·          Our Statement of Faith ·          What We Believe ·          1

 

·          • In essential beliefs — we have unity.

·          “There is one Body and one Spirit...there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of us all...”  Ephesians 4:4-6 (NIV)

 

·          • In non-essential beliefs — we have liberty.

·          “Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters...  Who are you to judge someone else’s servant?  To his own master he stands or falls...  So then each of us will give an account of himself to God...  So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God.”  Romans 14:1,4,12,22 (NIV)

 

·          • In all our beliefs — we show charity.

·          “...If I hold in my mind not only all human knowledge but also the very secrets of God, and if I have the faith that can move mountains — but have no love, I amount to nothing at all.” 1 Corinthians 13:2  (Phillips)

 

·          The Essentials We Believe:

 

·    1. About God ·    2

 

·          The Bible begins with the words, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1) In other words, God is the Creator and the Ruler of the universe.  The Bible also teaches us that God has always existed in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  These three are co-equal and are one God. (See Matthew 28:19, 2 Corinthians 13:14 and 1 Peter 1:2.)

 

·    2. About Jesus Christ ·    3

 

·          Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Through the miraculous power of God, he was born of a virgin. Therefore, he was both fully human and fully God. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross.  He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death.  He ascended to Heaven’s glory and will return again someday to earth to reign as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. (See Matthew 1:22, 23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5; 14:10-30; Hebrews 4:14,15; 1 Corinthians 15:3,4; Romans 1:3,4; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Timothy 6:14,15; and Titus 2:13.)

 

 

·    3. About the Holy Spirit ·    4

·          The Holy Spirit is sent by the Father and the Son of God into the world to make us aware of our need for Jesus Christ.  He lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right.  When we are saved, the Holy Spirit also gives every believer a spiritual gift or gifts for serving their fellow believers in the Body of Christ. As Christians, we seek to live under His control daily. (See 2 Corinthians 3:17; John 16:7-13, 14:16,17; Acts 1:8;1 Corinthians 2:12, 3:16; Ephesians 1:13; Galatians 5:25; and Ephesians 5:18.)

 

·    4. About the Bible ·    5

 

·          The Bible is God’s Word to us.  It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit.  It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. Because it is inspired by God, it is the truth without any mixture of error in all that it teaches. (See 2 Timothy 3:16;  2 Peter 1:20,21;  2 Timothy 1:13; Psalm 119:105,160, 12:6;  and Proverbs 30:5.)

 

·    5. About Human Beings ·    6

 

·          People are made in the spiritual image of God, to be like Him in character.  People are the supreme object of God’s creation. Although every person has tremendous potential for good, all of us are marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called “sin”. This attitude separates people from God and causes many problems in life. (See Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6a; Romans 3:23; and Isaiah 59:1, 2.)

 

·    6. About Salvation ·    7

 

·          Salvation is God’s free gift to us; but we must accept it. We can never make up for our sin by self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God’s offer of forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin’s penalty. When we turn from our self-ruled life and turn to Jesus in faith we are saved.  Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into his life by faith. (See Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8,9; John 14:6, 1:12; and Titus 3:5.)

 

 

·    About Eternal Security ·    8

·          Because God gives us eternal life through Jesus Christ, the true believer is secure in that salvation for eternity. If you have been genuinely saved, you cannot “lose” it.  Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the Christian. It is the grace and keeping power of God that gives us this security. (See John 10:29; Romans 6:1-4; 2 Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 7:25, 10:10,14; and 1 Peter 1:3-5.)

 

·    8. About Eternity ·    9

 

·          God created human beings to exist forever. We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation.  To be eternally separated from God is Hell.  To be eternally in union with Him is eternal life.  Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal existence. (See John 3:16; John 14:17; Romans 6:23; Romans 8:17-18; Revelation 20:15; and 1 Corinthians 2:7-9.)

 

·    About the Church ·    10

·          The church is the spiritual body of Christ. Christ is the head of this body composed of all persons who, through faith in Jesus Christ, have been born again by the Holy Spirit. Local congregations make up the visible church, whose members gather regularly for worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry for Christ and evangelism. (See Acts 2:41-47; Romans 12:4-8; and Ephesians 4:11-16.)

 

 

·          Note: This statement was approved by a vote of the congregation as a revision to our bylaws on July 29, 2007.