Give to One Family

One Family Church
500 South Highland Ave, Apopka, FL 32703

Give to One Family

One Family Church
500 South Highland Ave, Apopka, FL 32703

What We Believe

Membership with One Family Church is open to all who profess faith in Jesus and affirm the Church’s statement of faith. Once we as members agree to the statement, we are responsible for believing and living in accordance with it. Please take a moment to review our beliefs which are derived from the Holy word of God.

The True God

We believe that there is one and only one living and true God. He is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal being, the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe. God is infinite in holiness and all other perfections. God is all powerful and all knowing; and His perfect knowledge extends to all things, past, present, and future, including the future decisions of His free creatures. To Him we owe the highest love, reverence, and obedience. The eternal triune God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being.

Jer 2:12-13; Matt 28:19; John 15:26; 1 Cor 12:4-6; 1 John 5:7; John 10:30; John 5:17; John 14:23; John 17:5, 10; Acts 5:3-4; 1 Cor 2:10-11; Phil 2:5-6; Eph 2:18; 2 Cor 13:14; Rev 1:4-5

The Scriptures

We believe that the Holy Bible is God’s inspired word and is the revelation of Himself to humanity. It is perfect divine instruction. God is the author, and therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. It reveals the principles by which God judges us, and therefore is, and will remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried. All Scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation.

2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:21

Humanity and Sin

We believe that humans are the special creation of God, made in His own image. He created them male and female as the crowning work of His creation. The gift of gender is thus part of the goodness of God’s creation. In the beginning humans were innocent of sin and was created by God with freedom of choice. Through the temptation of Satan, humanity disobeyed the command of God and fell from their original holiness and righteousness. Now the entire human race inherits a corrupt nature that is opposed to God and His law. Therefore, all humans are under condemnation. This depravity extends to the mind, will, body and affections. Unregenerate humanity lives under the dominion of sin and Satan. They are at enmity with God, hostile toward and hateful of God and therefore are under condemnation. Only the grace of God can bring people into His holy fellowship and enable them to fulfill the creative purpose of God. The sacredness of human personality is evident in that God created humans in His own image, and in that Christ died for humans; therefore, every person of every ethnicity possesses full dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love.

Genesis 1:26-30; 2:5,7,18-22; 3; 9:6; Matthew 16:26; 1 Corinthians 1:21-31; 15:19,21-22; Ephesians 2:1-22

Repentance and Faith

We believe that Repentance and Faith are gifts from God that is brought about in our souls by the regenerating Spirit of God; whereby being deeply convinced of our guilt and inability to please God, we turn from our sins, and turn to Jesus with genuine remorse, confessing our need for him, and gladly receiving him as our Lord and relying on Him alone as the only and all sufficient Savior.

John 16:8; Acts 2:37-38; Acts 16:30-31; Luke 18:13; Luke 15:18-21; Jas 4:7-10; 2 Cor 7:11; 1 Cor 10:12-13; Ps 51:1-19; Rom 10:9-11; Acts 3:22-23; Heb 4:14; Ps 2:6; Heb 1:8; Heb 7:25

The Way of Salvation

We believe that Salvation is the redemption of the whole person and is offered freely to all who believe the Gospel and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Jesus freely took upon himself our nature, yet without sin; perfectly obeyed God’s perfect law, and by His death made a full atonement for our sins; that having risen from the dead he is now enthroned in heaven; and is the all-sufficient Savior for all who believe. In its broadest sense salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.

  1. Regeneration, or the new birth, is a work of God’s grace whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus. It is a change of heart by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
  2. Justification is God’s gracious pardon of the sins of all sinners who repent and believe in Christ and accepts and declares them as righteous in His sight. God declares the sinner righteous at the very moment that the sinner puts their trust in Jesus Christ. Justification brings the believer into a relationship of peace and favor with God.
  3. Sanctification is the experience, beginning in regeneration, by which the believer is set apart to God’s purposes, and is enabled to progress toward moral and spiritual maturity through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in him. Growth in grace should continue throughout the regenerate person’s life.
  4. Glorification is the culmination of salvation and is the final eternal state of the redeemed. We will share in God’s glory when we are in our resurrected bodies in the new heavens and new earth, experiencing deeper fellowship with God and never being at risk sinning again.

Genesis 3:15; Exodus 3:14-17; 6:2-8; Matthew 1:21; 4:17;John 1:11-14,29; 3:3-21,36; 5:24; 10:9,28-29; 15:1-16; 17:17; Acts 2:21; 4:12; 15:11; 16:30-31; 17:30-31; 20:32; Romans 1:16-18

The Purpose of God's Grace

We believe that the blessings of salvation are made free to all people by the gospel; that it is the immediate responsibility of all to accept them by repentant and obedient faith; and that nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner on earth, but their own inherent depravity and voluntary rejection of the gospel. God’s grace eliminates any boasting and promotes humility. Those whom God has accepted in Christ, and sanctified by His Spirit, will never fall away from the state of grace, but shall endure to the end. Believers may sin by giving into temptation or neglecting their faith for a time, and may incur some due consequences of sin, but will be kept by the power of God.

