What We Believe

A basic summary of beliefs Living Hope Church affirms:

Living Hope Church is a gathering of local people in the Trim area who gather to celebrate our common faith in God, to learn from the Bible, and to worship Him together.

Our church name, Living Hope, was chosen because we believe that only faith in Jesus Christ provides true living hope.  A Bible verse that sums this up well is 1 Peter 1:3, which reads, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

Our logo is called the triquetra, which means “three corners.”  It is an ancient Christian symbol used to represent the triune (3-in-1) nature of God as revealed to us in the Bible.  If you look at it carefully you can see it is composed of three fish joined together at their tails.  The fish was used by the earliest Christians to identify themselves as followers of Jesus Christ.  Several of the first disciples of Jesus had been fisherman, and the Greek word for fish, “ICHTHUS”, also served as an acrostic (meaning each of the letters in the word is the first letter of a different word) to communicate basic truths about who Jesus was .  The Greek words used, when translated, are “Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Saviour.”

The following list is a summary of  doctrines we believe about God:

1. The Scriptures

The verbal inspiration and total inerrancy of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as originally given by God; their sole sufficiency and final authority in all matters of faith and practice.

2. God

One God in three persons, the Holy Trinity, consisting of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, co-equal, co-eternal, sovereign and active in creation, providence and redemption.

3. The Lord Jesus Christ

The essential deity and perfect humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ, the only mediator between God and men; His virgin birth, sinless life, and sacrificial death on the cross as the only substitute for sinners; His burial, bodily resurrection and ascension to heaven; His high priestly ministry and personal return.

4. The Holy Spirit

The work of the Holy Spirit in regenerating the sinner and indwelling, sanctifying and empowering the believer.

5. The Devil

The personality of the devil; his evil activity and final doom.

6. Man

The creation of man in the image of God; the entrance of sin through Adam’s disobedience; the fallen and totally depraved state of all men; their subjection to God’s wrath and condemnation; their responsibility to repent and believe the Gospel.

7. Justification

The justification of the sinner by God’s grace alone through faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ alone; the eternal security of the believer.

8. Christian Growth

The responsibility of believers to grow in Christ-likeness by obeying and serving the Lord and living self-controlled, upright and godly lives through the power of the Holy Spirit.

9. The Church

The church, the body of Christ, made up of those drawn from every tribe, language, people and nation throughout history who are added to it by the work of the Holy Spirit and the exercise of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
The scriptural expression of the church in the world as the local company of baptised  believers gathered under the headship of Christ for worship, fellowship, instruction and evangelism, distinct from all systems of belief that do not adhere to the Scriptures and are unfaithful to the gospel of salvation by grace alone.
The ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s supper.
The offices of Elder and Deacon;
The gifts of Evangelist and Pastor-Teacher;
The priesthood of all believers and their unity in the Body of Christ;
The separation of Church and State.
The duty of each church to exercise godly discipline in a loving and caring fashion.

10. The Future State

The unconditional immortality of the soul; the resurrection of the body; the eternal life of joy in heaven of the believer; the conscious eternal punishment in hell of those who die unrepentant.