Articles of Faith
(Creed)

6 January 2006 - 04 July 2016





Agape.Cloud Church

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it" Matthew 7:13 NIV

"And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained" Philippians 3:12-16

"Beware of the teachings" Matthew 16:12

1. I believe in a personal God, creator of heaven and earth.

2. I believe God has created man in His own image and has called him to be holy through obedience to His Commandments.

3. I believe that due to disobedience (sin), God placed a wall of separation between Himself and man, destining him to death.

4. I believe that by Grace, God reveals Himself through Scripture/Law written by the prophets, which is a hidden treasure, to save and reconcile man to Himself.

5. Even as man is being reconciled, this treasure is being assembled together by divine guidance to reveal God.

6. The books of the Bible are the closest canon that we have today that reveals who God is through His dealings with the people of Israel. Scripture is dynamically inspired and is infallible, in that it is not liable to fail in achieving its intended purpose. However, it is not inerrant. And the Gospel according to Luke is a more exact truth about Yeshua (Luke 1:1-4).

7. Yeshua of Nazareth is the epitome of that revelation in bodily form (the Word became flesh--incarnate), begotten of God, who was at one time one substance with Him but always subordinate and as a right arm to the Father (Isa53:1; Ps98:1), born to a virgin woman under the law (meaning, subject to the laws of nature and to the spirit of the Law of God as given through Moses and the Prophets).

8. He became Christ (Anointed One) meaning that the fullness of God came into Him without becoming one substance with the man yet both being one in purpose. Hence He could perform all the miracles that He did—so to speak, "by the finger of God" (Luke 11:20 NASB). The deity in Him is the Holy Spirit who did not cease to be God when He descended on Him and indwelt Him. The humanity in Him is the man Jesus who humbled Himself, emptying Himself of His divinity and taking the form of a man (exegesis of Philippians 2:7).

9. Christ Yeshua offered Himself as a fully human yet perfect human substitutionary sacrifice on our behalf to reconcile us with God when we ourselves were unable to meet the requirements of a righteous and just God. I believe only a kinsman (no doubt, one being led by God) can be a perfect sacrifice to redeem mankind, and thereby from the wrath of God. Yeshua, even though He is not the closest kinsman by virtue of His infilling by the Holy Spirit, He is close enough to redeem mankind because He too is man without being one substance with God and therefore could experience temptation and pain like any other man. He overcame all tests, trials and temptations and thereby rose from the dead as proof of success of justification of those who put their trust in Him.

10. The beginnings of Lord Yeshua were from eternity past (Micah 5:2). He is the firstborn of all creation (Colossians 1:15, Revelation 3:14). He is also the firstborn from the dead (Colossians 1:18). Therefore, the title "Son of God" is given to Him by virtue of His birth in eternity past as well as here on earth (Luke 1:35) and by virtue of His resurrection, which was possible because He kept Himself holy (Romans 1:1-4). He Himself being the resurrection (John 11:25), when He received back the Holy Spirit on the third day; He is seated today at the right hand side of God.

11. We are saved by grace, only through a faith that endures till the end and produces fruit during all seasons (i.e. during pain as well as gain). The fruit can be summarized into One Commandment: Loving our neighbour just as Christ loved us, where our heavenly Father Himself is our first and foremost neighbor, whom we should honor above everyone.

12. Through the witnesses, the Holy Spirit was “poured forth” on mankind beginning at Pentecost after Yeshua Christ sat at the right hand side of God (Acts 2:33 NASB). Upon believing in the Good News and being baptized in water, we receive the Holy Spirit by the Laying on of Hands and are consummated. We then receive a title to paradise. He indwells us in the form of the Living Word (John 6:63) effecting our regeneration. With the Holy Spirit equipping the ministers and the laity with the Word, the born-again ones are synergistically built and led through a life that is pleasing to God. That is, seeking and doing the Will/Commandment of God/Spirit/Word/Love by faith and thereby qualifying (sanctifying) for paradise (Colossians 1:21-23). Those who continue to NOT hear and do His bidding will grieve the Spirit and may reach a point when they will altogether quench Him (Ephesians 4:30; 1 Thessalonians 5:19-20). These will fall. That is, lose their salvation (Matthew 7:21-27; John 15:1-11; Hebrews 10:26-29; 6:4-8; Romans 11:17-24; etc).

