Nuestras Distintivas Teológicas
“Pero en cuanto a ti, enseña lo que está de acuerdo con la sana doctrina” - Tito 2:1
Vivimos en una sociedad pluralista que valora la sinceridad y la experiencia por encima de la verdad. Nuestra cultura ve la verdad como relevante para la experiencia y las preferencias de cada persona, y tristemente esta forma de pensar se ha infiltrado en la Iglesia. Por lo tanto, muchos cristianos tienen una opinión negativa de la doctrina, creyendo que quienes insisten en doctrinas especificas son divisionistas y arrogantes. Como iglesia local, creemos firmemente que la verdad importa y que Dios nos ha hablado con autoridad y claridad en su Palabra. Rechazamos la cosmovisión dominante de nuestra cultura y nos suscribimos a doctrinas bíblicas conforme sea necesario para la unidad verdadera y duradera en la Iglesia. Por lo tanto, tenemos convicciones profundas que proclamamos y practicamos apasionadamente en nuestra experiencia diaria. Al mismo tiempo, creemos que es extremadamente importante tener una actitud de humildad hacia otros creyentes con los que no estamos de acuerdo en asuntos doctrinales secundarios, y buscar la unidad centrada en el evangelio para la gloria de Dios. Por lo tanto, rechazamos una mentalidad esoterica o militante en cuanto nuestras distintivas y buscamos vivir con una convicción humilde a la luz de la gracia de Dios.
Muchas de las doctrinas mencionada en esta declaración son reconocidas por todos los cristianos de diferentes denominaciones, pero algunas de ellas son doctrinas secundarias sobre las cuales no hay un acuerdo completo entre creyentes genuinos. Mientras que creemos que Dios se ha revelado a si mismo en su palabra con claridad, y que nuestra incapacidad de entender es a menudo el resultado de nuestro pecado y/o falta de estudio, también reconocemos que hay mucho que permanecerá un misterio hasta que Le veamos cara a cara, y conozcamos como somos conocidos. Si estás buscando hacerte un miembro de Kaleo, no es requerido que estés de acuerdo con todas las doctrinas secundarias en nuestras distintivas, pero debes saber que te estarás sometiendo al liderazgo de hombres que predican, enseñan y pastorean de acuerdo a estas convicciones.
Entendimiento del evangelio centrado en Dios
Creemos que Dios se lleva toda la gloria por la obra de nuestra salvación y que el mayor regalo del evangelio es Dios mismo
El evangelio es las buenas noticias de lo que Dios, por su gracia, ha logrado en los pecadores por medio de la vida sin pecado, muerte sacrificial, y resurrección corporal de su Hijo Jesucristo. El evangelio es aplicado a nuestros corazones por el Espíritu Santo. Este evangelio provee el perdón de pecados, una justificación completa delante de Dios, y es la base de nuestra confianza en el triunfo final y total del Reino de Dios y la consumación de su propósito para toda la creación en os cielos nuevos y la tierra nueva para que podamos deleitarnos eternamente en Él y morar juntos como su pueblo en su gloriosa presencia. Toda la Escritura apunta y esta conectada a estas buenas noticias del evangelio de Cristo. El evangelio es la base de la vida de la Iglesia y es nuestra única esperanza para la vida eterna.
Creemos que Jesucristo es nuestro representante y sustituto. En la cruz, el canceló el pecado, satisfizo la ira de Dios, y , al tomar sobre sí mismo la pena completa de nuestros pecados, nos reconcilió para con el Padre. Por su resurrección, Jesús fue vindicado por Dios, destruyó el poder de la muerte, derrotó a satán, y dio vida eterna a todo su pueblo. Esta proclamación de las buenas nuevas es el medio por el cual las personas son salvadas, pero también es la verdad y el poder por el cual somos santificados; es la verdad del evangelio la que nos habilita para hacer lo que es agradable a Dios genuina y gozosamente, y para crecer progresivamente en conformidad a la imagen de Cristo.
