ABOUT US
Life in Christ Community Church
Life in Christ Community Church was founded on
20th of
October 2024 with the purpose
of glorifying the triune God of the Bible through the promotion of His worship,
the
proclaiming of the Gospel, and the edification of the believers.
We recognize Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour and as the Head of the Church.
Therefore His Word is our final authority and our only true and infallible rule
of
all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience.
However, we are also a confessional church, since we recognize the need to
systematize the biblical teachings so that we can give a comprehensive
expression of
what we believe the Word of God teaches.
In this sense, as an international
Baptist
Reformed congregation, Life in Christ Community Church declares that the London
Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689 is a faithful expression of the set of
truths
that we believe and proclaim.
Mission
Our Mission is to worship God both together as a church and individually as redeemed believers, ministering the Word in dependence on the Holy Spirit. Additionally, we aim to grow towards Christian maturity and spread the Gospel —the Good News of Jesus Christ— throughout The Netherlands.
Vision
Our vision is to be a community passionate about the glory of God and His
Gospel, committed to living the present in light of eternity. We strive to be
the light and salt of the world, reflecting the goodness of God in our lives.
God
- We believe, affirm, and teach that God is one in essence, eternally existing in three coequal Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 John 5:7). Each of these three Persons has different roles in God’s entire plan and deserves the same worship and obedience.
- We believe, affirm, and teach that there is only one God (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 45:5-6; 1 Corinthians 8:4), Living and True (Jeremiah 10:10; 1 Thessalonians 1:9) and absolute Spirit (John 4:24). God is Holy, Unchanging, Eternal, Immortal, Wise, Inscrutable, Omniscient, Omnipresent, Almighty (Genesis 17:1; Psalm 90:2; Psalm 145:3; Isaiah 57:15; Malachi 3:6; 1 Timothy 1:17; James 1:17; 1 John 3:20; Revelation 4:8), Creator and Sovereign over the entire universe, actively or passively orchestrating all that occurs (Genesis 1; Acts 17:24; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 11:3). Therefore, nothing has happened or is happening in His creation without His consent. What He desires to do He always accomplishes, thus fulfilling His eternal and immutable decrees, for His glory (Isaiah 43:7; 46:10, 55:11).
- We believe, affirm, and teach that God created the entire Universe in six literal, twenty-four-hour days (Genesis 1:1, 31; 2:1-2; Exodus 20:11a; Psalm 33:6-9; Mark 10:6). We also teach that there was a Global Flood and that the genealogies found in Genesis 5 and 11 reveal to us a recent creation of thousands, not billions of years old. We therefore adopt what is called Young Earth Creationism.
God the Father
- We believe, affirm, and teach that God the Father, the First Person of the Trinity, orders and disposes all things according to the counsel of His will (1 Corinthians 8:6; Ephesians 1:11). His sovereign control is exercised providentially over all of His creation and throughout redemptive history through the exercise of His omniscience and omnipotence (Psalm 103:19; Romans 11:36). His Fatherhood is recognized both in His role as a member of the Trinity and in His relationship to humanity.
- We believe, affirm, and teach that God the Father has graciously chosen from eternity past those whom He would claim as His own (Ephesians 1:4-6). He saves from sin all whom He calls through Jesus Christ; and adopts as His own all those who have been chosen from before the foundation of the world (John 1:12; Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:5-6; Ephesians 1:4; Hebrews 12:5-9).
God the Son - Jesus Christ
- We believe, affirm, and teach that Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Trinity, is God, coequal, coeternal, and consubstantial with the Father (John 1:1; 10:30) He is the only begotten Son from eternity past and the only mediator between God and men (Isaiah 42:1; John 3:16; 1 Timothy 2:5; 1 Peter 1:19-20).
- We believe, affirm, and teach that all creation was made by God through the Son (John 1:3; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:2) and is presently sustained by Him (Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3).
- We believe, affirm, and teach that Jesus was incarnated, conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of the virgin Mary (Luke 1:27, 31, 35; Galatians 4:4); that during His mission on earth He became like men, being at the same time very God and very man, yet without sin (Luke 1:35; Romans 9:5; Colossians 2:9; 1 Timothy 3:16; Titus 2:13, Hebrews 4:15; 7:26). With His incarnation, Jesus did not lose any of His divine attributes, but only restricted the use of some of them, according to the will of the Father (Philippians 2:5-8).
- We believe, affirm, and teach that Jesus Christ is our representative before God, upon whom He placed the guilt of our sins (Isaiah 53:5; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus Christ voluntarily offered Himself to be incarnated and come into the world, fulfilling the Law of God it in its entirety (Psalm 40:7-8; Matthew 3:15; 5:17; John 10:18; Galatians 4:4; Philippians 2:8; Hebrews 10:5-10). He was crucified and died for our sins (Romans 5:8). He was buried and on the third day He rose bodily and ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father interceding for us, and at the appointed time He will return in glory (Mark 16:19; Acts 1:11; 7:55-56; Romans 8:34; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Hebrews 4:14, 8:1-2).
