City of Refuge is a covenant community church in northeast San Antonio that teaches about the True Light, Jesus, who has already overcome every circumstance of life on the cross at Calvary.

STATEMENT OF FAITH

WE BELIEVE the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God. (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21)

WE BELIEVE that there is one living God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit; equal in power and in glory; and that this Triune God created, upholds, and governs all. (Corinthians 13:14; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 3:17; John 1:1)

WE BELIEVE salvation is by faith, through God’s grace, made available by the atoning death of Jesus Christ and the shedding of His blood at Calvary. (Ephesians 2:8-9; 1 Peter 1:18-19)

WE BELIEVE salvation is received through repentance towards God, confession by mouth, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ, His Son (Romans 10:9). We believe the inward evidence of salvation is the direct witness of the Spirit (Romans 8:16). We believe the outward evidence of salvation is a life of righteousness and true holiness (Ephesians 4:24, Titus 2:12).

WE BELIEVE in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; that they that are saved are saved unto the resurrection of life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation. (Mark 9:43; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; John 3:16; Matthew 25:34, 41)

WE BELIEVE in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory. (John 1:1-5; Matthew 1:21-23; Acts 1:9; Luke 1:35; Colossians 1:22; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Corinthians 15:20)

WE BELIEVE in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life. We believe that for the salvation of lost and sinful man, regeneration of the Holy Spirit is essential. (1 Corinthians 12:3) We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person; convicts the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment; is the supernatural agent of God in the regeneration of the lost; indwells in all believers, sealing them in the body of Christ unto the day of redemption; and is the divine teacher who guides believers into all truth. (Romans 8:14; Titus 3:5-6; Ephesians 1:13; 4:30; Romans 8:14)

WE BELIEVE that the Lord’s Supper is to be observed by all believers who are baptized in water. Each participant should examine himself/herself before partaking. It is a remembrance of the covenant He made through His blood. (1 Corinthians 11:23-32)

WE BELIEVE that baptism in water shall be by immersion, as commanded in the Bible, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and shall be administered to only those who give evidence of being born again. (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38; Mark 16:16)

WE BELIEVE that we are entitled to and shall earnestly seek the promise of the Father, the baptism in the Holy Spirit, according to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is an experience, which is a distinct experience from the new birth and is witnessed by the initial physical sign of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit of God gives utterance, and it is the physical evidence of having received His endowment of power for witnessing. We believe that, although the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a distinct experience separate from salvation and water baptism, they may occur simultaneously. (Acts 8:15-16; Acts 2:38-39; Acts 10: 44-48)

WE BELIEVE that divine healing is an integral part of the Gospel. The gifts of the Holy Spirit including gifts of healing are provided for in the atonement, which is the privilege of all believers today. We believe praying for the sick is emphasized in the New Testament, under the New Covenant, and it is the responsibility of the Church to practice it. (Isaiah 53:4-5; Matthew 8:16-17; 1 Peter 2:24)

WE BELIEVE in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesian 4:3-6). We believe that the body of Christ is comprised of all born-again believers everywhere without respect to race, ethnicity, or denomination. We believe the local church is comprised of born-again believers who come together for worship, fellowship, discipleship, and evangelism. We believe the church is God’s instrument to share the gospel, enlarge and increase the kingdom of God, and push back the gates of hell here on earth. (Mark 16:15; Ephesians 4:16; Matthew 28:19; Ephesians 4:16; 2 Timothy 1:8-9)

WE BELIEVE God specifically created everyone, each one for His own purpose, with a birthright, inheritance, and destiny in the kingdom of God. (Ephesians 2:10; 2 Timothy 1:9; Acts 17:26)

WE BELIEVE Jesus ascended bodily into heaven and He will return to the earth — personally, visibly, and bodily — to consummate history and the eternal plan of God. (Acts 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10)

FINAL AUTHORITY FOR MATTERS OF BELIEF AND CONDUCT

The Statement of Faith does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. We believe that the 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament are verbally inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16), that they are inerrant and infallible in their original writings, and that they are the supreme and final authority for faith and practice. The Bible, as the inspired and infallible Word of God, speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of humankind, and is the sole and final source of all that we believe. The Elders Council of the City of Refuge stands on the final interpretative authority of the Bible on meaning and application in all matters of faith, doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline.