Menu
Our vision, mission, goals and objectives set forth our philosophy of the local church and its ministry. This, in turn, must form the foundation for our thinking and activities as a body of people. It directs us in what we ought to be doing. Anything which does not contribute to this philosophy of our vision, mission, goals and objectives should then be either corrected, rejected or alleviated from the activities of the church.
We desire to see a truth-founded church living a life of holiness, without wrinkle or blemish, glorifying God in both service and testimony, committed to fulfilling His divine purposes until the coming of the Lord.
The supreme mission of the church is to glorify God and to serve Him (1 Corinthians 10:31; Ephesians 3:21; Romans 11:36; 1 Peter 4:11) by obeying the great commandment to love God above all (Matthew 22:37-38) and to make devoted followers of the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19-20). In the power of the Holy Spirit and by the grace of God,
To win people from every tongue, tribe and culture to Jesus Christ.
To bring believers to ever-deepening knowledge of, devotion and submission to Christ through the teaching, study and application of the Word of God as manifest in lives that will represent Christ to the world.
Everything that we do must have the end in view of honoring the Lord. (1 Corinthians 10:31; John 4:23-24; Romans 12:1; 1 Peter 2:9; Psalm 95:6, 7).
We accomplish this primarily through the preaching and teaching of the Word and, secondarily, through activities that will enhance the believers’ stature as people of God in the likeness of Christ, devoted to Him and His ways. Equipping the saints unto the work of the ministry in all its aspects along with their spiritual maturity in the Lord is the second great goal of this church (Romans 15:2; Ephesians 4:12-16; Colossians 1:28-29).
Reaching the lost with the gospel of Jesus Christ, both at home and abroad, is to be one of the goals of this church (Matthew 28:19-20; Romans 1:14-16; Acts
1:8). We do this through the faithful sharing of the pure gospel of Jesus Christ, through means that will in no way alter, dilute, or hide the full implications of this gospel (Acts 20:20, 27; 2 Corinthians 2:17; Galatians 1:8) To this end, we hold in high priority the training of our
members in local and cross cultural evangelism, discipleship and missions (Romans 10:10-15, 17).
To provide the means for developing and expressing meaningful worship in songs of praise, adoration, admonishment, singing and making melody in our hearts to the Lord, and to administer the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s supper (Hebrews. 13:15; Ephesians. 5:19; Colossians. 3:16; 1 Corinthians. 11:23-34; Matthew. 28:19; Acts 2:42).
To encourage and provide means for deepening and expressing our longing for
God’s presence and moving through prayer and intercession (Acts 6:4; Ephesians 6:18;
Philippians 4:6; Colossians 4:2, 3; 1 Timothy 2:1-4).
To encourage and provide for means of developing meaningful relationships among believers (expressions of sharing and caring for, and loving one another, warning, admonishing, stimulating, and encouraging one another to love and good deeds (Hebrews. 10:24-25; 13:1-2; Acts 2:42-47).
To provide the means for developing and exercising spiritual gifts for the edification of the body and the evangelization of the lost (Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1, 4-31; 1 Peter 4:10-11).
To present the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who have never trusted in Him as their Lord and Savior, even to those who belong to languages and cultures that are different from ours, and to encourage and urge them to trust in Him (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8; 5:42; 8:4).
To impart biblical ministry through conferences and seminars that would edify the greater body of Christ (Galatians 6:10; Romans 1:11-12; 1 Thessalonians 5:11).
Our distinctives are what make us Guiding Light Christian Church, distinct from other Christian churches or fellowships. But while we differ in these things, it is important to remember that in the essentials, i.e. the “non-negotiables” that must be both believed by and taught in every true Christian church, there must be no disagreement, but rather unity among true believers in Christ. On the other hand, in the non-essentials we exercise respect toward those who may differ from us.
Photo by: Marc Grande
We believe the Holy Scriptures (composed of all 66 books in the Old and New Testaments) is God’s written, objective, propositional revelation to man. Thus, these books given to us by the Holy Spirit constitute the Word of God (1Corinthians 2:7-14; 2 Peter 1:20-21).
We believe in the verbal inspiration of Scriptures, i.e., that inspiration is not limited only to the thoughts of Scripture but extends to the very words of Scripture (Matthew 22:32; Matthew 5:18; John 10:34-35; Galatians 3:15-16). Since the words are inspired, we also believe that the entire Scriptures is inspired and not just some of its books or some parts of it (2 Timothy 3:16).
