Advent Recovery Ministries, Inc.

STATEMENT OF FAITH:
This Ministry, as a part of the Body of Christ and an integral part of the general assembly and the Church of the firstborn which is enrolled in heaven, shall carry on all the purposes and agencies of the local church, and has the power and authority to carry out any and all of the Ordinances, Ministries, Discipline, and Duties of the church. The following comprise the Scriptural beliefs of this ministry and its members.

(A) The One True God
The one true God has revealed Himself as the eternally self-existent "I AM," the Creator of the universe and the Redeemer of mankind (Deut. 6:4; Ex. 3:14; Isa. 43:10, 11). God has further revealed Himself as a triune Being, manifested as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - each co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, coequal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections (Deut. 6:4; Isa. 48:16; Matt. 28:19; Lk. 3:22; John 14:10, 26; II Cor. 13:14).

(B) The Scriptures Inspired
The scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, are the verbally and plenary inspired Word of God and are the revelation of God to man. They are inerrant, infallible, and God-breathed, and therefore are the final authoritative rule of faith and conduct. The sixty-six books of the Old and New Testament are the complete and divine written revelation of God to Man. The Scriptures shall be interpreted according to their normal grammatical-historical meaning, and all issues of interpretation and meaning shall be determined by the Board of Directors. (II Tim. 3:15-17; I Thes. 2:13; II Pet. 1:20-21).

(C) The Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ
The Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God and, as such, shares in the divinity and deity of God (Matt. 1:23; Jn. 5:22, 23; II Jn. 3; Heb. 1:1-13).

(D) Original Sin and the Fall of Man
Man was created good and upright; for God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…"(Gen. 1:26). The first man, Adam, through disobedience, fell from the grace of God, and thus sin and death entered into the world. Adam's transgression incurred not only physical death for man, but also spiritual death, which is eternal separation from God (Gen. 2:17; 3:6-24). Man's propensity to sin because of his sinful nature necessitates salvation from the power of sin and a Savior to provide that salvation (Rom. 5:12-21).

(E) The Salvation of Man
Man's only hope of redemption and salvation from the power of sin is through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12; Rom. 5:8-13; 10:9; James 1:21; Eph. 2:8).

(F) Christ, the One Shepherd
Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd (Jn. 10:11) and the Great Shepherd (Heb. 13:20). There is only one spiritual shepherd referred to in the New Testament and Jesus Christ is that one (Jn. 10:16).

(G) The Church and Its Mission
The church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Holy Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of her Great Commission. Each believer, born of the Spirit, is an integral part of the general assembly and the Church of the firstborn which is enrolled in heaven (Eph. 1:22, 23; 2:22; Heb. 12:23).
Since God's purpose concerning man is to seek and to save those who are lost, to be worshiped by man, and to build a body of believers in the image of His Son, the responsibility of the Church is:
1. To be an agency of God for evangelizing the world (Acts 1:8; Matt. 28:19, 20; Mk. 16:15, 16).
2. To be a corporate body in which man may worship God (1 Cor. 12:13).
3. To be a channel of God's purpose to build a body of saints who are being perfected in the image of His Son (Eph. 4:11-16; I Cor. 12:28; 14:12).

(H) The Ordinances of the Church

1. Baptism in Water
The ordinance of baptism by immersion is commanded in the scriptures. All who repent of their sins and believe in Christ as Savior and Lord are to be baptized. This is a declaration to the world that they have been raised with Him in newness of life (Matt. 28:19; Mk. 16:16; Acts 10:47, 48; Rom. 6:4).

2. The Lord's Supper or Holy Communion
The Lord's Supper, consisting of the elements – the bread and the cup of the fruit of the vine – is the symbol expressing our sharing of the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ (II Pet. 1:4), a memorial of His suffering and death, and a prophecy of His second coming (I Cor. 11:26), and partaken by all believers till He comes!

(I) The Baptism in the Holy Spirit
The baptism of believers in the Holy Spirit is evidenced by the initial physical sign of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit of God gives utterance (Acts 2:4). With the baptism in the Holy Spirit comes the endowment of power for life and service, the bestowment of the gifts (or enablement of the Holy Spirit) and their uses in the ministry of the body of Christ (Lk. 24:49; Acts 1:4, 8; I Cor. 12:1-31). This experience is distinct from, and subsequent to, the experience of the new birth (Acts 8:12-17; 10:44-46; 11:14, 15; 15:7-9).

(J) Divine Healing
Divine healing was provided for in the Old Testament (Ex. 15:23-36; Ps. 103: 1-3; Isa. 53:4, 5) and is an integral part of the Gospel (Matt. 8:16, 17; Acts 5:16; James 5:14-16).