Jesús es el autor y consumador de nuestra fe. Él nos salva y nos asegura y nosotros respondemos y perseveramos solo por su gracia. Creemos que nuestro amoroso y santo Dios reina en control soberano sobre todas las cosas, incluso nuestra salvación, y que esto de ninguna forma minimiza la responsabilidad de una persona de creer en Cristo, o margina la necesidad y el poder de la oración, perseverancia en la obediencia en amor, y la proclamación del evangelio, sino que los refuerza y los establece como los medios determinados por los cuales Dios obra sus propósitos eternos. El evangelio es una oferta libre y auténtica de salvación para todos los seres humanos, y debe ser predicado a todos sin excepción o restricción. Porque Dios escogió lo débil de este mundo, lo despreciado, lo que no es para anular lo que es, ningún ser humano se puede jactar delante de Él. Jesucristo se ha hecho nuestra justificación, santificación y redención. Dios se lleva toda la gloria y nuestro gozo eterno está en Él. (Marcos 1:1; Lucas 24:46-47; Juan 3:16-18; Romanos 1:16-25; 1 Corintios 1:18-31; 2:2; 15:1-4; 2 Corintios 4:1-6; 9:13; Gálatas 1:6-9; Efesios 1:7-10; Colosenses 1:19-20; 2 Timoteo 1:8-14; 2 Pedro 3:11-13; Judas 3-4; Juan 1:12-13; 6:37-44; 10:25-30; Hechos 13:48; 16:30-31; Hebreos 12:2; Romanos 3:1-4:25; 8:1-17, 31-39; 9:1-23; 10:8-10; Efesios 1:4-5; 2:8-10; Filipenses 2:12-13; Tito 3:3-7; 1 Juan 1:7,9)
Predicación expositiva
Creemos que una predicación fiel toma el punto principal de un pasaje bíblico y lo hace el punto principal del sermón, y lo aplica a la vida diaria
Expositional (or expository) preaching is essential because it is through the word of God that the Holy Spirit convicts, converts, builds up, and sanctifies God’s people. It is not simply teaching verse-by-verse through a book of the Bible, it is understanding the main point of a text within the context of that book and within the larger framework of the biblical story of redemption and making the thrust of the sermon the same as that of the text. We are convicted that this is best accomplished by preaching through entire books of the Bible. However, we may also employ topical series for the benefit of the church for particular seasons, but even then, each sermon is to be grounded in biblical exposition as defined above. Preaching that uses the biblical text's main points as the main points of the sermon, makes God's agenda rule the church, not the preacher's. The Bible has many examples of this kind of preaching and teaching: Levitical priests taught the law, Ezra and the Levites read from the law and explained its meaning to the people, and Peter and the apostles expounded Scripture and urged their hearers to respond with repentance and faith. Also, because God’s transforming glory is supremely displayed in the gospel, all faithful preaching should point to Jesus in one way or another (Deuteronomy 33:10; Nehemiah 8:8; Acts 2:14-41, 13:16-47; Hebrews 4:12; 1 Peter 1:23; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; John 17:17; 2 Timothy 4:1-2, 2 Corinthians 3:17-4:6).
Spirit-Empowered Ministry
We recognize and rest upon the necessity of the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit for all life and ministry
The Holy Spirit is fully God, equal with the Father and Son, whose primary ministry is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. He also convicts unbelievers of their need for Christ and imparts spiritual life through regeneration (the new birth). The Spirit baptizes, permanently indwells, graciously sanctifies, lovingly leads, and empowers all who are brought to faith in Christ so they might live in obedience to the inerrant Scriptures. The Holy Spirit lives in all those who truly belong to Christ. However, all believers should seek to be filled with the Spirit; coming under His influence in their ongoing daily experience. The Spirit also empowers all believers through spiritual gifts. We do not see sufficient evidence in Scripture to conclude that any of the gifts mentioned in the New Testament have ceased to operate today within the church. However, we do not endorse or condone the abuses, overemphasis, and fabrication of miraculous gifts that are seen in some present-day movements and denominations. The Spirit has bestowed the gifts for the work of ministry and the building up of the body of Christ. Therefore, authentic spiritual gifts will always bring glory to God and not to man. The gifts are divine provisions central to spiritual growth and effective ministry and are to be eagerly desired, faithfully developed, and lovingly exercised; always in accordance with biblical guidelines. (Luke 4:1,14;5:17; 10:21; John 1:12–13; 3:1–15, 34; 14:12; 15:26–27; 16:7–15; Acts 2:14–21;4:29–30;10:38; Romans 8:9;12:3–8; 1 Corinthians 12:7–13; 12:28–31; 14:1–33; 2 Corinthians 1:21–22; Galatians 3:1–5; Ephesians 1:13–14;5:18) See this video from Sam Storms and Desiring God
Equality and Complementarity of Men and Women
We are committed to the fundamental spiritual and moral equality and complementarity of men and women
We believe men and women are created equally in the image of God, yet with distinct roles in the family and church that are complementary in nature. This design of God for men and women is ultimately a beautiful gift that is intended for their happiness and for His glory. Both men and women are called to use their gifts fully in the ministry of the church under the servant leadership of biblically qualified men who serve as elders. While we hold the biblical conviction that the office of elder is reserved for men, we believe that the scriptures do speak of both deacons and deaconesses and therefore we extend the opportunity to serve in this capacity to both qualified men and women.
