WHAT WE BELIEVE AND WHY

Pastor Terry is the Senior Pastor Victorious Life Church a nondenominational Christian church where all people are invited to meet with God through worship.
The Church strives to meet the spiritual needs of all persons regardless of ethnic or socioeconomic background.

All believers are encouraged to participate in the Holy Communion, which is held the first Sunday of each month (Salt and Light Sunday).

Child care and children's church are provided for children from birth to 12th grade during the worship services.

The Church is built on the Word of God which helps to demonstrate that “We are here for You”. In addition, the three pillars of the church are Worship, Intercession, and Evangelism. We believe that God is seeking true worshippers (John 4:23), seeking those who will intercede on the behalf of others (Ezekiel 22:30); and He has commissioned every believer to share his love to all people through the message of the gospel (Mark 16:15).

For more information about this class please call 703.566.1070.

1. WHAT WE BELIEVE AND WHY

The Essence of Christianity:

The essence of the gospel message is that God has achieved eternal salvation for all who will believe, through the work of the sinless Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, who died on the cross of Calvary as the sin bearer of the world. In a word, salvation was accomplished for men by the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ.

Statement of Faith:

We believe the Bible to be the inspired and only infallible, authoritative written word of God.

We believe there is one God, eternally existent in three persons:

I. God the Father

II. God the Son

III. God the Holy Spirit

We believe in the deity of Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His personal return in power and glory.

We believe in the in filling of the Holy Spirit with the present day manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit.

We believe in the resurrection of the saved and the lost: the saved to the resurrection of life, and the lost damnation.

We believe in the importance and power of Water Baptism according to the scriptures.

We believe that it is the primary responsibility of the local pastors and Christian leaders to show evidence of God's compassion as "salt and light" to the world.

We believe that the body of Christ is at its absolute best only when we function and move as One Body motivated by obedience to God and love for mankind.



2. Essentials for every Human Being:

* Receive the gift of salvation through Christ alone
* Receive the fullness and power of the Holy Spirit
* Fulfill all righteousness including Water Baptism
* Enter into a healthy discipleship environment i.e., a God-fearing local church
* On a daily basis, develop an intimate relationship with the Living God through worship and intercession.

You can do it!

3. What We Believe (in detail):

The Scriptures

We believe that "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God" (2 Timothy 3:16). We understand this to mean that the whole Bible is inspired, in that holy men of God "were moved by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:21) to write the very words of Scripture. We believe that this divine inspiration extends equally and fully to all parts of Scripture as it appeared in the original manuscripts. We believe that the whole Bible in those original manuscripts is, therefore, without error. We believe that all Scripture centers around the Lord Jesus Christ in His person, work, and in His first and second coming. Therefore, no portion of the Old Testament is properly read or understood until it leads to Christ. We also believe that all Scripture was designed for our practical instruction. (Luke 24:27, 44; John 5:39; Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:11; 2 Timothy 3:16)
The Triune Godhead

We believe in the one true and living God, the Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer, and Ruler of all things. He is infinite, eternal, unchangeable, and is revealed to us as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

God the Father: God, as Father, reigns over His entire universe with providential care. He is all-powerful, all-loving, all-knowing, and all-wise. He is fatherly in attitude toward all men but is Father, indeed, to those who have become children of God through Jesus Christ, who will deliver them into the Father’s hands. (Matthew 6:9; Acts 1:7; Romans 8:14-15; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 1 Corinthians 15: 24; Ephesians 4:6)

God the Son: We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man. He accomplished this redemption by voluntarily giving Himself as a sinless, substitutionary sacrifice on the cross, thereby satisfying God’s righteous judgment against sin. After substantiating the accomplishment of that redemption and justification by His bodily resurrection from the grave, He ascended to the right hand of His Father, where He intercedes on behalf of those who trust Him. (Luke 1:34-35; John 1:1, 2, 14, 18; Romans 3:24-26; Romans 8:3)

