Doctrinal Statement:
Lustre Mennonite Brethren Church acknowledges and confesses:
(a) That the whole Bible is the inspired and infallible Word. It is the supreme and final authority in all matters of faith and conduct. 2 Peter 1:21; 2 Timothy 3:16
(b) That there is one God, eternally existing and manifesting himself to us in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 2 Corinthians 13:14
(c) That Jesus Christ, eternally co-existing with the Father, became flesh, being supernaturally conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, and is true God and true man. Matt. 1:18; John 1:1,2; Phil. 2:5-8
(d) That the Holy Spirit is a person, is God, is co-equal with the Father, and the Son, convicts the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment; regenerates, indwells the believer, is our constant abiding guide and teacher, and is the power for victory over sin and the enabling power for service. John 15:26 and 16:7, 8, 13.
(e) That man was created in the image of God, that by one man, sin entered into the world, and by sin death, so death passed upon all men, for all have sinned and apart from Christ, man is spiritually dead and lost. Rom. 5:12 and 3:23; Eph. 2:1.
(f) That the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that all who repent and believe on Him have the forgiveness of sin through His blood. His shed blood is the only atonement for our sins. 1 Cor. 15:3; Eph. 1:7; 1 Peter 2:24; Heb. 9:22.
(g) That each individual becomes a child of God by being born again of the Holy Spirit through the instrumentality of the Word of God, by repentance toward God, by grace through a personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. John 1:12, 13; Acts 3:19 and 26:20; Romans 10:9; Eph. 2:8-9.
(h) That Christ rose bodily from the dead and ascended into Heaven, where He is now our interceding High Priest. 1 Cor. 15:4; 1 John 2:1,2; Heb. 7:25.
(I) That Christ is coming again, first for His saints, living or dead, for the consummation of the Church at the Judgment Seat of Christ and the Marriage Feast of the Lamb; and that His return is imminent; then with His saints to judge the nations, and to rule and reign in righteousness for a thousand years upon the earth. Acts 1:11; Heb 9:28; 1 Thess. 4:14-17; 2 Cor. 5:10; Rev. 19:6-9; Zech 14:5; Judges 14:15; Matt 25:31-46; Isa. 11:1-12; Revelation 20:6.
(j) That believers in Christ are to live a life that is separated unto God, "a holy...people, that they should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." (1 Peter 2:9)., dedicated to the service of Christ and are to abstain from all filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit (2 Cor. 7:1) as further defined in Col. 3:1-9.
(k) We believe that God has established marriage as a lifelong, exclusive relationship between one natural born man and one natural born woman and that all intimate sexual activity outside the marriage relationship, whether heterosexual, homosexual, or otherwise, is immoral and therefore sin. (Genesis 2:24; Exodus 20:14, 17, 22:19; Leviticus 18:22-23, 20:13, 15-16; Matthew 19:4-6, 9; Romans 1:18-31; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, 15-20; 1 Timothy 1:8-11; Jude 7.
We believe that God created the human race male and female and that all conduct with the intent to adopt a gender other than one’s birth gender is immoral and therefore sin . Genesis 1:27; Deuteronomy 22:5.
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 (Genesis 1:26-27). Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person.
We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one natural born man and one natural born woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture (Genesis 2:18-25).
We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other (1 Corinthians 6:18; 7:2-5; Hebrews 13:4). We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman.
(l) That the Church is the Body of Christ consisting of all true believers who have been regenerated though faith in the finished work of Christ, baptized by the Holy Spirit into His body. Eph. 1:22,23; 1 John 5:1; 1 Cor. 12:13.
(m) That Scriptural water baptism is by immersion upon confession of faith in Christ. Matt. 28:19; Col 2:12; Rom 6:4. We believe in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. Matt. 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:19, 20; 1 Cor. 10:16 and 11:23-26.
(n) That the supreme mission of the Church upon this earth is to witness unto all nations, to edify the Body of Christ, and to glorify Christ. Matt. 28:19, 20; Acts 1:8; Eph. 4:12-16; Eph. 1:6-12.
(o) We believe that an hour is coming when all in the graves shall hear His voice; that all those who persistently reject Jesus Christ as their own personal Savior, shall be raised, judged, and condemned to a place of endless punishment; whereas those whose names are found written in the Book of Life shall be raised to the Resurrection of Life, and to place of everlasting Blessedness. John 5:28, 29; Rev. 20:13-15; Daniel 12:1-2.
(p) That we believe in the reality and the personality of Satan, who can exert vast power but only so far as God permits him to do so; who is the accuser of the brethren and adversary of all that is godly, and who shall ultimately be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone. Isa. 14:12-14; Job 1:12 and 2:6; Luke 2:31, 32; Rev. 12:10 and 20:10; 1 Peter 5:8.
