Theological and Philosophical Statements

Our Statement of Faith

This tabular version of the Statement of Faith gives both the text of the statement, as well as the verses referred to. All quotations are from the New International Version (NIV). Revised November 1994 and adopted by the AVC Board of Directors.


We believe that God is the Eternal	¤ The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. ¤ “This is what the Lord says – Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God. ¤ For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.	Deuteronomy 33:27 Isaiah 44:6 Romans 1:20
King	¤ For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. ¤ “I am the Lord, your Holy One, Israel’s Creator, your King.”	Psalm 95:3 Isaiah 43:15
He is an infinite	¤ Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit. [“is infinite” – NASB] ¤ “Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty? They are higher than the heavens – what can you do? They are deeper than the depths of the grave – what can you know? Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea.”	Psalm 147:5 Job 11:7-9
unchangeable	¤ Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.	James 1:17
Spirit,	¤ “God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth.”	John 4:24
perfect	¤ Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.	Matthew 5:48
in holiness,	¤ And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” ¤ But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”	Isaiah 6:3 1 Peter 1:15-16
wisdom,	¤ How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. ¤ For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. ¤ All this also comes from the Lord Almighty, wonderful in counsel and magnificent in wisdom.	Psalm 104:24 Proverbs 2:6 Isaiah 28:29
goodness,	¤ And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of [Moses], and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. ¤ How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you.	Exodus 33:19 Psalm 31:19
justice,	¤ The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. ¤ Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you. ¤ Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!	Psalm 33:5 Psalm 89:14 Isaiah 30:18
power,	¤ “Your right hand, O Lord, was majestic in power. Your right hand, O Lord, shattered the enemy.” ¤ I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.	Exodus 15:6 Psalm 63:2
and love.	¤ Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.	1 John 4:8
From all eternity	¤ “Yes, and from ancient days I am He. [“Even from eternity, I am He.” – NASB] No one can deliver out of my hand. When I act, who can reverse it?”	Isaiah 43:13
He exists as the One	¤ I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. ¤ So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one.	Isaiah 45:5 1 Corinthians 8:4
Living	¤ My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? ¤ My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.	Psalm 42:2 Psalm 84:2
and True	¤ But the Lord is the true God; he is the living God, the eternal King.	Jeremiah 10:10
God in three persons	¤ No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, [the only begotten God – NASB] who is at the Father’s side, has made him known. ¤ “I and the Father are one.” ¤ Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” ¤ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. ¤ ... But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. ¤ “When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me.” ¤ Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.	John 1:18 John 10:30 John 14:9 John 14:16-17 John 14:26 John 15:26 2 Corinthians 3:17-18
of one substance,	¤ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ¤ The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. ¤ Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.	John 1:1 John 1:14 2 Corinthians 3:17
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,	¤ “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” ¤ May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. ¤ John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits [or “sevenfold Spirit” NIV footnote] before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. ...	Matthew 28:19-20 2 Corinthians 13:14 Revelation 1:4-5
equal in power and glory.	¤ Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” ¤ For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.	Revelation 5:13 Ephesians 3:14-21




We believe that God’s kingdom is everlasting.	¤ Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. ¤ Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. ¤ How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation.	Psalm 45:6 Psalm 145:13 Daniel 4:3
From His throne,	¤ The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed in majesty and is armed with strength. The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved. Your throne was established long ago; you are from all eternity.	Psalm 93:1-2
through His Son, His eternal Word,	¤ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ¤ ... Yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. ¤ He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. ¤ In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.	John 1:1-3 1 Corinthians 8:6 Colossians 1:15-16 Hebrews 1:1
God created,	¤ In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. ¤ For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.	Genesis 1:1 Psalm 95:3-5
upholds	¤ [Christ] is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. ¤ The Son is ... sustaining all things by his powerful word.	Colossians 1:17 Hebrews 1:3
and governs	¤ The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all. ¤ How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures ... These all look to you to give them their food at the proper time. When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things. When you hide your face, they are terrified; when you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust.	Psalm 103:19 Psalm 104:24-29
all that exists:	¤ For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary.	Psalm 96:4-6
the heavenly places,	¤ The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth; you founded the world and all that is in it.	Psalm 89:11
the angelic hosts,	¤ Praise the Lord, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word. Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will.	Psalm 103:20-21
the universe,	¤ For by [Christ] all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.	Colossians 1:16-17
the earth,	¤ He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved.	Psalm 104:5
every living thing	¤ Praise the Lord, all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the Lord, O my soul.	Psalm 103:22
and mankind.	¤ ... For dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations. ¤ God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne.	Psalm 22:28 Psalm 47:8
God created all things very good.	¤ God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning – the sixth day.	Genesis 1:31




