What we Believe

...in one GOD, revealed in three Persons; The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. Our God, holy and omnipotent, desires a relationship with mankind. (Matthew 3:15-16; Mark 12:29; John 16:26, 17:21; I Corinthians 12:3)

...that the HOLY BIBLE is divinely inspired, both the Old and New Testaments. God's Word is one of the main ways He communicates with His children, reveals Himself and shows His will for our lives. (2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12, 1 Peter 1:23-25; 2 Peter 1:19-21)

...that MAN, in his natural state, is a sinner, lost, undone, without hope, and without God. We also believe that man can be forgiven and know God through Jesus Christ. (Romans 3:19-23; Galatians 3:22; Ephesians 2:1-2, 12-13)

...in the DIVINITY AND HUMANITY OF CHRIST JESUS. Jesus Christ of Nazareth is God. He came in the flesh, fully human, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, died on the cross and rose from the dead, in order to set mankind free from the bondage of sin and be restored to a relationship with God. (Luke 1:26-38; John 1:1-4; Acts 2:36-3:14, Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:3-14)

...in the BLOOD ATONEMENT. The blood of Jesus Christ has paid the price for all the SIN of mankind. His righteousness is given (or imputed) to all who believe in Him and accept Him as Lord. There is no sin too great that His blood is not sufficient to cleanse and forgive. (John 3:16-18; Romans 5:8-11, 17; Ephesians 1:3-14; I Peter 2:24; I John 4:10; Hebrews 9:22)

… in the BODILY RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ died, was buried, resurrected (as evidenced by crowds of over 500 people), then ascended to the Father and is presently seated at the right hand of the Father, making intercession for us. (Matthew 26:63-64; Luke 24:36-39; John 20:24-29; Acts 1:1-3; Romans 8:34; I Corinthians 15:3-5; Hebrews 7:24-25;)

...in the SECOND COMING of Jesus Christ. We believe in the visible, bodily return of Jesus Christ to this earth to gather His Church (His Bride) and judge the world. (Acts 1:8-11; John 20:6-8; Ephesians 5:23-27; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; James 5:8; Revelation 1:7) (Note: It is not necessary that we all believe alike concerning whether He will return before, during or after the Great Tribulation.)

...in SALVATION by Faith through Grace. The terms of salvation are a personal, heartfelt faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and a confession of Him as such, combined with repentance toward God for personal sin which results in the regeneration (new birth) of a person. Good works are not a condition of salvation; rather, they are the fruit of salvation. Salvation is given entirely by the unending grace of our Lord and not by any good thing we do. Salvation is a love gift from God, whose love is unconditional. (Acts 2:38, 3:19-20; Romans 5:1-9, Ephesians 2:8-9)

...in the HOLY SPIRIT, the third person of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit's purposes in redeeming man are to convict him of sin, to regenerate (give new birth to) the repentant believer, to guide the believer in understanding the Holy Scriptures and to indwell and give gifts to believers as He wills, that they may minister as Christ would. Further, we believe that the manifestations of the Holy Spirit, as recorded in 1 Corinthians 12:8-11, shall operate in present day churches that confess Jesus Christ as Lord and submit to the direction of the Holy Spirit’s leading. We believe a believer can be baptized in the Holy Spirit during the time Jesus is regenerating him, or any time subsequent to his salvation experience. We believe that the Baptism in the Holy Spirit (with an evidence of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance) is for all believers, as promised in Scripture by John the Baptist, witnessed by the early disciples of Christ, and is evidenced in the lives of many present-day believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. The purpose of this baptism is for the believer to be empowered to live a Christ-like life and share the Good News of Jesus Christ. (Matthew 3:11; Luke 11:13, 24:49; John 7:37-39, 14:16-17, 16:5-14; Acts 1:4-5&8, 2:1-4, 38-47; 10:44-47)

