What We Believe
by Andrew Loveall
Our Statement of Faith - Latin American Christian Education Services (L.A.C.E.S.)
is an evangelical mission work -- evangelical in that we fully accept and adhere
to the classic 'reformed,' evangelical doctrines of:
• sola fide (faith alone) - Salvation is through faith alone and not a mixture of
faith plus good works or personal / earned merit.
• soli Christo (Christ alone) - that this faith is in Christ and His finished work
on the Cross alone.
• sola gratia (grace alone) - and that Christ's righteousness is credited to us
through grace alone and not through human performance of any kind.
• sola Scriptura (Scripture alone) - We are sure of these beliefs because of the
authority of Scripture alone and not through the authority of any institution or
tradition. The final authority for the believer is the Written Word, the Bible.
• Biblical Inerrancy - The Bible, in its original autographs, is the unique, infallible,
and divine authority on all matters on which it touches. The Scriptures are the
measuring rod of truth for all Believers and contains all sufficient teaching and
information needed for the sanctification of the Believer.
• Jesus Christ - we hold to classic, Chalcedonian definition of Christology (Jesus
Christ, one divine person in two natures; one human and one divine - Wholly God,
Wholly Man).
• Missions and the Church- Missions are an extension of the local church, which
is a localized gathering of the Body of Christ made up of individual believers.
Foreign missionaries are needed only as far as the needs of the local church in
a given area cannot be met by the local church, whether in the initial work of the
church (evangelism) or in the long-term growth of believers (discipleship). Of course,
where there is no local church, foreign missionary work can be prominent. The Holy
Spirit moves the various parts of the Body of Christ (obedient individual Christians)
to where they are needed. Ideally, missionaries should train up local Christians
to take their place. We do everything we can to train disciples to take our place
long-term.
• Holy Spirit - We believe in the present day, active ministry of the Holy Spirit
in the lives of believers. We believe in the proper, biblical use of all Spiritual
Gifts for the edification of the Church. However, we strongly believe that the written
Word (Bible) governs the use of all spiritual gifts and, in that the Scriptures
cannot be broken (John 10:35), the use of spiritual gifts, without exception, must
conform to the teachings of the New Testament.
Additional Note on Doctrine: As a discipleship ministry, we endeavor to lead Christians
in Central America toward
 Illumination, which is (arguably) the item most needed
in the Church of Central American. There is no fault of revelation in Central America
(at least revelation in various and supposed forms), but there is an urgent need
for illumination -- the work of the Holy Spirit to join the modern Church's existential
interpretations to the objective meaning of Scripture. Thus the personal, subjective
side of Christianity is joined, in total harmony, with the objective, cognitive
side of Christianity. This marvelous work can only be accomplished through the Holy
Spirit and the written Word. Both the written Word (the Bible) and the active work
of the Holy Spirit are absolute requirements for Illumination. As an organization,
L.A.C.E.S. believes that illumination is a much needed key to spiritual growth and
maturity. The Holy Spirit and the Holy Scriptures are, when interpreted as God intended,
never in conflict.
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