- We believe, affirm, and teach that as Prophet Jesus Christ revealed the Father perfectly, as High Priest He represents us before the Father completely, and as King He rules eternally (John 14:7; Acts 3:22; Hebrews 2:17; Psalm 2:6; Luke 1:33). We believe that Christ is the head of the Church, the Heir of all things, and the universal Judge of history (Acts 17:31; 1 Corinthians 11:3; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Ephesians 1:22; 5:23; Colossians 1:18; Hebrews 1:2).
God the Holy Spirit
- We believe, affirm, and teach that the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Trinity, like the Father and the Son, is God and has existed from eternity and has been operating and working ever since (Genesis 1:2; Isaiah 44:3; Acts 5:3-4; 1 Corinthians 12:4-6; Hebrews 9:14).
- We believe, affirm, and teach that it is through Him that we are regenerated and born again (John 3:5-8). The Holy Spirit is the giver of life. Furthermore, it is He who has been sent to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:7-8).
- We believe, affirm, and teach that the Holy Spirit indwells all believers (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:11), sanctifying them (Romans 8:13) and guiding them into all truth (John 16:13). In doing so, the Spirit glorifies Jesus Christ, for He never seeks to glorify Himself (John 16:14).
- We believe, affirm, and teach that the Holy Spirit, together with Christ, distributes spiritual gifts to each believer by grace and in a sovereign manner, according to His wise counsel, for the purpose of building up the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 7:7; 12:4-7,11; Ephesians 4:11-12).
The Holy Bible
- We believe, affirm, and teach that all Scripture was inspired by God. All biblical authors were moved and directed by the Holy Spirit (preserving their distinct personalities and styles) to write the Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21). The Bible is therefore inerrant, infallible, and is our sole authority in matters of faith and practice; its truths are absolute and eternal (Matthew 24:35). The Scriptures constitute the only standard by which we must measure everything we do inside and outside the church (Acts 20:32; Hebrews 4:12). Therefore we affirm the concept of “Sola Scriptura,” as proclaimed by the Reformers.
- We believe, affirm, and teach that the Bible contains 66 books, 39 of which belong to the Old Testament and 27 to the New Testament, as has been recognized since the early church.
- We believe, affirm, and teach the full authority of the Bible, whose teachings must be believed and obeyed, without depending on the testimony of any man, church, council, or creed, but exclusively on the testimony of the Word of God (1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:19, 21; 1 John 5:9).
Man
- We believe, affirm, and teach that man was created by God (Genesis 2:7), in His image and likeness (Genesis 1:26-28), and free from sin (Genesis 1:31). Mankind was created as either male or female. Therefore, we affirm that the Bible teaches the existence of these two genders only (Genesis 1:27).
- We believe, affirm, and teach that since man was created in the image and likeness of God, he is a spiritual, moral, rational, emotional being. God’s intention in the creation of man was that man should glorify God, enjoy God’s fellowship, live his life according to the will of God, and by this accomplish God’s purpose for man in the world (Isaiah 43:7; 1 Corinthians 10:31; Colossians 1:16; Revelation 4:11).
- We believe, affirm, and teach that in Adam’s sin of disobedience to the revealed will and Word of God, man lost his innocence, incurred the penalty of spiritual and physical death, became subject to the wrath of God, and became inherently corrupt and utterly incapable of choosing or doing that which is acceptable to God apart from divine grace (Genesis 3:6; John 8:34; Romans 3:10-12, 23; 6:23; 8:7; Ephesians 2:1-3).
- We believe, affirm, and teach that as a result of the fall of Adam, the entire human race inherited a flawed and corrupt nature (Romans 5:12, 18). All men are sinners by nature and by choice (Psalm 14:1-3; 51:5; Jeremiah 17:9).
Salvation
- We believe, affirm, and teach that salvation is wholly of God by grace alone - “Sola Gratia” - on the basis of the redemption of Jesus Christ, and not on the basis of any human merit (John 1:12; Romans 5:18-19; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-9)
- We believe, affirm, and teach that divine election is the eternal purpose of God, according to which He predestined a chosen people to salvation, regenerates, sanctifies, and glorifies them by pure grace (Romans 8:28-30; Ephesians 1:4-6; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 2:10; 1 Peter 1:1-2).
- We believe, affirm, and teach that God’s election of totally depraved sinners is unconditional, grounded only in the sovereign act of God’s will. Election is an expression of God’s unmerited favour and is not related to any initiative of the sinner’s own part. It is not grounded in God’s foreknowledge of what sinners might do by their own will, nor even in response to their foreseen faith. Rather, election is solely of His sovereign grace and mercy (Romans 9:11, 16; Titus 3:4-7).
