Restoration Church Portland Beliefs

So you want to know what we believe?  That’s fair.  You should know the depth of a river, the strength of its current, and the temperature of the water before you dive in.  However, statements of faith, while helpful and even necessary in many ways, often don’t provide the clarity we assume or desire. 

We have found faith to be more of a journey than a destination.  Theology isn’t as much a subject to study as it is a love song to sing.  Sound doctrine is like a key that opens doors to entire new worlds to enjoy exploring. 

What follows is much more than what we believe.  This is what we cherish about God. 

Jesus, you never stop pursuing us.  You created the world and everything that exists because your Triune Being burst with love you couldn’t contain.  We are forever safe in this love.  You formed each human being in their mother’s womb, paying careful attention to the hue of our eye color, the tone of our voice, color of our skin – our preferences, desires, temperaments, abilities – everything about who we are was carefully crafted by your loving hands. 

You created our deepest affections to be most fully satisfied by your love.  This is life.  And when we are fully alive in your love, each individual displays aspects of your beauty no one else can.  When this happens in community, we taste and see a glimpse of heaven on earth.

Jesus, You see the ways we’ve been used and abused, dismissed and discarded.  You see how others have betrayed us.  You know how we’ve been objectified and exploited.  And you know how it feels.  Your love, oh your love.  You chose to leave the glory, pleasure, and perfection of paradise – to be wrapped in flesh like ours – and absorb every soul-crushing pain that evil has littered all over Your creation.  You’ve seen the shackles we have been deceived into wearing.  When sin and death unleashed hell’s fury against us – you stepped in and took the fall.  You died for us.

Jesus, Your love for us cannot be constrained or contained.  We have wandered from your love, committing adultery against You. Too often, we’ve sought intimacy, satisfaction, and security apart from you.  We have used, objectified, and leveraged your gifts for our sordid gain.  What spell has been cast on us that we would treasure your gifts more than You - the gift Giver.

But You have never stopped loving us.  Won’t quit pursuing us.  You wait patiently – with a broken heart – while we give our hearts away.  Your love is beyond our comprehension.  Somehow, our faithlessness increases Your faithfulness.  Our wandering triggers your searching.  You love like no other.  You are love. 

Jesus, but even more than dying for us – You lived and live for us.  You killed death. You triumphed over the grave, rising a physical, glorified body. You didn’t only come from heaven to earth – you ushered heaven into earth.  Your Kingdom has come.  Your crucifixion has broken the curse.  Your resurrection has repelled the spell.  When you walked on this earth, every broken thing was drawn to you like a magnet.  Sickness flees from your presence.  Dark, demonic, evil forces scatter when they feel your love coming. 

Jesus, as amazing as this is – it gets even better.  You now live with us.  You sent Your Holy Spirit to dwell in and among us.  We don’t have to just read about You or hear someone else’s miraculous stories.  We can experience your presence.  Nothing is better.  Nothing can compare.  And even though we cannot know You fully – You’re infinite, we’re not – we can know You truly.  You’ve given us Your Word, the 66 books of the Bible, so we can see and savor your beauty.  The more we know You, the more we’ll love You.  Keep pouring out Your love on us!

Jesus, you take our breath away.  We don’t have the strength to comprehend how things are going to get even better. But they are.  You promised, and You’re faithful and trustworthy.  You’ve told us that our lives are about so much more than simply waiting to go to heaven when we die.  But instead, You invite us to partner with You so that You can bring heaven to earth while we live.  Sickness still flees from your presence.  The demons don’t stand a chance. 

And even though we see the Kingdom breaking through in fits and starts, we know that one day, You will come back to this earth.  And when you do, you will bring heaven with you.  One day – heaven and earth will be married as You always intended.  One day, Jesus, you will be married to Your church as you deeply desire.  Pain, sickness, and death will pass away.  Love will stay.  You will stay with us and us with You. 

Jesus, our lives now are like an engagement.  Everything changed when you proposed to us through the gospel, and we said yes to you through the Spirit.  Our entire lives have been rearranged in the best possible way.  Now, it’s our great privilege, honor, and joy to invite as many people as possible to this wedding.  But not just as spectators but as participants.  Your love is infinite and multifaceted.  It’s no problem for You to love each of us intimately and all of us in unity. 

Jesus, we don’t even want to think about where we would be without your love.  You are everything to us.  You have full access to our hearts, hopes, and hurts.  You have full permission to do whatever you want in our lives and in this church.  We eagerly surrender ourselves to Your love.  May Your Kingdom come and will be done here as it is in heaven.