Ephesians 1:4-23; 2:1-10; 3:1-11; Colossians 1:12-14; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14; 2 Timothy 1:12; 2:10,19; Hebrews 11:39–12:2; James 1:12; 1 Peter 1:2-5,13; 2:4-10; 1 John 1:7-9; 2:19; 3:2

The Church

We believe that the church of the Lord Jesus Christ is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the two ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges given to them by His Spirit, and seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth. Each congregation operates under the Lordship of Christ. In such a congregation each member is responsible and accountable to Christ as Lord. Its scriptural officers are pastors/elders and deacons. While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor/elder is limited to qualified men according to the scriptures (1 Tim. 3; Titus 1). The church is the Body of Christ which includes all the redeemed of all the ages, believers from every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation.

Matthew 16:15-19; 18:15-20; Acts 2:41-42,47; 5:11-14; 6:3-6; 13:1-3; 14:23,27; 15:1-30; 16:5; 20:28; Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 3:16; 5:4-5; 7:17; 9:13-14; 12; Colossians 1:18; 1 Timothy 2:9- 14; 3:1-15; 4:14; Hebrews 11:39-40; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Revelation 2-3; 21:2-3

Baptism and the Lord’s Supper

We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer’s faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Savior, the believer’s death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. It is a testimony to our faith in the final resurrection of the dead. The Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby the church will partake of the bread and the fruit of the vine, remembering the death of Jesus and anticipating His second coming. Being a church ordinance, only those who have become genuine followers of Christ are permitted to be baptized and take the Lord's Supper.

Matthew 3:13-17; 26:26-30; 28:19-20; Mark 1:9-11; 14:22-26; Luke 3:21-22; 22:19-20; John 3:23; Acts 2:41-42; 8:35-39; 16:30-33; 20:7; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians 10:16,21; 11:23-29; Colossians 2:12

Jesus is Coming Back

We believe in the glorious, and bodily return of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring the world to its appropriate end, in accordance with His promise. When He returns, He will exercise His role as final Judge, and His kingdom will be consummated. We believe in the bodily resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous—the unrighteous sentenced to eternal judgment and punishment, and the righteous to eternal blessedness in the presence of God, in the new heaven and the new earth. On that day the church will be presented faultless before God by the perfect obedience, suffering, and triumph of Christ. All sin and its effects will be eliminated and forever banished.

Romans 14:10; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 15:24-28,35-58; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Philippians 3:20-21; Colossians 1:5; 3:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18; 5:1!.; 2 Thessalonians 1:7!.; 2; 1 Timothy 6:14; 2 Timothy 4:1,8; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 9:27- 28; James 5:8; 2 Peter 3:7!.; 1 John 2:28; 3:2; Jude 14; Revelation 1:18; 3:11; 20:1- 22:13

Evangelism and Missions

We believe it is the duty and privilege of every disciple of Jesus to make disciples of all nations. Because of our love for others, every believer must aim to constantly seek to win the lost to Christ by the verbal preaching of the good news of the Gospel and utilize a variety of different tools and methods to reach the unreached.

Genesis 12:1-3; Exodus 19:5-6; Isaiah 6:1-8; Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; 2; 8:26-40; 10:42-48; 13:2-3; Romans 10:13-15; Ephesians 3:1- 11; 1 Thessalonians 1:8; 2 Timothy 4:5

Cooperation and Partnerships

We believe, if necessary, Christ followers should consider building partnerships, organizing networks, associations, or conventions that will promote cooperation for the purpose of Kingdom expansion. Such organizations should have no authority over one another or over the churches. They are voluntary and advisory organizations designed to elicit, combine, and direct the efforts of believers in the most effective manner. Churches should partner with one another in carrying forward the missionary, educational, and benevolent ministries of their churches for the extension of Christ’s Kingdom. Christian unity in the New Testament is spiritual harmony and voluntary cooperation for common ends by various groups of Christ’s people. Cooperation is desirable between the various Christian denominations, when the end to be attained is itself justified, and when our cooperation involves no violation of conscience or compromise of loyalty to Christ and His Word as revealed in the New Testament.

Matthew 10:5-15; 20:1-16; 22:1-10; 28:19-20; Mark 2:3; Luke 10:1ff.; Acts 1:13-14; 2:1ff.; 4:31-37; 13:2-3; 15:1-35; 1 Corinthians 1:10-17; 3:5-15; 12; 2 Corinthians 8-9; Galatians 1:6-10; Ephesians 4:1-16; Philippians 1:15-18

Christian Social Responsibility

We believe that God is both the Creator and the Judge of all people. We therefore should share His concern for justice and reconciliation throughout human society and for the liberation of men and women from every kind of oppression. Since men and women are made in the image of God, every person, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, culture, class, gender, or age, has an intrinsic dignity which should be respected and served, not exploited. We believe the message of the Gospel implies also a message of judgment upon every form of alienation, oppression and discrimination, and we should not be afraid to denounce evil and injustice wherever they exist. When people receive Christ, they are born again into His kingdom and must seek not only to exhibit, but also to spread its righteousness in the midst of an unrighteous world. The salvation we claim should be transforming us in the totality of our personal and social responsibilities. Faith without works is dead.

