The Lord Jesus Christ
We are people who believe and confess our faith in the Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We trust and believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. ‘Jesus Only’ is the Word of God incarnate, through whom everything was made and through whose life, death and resurrection God fashions a new creation.
The Gospel of Salvation
We believe and confess that all human beings are sinners. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God alone justifies sinners by faith in Christ—a faith which God creates through the proclamation of the good news of Jesus Christ as revealed in God’s inspired Word. As ambassadors for Christ, God uses us to speak his Word and build his kingdom.
The Authority of Scripture
We believe and confess that the Bible is God’s revealed Word to us, spoken in Law and Gospel. God’s Word as revealed in and proclaimed from the Scriptures is not simply the only final authority for us in all matters of faith and life, which we affirm that it is, but is also the vehicle God uses to create, evoke, and enliven faith itself.
The Work of the Holy Spirit
We believe and confess that while faith in the Good News of Jesus Christ changes the status of a sinner (justification), the Holy Spirit changes the heart and life of the sinner (sanctification). The Holy Spirit works in us to effect repentance and renewal. The Holy Spirit works through God’s Word to give direction for living and courage for dying, balm for our wounds and comfort in the face of sorrow, strength that overcomes weakness, and assurance that overcomes doubt. The Holy Spirit gives us the hunger that spurs growth. Our regular use of the Daily Texts encourages the ministry of the Holy Spirit in us and through us.
The Holy Spirit works through God’s Word to:
The Church
We believe and confess that the Church is the living spiritual body of which Christ is the head and all followers of Christ are members. The Church has been given the responsibility to preach and teach the Gospel Word in law and gospel by which we begin to see our absolute dependence on Jesus Christ as Savior. The Church exists both as the global fellowship of believers and as local congregations of believers. All believers are called to repentance, humble obedience, self-giving service, faithful witness, spiritual nourishment, and holy living. The Church is the gathered community of people who hear the Word proclaimed and receive the sacraments. The Sacraments instituted by the Lord Jesus Christ are the Sacrament of Baptism and the Sacrament of Holy Communion by which we can receive and be renewed in living faith. Baptism unites us with Christ’s death and resurrection and the Lord’s Supper gives us fellowship with the living Christ in his true body and blood.
The Priesthood of All Believers
We believe and confess that the Holy Spirit makes all who believe in Jesus Christ to be priests for service to others in Jesus’ name, and that God desires to make use of the spiritual gifts he was given to all believers. Mount Carmel uniquely serves this calling by encouraging the “conversation and consolation among the saints.”
Marriage and Family
We believe and confess that marriage between a man and a woman is an institution and a calling blessed by God. From marriage, God forms families to serve those in need and to be a sign of the fulfillment of God’s perfect kingdom. We teach and practice that sexual intimacy belongs within the biblical boundaries of a faithful marriage. Our housing practice at Mount Carmel is based on this biblical basis for married life.
Our Mission
Mount Carmel Ministries exists to help people come alive to God in ‘Jesus Only.’ Our charge is to inspire and equip each person who comes to Mount Carmel to return to their world with a passion for bringing the hope of Christ to those who are slaves of sin that they might become servants of God. Mount Carmel exists to encourage the transformation of people’s lives by the power of the Holy Spirit. To assist this purpose, Mount Carmel regularly practices the study, reading and sharing of the Bible. We live under the grace of God in Jesus Christ. We engage people in spiritual conversation using God’s Word as presented in the Daily Texts in the expectation that the Word of God will stir up and renew faith as well as lead people to walk in newness of life.
Continue by reading about a description of the statement “Jesus Only.”