What we believe - IAMCS

That the BIBLE, consisting of the Tenach (Holy Scriptures) and the later writings commonly known as the B'rit Hadasha (New Covenant), is the only infallible and authoritative word of God. We recognize its divine inspiration, and accept its teachings as our final authority in all matters of faith and practice (Deutéronome 6:4-9; Proverbes 3:1-6; Psaumes 119:89, 105; Esaïe 48:12-16; Romains 8:14-17; 2 Timothée 2:15, 3:16-17).

GOD - We believe that the Shema, "Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one" (Deutéronome 6:4), teaches that God is Echad, as so declared: a united one, a composite unity, eternally existent in plural oneness [Génèse 1:1 (Elohim: God); Génèse 1:26 "Let us make man in our image"; Génèse 2:24 Adam & Eve were created to be as one flesh (basar echad)], that He is a personal God who created us ( Génèse 1 & 2), and that He exists forever in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as mentioned in Romains 8:14-17 (Father, Spirit, and Messiah - Son) and Matthieu 28:18-20 (immersing in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit).

1. GOD THE FATHER (Abba) - Jean 6:27b; 1 Corinthiens 1:3; Galates 1:1; Apocalypse 3:5, 21; Jérémie 3:4, 19; 31:9; Malachie 1:6; Matthieu 6:9, 32; Luc 10:21-22; Jean 1:14; 4:23; 5:17-26; 6:28-46; Romains 8:14-15.

2. GOD THE SON (HaBen)

   1. God does have a Son [Psaumes 2; Proverbes 30:4-6 (cf. Hébreux 1); Luc 12:35-37; Jean 1:29-34, 49; 3:14-18].

   2. The Son, called Yeshua (Jesus), meaning salvation, came to this world born of a virgin [Esaïe 7:14 (cf. Luc 1:30-35)].

   3. The Son is God (Deity), and is worshipped as God, having existed eternally [Psaumes 110:1 (cf. Hébreux 1:13); Esaïe 9:6-7; Matthieu 28:18-20; Philippiens 2:5-11; Colossiens 1:15-19; Apocalypse 3:21 (Hébreux 1 - worshipped by angels); Apocalypse 4:8, 5:5-14].

   4. This One is the promised Mashiach (Messiah) of Israel [ Is. 9:6-7; 11:1; Daniel 9 (esp. verses 20-26); Esaïe 53; Jean 1:17, 40-41, 45, 49; Marc 8:29].

   5. He is the root and offspring of David, the bright and morning star (Nombres 24:17; Apocalypse 22:16).

   6. He is our Passover, the Lamb of God ( 1 Corinthiens 5:7; Apocalypse 5; Jean 1:29).

3. GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT (Ruach HaKodesh)

   1. Introduced in Génèse 1:2b.

   2. In the Tenach, the Spirit of God came upon individuals during the times of our forefathers, like Moses, David (see 2 Samuel 23:1-3), and the Prophets, for the specific purposes.

   3. In the New Covenant, the Messiah, Yeshua, promised His disciples that "the Comforter" would come to them after He was gone, described as the Spirit of Truth (Jean 14:17, 26), who was with them and would be in them. Yeshua further declared that the Spirit of Truth, would guide us into all truth and would glorify Him - the Messiah - not Himself (Jean 16:13-15). He empowers us (Actes 1:8). He seals us [Ephésiens 1:13; 4:30 (see NIV and Jewish New Testatment versions)]. If we have not the Spirit, we are not His (Romains 8:9). He leads us and teaches us (Romains 8:14-17). His indwelling enables us to live a godly life. Actes 2:38 says, "Repent, be immersed, and receive the Holy Spirit."

MAN

1. Created in the image of God (Génèse 1:26-27), but:

2. through disobedience, man fell from his first state and became separated from God (Génèse 2:17; 3:22-24). Therefore, according to the Scriptures, all men are born with a sinful nature (Psaumes 14:1-3; 49:7; 53:13; Esaïe 64:6; Romains 3:9-12, 23; 5:12).