God the Holy Spirit: We believe that the Holy Spirit is God. Not some form of energy or source of power. But God Himself. It is the Spirit of Almighty God who convicts the world of sin (righteousness and judgment); that He alone brings new life to those who are spiritually dead; that He baptizes (or places) all believers into the one true Church, which is the Body of Christ; that He indwells them permanently, seals them unto the day of final redemption, bestows spiritual gifts upon them, and fills (controls) those who are yielding to Him. Every believer is called to live in the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit so that he will not fulfill the lust of the flesh but will bear fruit to the glory of God. (John 3:3-8; 14:16-17; 16:7-11; 1 Corinthians 12:7-11, 13; 1 Corinthians 12-14; Ephesians 4:30; 5:18
Creation:
We believe that man was created directly by and in the image of God. We believe that God created the heavens and the earth, including all life, by direct act. (Genesis 1:1; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16-17)
Man:
Although man was created in the image of God, he fell into sin and is lost. This is true of all men; and except a man be born again by the Holy Spirit, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (Genesis 1:26-27; John 3:3; Romans 3:10, 23)
The Devil – Satan:
We believe that Satan is a fallen (rebellious) angel, the author of sin, and the reason for the fall of man, and is destined to the judgment of an eternal punishment in the lake of fire. (Matthew 4:1-3; Acts 5:3; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 20:10)
Atonement for Sin:
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures as a substitutionary sacrifice and that all who believe on Him are redeemed by His shed blood. We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord Jesus Christ and in His ascension into heaven; He is our High Priest and Advocate. (John 1:1-3, 14; 3:1-7; Hebrews 10:4-14; 1 John 2:2)
Salvation:
We believe that salvation is the gift of God’s grace. It cannot be gained or made more secure by meritorious works, but is freely bestowed upon all who put their faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ at Calvary. All who so trust the Savior are forgiven of their sins and born into the family of God by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. (John 1:12; Acts 16:30-33; Romans 10:9-10; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-9)
The Christian Walk:
We believe that we have a holy calling to walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit, and so to live in the power of the indwelling Spirit in order that we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. The flesh is never eradicated in this life. Individuals must choose to keep the flesh in subjection to Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit, or it will surely manifest its presence in life and dishonor our Lord. (Romans 6:11-13; 8:2, 4, 12-13; Galatians 5:16-23; Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 2:1-10; 1 Peter 1:14-16; 1 John 1:4-7; 3:5-9)
The Great Commission:
Until the return of Christ, it is the Christian’s duty and privilege to seek the fulfillment of Christ's Great Commission and to minister in His name to a needy world. The Lord commands us to go out and make disciples in all of the Earth. We believe that each person is first responsible for evangelism in their own family as the Holy Spirit leads them and gives them the ability. We are to be instruments of Jesus Christ as the Holy Spirit ministers redemption and reconciliation in the world. (Matthew 25:31-46; 28:18-20)

The Power of Water Baptism:

We believe in the ordinance of water baptism by immersion in obedience to the Word of God. All those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior should be baptized in water as a public profession of their faith in Christ and to experience what the Bible calls the "circumcision of the Spirit".

The Return of Christ:
We believe in the imminent return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (1 Thess. 4:13-18, Rev. 22:20, John 14:3)


4. HOW CAN I KNOW GOD?

Like most, you have probably heard something about God and his Son, Jesus at some point in your life. Your mom may call Him "Savior", you've heard the preacher on TV call Him "King of kings", some consider Him a prophet, and others say He was a great teacher. Well, with all that has been said, it comes done to one question: Who do you say Jesus is?

It may seem like a huge or even rhetorical question. However, may I suggest to you that God is not a stranger to you. Deep down inside of your heart, you have heard His voice before.

When you were afraid and alone, with no one to turn to for help, you heard…"All is going to be okay, don't be afraid"...that was God!

When you were sick in the hospital and the doctors offered no hope, you sensed a power to fight for your life...that was God!

When you did wrong to someone and instead of retaliation, they forgave you...that was God!

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

God Loves You! And He is constantly telling you how much He loves you in your everyday experiences. However, God desires that you recognize Him for who He really is to YOU!

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)

Without question, we have all done wrong and felt shameful because of it. The good news is, God is not mad at you!! He knows all the wrong that has been done and the pain and shame that we experience and have caused. God is ready and willing to forgive you and make all things new in your life.

"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name" (John 1:12)

You too can be a Child of God! Receive His gift of new life in His Son Jesus Christ. Acknowledge God as the One who loves you unconditionally, the One who gives you a better way of living, the One who removes all your shame and guilt. Pray this prayer and watch God come alive in your life:

"Father God, It's me, ____(your name here)_____ I know that I have broken your laws and done what I've wanted to do. I now see according to your word, that my sin has separated me from you. I am truly sorry. I choose to turn my life over to you. Father God, I choose to acknowledge and accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. Thank you Jesus, for giving your life for me. I surrender my life to you. I ask that the blood you shed would take away all of my sins today. Thank you for forgiving me. Father, I believe that your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this second forward. Dear God in heaven, I thank you for your Holy Spirit coming to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen."

Welcome to God's family! Now, when you hear God, you can respond to His Voice and Walk with Him. Be sure to email us at knowinggod@pastorterry.com and let us know of your decision!


REMINDER: Essentials for every human being:

* Receive the gift of salvation through Christ alone
* Receive the fullness and power or the Holy Spirit
* Fulfill all righteousness including Water Baptism
* Enter into a healthy discipleship environment i.e., a God-fearing local church
* On a daily basis, develop an intimate relationship with the Living God through worship and intercession.


You can do it!