...in HEAVEN AND HELL. The Holy Scriptures clearly set forth the doctrine of eternal punishment for the lost and eternal blessings and rewards in the presence of God for the saved. (Hell for the unsaved and Heaven for the saved.) We also believe that no man has to go to hell. Jesus made the provision that all people, everywhere, can be saved from an eternity without Christ and live in heaven forever. (Matthew 25:34, 41, 46; Luke 16:19-31; John 14:1-3, 17:3; Revelation 8:15, 20:11-15)

… in the LOCAL CHURCH. We believe that the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ is a Local Expression of a Body of Believers who have been baptized in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit; who are under recognized, delegate authorities; and who assemble to worship, carry forth the Great Commission and minister as the Holy Spirit leads. (Matthew 16:18, 28:19-20; Acts 2:40-47; 20:28; Ephesians 5:22-32; I Timothy 3:15)

…in a SEPARATED LIFE. We believe that believers should seek, as the early disciples did, to practice the separated life from the world and unto Jesus Christ and to set standards of conduct which shall exalt our Lord and edify His church. (Romans 12:1-3; II Corinthians 6:17; Galatians 6:14; Ephesians 5:11; Colossians 3:17)

…in DIVINE HEALING. We believe that God does use doctors, medicines and other material means for healing. However, we believe divine healing has been provided for us in the Atonement of our Lord Jesus Christ. Divine healing may be received through the laying on of hands by Elders, laying on of hands by believers, by the prayer of an anointed person gifted for healing the sick, by the anointing with oil and the prayer of faith, or by a direct act of faith where the believer receives healing directly from the Lord Jesus Christ without ministry from anyone else. (Isaiah 52:5; James 5:14-16; Mark 16:18; I Corinthians 12:9; Mark 11:23)

…in the ORDINANCES OF THE CHURCH. We believe that the two ordinances of the Church as set by the Lord Jesus Christ are water baptism (Immersion) and communion (The Lord’s Supper). (Matthew 3:15-16 & 28:19-20; Acts 8:38; Romans 6:1-4; Luke 22:13-20)

…in the COMMISSION OF THE BELIEVER. Each believer is a priest of the Lord Jesus Christ and has direct access to the Father through the Lord Jesus. The Kingdom of God consists of believers who have been given the responsibility of reconciling man back to God. Every believer must have a living and growing relationship with Christ and functioning as an ambassador to the world for Christ. (Matthew 28:18-20; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21)

…in the PRIESTHOOD OF THE BELIEVER. We believe that each believer is a priest of the Lord Jesus Christ and has direct access to the Father through the Lord Jesus. Each person must believe for himself, be baptized for himself, obey for himself and answer to the Creator for himself. (Revelation 1:6; I Peter 2:9)

…in the GOVERNMENT OF THE CHURCH. We believe that the New Testament Church should be apostolic in nature and governed by delegated authorities. Those authorities at Oak Grove Church are the Elders and Pastors with trans-local apostolic oversight. We understand and believe that God’s order of government for the local church is one of the church being birthed under the oversight of an apostolic ministry with the elders and pastors being raised up under the oversight of that apostle. Once that level of local church government is established, the church operates in an autonomous manner under the oversight of an apostle in an on-going relationship. This relationship is to be one by mutual consent of the apostle and the pastor and elders of the local church. (Acts 9:27, 12:25-13:3; 15:1-30; Ephesians 4:11-12)

…in SERVANT LEADERSHIP. We believe Christ has put significant leadership and spiritual responsibility into the hands of church leaders. We aim to exercise the authority in caring for God’s people with humility, selflessness, grace, and a sincere desire to build up the Body of Christ. (Philippians 2:5-11; I Peter 5:1-4; Hebrews 13:7; I Timothy 1:1-5)

…in TITHES AND OFFERINGS. We believe that God’s plan of finance for His work is by tithes and offerings and that it is a joy for His children to acknowledge His Lordship in this manner. (Genesis 14:17-20; Malachi 3:6-12; Matthew 23:23; Acts 20:35; II Corinthians 8 & 9; Hebrews 7:1-10)