What we believe.

We hold to the essential truths of Christianity, as expressed in the historic Nicene Creed (Nicaea, 325 AD, expanded at Constantinople, 381 AD):

We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages, Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten not made, of one essence with the Father, through whom all things were made, who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man, and was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried, and rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father, and shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead, whose kingdom shall have no end. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father, who together with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who spoke through the prophets.

We believe that there is one God in three persons: Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. 2 Corinthians 13:14 ↗

We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, His sinless life, His death and bodily resurrection, His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His soon return in power and glory to judge the living and the dead.

We believe the Holy Spirit indwells Christians, enabling them to live a godly life. Romans 8:14 ↗

We believe the Bible to be the only inspired, infallible, authoritative Word of God. 2 Timothy 3:16 ↗

We affirm the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments (39 Old Testament books and 27 New Testament books) as the complete and closed canon of inspired Scripture. This is the same canon recognized by first century Judaism for the Old Testament and affirmed by the early church for the New Testament, appearing complete in Athanasius’s Festal Letter (367 AD) and ratified regionally at the Councils of Hippo (393 AD) and Carthage (397 AD). We recognize that other ancient Jewish and Christian writings, including works such as 1 Enoch, which is directly quoted in Jude 14–15 ↗, are historically valuable and worth reading. However, these writings were not received as Scripture by first century Jews or by the apostolic church, and we do not consider them canonical or inspired.

We believe Scripture should be made freely available and accessible to all people, to the greatest extent possible: “Freely you have received, freely give” Matthew 10:8 ↗. AO Lab will never charge for access to Scripture, place it behind a paywall, or interrupt the experience between a person and God’s Word with advertising or other distractions.

We believe it is a serious offense for Christian organizations or ministries to create barriers, seek to become gatekeepers, or charge for access to God’s Word, except where such costs are expressly necessary to cover the cost of providing it. Access to Scripture is a God-given privilege granted to all of humanity.

We believe accountability for how Scripture is used rests with God, not with AO Lab. Revelation closes with a solemn warning that anyone who adds to or takes away from the words of that book will answer to God Revelation 22:18–19 ↗, and we hold that same reverence for how Scripture as a whole is received and handled: it is to be approached with fear and trembling, and what comes of that encounter is a matter between the reader and God. We do not insert ourselves into that relationship. We do not believe it is our role to inspire, convict, or lead those who come to Scripture; that is the role of the Holy Spirit. For those uncertain how they can or cannot use Scripture, we ask that believers prayerfully consult the Holy Spirit for guidance in all such matters.

We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ. John 17:21 ↗

We aim to work broadly and ecumenically with other ministries. Jesus said, “Whoever is not against you is for you” Luke 9:50 ↗, and we hold that same posture. Where the opportunity fits, we will work with other Christian ministries, and even with secular organizations, so long as doing so advances our Christian goals. We will not, however, bend our convictions to do so.

We believe that only God can define our identity, and that He created us as male and female. Genesis 1:27 ↗

We believe that God defines marriage as between a man and a woman, and that marriage is the only place for sexual expression. Matthew 19:4–5 ↗

Likewise, we believe homosexuality, or any other expression of sexuality that takes place outside of marriage, is forbidden for God’s people. Leviticus 18:22 ↗