Olive Grove Life Statement of Faith
At Olive Grove Life, our faith is the cornerstone of our community and the inspiration for all we do. Our beliefs are deeply rooted in the Holy Scriptures, guiding us to live in the light of God's love and truth. Here is the essence of what we hold dear:
We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, who are coequal and coeternal.
- **Genesis 1:1** - "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
- **Genesis 1:26** - "Then God said, 'Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness...'"
- **Matthew 28:19** - "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
- **2 Corinthians 13:14** - "May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all."
We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, fully divine and fully human. He lived a sinless life, died on the cross to atone for our sins, and rose again, affirming His victory over sin and death.
- **Matthew 1:22-23** - "All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 'The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel' (which means 'God with us')."
- **John 1:1-5** - "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."
- **1 Corinthians 15:3-4** - "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures."
We believe the Holy Spirit is present in the world to guide us to Jesus Christ, to inhabit and empower us for godly living, and to bestow spiritual gifts for the building up of the church.
- **John 14:16-17** - "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you."
- **Acts 1:8** - "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
- **Galatians 5:25** - "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."
We hold that the Bible is God's written revelation to humankind, authored by human hands under divine inspiration, and is the ultimate authority for faith and practice.
- **2 Timothy 3:16** - "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness."
- **Psalm 119:105** - "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path."
We believe that all humanity is created in the image of God and possesses inherent dignity. However, sin has marred this image, separating us from God and each other.
- **Genesis 1:27** - "So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them."
- **Romans 3:23** - "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
We affirm that salvation is a gift from God, received through faith in Jesus Christ, not by our own efforts or works.
- **Ephesians 2:8-9** - "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast."
- **John 14:6** - "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'"
We believe in the reality of eternal life with God for the redeemed and eternal separation from God for those who reject His gift of salvation.
- **John 3:16** - "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
- **Revelation 20:15** - "Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire."
We practice baptism as an outward expression of an inward faith in Jesus Christ, following His example and command.
- **Matthew 28:19** - "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
- **Romans 6:4** - "We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."
We commit to living lives that reflect our faith, embracing both the joys and the sacrifices that come with following Christ.
- **Romans 14:1, 4, 12, 22** - "Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters... Each of us will give an account of ourselves to God... So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God."
- **1 Corinthians 10:23-24** - "'I have the right to do anything,' you say—but not everything is beneficial. 'I have the right to do anything'—but not everything is constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others."
These beliefs unite us at Olive Grove Life as we strive to live a life of faith, hope, and love, encouraging one another and glorifying God in all that we do.
The Trinity
We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, who are coequal and coeternal.
- **Genesis 1:1** - "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
- **Genesis 1:26** - "Then God said, 'Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness...'"
- **Matthew 28:19** - "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
- **2 Corinthians 13:14** - "May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all."
Jesus Christ
We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, fully divine and fully human. He lived a sinless life, died on the cross to atone for our sins, and rose again, affirming His victory over sin and death.
- **Matthew 1:22-23** - "All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 'The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel' (which means 'God with us')."
- **John 1:1-5** - "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."
- **1 Corinthians 15:3-4** - "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures."
The Holy Spirit
We believe the Holy Spirit is present in the world to guide us to Jesus Christ, to inhabit and empower us for godly living, and to bestow spiritual gifts for the building up of the church.
- **John 14:16-17** - "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you."
- **Acts 1:8** - "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
- **Galatians 5:25** - "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."
The Bible
We hold that the Bible is God's written revelation to humankind, authored by human hands under divine inspiration, and is the ultimate authority for faith and practice.
- **2 Timothy 3:16** - "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness."
- **Psalm 119:105** - "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path."
Humanity and Sin
We believe that all humanity is created in the image of God and possesses inherent dignity. However, sin has marred this image, separating us from God and each other.
- **Genesis 1:27** - "So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them."
- **Romans 3:23** - "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
Salvation
We affirm that salvation is a gift from God, received through faith in Jesus Christ, not by our own efforts or works.
- **Ephesians 2:8-9** - "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast."
- **John 14:6** - "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'"
Eternal Destiny
We believe in the reality of eternal life with God for the redeemed and eternal separation from God for those who reject His gift of salvation.
- **John 3:16** - "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
- **Revelation 20:15** - "Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire."
Baptism
We practice baptism as an outward expression of an inward faith in Jesus Christ, following His example and command.
- **Matthew 28:19** - "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
- **Romans 6:4** - "We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."
Christian Living
We commit to living lives that reflect our faith, embracing both the joys and the sacrifices that come with following Christ.
- **Romans 14:1, 4, 12, 22** - "Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters... Each of us will give an account of ourselves to God... So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God."
- **1 Corinthians 10:23-24** - "'I have the right to do anything,' you say—but not everything is beneficial. 'I have the right to do anything'—but not everything is constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others."
These beliefs unite us at Olive Grove Life as we strive to live a life of faith, hope, and love, encouraging one another and glorifying God in all that we do.