We believe that God created—God literally created. We have freedom in theology of old earth or new earth. There is a gap between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. This gap could have been milliseconds or millenniums. We don't believe in evolution. The focus is God, and God being Creator of creation, and creation being made to honor and reveal God.
We believe that salvation is a free gift of God, made possible through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. According to Romans 10:9–13, if we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead, we will be saved. Salvation is received by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8–9) and is available to all who repent and trust in Christ.
When someone is saved, they are born again by the Holy Spirit and become a child of God (John 3:3; Titus 3:5). We believe salvation is secure for those who continue in faith, but also affirm that believers are called to persevere and can fall away through willful disobedience and rejection of Christ, known as apostasy (John 15:6; Hebrews 3:12–14; 2 Peter 2:20–22).
Though Christ remains faithful (Romans 8:37–39), the security of our salvation depends on a continued, persevering faith in Him.
Jesus Christ was born of a virgin. The sin nature is passed from father to children.
Therefore, Jesus had no earthly father, and no sin nature.
All spiritual gifts are given by God, and therefore all gifts are good. God gives gifts as he desires. All gifts are given to glorify Jesus and edify the Church. All believers have been given a gift or gifts by the Holy Spirit, but no believer has all of the gifts. No singular gift is necessary for or evidence of salvation.
For example, tongues is a gift given to some who God chooses to give this gift, but not all believers have this gift. Therefore, tongues are not a sign of salvation, but a gift given to only some. We should eagerly desire the greater gifts (and tongues are the least of the gifts).
We should seek to know and fully use our gifts for building up the Church.
Every follower of Christ is an ambassador on behalf of Christ. Christ reveals himself to the world through his followers. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, believers will be witnesses of Jesus to the entire world. Evangelism is the role of all, not just a gift for some.
Baptism is a public confession of our faith by immersion, post-conversion. Jesus was baptized, he commanded his followers to be baptized, and told us to baptize others who follow him.
The Greek word "baptizo" is the word used for baptism and means “immersion."
Baptism by immersion is a symbol of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.
Discipleship is the process of following and growing in our devotion and love of Jesus. Discipleship is the process of salvation that begins immediately after we trust in and receive Christ, and continues until we see Christ personally. Specifically, the beginning of our salvation is justification, the process of discipleship is sanctification, and the moment we see Jesus and remain with Him forever is glorification.
Jesus made disciples. His main mandate to his followers was to go and make disciples. Discipleship is people leading people to know and love and follow Jesus.
Men and women are created equal but not exactly alike. Men and women have unique designs, given by the Creator. Through our unique designs, we have been given unique roles. Men and women have similar giftings, but not similar roles. Scripture delineates between the roles of women and men in marriage, home and in church.
Women are crucial in their role in the marriage and family, as they are in church. Marriage and family don't exist without women, just as the church cannot exist without women fully functioning in their roles in the church. Scripture teaches that women lead in the church in a variety of ways, but God has reserved the roles of elders and Pastors to men. (Titus 1:5-9)
God created men and women out of his desire for design. In creation, physiologically, emotionally, sexually, etc. men and women are created differently to fit and function and fulfill purposes of their creation. Marriage is defined biblically as between one husband and one wife. Apart from obvious physiological signs, Scripture is clear that homosexuality is not God's design or desire for sexual and marital relationships. We do not elevate homosexuality over other sins, but respond to homosexuality as we would all sins. We love, encouraging repentance and submission to Jesus. When necessary in the church, as with all unrepentant sins, we respond with biblical steps of correction and discipline.
We believe that marriage, according to scripture, is a sacred institution established by God at creation. It is a covenant relationship between one man and one woman. Marriage was designed for mutual support and companionship, establishing the family unit and Godly offspring, and the glorification of God. In marriage, two individuals become one flesh, symbolizing the union between Christ and His Church (Genesis 2:18, 24, Ephesians 5:25)
We believe God’s ideal for marriage is that it should be a lifelong commitment. Divorce was never part of God’s original design, but due to the fall and humanities sinful nature people can become calloused and develop a hardness of heart. Jesus teaches that marriage is a covenant that should not be broken. It's our view that divorce is a sin and only under the grounds of sexual immorality (porneia) that divorce is not considered sinful (Malachi 2:16 Mark 10:5 Matthew 19:6, Matthew 19:9).
