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IHCF Statement of Faith; Feedback on a proposed statement of faith
Topic Started: Nov 13 2014, 02:05 AM (18 Views)
IHCF
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IHCF Statement of Mission and Faith
In the course of saving mankind, God often brings together individuals and organizations involved in His work from varying backgrounds. It has been customary, even Biblical, for these parties to affirm with each other that the respective work in which each is engaged is from God and based on instruction received from God.
This statement of mission and faith encapsulates the beliefs, and foundation of beliefs, held by the Christians who serve with the International Health Care Foundation (IHCF) also known as African Christian Hospitals (ACH). It is provided to reassure fellow organizations of our foundational commitments to Jesus Christ and the Word of God.
The Christians of the International Health Care Foundation (African Christian Hospitals) recognize that creeds and statements of faith are only meaningful to the extent that the statements are consistent with the teaching of Jesus Christ or the first followers of Christ recorded in the letters and books of the Old and New Testaments. For this reason, we have chosen two representative scriptures that together encapsulate the mission and beliefs of IHCF (ACH).
2 Corinthians 5
When we look to scripture for a statement of mission we are drawn to 2 Corinthians 5:
“For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
(English Standard Version)
Statement of Mission
From 2 Corinthians 5 we derive our statement of mission, which we believe is the mission the writer Paul was teaching the early church in Corinth to adopt:
Our Mission: Having been made for His purpose and given His spirit as a pledge, our goal, relying on faith and not sight, is to please God in the work we do, whether bearing the burdens of mankind or of persuading individuals to turn to God. We know our actions, both good and bad, will one day be judged by Christ himself.
Our Motivation: Christ’s love compels us to serve. We are convinced that Jesus Christ died for every person on the Earth; therefore, all of us who live because of His sacrifice are driven to live for Him who died for us and rose again.
Our Ministry: We approach each mission opportunity from an eternal perspective. Though our work in supporting health care programs and facilities, by its very nature, requires us to assess and treat individuals who suffer in the flesh, our view of each person, whether patient or provider, is not centered on treating physical ailments. Recognizing that Christ is in the process of making people into new eternal beings, we seek to view individuals as being somewhere in the process of being brought out of death and into eternal life. Our approach is to support the work of health care professionals through whom God makes His appeal to the world.
Our Message: Our message, from God, is restorative; God is reconciling the people of the world to Himself by making His only born son, the Christ, who knew no sin, to be sin for us, so that we, who have done evil in this world, may be remade to be viewed by God as if every action taken in our lives had been right.

1 John 5:1-12
When we look to scripture for a statement of faith, of which there are many, we find that the following passage from 1 John 5, originally written as a primer on distinguishing between true and false teaching, provides a timeless and succinct description of our faith upon which we base our relationships with other faith-based organizations.
“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree. If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. And this is the testimony: that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
(English Standard Version)
Statement of Faith
From this passage we derive the following non-negotiable statements of faith:
We believe in God, the Father of all mankind.
We believe Jesus is the Christ (Messiah), the Son of God.
We believe love for God and love for the children of God are inseparable actions of obedience.
We believe our faith in Jesus the Christ allows us to be born of God and thereby overcome the world. From the many teachings of scripture on the subject of faith, we understand that faith is both a statement of belief as well as a statement of trust that rationally leads to distinctive behaviors. This synthesis of belief and trust is clearly seen in many Christian behaviors including but not limited to: baptism; communion; worship; giving; forgiveness; prayer; and perseverance through suffering.
We believe the Spirit of God, given to believers by God, is the source of truth.
We believe and proclaim God’s testimony regarding His Son: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
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