Acts 17:26,31; Gen. 18:25; Isa. 1:17; Psa. 45:7; Gen. 1:26,27; Jas. 3:9; Lev. 19:18; Luke 6:27,35; Jas. 2:14-26; Joh. 3:3,5; Matt. 5:20; 6:33; II Cor. 3:18; Jas. 2:20

The Gospel and Sexual Orientation

We believe that biblical marriage constitutes a sacred covenant before God between one man and woman. Therefore, we view homosexuality as a sin like any other sexual sin, since it is a deviation from God’s original plan for intimacy and marriage given in the Garden of Eden and carried throughout the entirety of Scripture (Gen. 1-2, Matt. 19:4-6). With that reality in mind, we do not elevate this sin above other sins, nor treat anyone with same-sex attraction with a demeaning or condescending attitude, as we recognize that we are all sexually broken. Our desire is to see all people who are sexually broken, including those who wrestle with homosexuality, to be reconciled to God through the gospel. Click the titles below to read in more detail what we believe.

Genesis 2:18-25, Leviticus 20:13, Matthew 19:5, Romans 1:24-28, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, Ephesians 5:31, 1 Timothy 6:10

Homosexuality and Church Membership

For membership at One Family Church, to agree with our statement of beliefs on this topic is not to condemn and exclude those who experience attractions to the same sex. It is helpful to make a distinction between “gay” and “same-sex attracted.” The term “Gay” (or “lesbian,” etc.) has culturally become synonymous for people who are attracted to others of the same sex, embrace that identity, and live into their desires in a homosexual relationship. In contrast, people who are “same-sex attracted” have affections for people of the same sex, but reject acting on that desire as a primary identity and do not have homosexual relationships.

We do not believe that temptation is the same as sin, and therefore we make the distinction between “gay” and “same-sex attracted.” To act on desires and affections for the same sex is sinful, but to reject the temptation and walk in holiness is the path of all disciples regardless of sexual orientation. Therefore, heterosexuality is NOT a prerequisite for membership, but all members should agree with this position on sexuality and walk in obedience to Scripture.

The Gospel, Homosexuality and Identity

With the sexual revolution of the 1960’s our sexual orientation became a primary identity — one of the primary descriptors for people became “I am straight / gay / lesbian / bisexual, etc.” However, that’s not the foundational element of human identity; people are human beings created in the image of God. People are not at their core their sexual orientation — we are so much more than that.

With that in view, we believe that the Gospel calls all people to turn from sin and leave it behind, and through faith in Jesus live into all that God calls them to be. In other words, the Gospel beckons people to recover and experience the fullness of being created in the image of God, in relationship with God. All forms of sin (pride, gossip, sexual brokenness of all kinds, etc.) put us in need of grace, and hinder us from living into the fullness of what God has created us for.

Additionally, it would be a harmful mistake to assume that the only thing God is concerned with is a person's sexual orientation. We believe that all people are sexually broken, but also that all people are broken in multiple ways. We do not elevate homosexuality above other sins because sexual brokenness is not the only kind of brokenness that people experience.

The Gospel, Homosexuality, and Community

The belief that homosexuality is a sin seems harsh when we elevate marriage as the only ideal relationship — that everyone has the right to or deserves to be married. Because we believe that Biblical marriage is between one man and one woman, people who experience same-sex attraction may find this model unrealistic. The question then becomes, “If marriage is between one man and one woman, does the same-sex attracted person have to be alone forever?” To this we say emphatically, NO!

God created people to be deeply communal— to have deep relationship with God and with one another (Gen. 2:18). We believe that in receiving the message of the Gospel both of these needs are met. First, we believe that intimacy with God is infinitely better than a life of sin of any type, and He is ultimately meant to fulfill desires that a spouse (a human) never can. Second, we believe that singleness (regardless of sexual orientation) is not a deficiency or sign of immaturity, but a gift from God that is equal to and different from marriage (Matt. 19:11, 1 Cor. 7). Additionally, to be single is not the same as being alone, because the Church is God’s family (1 Tim. 3:15). The human need for community is to be met within the family of God, and in these relationships, single people experience the joys of family, and families get the joy of deep friendships and the presence of true friends. In the Gospel, nobody has to be alone because the blood of Jesus unites all people as God’s family.

Recommended Resources

Is God Anti-Gay, by Sam Allberry

What Does the Bible Really Teach about Homosexuality, by Kevin DeYoung

Rethinking Sexuality by Juli Slattery

Gay Girl Good God, by Jackie Hill Perry

“The Controversial Jesus - Jesus and the Gay Community” Sermon, by Jon Tyson

Partnerships

Mosaic Church
Summit Collaborative
Acts 29
Send Network

What We Believe