First Apostolic Church is a Bible-based church. That means we seek to believe and practice what is explicitly taught in the Bible. Based on the Bible, we believe the following:
About the Bible
The Bible is the inspired Word of God. It is true in all that it teaches. As the flawless Word of God, it is our only authority for what we believe and how we live (2 Tim 3.15-17).
About God and Jesus Christ
There is only one God. The One God has revealed Himself to us as our Father, in His Son Jesus Christ, and through the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that is, the One God manifested in and through an authentic human life. To see Jesus is to see God. (Deut 6.4; John 14.9; Eph 4.4-6; Col 2.9; 1 Tim 3.16).
About Sin and Salvation
Everyone has sinned and needs salvation. Salvation comes by grace through faith based on the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ (Rom 3.23-25; 6.23; Eph 2.8-9).
About the Gospel and Conversion
The gospel is the good news that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose again. We express our belief in the gospel through our obedience to the gospel. We obey the gospel and apply it to our lives by repenting of our sins (death to sin), being baptized in water in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins (burial), and receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit (resurrection). This threefold experience is the consistent pattern of conversion in the early church (1 Cor 15.1-4; 2 Thes 1.8; 1 Pet 4.17; Mark 1.15; Acts 15.7; Rom 6.3-4; Acts 2.4, 37-39; 8.9-17; 10.1-48; 19.1-7).
About Christian Living
As Christians we are to love God and love others. We are to worship God joyfully and seek to live a life that is pleasing to him both inwardly and outwardly—in our thoughts, words, and actions. We are empowered to live a life pleasing to God through the Holy Spirit. As a Pentecostal church, we believe that the supernatural gifts of the Spirit are for the church today and are available to all Spirit-filled believers (Mark 12.28-31; 1 Cor 12.8-10; 2 Cor 7.1; Rom 8.13-14; Gal 5.19-26; Heb 12.14).
About the Future
Jesus Christ is coming again to catch away his church. In the end will be the final resurrection and the final judgment. The righteous will inherit eternal life, and the unrighteous eternal death (1 Thes 4.16-17; Rev 20.11-15).