people according to what they have done."41   "The Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples."  "These were his instructions to them: Ô The harvest is so great, but the workers are so few.  Pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest, and ask him to send out more workers for his fields.  Go now, and remember that I am sending you out as lambs among wolves'."42  "And I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy."43   "Anyone who puts his hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God."44   We "Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin,"45  "Don't hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve their pay."46  "Anyone who accepts your message is also accepting me.  And anyone who rejects you is rejecting me.  And anyone who rejects me is rejecting God who sent me."47     "If a town welcomes you, eat whatever is set before you and heal the sick.  As you heal them, say, ÔThe Kingdom of God is near you now.'"48  "The Lord proved their message was true by giving them power to do miraculous signs and wonders."49  (of healing) "The words of the wise bring healing."50

I BELIEVE, "To all who mourn in Israel he will give beauty for ashes, joy instead of mourning, praise instead of despair."51  "This is what the Lord Almighty says: Once again old men and women will walk Jerusalem's streets with a cane and sit together in the city squares.  And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls at play."52   "But don't rejoice just because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered as citizens of heaven."53   "... grow in the special favor and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."54   "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them."55   "So think clearly and exercise self-control.  Look forward to the special blessings that will come to you at the return of Jesus Christ."56   "O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding the truth from those who think themselves so wise and clever, and for revealing it to the childlike.  Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way."57

Scripture References 

1. 1 Corinthians 8:6

2. Colossians 1:15

3. Acts 4:12

4. 2 Corinthians 4:4

5. John 16:13

6. John 16:15

7. John 8:36

8. 1 Timothy 2:5 - 6b

9. Hebrews 11:6

10. 2 Corinthians 5:19

11. 2 Corinthians 5:18b

12. 2 Corinthians 5:17

13. Romans 8:23-24a

14. Romans 8:16 - 17

15. Ephesians 2:8 - 9

16. Ephesians 2:14b

17. Ephesians 2:16

18. John 3:16 - 18

19. John 3:3

20. 2 Peter 1:11

21. John 6:37

22. John 6:40

23. John 6:47

24. John 5:24

25. Genesis 1:27 - 28a

26. Psalm 8:3 - 4a; 5 - 6a

27. Zechariah 12:1

28. Jeremiah 1:5

29. Psalm 139:13 - 17

30. Ephesians 2:10

31. 1 Corinthians 7:2b

32. Matthew 19:6

33. 1 Corinthians 6:16 - 17

34. 1 Corinthians 6:19 - 20

35. Psalm 127:3a

36. Proverbs 17:6

37. Matthew 19:14

38. Matthew 21:16b

39. Mark 9:37

40. Ezekiel 23:37

41. Proverbs 24:11 - 12

42. Luke 10:1a, 2 - 3

43. Luke 9:62

44. Zechariah 4:10a

45. Luke 10:7b

46. Luke 10:16

47. Luke 10:9

48. Acts 4:30

49. Acts 14:3b

50. Proverbs 12:18b

51. Isaiah 61:3a

52. Zechariah 8:4 - 5

53. Luke 10:20

54. 2 Peter 3:18

55. Romans 8:28

56. 1 Peter 1:13

57. Luke 10:21