At Portland Gospel Church, our beliefs are rooted in the truth of God’s Word. We invite you to read our full Statement of Faith to learn more about what we believe and how it shapes everything we do. Whether you're exploring Christianity or looking for a church home, we encourage you to reach out with any questions. We’d love to connect with you and help you learn more about our church doctrine.

God

An eternally existing being (Rev 1:8) that created all things (Gen 1:1) and is the ruler of heaven and earth (Deut 10:14). His dwelling place is in heaven, from which he tries all men (Psalm 11:4). He is Omnipotent (Matt 28:18), Omnipresent (Psalm 139:7-8), Omniscient (Psa 147:5), Holy (Psalm 99:5), Unchangeable, Compassionate, Gracious, Longsuffering, Merciful, and True (Psalm 86:15). God is made up of three parts, equal in power with distinct attributes, yet still one God: Father, Son, Holy Spirit (Matt 28:19, 1 John 5:7).

Jesus

Jesus is God the Son (2 Pet 1:17), equal with the Father (John 10:30, John 14:9). He existed eternally before the creation of the world (John 1:1). Through him all things were created (John 1:3, Col 1:16). Being born of a virgin (Matt 1:23), He took on flesh (John 1:14) being fully God and fully man (1 Tim 3:16). He fulfilled prophecy of scripture as the Jewish messiah (Matt 5:17). He lived a sinless life and laid it down as the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Through His death, burial, and resurrection (1 Cor 15:1-4) He conquered death and hell (Rev 1:18). Jesus' sacrifice on the cross is the only way to have remission of sin (Col 1:14) and fellowship with the Father (John 14:6). 

Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit, equal with the Father (Acts 5:3-4), is the presence of God throughout the earth. (Rev 5:6, Zec 4:10). Today He indwells the believer (1 Cor 6:19), baptizes them into the body of Christ (1Cor 12:13) and seals them until the day of redemption (Eph 1:13, 4:30). His work includes glorifying God (John 16:14), teaching the truth (John 16:13, 1 Cor 2:13), reproving the world (John 16:8), confessing Christ as Lord (1 Cor 12:3), gifting believers (1 Cor 12:4-7), and making intercession for the saints (Rom 8:26-27).

Man

Man was physically created by God (Gen 2:7) on the sixth day of creation (Gen 1:31) in God's image and likeness (Gen 1:26) in the person of Adam. Woman was given to man out of Adam's body, in the person of Eve, to be a companion (Gen 2:20-23). Originally made perfect, Adam and Eve disobeyed God's command (Gen 2:16-17, Gen 3:6) and thereby passed sin unto themselves and every succeeding generation (Rom 5:12). Therefore, all have sinned (Rom 3:23) and rightfully deserve eternal separation from God (Rom 6:13). 

Salvation

Through Christ's sacrifice on the cross (Romans 1:16), any man can have remission of sin through the grace of God (Col 1:12-14). Salvation can not be earned, it is a freely given gift (Eph 2:8-9), accepted by faith (Rom 5:1), to those that believe in their heart and confess with their mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord (Rom 10:9-10, 13). Upon personal acceptance of Christ, a believer is sealed with the Holy Spirit and adopted into the family of God (Rom 8:15-16), becoming a son of God (John 1:12). Through death, a believer is immediately entered into the presence of God (2 Cor 5:1, 6-8) to be with him for eternity.

Church

Not a building, but the physical body of Christ on the earth today (1 Cor 12:27); of which all believers (1 Cor 12:12) are baptized into by the Spirit at the moment of salvation (1 Cor 12:13). The church continues the work that Christ laid the foundation for: evangelism, baptism, and discipleship (Matt 28:19-20). Each believer is gifted by the Spirit, after salvation in various ways, to be an independent part of the whole entity (1 Cor 12:11, Eph 4:11-12). The local church acts autonomously as an individual body, being governed by its officers: pastor (bishop/elders) and deacons (1 Tim 3:1,10, Acts 14:23, Titus 1:5). Christ will return to call His church home and so shall we ever be with the Lord (1 Thes 4:16-17). 

Word of God

The bible is the word of God, written through men by the power of the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:21) . God gave His word to mankind, and preserved it for all generations (Matthew 5:18). Being perfect (Psalm 19:7) , it is free from error (Psalm 119:140, Proverbs 30:5), the words of truth (John 17:17). It is to be read (1 Timothy 4:13), studied (2 Timothy 2:15), and applied to the believer’s life (James 1:22). The word of God is a requirement for salvation (Romans 10:17), being the seed planted into the sinner's heart (Luke 8:5-15). We believe the King James Bible is the complete word of God for today’s English speaking people and it will be used in all of our teaching.

Satan

As Lucifer, Satan was originally made perfect (Ezk 28:15), an angelic being that stood before the Lord's throne (Ezk 28:14). He desired to be like God (Ezk 28:2) and thereby was filled with iniquity and cast from heaven (Isa 14:12). Now, he is the god of this world (2 Cor 4:4), full of wisdom and beauty (Ezk 28:12); appearing as an angel of light (2 Cor 11:4), lying in wait to deceive (John 8:44) and destroy (1 Peter 4:8). Satan and his demons have already been defeated (Col 2:15), through Christ’s work on the cross, and will ultimately be judged and cast in the lake of fire (Rev 20:10).

Return of Christ

Jesus Christ will return to the clouds and call His saints out of the world (1 Thess 4:15-18); introducing the beginning of sorrows, commonly called the tribulation (Matt 24:8, Mar 13:8). At this time those in Christ will partake in the marriage supper of the lamb (Rev 19:7-9) while the Lord pours out His wrath on the earth (Rev 16). At the end of this time, Christ will return to the earth with His saints (Mar 13:24-27) to rule and reign for one thousand years (Rev 20:2-7). 

Judgment & Eternity

The Lord Jesus Christ is the final judge all mankind (2 Tim 4:1), and to Him every knee will bow and every tongue confess (Rom 14:11). Upon death, the redeemed will be judged and rewarded for their works after salvation (1 Cor 3:11-15) at the judgement seat of Christ (2 Cor 5:10). The unrighteous are judged and condemned at the great white throne (Rev 20:11-15). Those without their names written in the book of life will be cast into the lake of fire (Rev 20:15). At the end of Christ's physical reign on earth, a new heaven and a new earth will be made (Rev 21:1) and the new Jerusalem will proceed out of heaven above the earth (Rev 21:2). Such begins eternity.

Marriage

Marriage is an exclusive union created by God between one natural born male and one natural born female (Gen 1:27-28, 5:2). It is a picture of Christ and the church, and has distinct roles for husbands and wives (Eph 5:21-33), both being “heirs together of the grace of life” (1 Pet 3:7). Marriage is designed to last a lifetime with separation only for infidelity, death, or abandonment (1 Cor 7:10-17).