STATEMENT OF FAITH

HowToLife Movement is a Christian, evangelical, and cross-denominational movement centered on Jesus Christ, grounded in Scripture, and committed to His Great Commission.

 

The Bible

 

We believe the Bible is the inspired, trustworthy, and authoritative Word of God. Scripture is our foundation for what we believe and how we live.

 

God

 

We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

 

Humanity and Sin

 

We believe every person is created by God and for God — made to know Him, belong to Him, reflect His character, and live in relationship with Him.

 

We believe all humanity has sinned, rejecting God’s good rule and choosing our own way.  Sin separates us from God, corrupts our hearts and desires, and leads ultimately to death and eternal separation from God.  We cannot restore ourselves to God through religion, good behavior, or our own effort.

 

Jesus Christ and the Gospel

 

We believe Jesus Christ is fully God and fully human.  We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, atoning death on the Cross for our sins, bodily resurrection, ascension to the Father, and His personal return in power and glory.

 

The Gospel is the Good News that Jesus is King.  Through His death and resurrection, Jesus has defeated sin and death, triumphed over the powers of darkness, and made the way for us to be forgiven, reconciled to God, and restored to life in relationship with Him.

 

Jesus is Savior, Lord, and King.

 

Our Response to Jesus

 

We believe salvation is God’s gift of grace and cannot be earned.

 

God calls us to respond to Jesus by turning from sin, putting our trust in Him and what He has done, surrendering our lives to Him as Lord, and following Him as King.

 

Through Christ, we are forgiven, reconciled to God, made new by the Holy Spirit, and brought into eternal life with Him.

 

The Holy Spirit

 

We believe the Holy Spirit gives new life and dwells within those who belong to Jesus.  He forms us into Christlikeness, empowers us to live in obedience to God, gives gifts to His people for the building up of Christ’s body and participation in His mission, and equips us to bear witness to Jesus.

 

Following Jesus

 

We believe Jesus calls His people to follow Him as disciples.  Followers of Jesus are called to trust Him, obey His Word, love God and others, and pursue holiness in every area of life – including honoring God’s biblical design for our bodies, relationships, marriage, and sexuality.  We are called to walk by the Spirit, make disciples, and live faithfully on mission wherever He sends us.

 

The Church and Christ’s Mission

 

We believe all who belong to Jesus are united as His body, the Church.  We believe followers of Jesus are called to meaningful life and fellowship within local expressions of Christ’s ekklesia – gathering for worship, the Lord’s Supper, Scripture, prayer, discipleship, service, and life together.

 

We believe the Church exists under the lordship of Jesus and participates in His mission in the world.  Christ calls His people to make disciples of all nations, and throughout the history of the Church He has raised up and sent people to pioneer, evangelize, make disciples, and strengthen His Church in new places.

 

Local churches, missionaries, and other expressions of Christian ministry should not exist in competition, but in faithful relationship under the authority of Christ and in service of His Kingdom and Great Commission.

 

Resurrection and the Kingdom to Come

 

We believe Jesus Christ will return personally and bodily.  We believe in the resurrection of the dead, final judgment, eternal life with God for those who belong to Christ, and the ultimate fulfillment of God’s Kingdom.