CONEMPAR Faith Statement

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We believe in the inspiration of the Holy Scriptures

God is revealed in the Old and New Testament, and the Bible is the inspired Word of God. It is the infallible rule of faith and conduct, superior to conscience and reason, without contradiction (2 Timothy 3: 15-17; 2 Peter 1:19:21).

We believe in one God manifested in Trinity

God has revealed Himself as the One True God (Exodus 3:14), in existence for eternity. Furthermore, God has been revealed in three personalities (God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit), (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; Luke 3:22; 2 Corinthians 13:14).

We believe that God is the creator of all things

He is the creator of all things visible and invisible, material and immaterial. He created man in His image, male and female, with free will, moral character and spiritual nature. God preserves His creation (Genesis 1:1, 26, 27; John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:15-17).

We believe in the fall and redemption of man

Man was created good and upright, but by voluntary transgression fell and his only hope of redemption lies in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Genesis 1: 26-31; 3:1-19; Romans 3:23; 5:12-21; 6:23).

We believe in one mediator between God and humans

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died to redeem us from sin and rose from the dead so that we can be justified (Luke 9:10; Acts 4:12; 1 Timothy 2: 5; 1 John 2: 1-2).

We believe that the salvation of man is through grace

Man is saved by faith because of the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. It is a free gift of God to those who repent and believe. The works are proof of salvation received from Christ. A saved person returning to sin can lose their salvation (Romans 5:1; Ephesians 2:8-10; 1 Timothy 4:15-16; Hebrews 2:1-4; 12:12-14; 1 John 3:4 -9).

We believe in the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit convicts the sinful. It produces the new birth, leads the believer's life, empowers for service, and enables perseverance in faith and holiness as a guide (John 16: 7,13; Acts 1: 8; 1 Peter 2: 9).

We believe in fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit

It serves to provide for the believer to perform Christian work. Every believer is provided with gifts to teach the church and glorify the Lord. The fruit is proof of salvation and commitment to Christ (1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12, Ephesians 4; Galatians 5:22)

We believe in the church

The church is the body of Christ, fellowship of the redeemed, obedient to the Word of God, a disciplined people and a community of love, intercession and healing (Matthew 5:13-16; 23-24; 18:15- 18; James 2:14-17; 5: 13-15, Ephesians 3:14-15).

We believe in the ministry of evangelization

The Lord Jesus Christ gave the church the commission to go into all the world preaching the gospel and making disciples, ministering to every human need (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-18; Ephesians 3:14)

We believe in the ministry of Word

It is the will of God to have brothers and sisters who teach the Word. Serve as leaders who administer the ordinances, to guide the church in the exercise of discipline and serve as pastors and teachers (Acts 20:28; Ephesians 4: 11-12; Acts 13:1-3)

We believe in water baptism

The sacrament of baptism by immersion, or in some cases, spray, must be observed. The scriptures established this for those who repent and believe in the Lord Jesus. Thus they declare to the world that they have died with Jesus and that have been raised with Him in newness of life (Matthew 28:19; Acts 10:47-48; Romans 6:3-11; Hebrews 10:22).

We believe in Christian discipleship

It is the necessary process to acquire maturity according to God's purposes. The biblical discipline is part of this process; to teach and restore the members and the body of Christ, to accomplish God's goal in this world (Matthew 28:18-20; Ephesians 4:11; 1 Corinthians 5:7-13; Hebrews 12:1-11).

We believe in the sanctity of the family

The union between a man and a woman, is the core of a home. It is an institution created by God and should be strengthened by its members (Genesis 1:27-28; 2:24; Matthew 19:3, 1 Coritnios 7:1).

We believe that the tithe is the Lord's

The tithe must be brought into the storehouse (temple) for use in extending the Kingdom of God (Malachi 3:10-12; 1 Corinthians 9:6-7; 2 Corinthians 16:1-3)

We believe in the Lord's Supper

The elements of the Lord's Supper are bread and wine. Act that allowed us to do until Jesus returns (Luke 22: 7-20; 1 Corinthians 11)

We believe in nonviolence

The will of God for Christians is to refrain from using force and violence in human relations. Believers must demonstrate Christian love towards all human beings (Matthew 5:38-48; John 18:36; Romans 5:5; 12:18-21; 1 Corinthians 6:1-8, 2 Corinthians 10:3-4; James 2:8; 1 Peter 2:23-23; 4:1).

We believe in the return of Christ

Christ will come to find His people. We believe that when you die, those who are not saved enter into eternal punishment. The saved will enter into a conscious and blissful eternal life with Christ. The resurrection of all flesh will come to pass (Matthew 25:34, 41; Luke 16:22-23, 2 Corinthians 15:1-4; Hebrews 9:12; 2 Thessalonians 3:13).

Conclusion

Finally, every church, leader and member of the Paraguayan Mennonite Evangelical Convention has been able to know in detail the history and organization of our Convention. From here, members earnestly yearn to continue to grow in their faith and learn to know the Lord more deeply, based on Scripture.

God bless![1]

References

  1. Marecos, Dario. E-mail interview. 1 December 2014. Trans. Maria Jantz.