What We Believe
Our Statement of Faith
The sole basis of our belief is the Bible, God’s infallible written Word, the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments. We believe that it was uniquely, verbally and finally inspired by the Holy Spirit and that it was written without error. It is the supreme and final authority in all matters of faith and conduct on which it speaks.
Deut. 4:2; Ps. 19:7-9; Prov. 30:5-6; 1 Cor. 2:13; Gal. 1:8-9; 2 Tim. 3:15-17; 2 Pet. 1:20-21; Rev. 22:18-19
We accept those areas of doctrinal teaching on which, historically, there has been general agreement among all Christians.
Because of the specialized calling of our organization, we desire to allow for freedom of conviction on other doctrinal matters, provided that any interpretation is based upon the Bible alone, and that no such interpretation shall become an issue which hinders the ministry to which God has called us.
1. We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – each of whom possesses equally all the attributes of Deity and the characteristics of personality.
Gen. 1:1-3; Is. 44:6-8; Matt. 28:19-20; Mk. 12:29; Jn.1:1-4; Acts 5:3-4; 2 Cor. 13:14
2. We believe in God the Father, an infinite personal spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power, and love. We believe that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of each person, that He hears and answers prayer, and the He saves from sin and death all that come to Him through Jesus Christ.
Gen. 21:33; Ex. 33:14; 2 Sam. 24:14; Is. 40:28; Jer. 31:3 & 32:17; Jn. 4:24; Ro. 5:8; 11:33-34; Eph. 1:19-20; 1 Jn. 5:14-15; Rev. 4:8
3. We believe in God the Son, Jesus Christ the Savior, the only begotten Son of God, in His deity, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, and voluntarily atoned for the sins of mankind by dying on the cross as their substitute, thus satisfying divine justice and accomplishing salvation for all who trust in Him alone. We believe in His bodily resurrection in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, in His continuous intercession for His people, and in His people, and in His personal, visible, bodily return to earth in power and in glory to consummate history and the eternal plan of God.
Matt. 24:30; Mk. 8:38; Lk. 1:34-35, 24:27; Jn. 1:1-2, 14, 18, 3:16; Ro. 3:23-26; 8:34; 1 Cor. 15:3-4; Heb. 4:15
4. We believe in God the Holy Spirit, the Helper and Comforter, in His daily guidance and revelation of truth, in His conviction of sin, righteousness and judgment, and in His indwelling presence at the moment of salvation, enabling believers to live Godly lives.
Jn. 3:5-8, 14:16-17; 16:13-14; Acts 1:8; 1 Cor. 12:13; Eph. 4:30-32, 5:18
5. We believe that mankind was originally created in the image of God. They sinned by disobeying God; thus, they were alienated from their Creator. That historic fall brought all mankind under divine condemnation.
Mankind’s nature is corrupted and, therefore, they are totally unable to please God. Every person is in need of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
That salvation of mankind is wholly a work of God’s free grace and is not the work, in whole or part, of human works or goodness or religious ceremony. God imputes His righteousness to those who put their faith in Christ alone for their salvation and, thereby, justified them in His sight.
It is the privilege of all who are born again of the Spirit to be assured of their salvation from the very moment in which they trust Christ as their Savior. This assurance is produced by the witness of the Holy Spirit, who confirms in the believe the testimony of God in His written Word.
Every believer is called to live so in the power of the indwelling Spirit that they will not fulfill the lust of the flesh but will bear fruit to the glory of God.
Jn. 3:5-8, 5:24; Ac. 2:21; Eph. 1:6-7, 2:8-9; Tit. 3:5; 1 Pet. 1:23; Gal. 5:22-26
6. We believe that Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church, His Body, which is composed of men and women, living and dead, who have been joined to Him through saving faith.
Col. 1:18
7. We believe that God admonishes His people to assemble together regularly for worship, for participation in ordinances, for edification through the Scriptures and for mutual encouragement.
Heb. 10:25; Lk. 22:17-19; 1 Thes. 4:18
8. We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost. At physical death, the believer enters immediately into eternal, conscious fellowship with the Lord and awaits the resurrection of their body to everlasting glory and blessing. The unbeliever enters immediately into eternal, conscious separation from the Lord and awaits the resurrection of their body to everlasting judgment and condemnation.
Lk. 16:19-26; 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23-24; 2 Thes. 1:7-9; Rev. 20:11-15
9. We believe the Lord Jesus Christ commanded all believers to proclaim the Gospel throughout the world and to disciple people of every nation. The fulfillment of that Great Commission requires that all worldly and personal ambitions be subordinated to a total commitment to “Him who loved us and gave Himself for us.”
Matt. 28:18-20; Eph. 5:2
Deut. 4:2; Ps. 19:7-9; Prov. 30:5-6; 1 Cor. 2:13; Gal. 1:8-9; 2 Tim. 3:15-17; 2 Pet. 1:20-21; Rev. 22:18-19
We accept those areas of doctrinal teaching on which, historically, there has been general agreement among all Christians.