It's our belief that although divorce is sinful, it is not the unpardonable sin. It is our position that God forgives the act of divorce and although divorce like any other sin has consequences it can be absolved with genuine repentance. (Matthew 12:12-32, 1 John 1:9) As far as whether or not a divorced person can remarry or not we believe it's a personal conviction between the divorced person and the Lord. We believe the Lord's primary concern is the condition and state of someone's heart. It's our view that the redemptive work on the cross brings redemption, healing and restoration.
Whether a divorced person can remarry or not is not a matter of "yes or no", but more so, a heart posture of surrendering your will and letting God's will be done. Remarriage should be approached with caution under prayerful consideration, pastoral guidance, wise counsel and in submission to the will of God. (Romans 14:23, Ephesians 1:7, Isaiah 44:22, Psalms 130:70, Colossians 1:12-14, John 16:13, Proverbs 15:22, Philippians 1:9-10)
God is the Creator of life. He decides and designs all life he creates. He initiates, and it is his decision when life is ended. Scripture is clear, and science reveals this truth to us, that life begins at conception. Ending life that God created is classified as murder. We respond to abortion as we do to other sins, such as murder. We encourage repentance, and teach forgiveness. God loved, forgave, and used repentant murderers in Scripture, and still does today.
Scripture teaches that alcohol has many dangers associated with its use, and that alcohol is also a gift given by God—“wine that gladdens a man's heart.” Jesus made real wine out of water. Alcohol should be received and used as a gift of God. It must be used in its proper context and prescription given by God, just as other gifts, like sex. Sex is a gift given by God to be used within the context of marriage, and enjoyed within God's guidelines.
Believers should never be drunk—meaning, affected in their emotions, decisions, etc. by alcohol. Believers should not be addicted to alcohol—meaning, they can go without drinking, and should at times willfully abstain from use to ensure there is no addiction. And, believers should be cautious of the times and places to consume alcohol, as the freedom to exercise its use should never discourage anyone in their faith.
Concerning the timing of the return of Christ, we agree that Christ will return at the decision and discretion of the Father alone. The timing of Christ's return is unknown, even to Christ himself.
Scripture is clear that there are signs indicating the general time of his return, and Scripture is clear as to many of the signs. We understand and accept that there are plausible biblical arguments concerning the timing of Christ's return, such as pre, post or mid-tribulation.
We do not major on the mode of his return, but look forward to the moment of his return.
We believe that generosity is a fundamental expression of a follower of Jesus, modeled by God’s own generosity toward us. While tithing (giving 10% of income) was mandated in the Old Testament, it is not a requirement for New Testament believers. Instead, we are called to practice cheerful generosity, as taught in 2 Corinthians 9:7, giving not out of obligation but as an act of worship and love.
Tithing can serve as a helpful starting point for many, but we affirm that all financial giving should be prayerfully considered and guided by the Holy Spirit. Our aim is to cultivate hearts that give freely and joyfully, stewarding God’s blessings to meet the needs of others and further His Kingdom.
At Influence Miami, we do not pledge allegiance to any political party, candidate, or worldly ideology. Our ultimate allegiance is to the Kingdom of God, and we firmly uphold the Bible as our guide for faith and practice. Jesus Christ is the one we follow and exalt, recognizing Him as the true King and ruler of all (Philippians 2:9-11, Colossians 1:16-18).
While we acknowledge that we live in a nation where voting is a responsibility and privilege, we encourage every follower of Jesus to approach politics through the lens of a Biblical worldview. As ambassadors of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20), we are called to engage in society in a way that reflects the truth, righteousness, and justice outlined in Scripture (Micah 6:8, Proverbs 14:34).
Voting decisions should be made prayerfully, seeking wisdom from the Holy Spirit (James 1:5), and aligning with what the Bible teaches is moral, right, and true. We believe that supporting or advocating for any political party or social group that contradicts Biblical standards or teachings is inconsistent with Scripture and goes against the individual’s call to follow God's Word.
We strive to maintain unity in the church while standing firm in the truth of God's Word, remembering that our hope and trust are not in earthly systems but in Jesus, who reigns eternally (Psalm 146:3-5).
Our mission is to reach, equip, and send disciples in every sphere of influence. We are building a movement of believers who live missionally, transforming neighborhoods, workplaces, and every sphere of influence for the glory of God.
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