We reaffirm that in salvation we are rescued from God’s wrath by His grace alone. It is “the grace of God that brings salvation” (Titus 2:11). “And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace” (Romans 11:6). It is “not of ourselves; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). It is “not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began” (2 Timothy. 1:9).
We deny that salvation is in any sense a human work. Human methods, techniques or strategies by themselves cannot accomplish this transformation (1 Peter 1:18, 23). Faith is not produced by our unregenerated human nature (1 Corinthians.2:14; Ephesians 2:1-3).
We reaffirm that our salvation is accomplished by the mediatorial work of the historical Christ alone. His sinless life and substitutionary atonement alone are sufficient for our justification and reconciliation to the Father. We deny that the gospel is preached if Christ’s substitutionary work is not declared and faith in Christ and His work is not solicited.
We believe that justification is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. The righteousness of God “shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification” (Romans 4:24-25; Cf.3:22; 5:1). Believers are “justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as propitiation by His blood through faith” (Romans 3:22, 24-25; Ephesians 2:8).
We deny that justification rests on any merit to be found in us for salvation is “not of ourselves or of works but it is the gift of God so that no one should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). We also deny that justification rests on any merit gained “by the deeds of the law” for we conclude that “no flesh will be justified in His sight by the deeds of the law and that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law” (Romans 3:20, 28).
We believe the Scriptural teaching of the sovereignty of God over every aspect of the believer’s life. We also affirm that because salvation is of God, and has indeed been accomplished by God, it is for God’s glory and that we must glorify Him always. All of life, therefore, is to be lived to the glory of God and under the Lordship of Christ. Every activity of the Christian is to be sanctified unto the glory of God. The Westminster Shorter Catechism declares, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.”
We do not subscribe to the belief that all faiths are acceptable to God and that each has his own way to God and salvation (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). The result of such a belief is an open acceptance to work especially in spiritual matters with others whose faith may be quite contrary to the Holy Scriptures.
Therefore, we do not support the modern ecumenical movement, especially in instances where they call people of different faiths to pray together for some concern for the world at large (2 Corinthians 6:14-16).
We do not believe in unity just for unity’s sake but rather in biblical unity (Ephesians 4:13) and in biblical separation (2 Corinthians. 6:17-18).
Therefore, we also believe that those who are not of the true Christian faith are objects of evangelism.
in Our Doctrine of the Salvation-Soteriology
We believe the five points of Calvinism, also known as TULIP or the Doctrines of Grace. This doctrine teaches the…
There is nothing good enough in man to merit salvation from God and, that man, left to his own, will not seek after God to be his Lord and Savior (Romans 3:9-23),
God chose before the foundation of the world those who would be redeemed in Christ according to the good pleasure of His will (Ephesians 1:4-6; Romans 8:29),
While Christ’s death is sufficient to redeem all men, it redeems only the elect; Christ’s death is unlimited in its power to save but limited in its application (John 6:44, 65; 10:14-16, 26-28),
Spiritually dead men and women can never resist the grace of God in regeneration and upon regeneration they will inevitably respond in faith and repentance (John 6:37, 44; 10:16; 2 Corinthians 5:17),
Genuine believers will persevere in the faith (John 5:24; 2 Corinthians 5:15; 1 John 2:19) because God preserves them (Philippians 2:13; 1 Peter. 1:5; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; Jude 1:24). All true believers in Christ cannot ever lose their salvation and will produce fruit that is in keeping with repentance (2 Peter. 1:5-11).
We believe it is impossible to receive Jesus as Savior without at the same time receiving Him as Lord. Christ is both Lord and Savior.
We also believe that this salvation requires repentance which is a foundational part of the Gospel (Luke 24:47; Acts 2:38; 26:19-20) and that this repentance is more than a changed mind about who Christ is and about who we are as sinners. It includes a change in lifestyle, a turning from sin to God. “Repentance that leads to life” is not a work of self. Like faith, it is a work which God does in the heart thus enabling man to acknowledge his sinfulness, seek forgiveness and turn from sin to God (Acts 11:18).