Because of the specialized calling of our organization, we desire to allow for freedom of conviction on other doctrinal matters, provided that any interpretation is based upon the Bible alone, and that no such interpretation shall become an issue which hinders the ministry to which God has called us.
1. We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – each of whom possesses equally all the attributes of Deity and the characteristics of personality.
Gen. 1:1-3; Is. 44:6-8; Matt. 28:19-20; Mk. 12:29; Jn.1:1-4; Acts 5:3-4; 2 Cor. 13:14
2. We believe in God the Father, an infinite personal spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power, and love. We believe that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of each person, that He hears and answers prayer, and the He saves from sin and death all that come to Him through Jesus Christ.
Gen. 21:33; Ex. 33:14; 2 Sam. 24:14; Is. 40:28; Jer. 31:3 & 32:17; Jn. 4:24; Ro. 5:8; 11:33-34; Eph. 1:19-20; 1 Jn. 5:14-15; Rev. 4:8
3. We believe in God the Son, Jesus Christ the Savior, the only begotten Son of God, in His deity, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, and voluntarily atoned for the sins of mankind by dying on the cross as their substitute, thus satisfying divine justice and accomplishing salvation for all who trust in Him alone. We believe in His bodily resurrection in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, in His continuous intercession for His people, and in His people, and in His personal, visible, bodily return to earth in power and in glory to consummate history and the eternal plan of God.
Matt. 24:30; Mk. 8:38; Lk. 1:34-35, 24:27; Jn. 1:1-2, 14, 18, 3:16; Ro. 3:23-26; 8:34; 1 Cor. 15:3-4; Heb. 4:15
4. We believe in God the Holy Spirit, the Helper and Comforter, in His daily guidance and revelation of truth, in His conviction of sin, righteousness and judgment, and in His indwelling presence at the moment of salvation, enabling believers to live Godly lives.
Jn. 3:5-8, 14:16-17; 16:13-14; Acts 1:8; 1 Cor. 12:13; Eph. 4:30-32, 5:18
5. We believe that mankind was originally created in the image of God. They sinned by disobeying God; thus, they were alienated from their Creator. That historic fall brought all mankind under divine condemnation.
Mankind’s nature is corrupted and, therefore, they are totally unable to please God. Every person is in need of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
That salvation of mankind is wholly a work of God’s free grace and is not the work, in whole or part, of human works or goodness or religious ceremony. God imputes His righteousness to those who put their faith in Christ alone for their salvation and, thereby, justified them in His sight.
It is the privilege of all who are born again of the Spirit to be assured of their salvation from the very moment in which they trust Christ as their Savior. This assurance is produced by the witness of the Holy Spirit, who confirms in the believe the testimony of God in His written Word.
Every believer is called to live so in the power of the indwelling Spirit that they will not fulfill the lust of the flesh but will bear fruit to the glory of God.
Jn. 3:5-8, 5:24; Ac. 2:21; Eph. 1:6-7, 2:8-9; Tit. 3:5; 1 Pet. 1:23; Gal. 5:22-26
6. We believe that Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church, His Body, which is composed of men and women, living and dead, who have been joined to Him through saving faith.
Col. 1:18
7. We believe that God admonishes His people to assemble together regularly for worship, for participation in ordinances, for edification through the Scriptures and for mutual encouragement.
Heb. 10:25; Lk. 22:17-19; 1 Thes. 4:18
8. We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost. At physical death, the believer enters immediately into eternal, conscious fellowship with the Lord and awaits the resurrection of their body to everlasting glory and blessing. The unbeliever enters immediately into eternal, conscious separation from the Lord and awaits the resurrection of their body to everlasting judgment and condemnation.
Lk. 16:19-26; 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23-24; 2 Thes. 1:7-9; Rev. 20:11-15
9. We believe the Lord Jesus Christ commanded all believers to proclaim the Gospel throughout the world and to disciple people of every nation. The fulfillment of that Great Commission requires that all worldly and personal ambitions be subordinated to a total commitment to “Him who loved us and gave Himself for us.”
Matt. 28:18-20; Eph. 5:2
Our Statement of Ethics
The Bible states that right doctrine must lead us to right action: “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only . . . So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 1:22; 2:17). Actions or works do not merit salvation; God saves people by grace alone through faith in Christ alone. But God’s saving work does then fashion Christians into the likeness of Christ to walk in his ways (Eph. 2:8-10).
In order to preserve the particular function and integrity of The Oaks Ministry as a ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, it is imperative that all employees and all volunteers agree to and abide by the following good and necessary implications of the ministry’s doctrinal affirmations set forth in the Statement of Faith.