In the marriage relationship, husbands and wives are called to display the Gospel story of Christ laying down His life for His bride the church and the church respectfully submitting to Christ. As such, husbands are called to sacrificially love their wives, while the wife is called to respectfully submit to her husband. Both husbands and wives are responsible to God for spiritual nurture and vitality in the home, but God has given to the man primary responsibility to lead his wife and family in accordance with the servant-leadership and sacrificial love characterized by Jesus Christ. The principle of male headship should not be confused with, nor give any hint of, domineering control. Rather it is to be the loving, tender, and nurturing care of a godly man who is himself under the kind and gentle authority of Jesus Christ. God has uniquely designed each gender to represent his image in the household and since the church is the household of God, its order should be an example of the order in the household. Therefore, men are called to humbly and sacrificially lead the church, while partnering in ministry with women. (Genesis 1:26–27; 2:18; Acts 18:24–26; 1 Corinthians 11:2–16; Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 5:22–33; Colossians 3:18–19; 1 Timothy 2:11–15; 3:1–11; Titus 2:3–5; 1 Peter 3:1–7) Watch this video from The Gospel Coalition for more on this doctrine.
Already-Not-Yet Eschatology
The Kingdom of God has already been inaugurated but will not be consummated until the second coming of Christ
We believe the kingdom of God is where the rule and reign of Jesus Christ is expressed and experienced. Jesus inaugurated the Kingdom of God in His bodily ministry on the earth and continues to establish it by His Spirit through His body, the church, today. We believe the consummation of the Kingdom will be fulfilled when Jesus returns.
So we live in between the inauguration and consummation of Jesus’ Kingdom. Presently, we as the Church serve as a foretaste of the future reality when all will recognize the authority of Christ. As the Church submits to and serves Christ today, the world gets to see and experience a preview of the future under the full rule and reign of Jesus Christ. (Mark 1:15; Luke 17:20-21; Acts 2:16-36; Ephesians 1:10; 22-23; Colossians 1:13; Revelation 20-21)
We acknowledge the variety of views (including different interpretations of the millennium) within inaugurated eschatology and allow for this variety within our leadership. We believe that all Christians should eagerly expect the imminent return of Jesus and should not necessarily divide over the specific details and timing of events surrounding His second coming. However, we believe it is important to study and teach on these matters as they are addressed in Scripture, striving to accurately interpret these passages while humbly interacting with the various viewpoints held by devout believers over the centuries.
Misional Church
Kaleo embraces a missionary understanding of the local church and its role as the primary means by which God chooses to establish his kingdom
The church has a clear biblical mandate to look beyond its own community to the neighborhood, the nation, and the world as a whole; thus mission is not an optional program in the church but an essential element in the identity of the church. We are called to make Christ known through the Gospel and, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to bring His lordship to bear on every dimension of life. The primary way we fulfill this mission is through the equipping of the saints for ministry in our local church and seeking to make Jesus known in our local communities. Our aim is that Jesus Christ would be more fully formed in each person through the ministry of Kaleo and that God would empower us to share the good news of Jesus Christ in our neighborhoods, workplaces, and families, sharing in and celebrating His redemptive work together. We also believe we are responsible neither to retreat from our culture nor to conform to it, but with humility, through the Spirit and the truth of the gospel, to engage it boldly as we seek to see lives transformed and brought into submission to the lordship of Christ.
In order to accomplish this mission, we strive to make disciples by being intentional about cultivating environments where life on life, life in community and life on mission can take place. Life on life allows for visibility and accessibility. We see each other’s lives in the normal everyday stuff so that people know what it looks like to follow Jesus in all of life, and we can assess whether people are truly growing in obedience or simply in head knowledge. Life in community is crucial for a disciple to grow in the likeness of Jesus. One-on-one discipleship alone will often lead to a disciple looking a lot like the one who discipled them. Community discipleship will lead to disciples looking more like Christ as He works through His body and uses their diverse giftings and areas of maturity to conform believers to His image. And Life on Mission is a great way for areas of life that need gospel-led repentance and faith to be brought to the surface while equipping the church with hands on disciple-making experience. (Isaiah 52:7; Matthew 10:5–25; 28:18–20; Luke 4:18–19; 24:46–47; Acts 28:31; Romans 10:14–15; 2 Corinthians 10:4–5; Galatians 2:10; Ephesians 3:10; 4:11–16; 2 Timothy 4:1–5;Hebrews 10:23–25;1 Peter 2:4–5, 9–10)
With whom are we affiliated?
Kaleo is a non-denominational local congregation. However, we gladly band together with any other congregations or organizations that make the gospel of Jesus the central point of their mission and activity.