Our Core Beliefs
On this page you can find the Encounter Church of Melbourne’s core beliefs.
Our Beliefs Regarding The Word of God
The Old and New Testaments are the inspired, infallible (perfect, flawless, reliable) authoritative Word of God.
- 2 Timothy 3:16
- 1 Thessalonians 2:13
- 2 Peter 1:20-21
The Trinity
There is one God, the Creator of all things, who is infinitely perfect and eternally existent in three persons; the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
- Matthew 3:16-17
- John 15:26
- John 14:26
- 1 John 5:7-8
Jesus Christ
In the deity of Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, His sinless life, and His miracles. That He died on the cross as a sacrifice for the sins of all men. He arose bodily from the dead, ascended into Heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father as our high priest and advocate.
- Matthew 1:18-25
- Luke 1:26-35
- Luke 3:21-22
- Philippians 2:5-11
Salvation and Restoration
That man is a created being – made in the image of God. When Adam fell into sin, it resulted in man’s spiritual death and separation from God. Only through the regeneration (being “born again”), by the Holy Spirit can salvation be obtained. This process of regeneration, takes place through a combination of faith and confession.
- John 3:16;
- Romans 6:6-11 & 23
- Colossians 2:13-14
Justification by Faith
Salvation is free, given to us by grace (unmerited, undeserved) and apart from any work of man.
- Ephesians 2:8-9 5:5
- Romans 5:1
Water Baptism
In water baptism by immersion, thereby, publicly identifying with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
- Romans 6:3-6
- Colossians 2:11-14
- Acts 2:38
Sanctification
In the doctrine of sanctification (a state of separation unto God) as a definite, yet progressive work of grace.
- Hebrews 12:14
- 1 Thessalonians 5:23
- 2 Peter 3:18
- 2 Corinthians 3:18
- Philippians 3:12-14
Holy Spirit
Is at work within the church today. The gifts of the Spirit are given to every believer and must be activated and exercised to fulfill their divine purpose to be a blessing to the Church. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a gift to each believer with their own private prayer/praise language to edify them. Such a baptism empowers the believer to be effective for Christ.
- Acts 2:38-39
- 2 Timothy 1:6
- 1 Corinthians 14:2, 12:8-10
Prophecy
God speaks today. Hearing from God, both individually and corporately as a church, through prophecy or any other biblical means chosen by God to communicate, is essential to our faith and walk with God. Prophecy and prophetic utterance is only one method of discerning God’s will and direction and it is recognized that none of the methods or channels of prophecy will always be 100 percent accurate and actions should not be taken on the basis of prophetic words alone without other confirmation. Prophetic presbytery serves the purpose in the Body of Christ in activating, establishing, releasing, commissioning, and ordaining gifts to their office, function, and place of relationship and/or leadership.
- 1 Corinthians 12-14
- Ephesians 4:11
- Timothy 4:14
- Acts 13:1-3
Marriage, Gender and Sexuality
We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders 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 believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture. (Gen 2:18-25.) We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other. (1 Cor 6:18; 7:2-5; Heb 13:4.) We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman.
We believe that any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, and use of p
ornography) is sinful and offensive to God. (Matt 15:18-20; 1 Cor 6:9-10).