Statement of Doctrinal Beliefs

The Scriptures
We believe that the Scriptures, both the Old Covenant and the Brit Hadasha (New Covenant), are fully inspired and God’s complete and final revelation to man until the Messiah returns. We trust God’s Word to be infallible and authoritative in every category of knowledge to which they speak, including but not limited to faith, practice, science and history (Proverbs 30:5,6; Isaiah 40:7,8; Jeremiah 31:31; Matthew 5:18; John 10:35; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:19-21)
The Unity of God
John 1: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
We affirm the Shema: “Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is One.” (Deuteronomy 6:4) This Hebrew word for “one” implies compound unity. God is one but has manifested Himself in three separate and distinct persons referring to Himself in plural terms in the Hebrew text. Hence, we believe that God is a Triunity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is the creator of all things. He is infinite and perfect, eternally existing in three equal persons, each possessing the nature and perfections of deity, as well as the characteristics of person-ality (Genesis 1:26; Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 6:8; Isaiah 48:16; Matthew 28:19; John 6:27; Acts 5:3,4; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Hebrews 1:8).

The Father
We believe He is Father over all creation, and thus its sovereign ruler; Father of Israel, whom He has chosen as His unique people; Father of Messiah Yeshua, whom He sent into the world to redeem mankind and creation; and Father of all who trust in His gracious provision (Exodus 4:22; Matthew 3:17; John 1:12, 3:16; Acts 17:29; Galatians 3:26).
The Son
We believe that God the Son became flesh in the person of Yeshua of Nazareth, the promised Messiah of Israel, who was conceived of the Spirit of God and born of the Jewish virgin, Miriam (Mary). We believe in His full deity and full humanity, His sinless life, and His miracles (Isaiah 7:14, 9:6,7; Jeremiah 23:5,6; Micah 5:2; Luke 1:26-79; John 1:1,2,14-18). We believe that Messiah Yeshua died as the substitutionary sacrifice for man’s sin and that all who believe in Him are declared righteous on the basis of His shed blood alone. The Messiah’s substitutionary death was the price for our redemption and was foreshadowed in the Tenach in the slaying of the Passover Lamb, the sin and trespass offerings, and the sin offerings on Yom Kippur. We believe that Yeshua came not to destroy the Law and the Prophets but to fulfill them completely (Leviticus 16:15,16, 17:11; Psalm 22:16; Isaiah 53; Daniel 9:26; Matthew 5:17; Mark 10:45; John 19:30; Romans 3:21-26, 5:8,9; 2 Corinthians 5:14,21; 1 Peter 3:18). We believe that Messiah Yeshua arose from the dead bodily, ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He serves as our Great High Priest according to the priesthood of Melchizedek. As such, He is intercessor and advocate before the Father on behalf of all believers, and He will come again in glory with His authority from the Father to judge the living and the dead (Genesis 14:17-20; Psalm 110:4; Isaiah 11:1-5; Daniel 7:13,14; Zechariah 6:12,13; John 5:22, 27, Acts 1:9-11, 17:31; Romans 8:34; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Hebrews 7:1 – 8:2; 1 John 2:1).
The Holy Spirit
We believe the Ruach HaKodesh (The Holy Spirit) is a distinct entity. He possesses all the distinct attributes of deity and hence He is God. He does not call attention to Himself and is ever present to glorify and testify of Messiah Yeshua (Psalm 139:7; John 15:26, 16:13-15; 2 Corinthians 13:14). We believe that during the period of the Tenach, the Spirit of God was active in creating the world and gifting, empowering, and filling elected individuals for specific services to God (Genesis 1:2; Exodus 31:1-5; Numbers 27:18; Judges 6:34; Nehemiah 9:20). We believe the Spirit of God is active today convicting the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He regenerates, seals, and sets the believer apart to a holy life. At the moment of salvation, each believer is baptized (immersed) with the Spirit of God into the Body of Messiah and is permanently indwelt by the Spirit of God. Therefore, all believers are complete in Him and possess every spiritual blessing.
It is the privilege and responsibility of all believers to be constantly filled (controlled) by the Holy Spirit, thereby manifesting the fruit of the Spirit in their lives. Without the indwelling Spirit, no one can understand or discern spiritual truths (John 4:16,17, 16:7-11; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 2:10-16, 12:13; Galatians 5:16-18, 22, 23; Ephesians 1:13,14, 4:30, 5:18,19; 2 Thessalonians 2:13). We believe that at salvation the Holy Spirit imparts at least one spiritual gift to every believer for the purpose of edifying and equipping the Body of Messiah. The Holy Spirit imparts them to each believer as He determines. No one gift is assigned to all believers. The principal manifestation of the Holy Spirit is other-centered love. Spiritual gifts are a blessing to the believer in order to exercise that love for building up the Body of Messiah (John 13:35; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11,28-30, 13:1-3, 14:12; 1 Peter 4:8-10).

