TENETS OF FAITH - His Heart Tabernacle

Tenets of Faith

His Heart Tabernacle 4721 Delbrook Road Mechanicsburg, PA 17050

AS OUR BASIS OF FELLOWSHIP, WE BELIEVE AND HOLD TRUE TO THE FOLLOWING BIBLICAL DOCTRINES:

THE SCRIPTURES INSPIRED – The Holy Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, are the inspired Word of God revealing God to man. They constitute the only Divine, infallible, authoritative rule of faith and conduct for the true believer. (2 Tim. 3:15-17; 1 Thes. 2:13; 2 Peter 1:21)
THE GODHEAD – The one true God is a Trinity in unity, manifesting himself in three persons; the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. He has revealed himself as the eternally self-existent “I AM”, the Creator of heaven and earth and the Redeemer of mankind. (Deut. 6:4; Is. 43:10,11; Mat. 28:19; Luke 3:22)
- The Father is greater than all, the source of the Word and the Begetter. (Ex. 3:14; John 14:28; 16:28; 1:14)
- The Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. The Scriptures affirm and declare:
  - He is the only Begotten Son of God (John 3:16)
  - His virgin birth (Mat. 1:23; Luke 1:31,35)
  - His miracles (Acts 2:22; 10:38)
  - His substitutionary work on the cross (1 Cor. 15:3; 2 Cor. 5:21)
  - His bodily resurrection from the dead (Mat. 28:6: Luke 24:39; 1 Cor. 15:4)
  - His exaltation to the right hand of God the father (Acts 1:9,11; 2:33; Phil. 2:9-11; Heb. 1:3)
- The Holy Spirit is a Divine Person, Executive of the Godhead on earth, the Comforter sent by the Lord Jesus Christ to indwell, guide and teach the believer and to convince the world of sin, righteousness and of judgment. (John 16:7-15)
THE FALL OF MAN – Man is a created being, made in the image and likeness of God. However, through Adam’s transgression and fall, sin came into the world and man incurred not only physical death but also spiritual death, which is separation from God. (Gen. 1:26,27; 2:17; 3:6; Romans 5:12-19)

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God of God” (Romans 3:23) “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one”(Romans 3:10)
THE SALVATION OF MAN – Man’s only hope of redemption is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God. Salvation is received through repentance towards God and faith towards the Lord Jesus Christ. Only through regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, being Born Again, is man justified by grace through faith and becomes an heir of God according to the hope of eternal life. (Luke 24:47; John 3:3; Romans 10:13-15; Eph. 2:8; Titus 2:11) The inward evidence of salvation is the direct witness of the Spirit. (Romans 8:16) The outward evidence of salvation to all men is a life of righteousness and true holiness (Eph. 4:24; Titus 2:12)
THE CHURCH – The true Church is the body of the Lord Jesus Christ (Col. 1:18; Eph. 4:14), with Him being the Head. The body of Christ consists of all true believers, born again by the Spirit (John 3:3-8) and by the Word (1 Peter 1:23). Delegated to the Church are various gifts and offices of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:7-11,27,28) necessary for the successful completion of Christ’s Great Commission to the Church.
WATER BAPTISM – Baptism in water is by immersion and is a direct commandment of the Lord Jesus Christ for believers only (Mat. 28:19). The ordinance is a symbol of the Christian’s identification with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. (Romans 6:4; Col. 2:12; Acts 8:36-39)
HOLY COMMUNION – The Lord’s Supper, consisting of the elements (the bread and the fruit of the vine) is a commandment of our Savior and is a symbol expressing our sharing the divine nature of the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:4); a memorial of His suffering and death and prophecy of His second coming (1 Cor. 11:26); and is strictly limited to Christian believers. (1 Cor. 11:27)
BAPTISM IN THE HOLY GHOST – All believers are entitled to and should expect and seek the Baptism in the Holy Ghost and fire (Mat. 3:11). It is a gift of God as promised by the Lord Jesus Christ to all believers in this dispensation. This was the normal experience of all in the early Christian Church. With it comes the endowment of power for life and service and the bestowment of the gifts for their use in the work of the ministry. (Luke 24:29; Acts 1:4,8: 1 Cor. 12:1-31)