- We believe, affirm, and teach that we are saved through faith alone - “Sola Fide” - and that saving faith is placed in the redemptive work of Christ alone - “Solus Christus”. We believe that Jesus Christ lived a life of perfect obedience and died in the place of His elect as the Lamb of God, rose again as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, providing complete forgiveness of sins by His death on the cross of Calvary. No other work can provide forgiveness of sins, and no addition can be made to the finished work of Christ (Matthew 1:21; Mark 10:45; John 10:11; Romans 3:24-25, 4:25, 5:6, 8:34; 1 Corinthians 1:30, 15:3; 2 Timothy 1:9; 1 Peter 2:24, 3:18).
- We believe, affirm, and teach that regeneration is a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit by which a renewed nature and spiritual life are given (John 3:3-7; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Titus 3:5).
- We believe, affirm, and teach that justification is the act of God in which He declares righteous those who, by His irresistible grace, repent of their sins (Acts 2:38; 3:19; 11:18; Romans 8:33; 2 Corinthians 7:10), turn to Christ in faith (Acts 16:31; 20:21; Romans 1:16; 3:22, 26; Galatians 3:22), and confess Him as Lord (Romans 10:9-10; 1 Corinthians 12:3; 2 Corinthians 4:5; Philippians 2:11).
- We believe, affirm, and teach that we have obtained salvation by the sovereign will of God alone and for His glory alone - “Soli Deo Gloria” (Ephesians 1:4-6).
- We believe, affirm, and teach that all the redeemed, once saved, will endure by God’s grace until the end and are thus secure in Christ forever (John 5:24; 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Romans 5:9-10; 8:1, 31-39; 1 Corinthians 1:4-8; Ephesians 4:30; Hebrews 7:25; 13:5; 1 Peter 1:5; Jude 24). Those who once professed faith and subsequently deny the Lord demonstrate by their going out from us that they were never truly saved in the first place (1 John 2:19).
- We believe, affirm, and teach that although salvation is a Divine decision, man is responsible for his actions, and will give an account to God for his works (John 3:36; 2 Corinthians 5:10; James 1:13-14).
- We believe, affirm, and teach that God’s gift of faith, and the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the elect will result in good works. These good works spring from true saving faith; they are a necessary result of faith, but they are not to be considered necessary to earn justification, which is given by God’s grace through faith alone, so that no man can boast (Romans 6:22; Galatians 5:22-25; Ephesians 2:8-10; James 2:26).
The Church
- We believe, affirm, and teach that all who place their faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour are part of the Universal Church through the baptism of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13). The Church is the Body of Christ and therefore cannot be separated from Him (Ephesians 1:22-23, 4:15-16, 5:23; Colossians 1:18).
- We believe, affirm, and teach that the Universal Church is composed of believers who congregate in local churches all over the world (Acts 8:1; 1 Corinthians 16:19), in fulfilment of the Great Commission, to worship God, proclaim His Word, and contribute to the growth of the saints to the fullness of Christ. To this end, the Church carries out discipleship, corporate worship, prayer, and mutual ministry, with the purpose of stimulating one another to love and good works (Hebrews 10:25). In addition, the Church is obligated to fulfil the call to proclaim the Gospel to the ends of the earth (Matthew 28:18-20).
- We believe, affirm, and teach that the supreme authority of the Church is Christ (1 Corinthians 11:3; Ephesians 1:22). That God has provided leaders in the church to lead and shepherd His people; these are called elders and deacons, who must meet the biblical qualifications (1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Peter 5:1-5). The terms elder, bishop, overseer, and pastor are used interchangeably in Scripture to refer to the same office (Acts 20:28; Ephesians 4:11).
- We believe, affirm, and teach that there should be a plurality of elders, and that the elder board is composed of a group of men called by God and confirmed by the congregation to serve as pastors (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9).
- We believe, affirm, and teach that it is not lawful for a woman to teach or to exercise authority over men in the church. Therefore the roles of preaching, teaching, serving communion, baptisms, and leading worship in the congregation should be done by men (1 Timothy 3:1-7; 1 Peter 5:1-5).
- We believe, affirm, and teach that the congregation should submit to their pastors in a godly manner as commanded by Scripture, understanding that they are caring for them, knowing that one day they will have to give an account before God (Hebrews 13:7, 17).
- We believe, affirm, and teach the importance of discipleship (Matthew 28:19-20; 2 Timothy 2:2), the mutual accountability of all believers and the need for spiritual discipline of sinning members of the congregation in accord with the standards of Scripture (Matthew 18:15-17; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15; 1 Timothy 1:19-20; 5:19-20; Titus 1:10-16).
- We believe, affirm, and teach that there must be a separation between Church and State; we uphold the autonomy of the local congregation, free from any external authority or control, with the right of self-government and freedom from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations (Titus 1:5).