Man
Genesis 6:5:
And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
We believe that man was created in the image of God. Adam and Eve sinned and consequently experienced not only physical death but also spiritual death, which is the loss of God’s eternal life, resulting in separation from God. As a consequence of this sin the entire moral and intellectual nature of unredeemed mankind is corrupted (Genesis 6:5,12, 8:21). This sinful nature makes all human beings incapable of raising themselves to the holiness in which God had originally created them. Man’s state of sin so infected his will that he is morally unable to choose Gods’ provision of redemption in Messiah Yeshua without the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. The destiny of the unredeemed man is eternal destruction (2 Thessalonians 1:8,9). The only way to overcome this eternal separation from God is to put one’s trust in Yeshua as the sin-bearing Son of God (John 3:16, 1 John 5:1).
Salvation
John 3:3:
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Its Accomplishment
We believe that anyone who by faith trusts Messiah Yeshua as Redeemer and Lord and repents of his sin is immediately forgiven his sins and becomes a “new creation,” born from above. This salvation is not accomplished by any human effort or meritorious act; it is accomplished only by faith in the atoning sacrifice of Yeshua the Messiah, which faith is given by God to the believer as a gracious gift (Genesis 15:6; Leviticus 17:11; Deuteronomy 9:4-6; Habakkuk 2:4; John 1:12,13, John 3:3; Acts 2:37-39; Romans 1:16,17, 3:28, 8:9,15-17; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 1:7, 2:8,9,19; Titus 3:5).
Its Effect
The redemption of man leads to a New Birth. (John 3:3-6; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15). The result of our spiritual birth is that we become the righteousness of God in Messiah (2 Corinthians 5:21), we become partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4), our mind is renewed continually (Romans 12:2; Colossians 3:10) and our body becomes a dwelling place for God Spirit (Ezekiel 36:26, 27; 2 Corinthians 3:16; Romans 8:9). Although the regenerated believer still struggles with the power of sin through his flesh, he is free from the strongholds of the Adamic nature and the law of sin and death, and is securely “in Messiah” (Romans 5:17,18, 6:1-11; 7:15-8:2; Galatians 2:20; 1 John 1:8,9) We believe that all believers are kept eternally secure by the power of God through their new birth, the in-dwelling and sealing of the Holy Spirit, and the intercession of Messiah Yeshua (Numbers 16:47,48; John 10:28-30, 14:16-18; Romans 8:33-39; Ephesians 4:30; 1 Peter 1:23; 1 John 2:1).
Its Enablement
We believe that all believers, though forgiven, still struggle with sin while they are in this life. God, in His mercy and grace, has given the believer, through salvation, the ability to recognize his sin and a heart to confess and repent of it. God enables the believer to understand the Scriptures through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit also reminds the believer of his redeemed identity in Yeshua the Messiah (Numbers 15:37-41; Psalm 51:1-13; Jeremiah 31:33; John 14:26, 17:17; Romans 6:1-11, 7:15-21, 8:1,2, 9-16; 1 Corinthians 2:11-16; 1 John 1:8 – 2:2).
Body of Messiah
Colossians 1:18:
And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence
Its Membership
We believe that all believers in Messiah Yeshua are members of the universal Body (community of believers) and Bride of the Messiah. The Body of Messiah began at Shavuot (Pentecost) with the baptism of the Holy Spirit after the ascension of Messiah Yeshua. The membership of the Body is not based on any earthly organizational affiliation but is based on faith in Messiah.
This Body is distinct from Israel and is composed of both Jews and Gentiles made one in Messiah. These members are under the solemn duty to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of love with a pure heart (Exodus 19:12-17; Leviticus 25:17; Matthew 16:15-18; Luke 22:24-27; Acts 1:5, 2:14-36; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 6:1; Ephesians 2:11-18, 5:23-27; Colossians 1:18, 3:14,15).
Israel
Her Identity
We believe Israel is God’s special people, distinct from the Body of Messiah, chosen by Him to be a holy nation and a kingdom of priests, despite her national rejection of Yeshua the Messiah. God will purge Israel of unbelief during the Great Tribulation, the time of “Jacob’s trouble,” ultimately resulting in her corporate repentance and national acceptance of Yeshua as Messiah and Lord (Exodus 19:5,6; Isaiah 52:13 – 53:12; Jeremiah 30:7; Ezekiel 20:33-44; Zechariah 12:10, 13:8,9; Romans 9:4,5, 11:26,27).

Her Covenant
We believe the Abrahamic Covenant is an irrevocable, unconditional covenant given to the Jewish people. This covenant provides title to the land of Israel for the Jewish people, promises a descendant (the Messiah) who would come to redeem Israel, and blessing for the entire world through Israel and her Messiah. God will ultimately fulfill every aspect of the covenant in the Messianic Kingdom, both physical and spiritual. At that time, the Jewish people will know God personally through Messiah Yeshua and will possess the entire land of Israel according to its biblical boundaries (Genesis 12:1-3, 15:17-21; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Romans 11:25-29). We believe Israel’s covenant relationship with God does not render her automatic salvation. Therefore, it is the believer’s privilege and duty to communicate the good news of Messiah Yeshua to the Jewish people in a bold yet sensitive way. Israel, while beloved of God nationally, is in a state of national sin. For this reason, the Gospel must be brought to her (Genesis 12:3; Numbers 24:9; Jeremiah 31:35-37; Ezekiel 36:22-28; Matthew 3:7-9, 28:18-20; John 4:22; Acts 13:46; Romans 1:16).