- Faith: Beacon Light Community Church is an non-denominational, evangelical church; it believes that personal faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord is the true and only way of salvation and eternal life. Our doctrinal statement, therefore, is not a set of beliefs necessary for salvation, but an expression of the implications of saving faith in Christ.
- Doctrine: The Church adheres to the Doctrinal Statement of the Grace Gospel fellowship. We believe in:
THE BIBLE
The entire Bible in its original writings is inerrant, being verbally inspired by God and is of plenary authority (2 Tim 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:21).
THE GODHEAD
There is one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit (Duet. 6:4; 1 Tim. 2:5; Eph. 4:4; Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14).
THE PERSON OF CHRIST
Jesus Christ was begotten by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary and is true God and true man (Lk. 1:35; Phil. 2:6-9; Rom.1:3-4).
TOTAL DEPRAVITY
All men by nature are dead in trespasses and sins and are, therefore, totally unable to do anything pleasing to God. (Eph. 2:1-3; Rom. 3:9-12).
REDEMPTION
God justifies ungodly sinners by His grace upon the ground of the blood of Jesus Christ through ‘the means of faith’. This complete salvation is bestowed as the free gift of God apart from man’s works (Rom. 3:24-28; Rom. 5:1, 9; Eph 2:8-9).
ETERNAL SECURITY
All of the saved are eternally secure in Christ (Col. 3:1-4; Phil. 1:6; Rom.8:1, 8:29-34, 8:38-39; John 10;27-29; Eph. 1;13-14).
THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit is a person, Who convicts the world of sin, and Who regenerates, baptizes, indwells enlightens, and empowers (John 16:8; Titus 3:5; 1 Cor> 12:13; Eph. 1:13, 17-18; 3:16).
THE CHURCH
In the present dispensation, there is only one true Church, which is called the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13; Eph. 1:22-23,3:6). The historical manifestation of the Body of Christ began with the Apostle Paul before he wrote his first epistle (1 Thess. 2:14-16cf. Acts 13:45-46; Phil 1:5-6 cf. Acts 16; 1 Cor 12;13, 27; cf. Acts 18).
GIFTS
The ministry gifts for the Body of Christ are enumerated in Ephesians 4:7-11; Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31. Some of these gifts were permanent in nature and some were to pass away: some were of the nature of ministries given to the Church, and some were individual enablement for spiritual service. Since the New Testament was completed through the ministries of Apostles and Prophets, we believe these two offices have been fulfilled and no longer exist. Likewise, the sign gifts, such as tongues, miracles, and healing, which were addressed primarily to the nation of Israel (1 Cor. 14:22) have fulfilled their purpose and have passed away according to 1 Cor. 13:8-11.
WALK
By reason of Christ’s victory over sin and of His indwelling Spirit, all the saved may and should experience deliverance from the power of sin by obedience to Romans 6:11; but we deny that man’s nature of sin is ever eradicated during this life (Rom. 6:6-14; Gal. 5:16-25; Rom. 8:37; 2 Cor. 2:14; 10:2-5).
THE LORD’S SUPPER
The communion of the Lord’s Supper is revealed through the Apostle Paul in 1Cor. 11:23-26 is for the members of the Body of Christ to observe “until He comes.” There is no place in scripture where the Lord’s Supper and water baptism are linked together either as ordinances or as sacraments of the Church.
BAPTISM
All saved persons have been made members of the Body of Christ by one divine baptism (1 Cor. 13:13). By that one baptism, every member of the Body of Christ is identified with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. In light of the statement concerning the one baptism in Ephesians 4:5, and statements concerning baptism in Colossians 2:12 and Romans 6:3-4 and Paul’s statement in 1 Cor. `1:17 that “Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel”, we conclude that water baptism has no place in God’s spiritual program for the Body of Christ in this Day of Grace.
RESURRECTION
Jesus Christ was resurrected bodily from the dead (Lk. 24:39-43). therefore, (1 Cor. 15:21), all men will have a bodily resurrection (Acts 24:15), the saved to everlasting glory and the unsaved to everlasting punishment (John 5:29; Rev. 20:11-15).
THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST
The rapture of the Church and the second coming of Christ will be pre-millennial. He will come first to receive the Church unto Himself (1 Thess. 4:13-18; Phil. 3:20-21) and then come to receive His millennial Kingdom over which He will reign (Zech. 14:4, 9: Acts 1:10-11: Rev. 19:11-16; 20:1-4). Because of the nature of the Body of Christ, the resurrection and the rapture of the Church, which is His body, will take place before the Great Tribulation (Jer. 30:7; Matt 24:15-31) at His appearing in the air (1 Thess. 4:13-18; Phil.3:20-21;Titus 2:13-14; 1 Cor. 15:51-53). the resurrection of the other saved will occur after the tribulation (Rev 20:4-6).
THE STATE OF THE DEAD
Nowhere does scripture extend the hope of salvation to the unsaved dead but instead reveals that they will ever continue to exist in a state of conscious suffering (Lk. 16:23-28; Rev. 14:11; 20:14-15; Col. 3:6; Rom. 1:21-32, John 3:36: Phil 3:19; 2Thess. 1:19). The teachings of Universalism, or probation after death, of annihilation of the unsaved dead, and the unconscious state of the dead, saved or unsaved (LK 16:23-28;; Phil. 1:23; 2 Cor. 5:6-8), are opposed by us as being thoroughly unscriptural and dangerous doctrines.
MISSION
The mission and commission of the Church, which is His Body, is to proclaim the message of reconciliation (2Cor. 5:14-21) and endeavor to make all men see what is the Dispensation of the Mystery (Eph. 3:8-9). In this, we should follow the Apostle Paul (1 Cor 4:16; 11:1; Phil. 3:17; 1 Tim. 1:11-16). That distinctive message which the Apostle of the Gentiles (Rom. 11:13; 15:16) calls “my gospel” (Rom. 2:16; 16:25) is also called the “gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24). We, like Paul, must preach the entire word of God in light of this Gospel (2 Tim. 4:2; Gal. 1:8-9) and strive to reach those in regions beyond where Christ is not yet named (Rom. 15:20; 2 Cor. 10:16).