1. Protecting the Unborn. Because God creates all human beings in His image and for His glory, we affirm the need to protect the unborn. In our day, this protection includes the rejection of elective abortion.
2. Ending Racism. Because God creates all human beings in His image and for His glory in a beautifully diverse array of races, we affirm the need to end the evil of racial discrimination.
3. Helping the Poor. Because God creates all human beings in His image and for His glory with inherent and inalienable dignity and worth, we affirm the need to help the poor.
4. Embracing Personal Identity. Because God creates human beings in His image as either biologically male or biologically female, we affirm the need to embrace God’s design and gift and avoid all attempts at altering a person’s birth-sex or adopting an identity discordant with it (including elective sex-reassignment and transvestite, transgender, or non-binary “genderqueer” acts or conduct).
5. Affirming Marriage. Because God created the institution of marriage to reflect His glory in the union of one man and one woman in a lifelong and exclusive covenant commitment, we affirm the need to (1) uphold and promote marriage as the exclusive context for the expression of sexual intimacy and procreation, and (2) avoid all forms of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, and use of pornography) as distortions of God’s design for marriage and sexual expression.
6. Stewarding Creation. Because God created and governs all things for His glory and the good of humanity, we affirm the need to steward all creation toward the common good.
7. Pursuing Justice. Because God’s providential rule includes the establishment of human governments, we affirm the need for virtuous leaders in all forms of government to ensure their proper function in the pursuit of justice and the common good.
8. Abounding in Generosity. Because God created humanity to bring Him glory as their ultimate love and to use the gifts he bestowed on us for the good of others, we affirm the need to abandon greed and materialism and to pursue an abundant generosity in all of our relationships and communities.
The Christian faith has important implications for every area of life. And so the foregoing affirmations are not listed to deny other ones or to diminish their significance. This statement of ethics, rather, addresses conduct that is consistent with The Oaks Ministry statement of faith and necessary for the proper function of this ministry.
Our moral stances are derived from the Bible, and we strive to follow them and live up to them. We realize that all people are fallible, and our practice is such that when we transgress God’s laws, we confess and repent of our sins in order to continue to walk in fellowship with Him.
The Oaks Ministry is a Pa non-profit corporation, with its own 501c3 tax-exempt status from the IRS. Oversight is provided by a Christian Board of Directors from the community and surrounding areas.
In order to preserve the particular function and integrity of The Oaks Ministry as a ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, it is imperative that all employees and all volunteers agree to and abide by the following good and necessary implications of the ministry’s doctrinal affirmations set forth in the Statement of Faith.
1. Protecting the Unborn. Because God creates all human beings in His image and for His glory, we affirm the need to protect the unborn. In our day, this protection includes the rejection of elective abortion.
2. Ending Racism. Because God creates all human beings in His image and for His glory in a beautifully diverse array of races, we affirm the need to end the evil of racial discrimination.
3. Helping the Poor. Because God creates all human beings in His image and for His glory with inherent and inalienable dignity and worth, we affirm the need to help the poor.
4. Embracing Personal Identity. Because God creates human beings in His image as either biologically male or biologically female, we affirm the need to embrace God’s design and gift and avoid all attempts at altering a person’s birth-sex or adopting an identity discordant with it (including elective sex-reassignment and transvestite, transgender, or non-binary “genderqueer” acts or conduct).
5. Affirming Marriage. Because God created the institution of marriage to reflect His glory in the union of one man and one woman in a lifelong and exclusive covenant commitment, we affirm the need to (1) uphold and promote marriage as the exclusive context for the expression of sexual intimacy and procreation, and (2) avoid all forms of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, and use of pornography) as distortions of God’s design for marriage and sexual expression.
6. Stewarding Creation. Because God created and governs all things for His glory and the good of humanity, we affirm the need to steward all creation toward the common good.
7. Pursuing Justice. Because God’s providential rule includes the establishment of human governments, we affirm the need for virtuous leaders in all forms of government to ensure their proper function in the pursuit of justice and the common good.
8. Abounding in Generosity. Because God created humanity to bring Him glory as their ultimate love and to use the gifts he bestowed on us for the good of others, we affirm the need to abandon greed and materialism and to pursue an abundant generosity in all of our relationships and communities.
The Christian faith has important implications for every area of life. And so the foregoing affirmations are not listed to deny other ones or to diminish their significance. This statement of ethics, rather, addresses conduct that is consistent with The Oaks Ministry statement of faith and necessary for the proper function of this ministry.
Our moral stances are derived from the Bible, and we strive to follow them and live up to them. We realize that all people are fallible, and our practice is such that when we transgress God’s laws, we confess and repent of our sins in order to continue to walk in fellowship with Him.
The Oaks Ministry is a Pa non-profit corporation, with its own 501c3 tax-exempt status from the IRS. Oversight is provided by a Christian Board of Directors from the community and surrounding areas.
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