3. Man's only hope for redemption (salvation) is through the atonement made by the Messiah (Lévitique 17:11; Esaïe 53; Daniel 9:24-26; 1 Corinthiens 15:22; Hébreux 9:11-14, 28; Jean 1:12, 3:36), resulting in regeneration by the Holy Spirit (Tite 3:5), which is the new birth (Jean 3:3-8). For by grace we are saved through faith, it is a gift of God (Ephésiens 2:8-9).

RESURRECTION AND JUDGMENT

We believe in the resurrection of both the redeemed and the lost: the former to everlasting life and the latter to eternal separation from God, a state of everlasting punishment (Job 14:14; 19:25-27; Daniel 12:2-3; Jean 3:36; 11:25-26; Apocalypse 20:5-6, 10-15; 21:7-8).

THE MESSIAH - The Redeemer.

The Scriptures promised two "comings" of the Messiah:

1. First coming

   1. Promised in Daniel 9:24-26.

   2. Its purpose was to make an atonement for sin (Daniel 9:24-26; Esaïe 53; Romains 3:21-31; Hébreux 9-10; Jean 3:16-17).

2. Second coming

   1. Promised coming in the air to receive the believers to Himself (1 Thessaloniciens 4:13-18; Jean 14:1-6; 1 Corinthiens 15:51-57).

   2. Messiah's return to the earth.

      1. The Redeemer shall come to Zion (Esaïe 59:20-21; Zacharie 14:4).

      2. Israel's spiritual redemption (Zacharie 12:8-13:1; Romains 11:25-27; Hébreux 9:28; Jérémie 31:31-40; the New Covenant).

      3. Israel's national restoration is to recover the remnant of His people Israel from the four corners of the earth, and restore the Davidic Kingdom (Esaïe 11 - to re-establish the throne and kingdom of David, which will last forever) [Esaïe 9:6-7 (cf. Luc 1:30-33); Jérémie 23:3-8].

ISRAEL IN PROPHECY

We believe in God's end-time plan for the nation of Israel and for the world. A central part of Messianic Judaism is the belief in the physical and spiritual restoration of Israel, as taught in the Scriptures. The greatest miracle of our day has been the re-establishment or rebirth of the State of Israel according to prophecy (Ezechiel 34:11-31; 36-39; Osée 3; Amos 9:11-15; Zacharie 12-14; Esaïe 11; 43; 54; 60-62; 66; Romains 11:1-34) (see also Scriptures under V. THE MESSIAH).

MESSIANIC JUDAISM

1. We recognize that Jewish people (physical descendants of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob, whether through the mother's or the father's blood-line) who place their faith in Israel's Messiah, Yeshua, continue to be Jewish according to the Scriptures (Romains 2:28-29). Gentiles who place their faith in Yeshua, are "grafted into" the Jewish olive tree of faith (Romains 11:17-25) becoming spiritual sons and daughters of Abraham (Galates 3:28-29).

2. We observe and celebrate the Jewish Holy Days given by God to Israel, with their fulfillment in and through the Messiah Yeshua. We believe that true "Biblical Judaism," the faith of first century believers, which we seek to practice, acknowledges the continuity of faith in the one true God, revealed throughout the Scriptures, and ultimately manifested in God's Son, Yeshua the Messiah. We believe that salvation has always been "by faith," and that works of law, or righteous acts, have never saved anyone (Génèse 15:6; Romains 2-6; Ephésiens 2:8-9; Hébreux 11:6, 39).

3. We acknowledge that the New Covenant body of believers is composed of both Jews and Gentiles who have received Yeshua the Messiah as the Promised Redeemer. The "middle wall of partition" has been broken down and now we worship the God of Israel together (1 Corinthiens 12:13; Ephésiens 2:13-14)