(K) The Second Advent of Christ
The Second Coming of Christ includes the catching away of the Church (I Thes. 4:16, 17), followed by the actual, visible return of Christ with His saints (the Church) to reign with Him on earth for one thousand years (Zech. 14:5; Matt. 24:27, 30; Rev. 1:7; 19:11-14; 20:1-6). This millennial reign will bring the salvation of the nation of Israel (Ezek. 39:28, 29; Zeph. 3:19, 29; Rom. 11:26, 27) and the establishment of universal peace (Isa. 11:6-9; Ps. 72:3-8; Mic. 4:3,4).

(L) The Final Judgment
There will be a final judgment in which the wicked dead will be raised and will be judged according to their works. Whosoever is not found written in the book of Life, together with the devil and his angels, the beast and the false prophet, will be consigned to everlasting punishment in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death (Matt. 25:46; Mark 9:43-48; Rev. 19:20; 20:11-15; 21:8).

(M) The New Heavens and the New Earth
"…We, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness" (II Pet. 3:13; see also Rev. 21:1).

(N) Principles of Ministries:
We believe that the principles set forth in Matthew 25:31-46 are the basis of our ministry.

(O) Human Sexuality:
We believe in God’s gracious creation intent for both faithful lifelong heterosexual union for married persons and for committed celibate behavior for unmarried persons as the only Biblical options for human sexual conduct, as all other sexual unions are clearly identified as being sinful and destructive of persons (Gen. 1:27, 2:24; I Thess. 4:3-8; Heb. 13:4 ); and, that all alternative sexual unions outside of heterosexual marriage including homosexual/bisexual practices, adultery, and fornication are sin; and such conduct calls for repentance and openness to the transforming power of God (Lev. 18:22, 20:13; Rom. 1:18-32; I Cor. 6:9-10).

We believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one woman. (Gen.2:24; Rom. 7:2; I Cor. 7:10; Eph. 5:22-23)

(P) Pornography and Obscenity:
We believe pornography violates the sexual and moral integrity of human beings. God created human beings as male and female to consummate their sexual union within the security of marriage for the purposes of procreation and mutual intimacy. Pornography encourages sexually immoral thoughts (Matthew 5:28) and actions (I Corinthians 6:9; Galatians 5:19) and is thus destructive to marital and family relationships.
God created men and women in His image (Gen. 1:27) as sexual beings. But because of sin in the world (Rom. 3:23), sex has been misused and abused (Rom. 1:24-25).
Pornography attacks the dignity of men and women created in the image of God. Pornography also distorts God's gift of sex which should be shared only within the bounds of marriage (I Cor. 7:2-3). When the Bible refers to human sexual organs, it often employs euphemisms and indirect language. Although there are some exceptions (a woman's breasts and womb are sometimes mentioned), generally Scripture maintains a basic modesty towards a man's or woman's sexual organs.
Moreover, Scripture specifically condemns the practices that result from pornography such as sexual exposure (Gen. 9:21-23), adultery (Lev. 18:20), bestiality (Lev. 18:23), homosexuality (Lev. 18:22 and 20:13), incest (Lev. 18:6-18), and prostitution (Deut. 23:17-18).
A biblical perspective of human sexuality must recognize that sexual intercourse is exclusively reserved for marriage for the following purposes. First, it establishes the one-flesh union (Gen. 2:24-25; Matt. 19:4-6). Second, it provides for sexual intimacy within the marriage bond. The use of the word "know" indicates a profound meaning of sexual intercourse (Gen. 4:1). Third, sexual intercourse is for the mutual pleasure of husband and wife (Prov. 5:18-19). Fourth, sexual intercourse is for procreation (Gen. 1:28).
The Bible also warns against the misuse of sex. Premarital and extramarital sex is condemned (I Cor. 6:13-18; I Thess. 4:3). Even thoughts of sexual immorality (often fed by pornographic material) are condemned (Matt. 5:27-28).


Moreover, Christians must realize that pornography can have significant harmful effects on the user. These include: a comparison mentality, a performance-based sexuality, a feeling that only forbidden things are sexually satisfying, increased guilt, decreased self concept, and obsessional thinking.
Christians, therefore, must do two things. First, they must work to keep themselves pure by fleeing immorality (I Cor. 6:18) and thinking on those things which are pure (Phil. 4:8). As a man thinks in his heart, so is he (Prov. 23:7). Christians must make no provision for the flesh (Rom. 13:14). Pornography will fuel the sexual desire in abnormal ways and can eventually lead to even more debase perversion. We, therefore, must "abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul" (I Peter 2:11). Second, Christians must work to remove the sexual perversion of pornography from society. The Ministry is committed to pray fervently for those bond-slaves of Satan who are intent upon trafficking in pornography and obscenity. We are committed to compassionately minister to those victims of this immoral epidemic who are trapped in unmarried pregnancies, child prostitution, destroyed marriages, rape induced trauma, AIDS, or other life-threatening tragedies brought on by this plague.