This experience is distinct from, and subsequent to, the experience of the new birth (Acts 8:12-17; 10:44-46: 11:14-16; 15:7-9). The Baptism in the Holy Ghost is accompanied with the speaking in other tongues as the Holy Spirit Himself gives utterance, which acts as the initial physical sign and evidence Acts 2:4). With the Baptism in the Holy Ghost come such experiences as an overflowing fullness of the Spirit (John 7:37-39; Acts 4:8), a deepened reverence for God (Acts 2:43; Heb. 12:28), an intensified consecration to God and dedication to His work (Acts 2:42) and a more fervent love for Christ, for His Word and for the lost. (Mark 16:20)
SPIRITUAL GIFTS – The Holy Spirit is manifested through spiritual gifts given to true believers (1 Cor. 12:7-11). The manifestations of the Holy Spirit are intended for the exhortment and sanctification of the Church and include:
- The Word of Wisdom
- The Word of Knowledge
- The Gift of Faith
- Gifts of Healing
- Miracles
- Prophecy
- Discerning of Spirits
- Kinds of Tongues
- Interpretation of Tongues

SANCTIFICATION – Sanctification is an act of separation from that which is evil and dedication unto God. The doctrine of sanctification is a definite, yet progressive work of grace commencing at the time of regeneration and continuing until the consummation of salvation. (Romans 12:1,2; 1 Thes. 5:23; 2 Thes. 2:13; Heb. 13:12; 1 Peter 1:2; Eph. 5:26; 1 Cor. 6:11; John 17:17;)
DIVINE HEALING – Divine healing is an integral part of the Gospel. Deliverance from sickness is provided for in the Atonement and is the privilege available to all true believers. (Is. 53:4,5; Mat. 8:16,17; James 5:14-16)
THE BLESSED HOPE – The resurrection of those who have fallen asleep in Christ and their translation together with those who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord is the imminent and blessed hope of the Church. (1 Thes. 4:16,17; Romans 8:23; Titus 2:13; 1 Cor. 15:51,52)
THE MILLENNIAL REIGN OF CHRIST – The second coming of Christ includes the rapture of the saints, which is the blessed hope, followed by the visible return of Christ with His saints to reign on earth for one thousand years (Zech. 14;5; Mat. 24:27,30; Rev. 1:7; 19:11-14; 20:1-6). This millennial reign will bring the salvation of the nation of Israel (Ezek. 37:21,22; Zeph. 3:19,20; Rom. 11:26,27) and the establishment of universal peace. (Is. 11:6-9; Psalm 73:3-8; Micah 4:3,4)
THE FINAL JUDGEMENT – There will be a final judgment in which the wicked dead will be raised and judged according to their works. Whosoever is not found in the Book of Life, together with the devil, his angels, the beast and the false prophet, will be consigned to everlasting punishment in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. (Mat. 25:46; Mark 9:43-48; Rev. 19:20; 20:11-15; 21:8)
THE NEW HEAVENS AND THE NEW EARTH – The scriptures declare:

“Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth,wherein dwelleth righteousness.” (2 Peter 3:13; Rev. 21,22)
HELL AND ETERNAL RETRIBUTION – The one who physically dies in his sins without Christ is hopelessly and eternally lost in the lake of fire, and therefore has no further opportunity of hearing the Gospel or for repentance (Hebrews 9:27). The lake of fire is literal (Revelation 19:20). The terms “eternal” and “everlasting” used in describing the duration of the punishment of the damned (Matthew 25:41-46) in the lake of fire, carry the same thought and meaning of endless existence as used in denoting the duration of joy and ecstasy of saints in the presence of God.
TITHES – We recognize the Scriptural duty of all our people to pay tithes as unto the Lord (Hebrews 7:8). Tithes should be used for the support of the active ministry and for the propagation of the Gospel and work of the Lord in general and not given to charity or used for other purposes (Malachi 3:7-11; Hebrews 7:2; I Corinthians 9:7-11; 16:2)
MARRIAGE, GENDER, and SEXUALITY – We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. Rejection of one’s biological gender is a rejection of the image of God within that person. (Matthew 19:4-6; Hebrews 13:8-9; Mark 1:14-15; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Genesis 2:21-25; Matthew 19:4-6; Acts 5:29; John 8:1-11; Romans 1:16-28)
       We believe that term “marriage” has only one meaning and that is marriage sanctioned by God which joins one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture. We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to only occur between a man and a woman who are married to each other. We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman.
       We believe that any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, pornography, and attempting to change one’s biological sex or otherwise acting upon any disagreement with one’s biological sex) is sinful and offensive to God.
       We believe that in order to preserve the function and integrity of the church as the local Body of Christ, and to provide a biblical role model to the church members and the community, it is imperative that all persons employed by the church in any capacity, or who serve as volunteers, should abide by and agree to this Statement on Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality and conduct themselves accordingly.
       We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ.