WHAT WE
BELIEVE

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures.”

— 1 Corinthians 15:3

New Hope Christian Fellowship is built on the conviction that God has spoken clearly, truthfully, and sufficiently in His Word, and that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the only hope for a broken world. What follows is not a philosophy we invented but a faith we received — the faith once for all delivered to the saints, held by the Church across every generation, and now entrusted to us. We hold these truths not as cold doctrine but as the foundation of our worship, our fellowship, and our mission in New Iberia and beyond.

We believe the Bible, consisting of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, is the inspired and inerrant Word of God, breathed out by the Holy Spirit through human authors. It is fully trustworthy, without error in its original writings, and is the final authority for all matters of faith, doctrine, and Christian living. Every sermon we preach, every decision we make, and every life we disciple must be tested against Scripture. 

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SCRIPTURE FOUNDATIONS:

2 Timothy 3:16–17 - 2 Peter 1:20–21 - Psalm 119:105 - Isaiah 40:8

We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — equal in power and glory, yet distinct in person. God is the sovereign Creator and Sustainer of all things, perfectly holy, just, loving, and worthy of all worship. 

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SCRIPTURE FOUNDATIONS:

Deuteronomy 6:4 - Matthew 28:19 - 2 Corinthians 13:14 - Genesis 1:1

We believe Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life, died on the cross as the substitutionary sacrifice for our sins, rose bodily from the grave on the third day, ascended to the right hand of the Father, and will return in glory. He is the only mediator between God and man, and salvation is found in Him alone. 

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SCRIPTURE FOUNDATIONS:

John 1:1, 14 - Isaiah 7:14 - 1 Corinthians 15:3–4 - Hebrews 4:15 - Acts 1:9–11 - 1 Timothy 2:5

We believe the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, who convicts the world of sin, regenerates and indwells every believer at salvation, seals them for the day of redemption, and empowers them for holy living, worship, and service. He distributes spiritual gifts to the Church for the building up of the body of Christ. 

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SCRIPTURE FOUNDATIONS:

John 16:7–13 - Acts 1:8 - Ephesians 1:13–14 - 1 Corinthians 12:4–11 - Galatians 5:22–23

We believe every person is created in the image of God and possesses inherent dignity and worth. Through Adam’s disobedience, sin entered the world, and all people are born with a sinful nature, separated from God and unable to save themselves. Sin is the root of all brokenness in our lives and in the world. 

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SCRIPTURE FOUNDATIONS:

Genesis 1:27 - Romans 3:23 - Romans 5:12 - Jeremiah 17:9

We believe salvation is the free gift of God, received by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone — not earned by works or human merit. All who repent of sin and place their trust in Jesus Christ are forgiven, born again by the Holy Spirit, adopted as children of God, and given the assurance of eternal life. True salvation results in a transformed life marked by ongoing repentance and growth in holiness. 

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SCRIPTURE FOUNDATIONS:

Ephesians 2:8–9 - John 3:16 - Romans 10:9–10 - Titus 3:5 - John 1:12–13

We believe the Church is the body of Christ, made up of all who have been redeemed by His blood. It is called to worship God, grow in discipleship, exercise the priesthood of every believer, and carry out the Great Commission. The local church, led by biblically qualified elders (pastors) and served by deacons, is God’s primary instrument for making disciples of Jesus Christ. 

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SCRIPTURE FOUNDATIONS:

Matthew 16:18 - Ephesians 1:22–23 - Acts 2:42–47 - Matthew 28:19–20 - 1 Peter 2:9

We believe Christ gave His Church two ordinances. Baptism by immersion is the public declaration of a believer’s faith in Christ, identifying them with His death, burial, and resurrection; it does not save but testifies to salvation already received. The Lord’s Supper is a sacred remembrance of Christ’s body and blood, observed by believers in anticipation of His return. 

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SCRIPTURE FOUNDATIONS:

Matthew 28:19 - Romans 6:3–4 - Acts 2:38–41 - 1 Corinthians 11:23–26

We believe God ordained marriage as the covenant union of one man and one woman for life, reflecting the relationship between Christ and His Church. The family is the foundational institution for raising children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord, and we are committed to strengthening marriages and homes. 

SCRIPTURE FOUNDATIONS:

Genesis 2:24 - Ephesians 5:22–33 - Malachi 2:15 - Ephesians 6:1–4

We believe in the personal, bodily return of Jesus Christ to judge the living and the dead and to establish His eternal kingdom. All people will be raised bodily — believers to everlasting life in the presence of God, and unbelievers to everlasting conscious separation from Him under judgment. We live each day in the hope of His coming. 

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SCRIPTURE FOUNDATIONS:

1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 - Revelation 20:11–15 - John 14:1–3 - Titus 2:13