We believe that to preserve the function and integrity of LOVEM Ministries, Inc. as a Biblically sound body of believers and servants of Jesus Christ, and to provide a Biblical role model to the people of the world, it is imperative that all persons joined with LOVEM Ministries, Inc. in any capacity, or who serve as volunteers, agree to, and abide by this Statement of Faith and Practice. (Matthew 5:16; Philippians 2:14-16; 1 Thessalonians 5:22.)
One God in Three Persons (God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit)
There is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19; John 1:1-18; I Corinthians 8:6; II Corinthians 13:14)
Jesus is the Christ, conceived by the Holy Spirit and virgin born: the son of God, the one and only Savior, the Lord of all. (Matthew 1:20)
The Bible
The Bible, both Old and New Testaments, is the inspired and infallible Word of God. (Psalm 19:7-11; II Timothy 3:15-17; II Peter 1:20-21)
Man
Man was created in the image of God; he sinned, and thereby incurred, not only physical death, but also that spiritual death which is separation from God. All human beings are born with a sinful nature, and, in the case of those who reach moral responsibility, become sinners in thought, word, and deed. (Genesis 1:27, 3:6-24; Romans 3:23)
We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity. (Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31.) Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture nor the doctrines of LOVEM Ministries, Inc.
Salvation of the Repentant Person
Salvation is God’s gift for eternal life presented to all who, by faith, accept Jesus Christ as Savior and receive spiritual new birth by the Holy Spirit. (Romans 6:23; John 1:12-13)
We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. (Acts 3:19-21; Romans 10:9-10; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11.)
Christ sacrificially died on the cross and shed His blood for the atonement of sin. (Hebrews 2:17)
God raised Him (Christ) from the dead bodily. Then Christ ascended into Heaven, and He will visibly return in glory according to His promise. (Matthew 28:6; Acts 1:9-11; I Thessalonians 4:13-17)
Living Guided by God’s Precepts
The Spirit filled Christian life is possible only for those who continually yield their lives to the power and control of the indwelling Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 5:18; John 10:10)
We believe in the spiritual unity of the believers in our Lord Jesus Christ. (Psalms 13:1; Philippians 2:2; John 17:21)
Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality
God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. (Genesis 1:26-27.)
Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person.
We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture. (Genesis 2:18-25.) 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, which is any sexual activity outside of the marriage of one man to one woman as described above, is sinful and offensive to God. (Matthew15:18-20; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10.)
Sanctity of Life
We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life. (Psalm 139.)
Final Authority on Matters of Faith and Conduct
The statement of faith does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. The Bible itself, as the inspired and infallible Word of God that speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind, is the sole and final source of all that we believe. For purposes of LOVEM Ministries, Inc.’s faith, doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline, our board of directors is the final interpretive authority on the Bible’s meaning and application.