This salvation, therefore, requires a life of surrender and obedience which naturally flows from receiving Christ as Lord and Savior.
in Our Doctrine of the Last Things- Eschatology
We believe that the Lord will return for His church in what is known as the Rapture which is the believer’s blessed hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:51-55) before the commencement of the 7-year Tribulation Period (1 Thessalonians 5:9; Romans 5:9) which is God’s judgment and expression of wrath upon mankind (Revelation 6-18). After this 7-year period of judgment, Christ will return to defeat Antichrist and his followers and then establish His millennial reign of peace as literal Lord of all the earth, with the church reigning with Him (Revelation 20:1-7).
in View of the Ministry of the Holy Spirit
Cessationism is the view that the sign gifts (e.g., the performing of miracles, healing, speaking in tongues) and the revelatory gifts (having new revelation from God) passed away when the foundation stage of the church ended. Those gifts did not continue beyond the apostolic era and especially after the canon of Scripture was completed. As such they are not to be considered normative in nature after the apostolic era to the present. This does not mean that God, if He would so choose, cannot operate through those gifts at any time. Being God, He cannot be limited in any way. But these gifts are no longer in operation the way they were during the earlier days of the New Testament church (see Eph. 2:20; Heb. 1:2; Jude 3).
The framework by which God now operates through His church is primarily defined in relation to the revealed Word of God. The Spirit indeed does amazing and ongoing work in and through believers who are members of His church which include that of regenerating, indwelling, baptizing, sealing, assuring, illuminating, convicting, comforting, confirming, filling, and enabling believers in glorifying God (John 14:16-17, 26; 16:8-14; 1 Cor 6:19-20; Eph 1:13-14).
Cessationism, then, is motivated by a concern to honor the Holy Spirit by safeguarding a true understanding of his miraculous work as portrayed in Scripture. We do this by seeking to more accurately represent Him, understand and appreciate His purposes, study the Scriptures more accurately, fervent in prayer and intercession, manifest His fruit and long to be filled by Him so as to be more useful in His service in the church and faithfully witness for Him in the world (Gal 5:22-23; Eph 5:18; Col 3:16-17; Acts 1:8).
We also believe that spiritual gifts may be discovered or received.
a) Discovered. Being part of the body means having a part or a function, and one cannot function without a gift. (1 Corinthians 12:7, 27-28; Cf. Ephesians 4:11-16)
b) Received. Those who already have discovered their gift may “earnestly desire” for a “greater gift” that will bring greater edification to the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:31; 14:1, 12).
and Ministry and Holy Living, and the Propagation of the Same
We, therefore, uphold the importance of expository preaching and the building up of the church in doctrinal truths. We also espouse biblical counseling and are against the integration of psychology with Scripture in counseling. We are against present-day movements, practices and approaches to ministry which are not in accordance with sound biblical doctrines and examples such as, “Decisionism”, “Easy Believism”, the “seeker-friendly approach to ministry”, the “Hyperfaith” movement, the “Purpose-driven” ministry philosophy, the “Emerging Church” movement, to name a few.
The New Testatemnt clearly predicted departures from the faith to occur in church history.
1 Timothy 4:1 says, “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.”
2 Timothy 4:3-4 says, “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”
We are, therefore, to be diligent to “not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God” (1 John 4:1) and to guard against the “preaching… [of] a gospel contrary to what [we] received” from Scripture (Galatians 1:8-9). We are to “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints” (Jude 3).
a Nondenominational Association of Churches Nationwide, and Support its Primary Thrust of Promoting Biblical Ministry.
CCM was formed as a result of our departure from the previous church, initially for the purpose of mutual accountability even as autonomous independent churches. In time we realized the biblical mandate to pursue and practice biblical ministry and thus have helped each member church in this area for ministry.
We recognize the fact that we are part of the larger Body of Christ in the locality to which we belong. Therefore, supporting the fellowshipping with other church organizations and associations is an expression of this recognition. This also provides us with the opportunity to promote biblical ministry to other churches and denominations as well.
as the Main Governing Body in the Church and that this Body is an All-Male Eldership
We believe that the authority to oversee and shepherd the flock of God resides in a plurality of elders, as a survey of relevant Scriptural passages will show (Acts 14:23, 20:17; Titus 1:5; 1 Timothy 4:14; James 5:14; 1 Peter 5:1-2).
Each of these elders must meet the qualifications established in Scripture (1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9). They are to be “examples to the flock” and “models of good deeds” (1 Timothy 4:12; Titus 2:7), being tasked with the sacred and demanding responsibility of leading the local church, under the authority of Christ the Chief Shepherd. On account of 1 Timothy 2:12-14, we also believe that the eldership must consist of all male believers.
The Senior Pastor will be the “presiding elder” of the Board of Elders but will, like every other elder, be subject to the authority of the Board as a whole. This will enable him to provide strong leadership in many areas of responsibility that the eldership may choose to delegate to him yet give him protection from errors of judgment and support in times of adversity and opposition.
The elders will be assisted by male and female deacons in shepherding the flock, particularly in counseling, in ministering to physical needs of the members (or those in the community), and in the financial and administrative functions of the church.