Statement of Faith
The Holy Scriptures
We believe the Bible is the verbally inspired Word of God. The sixty-six books of the Old and New Testament are the complete and divine revelation of God to man. The Scriptures are inerrant and infallible in the original languages and have been providentially preserved and will continue to be preserved until all are fulfilled. The Bible is, therefore, the supreme and final authority in all matters of doctrine, faith, and life. (Psalm 12:6-7; Psalm 119:105; Matthew 5:17-18; II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:20-21)
The Trinity
We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. All three persons are co-eternal, co-existent, and of one essence. (Genesis 1:26; Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; John 14:10, 26; II Corinthians 13:14)
God the Father
We believe in the Father who planned the works of creation, redemption, and providence. (1 Corinthians 8:6; John 14:12,13; Romans 8:15)
God the Son
We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, manifest in the flesh and forever existing with the Father and the Holy Spirit as true God. He was begotten of the Father before all time, conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary in the likeness of man. He executes the offices of Prophet, Priest, and King. (Isaiah 7:14, 9:6; John 1:1-3,14,18, 8:58, 10:30-33; Luke 1:30-37; Philippians 2:5-7)
God the Holy Spirit
We believe the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; regenerates the sinner by the Word of God; permanently indwells each believer; seals, enlightens, instructs, and guides every believer; and is the efficient power for godly living, Christian service, and spiritual worship. (John 3:5-7; 14:16-17,26, 15:26, 16:7-15; Romans 8:9,26; I Corinthians 12:12-14; Ephesians 1:13-14, 4:30; Acts 10:38)
The Death, Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus Christ
We believe that Jesus Christ died to save His people from their sins, according to the Scriptures, both as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice; therefore, all who believe in Him are justified on the grounds of His shed blood and not of good works. We believe He arose bodily from the dead on the third day in the same body in which He suffered and died. We also believe our Lord ascended into Heaven where He is seated at the right hand of the Father and is the High Priest and Divine Advocate to the Father for all who believe. We believe Jesus Christ has procured for every believer eternal redemption and everlasting life by His finished work on the cross and His unceasing ministry of intercession in glory. (Matthew 1:21; Mark 16:19; John 3:16,20,27, 10:26-28; Romans 5:9, 6:23; Ephesians 2:8,9,13; I Corinthians 15:3-4; Hebrews 4:14-5:10, 7:22-25, 8:1, 9:12; I John 2:1)
The Creation of the World and Man
We believe that it pleased God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to create, or make of nothing, the world, and all things therein, whether visible or invisible. We believe that man was created by the direct spoken act of God in the image of God. We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female, and that these two distinct complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. (Genesis 1:1-2:7, 2:18,21-22; Psalm 33:6, 139:13-16; John 1:3,10; Colossians 1:16-17)
The Fall of Man
We believe that man sinned and thereby incurred not only physical death but also spiritual death, which is separation from God. As a result, all human beings are born with a sinful nature, are totally depraved, and fall short of God’s standard. (Genesis 3:1-3:24; John 1:3,10; Romans 3:10-12,23; 5:12)
The Nature of the Church
The universal Church, which is invisible, consists of the whole number of the elect—those who have been, are, or shall be gathered into one, under Christ the Head thereof—and is the spouse, the body, the fullness of Him that fills all in all. (Ephesians 1:10,22-23; Ephesians 5:23,27,32; Colossians 1:18)
The Resurrection of the Dead
At the return of Christ, the bodies of the dead shall be raised up. The righteous will enter into full possession of eternal bliss in the presence of God, and the wicked will be condemned to eternal death separated from God in Hell. (John 5:28-29; I Corinthians 15:51-57; I Thessalonians 4:13-17).
The Eternal State of the Saved and the Lost
We believe eternity will be spent in a literal Heaven for believers and a literal Hell for unbelievers. (Psalms 9:17, 16:11; Daniel 12:2; Matthew 25:46; John 5:28,29, 14:1-6; Romans 2:6-8; Philippians 1:21,23; Revelation 20:10-15, 21:1-8)
The Personality of Satan
We believe Satan is a fallen angel, the prince of demons, the god of this age, the enticer and deceiver, the adversary of Christ and His people, and the accuser of the brethren, and that he and his angels will be cast into the lake of fire for eternity. (Genesis 3:1,13-15; Job 1:6-12, 2:1-7; Matthew 4:1-11, 25:41; John 8:44; II Corinthians 4:3,4; I Peter 5:8; Revelation 12:9-11, 20:1-3,7-10)
Sanctification
We believe that the Holy Spirit sanctifies the hearts of believers by removing the corruption of sin and working to make them more like Christ, enabling them to do good works and live lives exemplified by the fruit of the spirit. (Ephesians 4:24; I Corinthians 10:13, II Corinthians 5:17, 7:1; I Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 2:11)
Family Relationships
We believe that God has established the family as the foundational institution of human society. The husband is to love his wife as Christ loves the Church and submit to the headship of Christ. The wife is to submit herself to her own husband as the church is to submit to the headship of Christ. Children are a heritage from the Lord and are commanded to honor and obey their parents. Parents are responsible for teaching their children spiritual and moral values and leading them through consistent lifestyle example and appropriate admonition, correction, and discipline. (Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Psalm 127:3-5; Proverbs 19:18, 22:15, 23:13-14; Mark 10:6-9; Ephesians 5:21-33, 6:1-4; Colossians 3:18-21; Hebrews 13:4; I Peter 3:1-7)
Sanctity of Human Life
We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life. (Genesis 1:26-28; Job 3:16; Psalm 51:5, 139:14-16; Isaiah 44:24, 49:1,5; Jeremiah 1:5)
Human Sexuality
We believe that God created marriage to be exclusively the union of one man and one woman and that intimate sexual activity is to occur exclusively within that union. We believe all other sexual acts, including pornography, are sinful perversions of God’s gift of human sexuality. We believe that God created two genders and disapproves of attempts to treat gender as a choice. (Genesis 1:27, 2:24; Leviticus 18:1-30; Deuteronomy 22:5; Matthew 19:4-6; Romans 1:26-29, 7:2; I Corinthians 5:1, 6:9, 7:1-16; Hebrews 13:4)
Final Authority for Matters of Belief and Conduct
This statement of faith does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. The Bible itself—as the inspired and infallible Word of God that speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind—is the sole and final source of all that we believe. For purposes of Harvest’s faith, doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline, our Leadership Team is Harvest’s final interpretive authority on the Bible’s meaning and application in our organization. While Harvest’s aim is to permeate our learning with the doctrines outlined herein, students will also be referred to their parents and local churches for final personal authority in all such matters.