Our Beliefs
The Bible, both the Old and New Testaments, is the inspired, inerrant, authoritative Word of God. These inspired books are the final authority in faith and life (I Timothy 3:16-17).
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There is one God, eternally existing as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19).
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The Lord Jesus Christ was begotten by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, and is true God and true man (Matthew 1:18; John 1:1, 14). He lived a sinless life, performed miracles, and died on the cross to pay the penalty for the sin of mankind (Hebrews 4:15; Acts 2:22). He rose bodily from the dead, ascended into Heaven, and will return again as He promised (I Corinthians 15:3-4; Acts 1:9; John 14:3).
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Adam and Eve were created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). They disobeyed God, and thereby incurred not only physical death, but also spiritual death, which is separation from God (Genesis 3). As a result, all human beings inherit both the image of God a sinful nature (Romans 5:12).
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The Lord Jesus died as a substitutional sacrifice (I Peter 2:24). All who believe in (receive) Him are justified on the basis of His shed blood (Romans 5:9). Salvation is a free gift from God and is received by faith in the Lord Jesus. The outward evidence of salvation is a changed life and a new desire to please God (Ephesians 2:8-10). Baptism by immersion in water should follow salvation as a public sign of new life within and is symbolic of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection (Acts 8:36-39; Romans 6:1-4).
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The Holy Spirit indwells believers at conversion and empowers them to live a godly life (Eph. 1:3-14; Gal. 5:22-23). He leads and guides them. He is their comforter and counselor (John 14: 16-17). He gives them a variety of spiritual gifts to enable them to serve others (I Corinthians 12:4-7).
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A Final Resurrection of both the saved and the lost will take place. Those saved will be resurrected to eternal life with God (heaven), and those lost will be resurrected to conscious punishment and eternal separation from God (hell) (I Thessalonians 4:16-17; Revelation 20:11-15).
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Our Gospel Values
Room of Grace – being a safe place for healing the wounded, maturing the healing, and releasing the maturing.
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Mercy and Justice – following Jesus example of loving and caring for the poor and vulnerable, allowing needs to move us to action.
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Reconciliation and Diversity – breaking down the barriers of age, money, race, religion, and culture that divide people, to enjoy a diverse community and be a model for our world.
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Every Member Ministry– equipping everyone to use their gifts and abilities and callings to serve, in our corporate worship, but also outside of traditional church ministries, programs and spaces.
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Conversion Growth – a priority on seeking out those who do not yet know Jesus, rather than simply gathering more believers together, results in a healthy, growing community.
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Loving our City – collectively ministering in the Lake City neighborhood, while also individually ministering in our places of residence, school and work, we seek and pray for the peace of Seattle.
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We believe that these core values grow out of an understanding and appreciation of the Good News of Jesus and God’s grace. This is a way of life that follows the example of our Lord Jesus recorded in the Gospels.
We believe that the Lord has uniquely equipped Hope Bible Fellowship and placed us in a neighborhood of great need, that we might learn to live out these core values together. We are seeking to mature into this as a lifestyle, not simply a scheduled activity or program commitment.