statement of faith

1. We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are inspired of God and inerrant in the
original writing, and that they are the eternal, supreme and final authority in faith and life. (2 Tim. 3:16-
17; Heb. 4:12; 2 Peter 1:20-21;Matt. 24:35)

2. We believe in one God, eternally existing in three Persons; Father, Son and HolySpirit. (Matt. 3:16-
17, 28:19-20; Eph. 4:4-6)

3. We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. We believe
He is true God and true Man and that though He was tempted as we are He did not sin. (Isaiah 7:14;
Luke 1:26-35; Phil. 2:5-8; Heb. 4:15)

4. We believe that man was created in the image of God; that he sinned and thereby incurred not only physical
death, but also spiritual death which is separation from God; and that all human beings are born with a
sinful nature and are totally depraved and unable to remedy their own helpless state. (Gen. 1:27; Rom.
3:23, 5:12; 1 Jn 1:8,10; Eph. 2:1-9)

5. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures as a substitutionary
sacrifice, and that all who believe in Him are justified through His shed blood. (1 Cor. 15:3-4; 2 Cor.
5:21; Eph. 1:7-8; Heb. 9:27-28; 1John 2:2)

6. We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord, in His ascension into Heaven, and in
His present life as High Priest and Advocate. (Acts 1:9; 1Tim. 2:5; 1Cor. 15:1-8, 20-22; Rom. 8:34;
Heb. 4:14)

7. We believe that all who receive by faith, the Lord Jesus Christ, are born again of the Holy Spirit, and
thereby become children of God and are made members of the one Body, the true Church of Jesus
Christ. (John 3:3-5; Acts 16:30-31; 1 Cor. 12:12-20; Eph. 1:3-14)

8. We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust, the everlasting blessedness of the saved, and
the everlasting punishment of the lost. (John 5:28-29; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; Rev. 20:11-15)

Teaching Distinctives

1. When God created mankind, we believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as
either male or female, and that these two distinct, complementary sexes together reflect the image and
nature of God (Gen. 1:26-27). Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God
within that person. We also believe that God designed sexual intercourse to take place within marriage
only (Ex. 20:14, 1 Cor. 6:18). We believe that He designed and ordained the marriage relationship to
be between one man and one woman (Gen 2:24, Matt 19:4-6, 1 Tim. 3:2 & 12). We believe sexual
intercourse and/or other intimate sexual acts that take place outside of marriage to be sin (1 Cor. 6:18,
Matt. 5:27, 28, Col 3:5). We believe that God’s Word does not make any allowances for homosexual
relationships between two men or between two women. We believe that God considers homosexual
behavior to be a shameful sin. (Lev. 18:22; Rom. 1:26,27).

• Gen. 1:26-27 26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they
may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,
and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” 27 So God created mankind in his own
image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

• Gen. 2:24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they
will become one flesh.

• Matt 19:4-6 “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator `made them male
and female, 5and said, `For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his
wife, and the two will become one flesh’? 6So they are no longer two, but one.

• 1 Tim. 3:2a, 12a Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife… A deacon
must be the husband of but one wife…

• Exo. 20:14 “You shall not commit adultery.

• 1 Cor. 6:18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he
who sins sexually sins against his own body.

• Matt. 5:27 & 28 “You have heard that it was said, `Do not commit adultery. But I tell you that
anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

• Col. 3:5,6 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality,
impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6Because of these, the wrath of God is
coming.

• Rom. 1:26,27 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged
natural relations for unnatural ones. 27In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations
with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other
men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.

• Lev. 18:22 You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.

2. We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Physical life is God’s
sovereign gift; this makes all human life sacred and we are morally and scripturally bound to protect it
from the moment of conception until natural death. Deliberate killing of the unborn, the sick, the
disabled or the elderly is forbidden by God the Giver of life (Genesis 1:27; Genesis 9:6; Psalm 139:13-
18; Proverbs 31:8-9; Jeremiah 1:5).

• Gen. 1:27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male
and female he created them.

• Gen 9:6 Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God
has God made mankind.

• Psalms 139:13-18 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that
full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was
woven together in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained
for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. 17 How precious to me are your
thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the
grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you.

• Proverbs 31:8-9 Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are
destitute. 9
Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.

• Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you
apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

3. We believe the Bible supports a pre-tribulation rapture (personal and impending return of Christ – I
Thes 4:16-17), tribulation (seven years – Israel’s 70th week Dan. 9:27), and return of Christ to reign
1,000 years with the saints (Millennium – Rev. 20:6-7), after which the eternal state will be unfolded.
(John 14:3)

• I Thes. 4:16-17 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the
voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to
meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

• Dan. 9:27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one `seven.’ In the middle of the `seven’ he will
put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that
causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.

• Rev. 20:6-7 Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death
has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a
thousand years. 7When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison.

• John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that
you also may be where I am.

4. We recognize that women were used in the N.T. to teach men outside of the church setting (Acts 18:26).
When expositional teaching is given at Living Waters Bible Camp, we have a preference for men to
teach when the target audience includes men. We use this practice at Living Waters to model what is
ultimately to be seen at the local church). This does not preclude women from experiential sharing (e.g.
experiences on mission trips or husband and wife team sharing marriage or relationship counseling…)

• Acts 18:26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they
invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.

5. We believe in the continued expression of the spiritual gifts (I Cor. 12:7-11, 27-31), however, “sign
gifts” such as healing, commanded miracles, raising the dead, speaking in and interpreting tongues
appear to have been given primarily for authentication in the apostolic generation and are extremely rare
today and should be evaluated within their original intent of confirming God’s message and messengers,
for the sole purpose of advancing the Gospel in areas where the name of Jesus has not been heard..
Jesus was accredited (verified) by God as Israel’s Messiah through miracles and signs and wonders
before His crucifixion (Acts 2:22), the apostles were approved as a continuation of Christ’s authority on
earth in the same way after His resurrection (Acts 14:11). These gifts are not mentioned with the other
gifts of the Church in Romans 12:6-9.

• I Cor. 12:7-11 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8To
one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by
means of the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one
Spirit, 10to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between
spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of
tongues. 11All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as
he determines.

• I Cor. 12:27-31 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28And in the
church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of
miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of
administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. 29Are all apostles? Are all
prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in
tongues? Do all interpret? 31But eagerly desire the greater gifts.

• Acts 2:22 “Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by
miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.

• Acts 14:11 When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lyconian language, “The
gods have come down to us in human form!”

• Romans 12:6-8 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is
prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching,
let him teach; 8if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let
him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it
cheerfully.

6. We believe in a literal six-day creation as outlined in Genesis and other places in the Bible (…And there
was evening, and there was morning–the first day. ..And there was evening, and there was morning–the
second day.…Genesis 1). We believe in a young earth which was scarred through sin and the fall. We
also hold to a literal interpretation of the deluge during the time of Noah (Genesis 6-8). We do not
believe in death before sin. (Rom. 5:12, Gen 1:1)

• Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and
in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.

• Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Final Authority for matters of Belief and Conduct

The Statement of Faith does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. The Bible itself, as the inspired and infallible
Word of God that speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind, is
the sole and final source of all that we believe. For purposes of Living Waters Bible Camp’s faith, doctrine,
practice, policy, and discipline, our Board of Directors is Living Waters Bible Camp’s final interpretive
authority on the Bible’s application.

Bible passages excerpted from Compton’s Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996