- We believe, affirm and teach that the Church has been called to be holy and blameless (Colossians 1:22) and has been given the responsibility of proclaiming the work of redemption - that is, the Gospel - and of making known the wisdom of God. The Church is the pillar and ground of the truth (Matthew 28:18-20; Ephesians 3:10-11; 1 Timothy 3:15; Revelation 5:9).
- We believe, affirm and teach that the miraculous gifts of the Spirit - tongues, healings, miracles, Apostles, Prophets - have ceased after the biblical canon was closed. While we believe that God can and still does perform miracles today, the Holy Spirit no longer uses individuals to perform miraculous signs.
Church Ordinances
- We believe, affirm, and teach that the Church has received from the Lord Jesus Christ two ordinances that serve as signs of the Covenant of Grace: baptism and the Lord’s Supper (Matthew 28:19; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; Acts 2:38, 42).
- Baptism must be performed by immersion, after having believed in the crucified, buried, and risen Christ as Lord and Saviour. We do it as a representation of our union with Him in death to sin and resurrection to a new life (Romans 6:1-11). Each believer must be baptized voluntarily as a public testimony of his faith and not as a way of salvation (Matthew 28:19; Ephesians 2:8-9). Baptism is also a sign of fellowship and identification with the visible Body of Christ (Acts 2:41-42).
- The Lord’s Supper was instituted by Jesus on the night before He was crucified (Matthew 26:26-29) to be celebrated by baptised believers on a regular basis at a frequency determined by each local church. It is a meal of remembrance of what He did for us at Calvary (Luke 22:19-20; 1 Corinthians 11:26). We believe that the shared elements, the bread and wine, symbolise the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the celebration of this reminder, a solemn self-examination must be followed (1 Corinthians 11:27-34).
Last Things
- We believe, affirm, and teach that the Second Coming of Jesus Christ will be personal, sudden, visible, and bodily (Matthew 24:44; Acts 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 5:1- 10; Hebrews 9:28; Revelation 22:7,12,20).
- We believe, affirm, and teach that no one knows the exact time of our Lord’s coming (Matthew 24:44; 25:13; Mark 13:32-33). The believer should await Christ’s return with expectation, joy, and enthusiasm (1 Corinthians 16:22; Titus 2:12-13; Revelation 22:20).
- We believe, affirm, and teach that Christ’s return will be preceded by signs of different kinds (Matthew 24:32-39). Also, the Gospel of Christ will be preached to the whole world as a testimony to all the nations (Matthew 24:14).
- We believe, affirm, and teach that at Christ’s return, the unbelievers will be judged for eternal damnation and the believers will be rewarded with eternal life in God’s glorious presence (Matthew 25:31-51; John 5:28-29; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 20:11-15).
Christian family, Biblical Sexuality and Morality
- We believe, affirm, and teach that marriage and family were instituted by God in Eden. According to His design, God created man and woman, Adam and Eve, inaugurating the institution of marriage (Genesis 1:27; 2:24; Matthew 19:4-6). God defined marriage as a lifelong covenant between one man and one woman. We teach that man is to find the support, help, companionship, and sexual intimacy he yearns for exclusively in his wife, and the wife in her husband, both gifts from God to each other.
- We affirm and teach a complementarian vision of the marital relationship, in contrast to fashionable, worldly egalitarianism (Ephesians 5:21-33; 1 Peter 3:1-7).
- We believe, affirm, and teach that any sexual activity outside of marriage is sinful (Exodus 20:14; Leviticus 18:1-30; Matthew 5:27-32; 1 Corinthians 5:1-5; 6:9-10; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-7).
- We believe, affirm, and teach that the parents should be the spiritual leaders in their home, and they should take the responsibility to raise their children in a biblical way by teaching them the faith (Deuteronomy 6:1-7; Ephesians 6:4).
- We believe, affirm, and teach that God is the Creator and Originator of life, and that human life starts at conception and the unborn child is a living human being (Psalm 139:13-16; Isaiah 44:24; Jeremiah 1:5; Luke 1:15, 44). Therefore we consider abortion to be murder (Exodus 21:22-23). Based on these biblical principles, we do not believe that abortions of pregnancies due to incest, birth defects, population control, rape, or psychical condition of the mother are acceptable.
The London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689
As an international Baptist Reformed congregation, Life in Christ Community Church declares that the London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689 is a faithful expression of the set of truths that we believe and proclaim.
Schedule & Location
Sunday Church Service:
- Prayer time: from 10:30 to 11:00 AM
- Service: from 11:00 to 12:30 AM
Online Wednesday Bible Study:
- From 20:00 to 21:30 PM - Join us via Teams
Location:
Life in Christ Community Church
Klaverveld 5
2492 MA, Den Haag
Zuid-Holland