What We Believe
SCRIPTURE
We believe the Old and New Testaments of the Bible are inspired by God and are the supreme and final authority of our faith.
ONE GOD AS FATHER, SON AND HOLY SPIRIT
We believe there is one true God as the eternal, almighty, perfect Being Who exists as three distinct Persons; Father, Son, Holy Spirit.
SINFUL HUMANITY
We believe the first man Adam sinned against God of which sin and death spread to every human. Human beings are born in sin and do sin in a radically corrupted state. Because of the descent into sin, all are condemned to everlasting destruction away from the presence of the Lord unless spiritually saved in forgiveness of sins. Humans are unable to spiritually save themselves.
SALVATION OF HUMANITY
We believe Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners through His crucifixion and resurrection. His sacrifice provided the required substitutionary atonement, purchase, propitiation, and cleansing for the sins of all who embrace Him. All who receive salvation do so by the Lord’s grace alone, through His work alone, through faith alone. His resurrection life is shared with all who believe in Him as Lord and Savior. All who receive the gift of salvation have the Holy Spirit. All who receive the gift of salvation inherit everlasting life in the Lord. Those who are spiritually saved cannot lose spiritual salvation. Spiritual salvation is everlasting spiritual life all the time and not temporal spiritual life at any time.
THE CHURCH
We believe the expansive church is composed of all who are saved in Christ. The local church body is composed of gathered and assembled Christians who are committed to one another in Christian love. The local church is the household of God, the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.
CHRISTIAN CONDUCT
We seek to outwork the inner life of Christ by the Spirit through New Covenant / New Testament revelation as the abiding standard of our Christian conduct.
HERMENEUTIC
We seek understanding of all Scripture (including the Old Testament) through the interpretational lens of the New Covenant / New Testament revelations of the Christian apostles, scribes, and prophets.
BAPTISM AND THE LORD’S SUPPER
We believe that baptism and the Lord’s Supper, neither of which is essential to salvation, are meant to be observed by believers.
ESCHATOLOGY
We acknowledge that biblical prophecy is mysterious and difficult to comprehend, especially in matters concerning end times. We do not hold to any one dogmatic system of eschatological theory. We emphasize God’s sovereignty and trust in His plans in all things. We recognize and look forward to the future coming of glorified Christ.
Our Teaching Method
Teaching the Bible verse by verse is the main sermon approach used at TLC3 the Living Church. We believe the Old and New Testaments of the Bible are inspired by God and are the supreme and final authority of our faith. The interpretative "lens" of the New Testament revelation governs interpretation and application of all scripture taught at TLC3.