13. At the outset, one must remember that we remain in this tent and are not translated to heaven after we are born again—justified or treated just as if we have never sinned, by grace through faith, which is a boastless work of belief (John 6:29) in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. "By one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy" (Hebrews 10:14). That is, we remain in this "tent" during a period of grace for the purpose of qualifying for heaven having got the title to it. But we need to "continue in faith" (Colossians 1:21-23). The faith that enabled us to believe at the time of being born again should manifest/show during the said grace period with works of love until we are entirely sanctified. When we commit sins of omission and commission we need to wash as it were our feet before we partake at the Lord’s Table, which is holy. "He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit" (John 13:10). As our feet are being washed, we are being forgiven of individual sins, since the last washing, unlike in baptism when we were washed as a total sinner. In this manner every time our feet are washed, we are being treated just as if we have never sinned. That is, we are being justified continually until Christ sees His reflection in us. As for who pays for this, it is that part of Christ's body that remains on earth. Water Baptism symbolized the complete cleansing that one received through identifying in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ when one is presented the Gospel (Good News). Feet-washing symbolizes the washing that one receives by the Word of God when it is ministered concerning any specific sin lingering in a person. In Bible phraseology this is the "washing of the water with the Word" (Ephesians 5:26). That part of Christ's body like Paul (Colossians 1:24; 2 Corinthians 4:10-12; Galatians 6:17; Philippians 2:17) will pay for it as long as it is not willful sin for which no more sacrifice for sins is left but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of fire (Hebrews 10:26-29).

14. Those who have committed willful sin have got their "garments spotted with the flesh"/world/devil. These need to be, as it were, "snatched out of the fire" like Joshua (Zechariah 3:1-8; Jude 23). Hence the “Precursor” to Fire Baptism!

15. The imputed righteousness that we got from Jesus' life and His death was SPENT in atoning for our sins—for wiping away "sins previously committed" (Romans 3:25; 2Peter 1:9). The reason being: if one has sinned only one lie, he has become guilty of breaking the whole law (James 2:10) and therefore deserving of the death penalty. Christ comes along and pays that highest price/penalty--death. Since Christ is not going to die again and again there is no more of righteousness of His left to credit into our account after we are born-again because all the righteousness was used up in paying for the death penalty—atonement. No doubt when we are born-again, an account is opened in heaven for us with a minimum balance. But this minimum balance is not the righteousness of Jesus Christ but our own "work of belief" (John 6:29; Rom4:5) in the work of Jesus Christ. This work of belief (faith in Jesus' work) is not something we can boast about (Eph2:8-9) and therefore is only minimum. In Biblical terminology where works are always likened to clothing, this minimum righteousness is “diaper righteousness.”

16. We need imparted righteousness after being born-again to "further clothe ourselves so that what is mortal will be swallowed up with life" (2 Corinthians 5:4 ESV). Imparted righteousness is simply the works that the Holy Spirit tells us to do or not to do. These are good works that the Bride of Jesus should adorn herself with (1 Timothy 2:9-10). In the final analysis, these righteous acts are the fine linen, bright and clean that the saints will wear (Revelation 19:8). He who does not have these wedding garments on, will be thrown into outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 22:13).

17. I believe the paradise will be partly on earth and partly in heaven (Luke 18:29)—the invisible realm. Those that went ahead of us are alive in us through Jesus Christ who began to indwell in each member of the Church beginning from the Day of Pentecost, two thousand years ago when the Father sent the Holy Spirit (Paraclete-the one who comes along side to be with and in a believer to help, comfort and counsel) to secure a corporate-bride/remnant/overcomers for Himself. Those that went ahead of us will receive their promise in and through us who still walk the earth, upon perfection of the whole body. (John 14; Heb 11:39-40)

18. Only those who rent their hearts are known by Gentle-God (Ps139:1,23-24; Rev3:20). [Some of] those whom He foreknew, He also predestined…; and [some of] these whom He predestined, He also called; and [some] these whom He called, He also justified; and [some of] these whom He justified, He also glorified (Rom8:29-30; Matt22:14). One must be called + chosen + faithful (Rev17:14) in order to be in the Bride.

19. Lord Yeshua the Christ is currently seated at the right hand of God but is already ruling the earth through His chosen servants that He puts in-charge of His entire household with a “Kingdom Now” mandate (Matt24:47; cf. Colossians 1:27). In the fullness of time, Lord Yeshua the Christ/Anointed-One/Messiah will Himself come in glory to take His rightful place on the throne. “Coming in glory” (Matthew 24:26-35) means coming corporately (1Thess4). But the Lord will have His own personal body apart from the corporate body. As the head/brain sheds forth its matter to form the whole nervous system in the body of a foetus, Christ "shed forth" (Acts 2:33 KJV) His Holy Spirit to all of us (members of His corporate body) while retaining His own personal Identity with His body and Spirit. 

20. The first resurrection is when we are born-again and grafted into Corporate Christ (vine) with eternal life. I believe in being transformed day-by-day from this humble state into conformity with the said body of His glory (Phil3:20-21) as the whole creation through a soft-paternalistic (decentralized) government is being reconstructed in every area where it has fallen due to sin.

21. I believe in a second resurrection of those who have done evil who will be cast into the lake of fire, a place reserved for Satan and his angels.



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