(Q) The Personality of Satan
We believe that Satan is a person, the author of sin and the cause of the Fall of Man; that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man; and that he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire (Job 1:6-7; Isa. 14:12-17; Matt. 4:2-11; 25:41; Rev. 20:10).

(R) Creation
We believe that God created the universe in six literal, 24-hour periods. We reject evolution, the Gap Theory, the Day-Age Theory, and Theistic Evolution as unscriptural theories of origin (Gen. 1-2; Ex. 20:11).

(S) Civil Government
We believe that God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: 1) the home, 2) the church, and 3) the state. Every person is subject to these authorities, but all (including the authorities themselves) are answerable to God and governed by His Word. God has given each institution specific Biblical responsibilities and balanced those responsibilities with the understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the other. The home, the church, and the state are equal and sovereign in their respective Biblically assigned spheres of responsibility under God (Rom. 13:1-7; Eph. 5:22-24; Heb. 13:17; I Pet. 2:13-14).

(T) Family Relationships
We believe that God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. The husband is to love his wife as Christ loves the church. The wife is to submit herself to the Scriptural leadership of her husband as the church submits to the headship of Christ. Children are an heritage from the Lord. Parents are responsible for teaching their children spiritual and moral values and leading them, through consistent lifestyle example and appropriate discipline, including Scriptural corporal correction (Gen. 1:26-28; Ex. 20:12; Deut. 6:4-9; Ps. 127:3-5; Prov. 19:18; 22:15; 23:13-14; Mk. 10:6-12; I Cor. 7:1-16; Eph. 5:21-33; 6:1-4, Col. 3:18-21; Heb. 13:4; I Pet. 3:1-7).

(U) Abortion.
We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the physical or mental well being of the mother are acceptable (Job 3:16; Ps. 51:5; 139:14-16; Isa. 44:24; 49:1, 5; Jer. 1:5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:44).

(V) Love
We believe that we should demonstrate love for others, not only toward fellow believers, but also toward both those who are not believers and those who oppose us. We are to deal with those who oppose us graciously, gently, patiently, and humbly. God forbids the stirring up of strife, the taking of revenge, or the threat or the use of violence as a means of resolving personal conflict or obtaining personal justice. Although God commands us to abhor sinful actions, we are to love and pray for any person who engages in such sinful actions (Lev. 19:18; Matt. 5:44-48; Luke 6:31; John 13:34-35; Rom. 12:9-10; 17-21; 13:8-10; Phil. 2:2-4; II Tim. 2:24-26; Titus 3:2; I John 3:17-18).

(W) Lawsuits Between Believers
We believe that Christians are prohibited from bringing civil lawsuits against other Christians, the ministry, or the church to resolve personal disputes. We believe the ministry or church possesses all the resources necessary to resolve personal disputes between members. We do believe, however, that a Christian may seek compensation for injuries from another Christian’s insurance company as long as the claim is pursued without malice or slander (I Cor. 6:1-8; Eph. 4:31-32).

(X) Missions
We believe that God has given the ministry and church a great commission to proclaim the Gospel to all nations so that there might be a great multitude from every nation, tribe, ethnic group, and language group who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. As ambassadors of Christ we must use all available means to go to the foreign nations and not wait for them to come to us (Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; II Cor. 5:20).

(Y) Twelve Steps and Their Biblical Basis
In our recovery programs, we use the twelve step approach. We believe that these steps as listed below are in harmony with, and have been distilled from, the written Word of God. Although we accept and use other wordings that are, in substance the same, the following wording is preferred.

1. We admitted we were powerless over our addictions and compulsive behavior. That our lives had become unmanageable. For I know that nothing good dwells in me that is, in my flesh; for the wishing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. Romans 7:18

2. Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Philippians 2:1-3

3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him. I urge you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Romans 12:1

4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. Let us examine and probe our ways, and let us return to the Lord. Lamentations 3:40

5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being, the exact nature of our wrongs. Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. James 5:16a


6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you. James 4:10

7. Humbly asked Him to remove all our shortcomings. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I John 1:9

8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all. And just as you want men to treat you, treat them in the same way. Luke 6:31

9. Made direct amends to such people whenever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. If, therefore, you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, and go your way; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering. Matthew 5:23-24

10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it. Therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. I Corinthians 10:12

11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and power to carry that out. Let the Word of Christ richly dwell in you. Colossians 3:16a

12. Having had a spiritual experience as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others, and practice these principles in all our affairs. Brethren, even if a man is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; looking to yourselves, lest you too be tempted. Galatians 6:1