(a) That the whole Bible is the inspired and infallible Word. It is the supreme and final authority in all matters of faith and conduct. 2 Peter 1:21; 2 Timothy 3:16
(b) That there is one God, eternally existing and manifesting himself to us in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 2 Corinthians 13:14
(c) That Jesus Christ, eternally co-existing with the Father, became flesh, being supernaturally conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, and is true God and true man. Matt. 1:18; John 1:1,2; Phil. 2:5-8
(d) That the Holy Spirit is a person, is God, is co-equal with the Father, and the Son, convicts the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment; regenerates, indwells the believer, is our constant abiding guide and teacher, and is the power for victory over sin and the enabling power for service. John 15:26 and 16:7, 8, 13.
(e) That man was created in the image of God, that by one man, sin entered into the world, and by sin death, so death passed upon all men, for all have sinned and apart from Christ, man is spiritually dead and lost. Rom. 5:12 and 3:23; Eph. 2:1.
(f) That the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that all who repent and believe on Him have the forgiveness of sin through His blood. His shed blood is the only atonement for our sins. 1 Cor. 15:3; Eph. 1:7; 1 Peter 2:24; Heb. 9:22.
(g) That each individual becomes a child of God by being born again of the Holy Spirit through the instrumentality of the Word of God, by repentance toward God, by grace through a personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. John 1:12, 13; Acts 3:19 and 26:20; Romans 10:9; Eph. 2:8-9.
(h) That Christ rose bodily from the dead and ascended into Heaven, where He is now our interceding High Priest. 1 Cor. 15:4; 1 John 2:1,2; Heb. 7:25.
(I) That Christ is coming again, first for His saints, living or dead, for the consummation of the Church at the Judgment Seat of Christ and the Marriage Feast of the Lamb; and that His return is imminent; then with His saints to judge the nations, and to rule and reign in righteousness for a thousand years upon the earth. Acts 1:11; Heb 9:28; 1 Thess. 4:14-17; 2 Cor. 5:10; Rev. 19:6-9; Zech 14:5; Judges 14:15; Matt 25:31-46; Isa. 11:1-12; Revelation 20:6.
(j) That believers in Christ are to live a life that is separated unto God, "a holy...people, that they should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." (1 Peter 2:9)., dedicated to the service of Christ and are to abstain from all filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit (2 Cor. 7:1) as further defined in Col. 3:1-9.
(k) We believe that God has established marriage as a lifelong, exclusive relationship between one natural born man and one natural born woman and that all intimate sexual activity outside the marriage relationship, whether heterosexual, homosexual, or otherwise, is immoral and therefore sin. (Genesis 2:24; Exodus 20:14, 17, 22:19; Leviticus 18:22-23, 20:13, 15-16; Matthew 19:4-6, 9; Romans 1:18-31; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, 15-20; 1 Timothy 1:8-11; Jude 7.
We believe that God created the human race male and female and that all conduct with the intent to adopt a gender other than one’s birth gender is immoral and therefore sin . Genesis 1:27; Deuteronomy 22:5.
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 (Genesis 1:26-27). Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person.
We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one natural born man and one natural born woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture (Genesis 2:18-25).
We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other (1 Corinthians 6:18; 7:2-5; Hebrews 13:4). We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman.
(l) That the Church is the Body of Christ consisting of all true believers who have been regenerated though faith in the finished work of Christ, baptized by the Holy Spirit into His body. Eph. 1:22,23; 1 John 5:1; 1 Cor. 12:13.
(m) That Scriptural water baptism is by immersion upon confession of faith in Christ. Matt. 28:19; Col 2:12; Rom 6:4. We believe in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. Matt. 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:19, 20; 1 Cor. 10:16 and 11:23-26.
(n) That the supreme mission of the Church upon this earth is to witness unto all nations, to edify the Body of Christ, and to glorify Christ. Matt. 28:19, 20; Acts 1:8; Eph. 4:12-16; Eph. 1:6-12.
(o) We believe that an hour is coming when all in the graves shall hear His voice; that all those who persistently reject Jesus Christ as their own personal Savior, shall be raised, judged, and condemned to a place of endless punishment; whereas those whose names are found written in the Book of Life shall be raised to the Resurrection of Life, and to place of everlasting Blessedness. John 5:28, 29; Rev. 20:13-15; Daniel 12:1-2.
(p) That we believe in the reality and the personality of Satan, who can exert vast power but only so far as God permits him to do so; who is the accuser of the brethren and adversary of all that is godly, and who shall ultimately be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone. Isa. 14:12-14; Job 1:12 and 2:6; Luke 2:31, 32; Rev. 12:10 and 20:10; 1 Peter 5:8.