Our Beliefs
The emphasis of the preaching and teaching at Maranatha is the Bible, which is the basis of
our beliefs and practice. Every word of the entire Old and New Testaments, as originally
written, is the inspired Word of God, without error and infallible in all matters of which it
speaks. The Holy Spirit helps the believer understand what the Bible says and what it means
(2 Tim. 3:16-17; 1 Cor. 2:9-13).
We believe in the one and only one living and true God in three Persons: Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit, equal in every attribute and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great
plan of salvation. God is a personal Spirit, eternal, self-existent, sovereign Creator of the
universe. He is holy, just, unchangeable, all-powerful, everywhere present, all- knowing, and
a loving merciful God. Thus at Maranatha, the preaching and music in our worship services
are geared not to entertain but to honor and glorify our wonderful God (Deut. 6:4; Mat. 28:19;
Gen. 1 & 2; Ps. 139; Rom. 5:1-8).
We believe Jesus Christ is the God-Man, possessing complete deity and perfect humanity.
He existed before His birth in Bethlehem. He is fully God and fully man yet without sin. He
became a man through the virgin conception, a work of God the Holy Spirit. His taking on
humanity made it possible for Him to reveal God to man, to provide an example for living,
and to die on the cross for our sins. Jesus Christ is at the center of the preaching and
teaching at Maranatha. He is the focus of the gospel message we proclaim: His death for our
sins and His resurrection. He alone can save sinners from their sins (John 1:1; 20:28; Mark
10:45; Heb. 4:14-16; John 14:6).
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person. In the Old Testament He was active in
creation. He convicts of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. In relation to believers, He is
the Agent of their new birth and the security of their salvation. He permanently indwells them
and gives them gifts to edify the church. The gifts of apostles, tongues, and healing were
foundational for the early church and are no longer in effect. To ensure that Christ is glorified
at Maranatha, we must rely on the Holy Spirit to teach us, guide us, and empower us as we
carry on the various ministries of the church (Gen. 1:2; John 14:16-17; 26; John 3:5-6; Eph.
1:13; 1 Cor. 12-14; Rom. 8:14-27).
We believe in the reality and personality of angels, created by God on the first day of
creation. Holy angels carry out God’s will and minister to believers. Evil angels carry out the
will of Satan, who is the enemy of God and His people. God created Satan as a beautiful
being who became proud and rebelled against God. Satan is now the ruler of all the powers of
darkness and is destined to everlasting judgment in hell. We are keenly aware that Satan
and his evil angels will try to destroy our ministry at Maranatha. We must be alert and rely on
God for strength, on His word for our defense, and on our love for each other for unity (Ex
20:11; Heb. 1:14; 2 Cor. 4:4; Rev. 20:10; 1 Pet. 5:8; Eph. 6:13-18).
We believe that God created the world and all that is in it in six literal days. God created man
and woman in His own image. Adam voluntarily fell from his innocent sinless state, and all
mankind sinned in him, resulting in the total depravity of every individual. Thus, all of
humanity is under God’s just condemnation of everlasting punishment in hell. However,
before Adam sinned, God had already set into motion His loving plan of salvation through His
only Son, Jesus Christ (Gen.1 & 2; Rom. 5:12; Rev. 13:8).
We believe that man’s gravest problem is sin, which separates him from the presence of a
holy God and demands the penalty of everlasting punishment in hell. God loved the world
and sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross to pay the penalty for everyone’s sins then raised
Him from the dead on the third day. Belief in this truth and trust in Christ as personal Savior
results on the salvation of the repentant sinner. In obedience to Christ’s command, we as a
church and as saved individuals are obligated to preach and teach the good news of salvation
to everyone in the world (Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 10:9-10; Acts 1:8).
We believe that today God is carrying out His program through the Church. The Universal
Church is an organism of true believers from the Day of Pentecost to the Rapture. Believers
become a part of this organism through Holy Spirit baptism. The Local Church is an
organization of immersed believers, who assent to the church teachings, observe the two
ordinances of baptism and Lord’s supper, and edify the church by exercising their spiritual
gifts.
The Bible designates the pastor and deacons as the two offices of the church. The pastor is a
mature godly man who teaches, leads, and administers the affairs of the church. The deacons
are mature godly men who serve in its temporal and spiritual ministries. The Local Church has
the absolute right of self-government free from the interference of any hierarchy. Its one and
only Superintendent is Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13; 1 Tim. 3).
We believe that salvation always has been based on the death and resurrection of Christ, but
God has dealt differently with humanity during history. God’s program for the nation of Israel
is not the same as His program for the Church. Israel possesses a set of unconditional
promises reaffirmed and amplified throughout the Old Testament. Through prophecy, God
promised Israel a glorious kingdom, which He will establish after Christ snatches His church
to Heaven and after the seven-year tribulation period has ended. Christ will then return as
King of Kings with the Church saints to rule over the earth for one thousand years. After this,
all unbelievers will be judged and cast into the lake of fire. God will then destroy this present
heaven and earth and create a new heaven and earth where all believers will forever be with
the Lord! (Gen. 12;1-3; 2 Sam. 7:8-16; 1 Thess. 4; Rev. 19-22).