We believe that Satan, originally a great, good angel, rebelled against God, taking a host of angels with him.	¤ And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down – that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.	Revelation 12:7-9
He was cast out of God’s presence and, as a usurper or God’s rule established a counter-kindom of darkness	¤ And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. ¤ For [God] has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. ¤ For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.	2 Corinthians 11:14 Colossians 1:13-14 Ephesians 6:12
and evil on the earth.	¤ And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “[Jesus] is possessed by Beelzebub ! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.” So Jesus called them and spoke to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. ¤ As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ¤ We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.	Mark 3:22-26 Ephesians 2:1-2 1 John 5:19




We believe that God created mankind in His image, male and female,	¤ Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, ... ” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.	Genesis 1:26-27
for relationship with Himself and to govern the earth.	¤ Then God said, “Let ... them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”	Genesis 1:26
Under the temptation of Satan,	¤ Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” ¤ The great dragon was hurled down – that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray.	Genesis 3:1 Revelation 12:9
our original parents fell from grace,	¤ Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. ¤ For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. ¤ ... The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, ...	Genesis 3:8 Romans 1:21-23 Romans 5:16
bringing sin,	¤ Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned ...	Romans 5:12
sickness,	¤ Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.”	John 5:14
and God’s judgement of death to the earth.	¤ For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.	1 Corinthians 15:22
Through the fall, Satan and his demonic hosts gained access to God’s good creation.	¤ You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. ¤ We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.	John 8:44 1 John 5:19
Creation now experiences the consequences and effects of Adam’s original sin.	¤ For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.	Romans 8:20-23
Human beings are born in sin,	¤ Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.	Psalm 51:5
subject to God’s judgement of death	¤ For every living soul belongs to me, the father as well as the son – both alike belong to me. The soul who sins is the one who will die. ¤ But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. ¤ All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. ¤ ... Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment ...	Ezekiel 18:4 Romans 2:5 Romans 2:12 Hebrews 9:27
and captive to Satan’s kingdom of darkness.	¤ Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age ... ¤ Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But now that you know God – or rather are known by God – how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? (or “elemental spirits of the universe” – RSV) Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? ¤ For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, ...	Galatians 1:3-5 Galatians 4:8-9 Colossians 1:13




We believe that God did not abandon His rule over the earth	¤ The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;	Psalm 24:1
which He continues to uphold by His providence.	¤ Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.” The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity. ¤ He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. ¤ The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.	Psalm 96:10 Isaiah 40:22 Hebrews 1:3
In order to bring redemption, God established covenants	¤ ... the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises.	Romans 9:4
which revealed His grace to sinful people.	¤ ... remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.	Ephesians 2:12
In the covenant with Abraham, God bound Himself to His people Israel, promising to deliver them from bondage to sin and Satan and to bless all the nations through them.	¤ Abram fell face down, and God said to him, “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram ; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.” ¤ “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” ¤ Then the word of the Lord came to [Abram]: “This man [Eliezer] will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir.” He took him outside and said, “Look up at the heavens and count the stars – if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness. ¤ What does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. ¤ Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring – not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. ¤ Yet [Abraham] did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness – for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. ¤ Consider Abraham: “He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. ¤ Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.	Genesis 17:3-8 Genesis 12:2-3 Genesis 15:4-6 Romans 4:3-5 Romans 4:16 Romans 4:20-25 Galatians 3:6-9 Galatians 3:13-14


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Theological and Philosophical Statements

Our Mission
Our Purposes
Our Statement of Faith
Our Statement of Faith (page 2)
Our Statement of Faith (page 3)
Our Statement of Faith (page 4)
Our Values
Our Priorities
The Practices We Aim To Instill
Our Leadership Personnel Requirements


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