STATEMENT OF FAITH
Changing Destinies Ministry is a faith-based organization and as such we believe the following:
Faith
Faith is love in action. As believers, we embrace and live according to the commandments found in Mark 12:30-31 – Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this, love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.
As there are no greater commandments than these (Mark 12:31), we endeavor to be Christ-centered (Colossians 3:23), for HE is at the heart of everything that we do. We focus our attention on HIS people for when we’ve done it to the least of them, we’ve done it unto HIM (Matthew 25:40).
The Scriptures
We believe that the Holy Bible is the infallible, authoritative Word of God and inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The Bible is filled with HIS wisdom and truth, which yields direction and guidance for every conceivable question that plagues mankind (Psalm 119:105, Matthew 7:24, Psalm 119:130).
Gender, Marriage, and Sexuality
We believe that God created each individual person as either male or female in His image and likeness. Together, these two distinct, unchanging, and complementary sexes reflect the image and nature of God. Rejection of one’s biological sex is a refusal to honor and accept God’s sovereign design and decisions (Genesis 1:26-27).
We believe that God created marriage as a covenantal relationship that is established by vows exchanged between one man and one woman (Genesis 2:18-24; 1 Corinthians 7:2-5). We believe God intended for sexual intimacy to occur exclusively between a man and a woman who are married to one another (Leviticus 18:22; Leviticus 20:13; Romans 1:18-32; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, 18-20; Hebrews 13:4).
Because Changing Destinies Ministry serves and ministers to persons victimized by trauma of a sexual nature, we must steward human sexuality with wisdom, sensitivity, and compassion. Accordingly, we believe that all forms of sexual activity or sexual intimacy inconsistent or outside of the boundaries and beliefs set out herein are a deviation from God’s perfect design and are destructive to human relationships.
Sanctity of Life
We believe that all human life is sacred and of immeasurable worth. We believe that God created and fashioned every human being uniquely, thoughtfully, and lovingly in His own image and likeness. This includes everyone from the day of conception, through every stage of life and condition, to the point of death. We are called to defend, protect, and value all human life across the spectrum (Psalm 139).
Changing Destinies Ministry’s (CDM) Statement of Faith does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. We believe that the Holy Bible is the inspired and infallible Word of God. It speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and appropriate conduct. Therefore, the Bible is our final authority for matters of belief and conduct. For purposes of our faith, doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline, our President / Executive Director and the Board of Directors are CDM’s final interpretive authority on the Bible’s application.
God
We believe that there is one God (1 Timothy 2:5) who is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent and sovereign (Jeremiah 10:12, Psalm 139:1- 10, Colossians 1:16-17). HE eternally exists as the Trinity comprised of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19, Ephesians 4:4-6).
- God the Father: He is our loving, kind, and merciful heavenly Father who loves us as a father loves his children (1 John 3:1; Ephesians 2:4-5, 7-8). He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless (Romans 8:33). He sent His only begotten Son to save us (John 3:16; John 17:3; Romans 8:32).
- God the Son: Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God (Matthew 3:17) and the ONLY way to heaven (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). We attest to His deity as one conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14; Luke 1:26-38). He lived a sinless life (Hebrews 4:1), performed many miracles (Throughout Gospels), was crucified for the redemption of mankind (1 Corinthians 15:3; Galatians 3:13; 1 John 2:2), and rose from the dead on the third day appearing to many (1 Corinthians 15:4-8). He ascended into heaven (Acts 1:8-11) and is now seated with great power and authority at the right hand of the Father (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 1:3). He offers forgiveness to all who trust and receive Him as their personal Savior and Lord (Colossians 1:13-14; 2:6-7). He is presently the One Mediator who continues to reconcile God to mankind (1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 9:15; 1 John 2:1). He will return to earth one day in power and glory to judge the world and to complete His redemptive mission (Acts 1:11; 2 Timothy 4:1; Titus 2:11-14).
- God the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is God’s Spirit of Truth who guides us (John 14:17; John 15:25). He is our Helper and illuminates Scripture so we can understand truth (John 14:26; John 16:13-16). He draws us to the Father (Romans 8:11). He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He empowers the believer to live the Christian life in victory (John 16:7-11). He dwells in all believers as the living and ever-present Lord (Galatians 2:20).
Man
We believe that man was created in God’s image and likeness (Genesis 1:27) and was given free will to do good or evil (Deut. 30:19-20). Man was originally made perfect (Genesis 1:31); however, through the disobedience of one man, sin entered the human race (Romans 5:12) and separated (fellowship) man from God (Genesis 3:8-9).
Salvation
We believe that God’s grace and kindness leads to confession of sin, genuine repentance, and faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 2:4; Romans 10:9-13; 1 John 1:9). All those who believe can receive the free gift of eternal life by placing their trust and hope in Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). We are justified by our faith and obtain peace with God through the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1-3). The ministry of the Holy Spirit will continue to transform new believers into the likeness of Jesus throughout their lifetime (2 Corinthians 3:18).
