What we Believe
These Bible teachings are essential to what we believe and practice as a body of Christ.
About God, we believe Scripture teaches…
…God IS, and there is only one God. He has always existed (He is eternal), He is the creator of all that is, and He is the Supreme ruler of all. He co-exists in the form of three beings: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God makes Himself known through His Word, His Son, and His creation. In the end, it is God the Father who will judge all mankind.
About Jesus, the Christ, we believe Scripture teaches…
…Jesus is the one and only Son of God. He existed at creation (He is eternal) and is co-equal with God the Father. He came to live as a man, fully human and fully God at the same time. Jesus was born to a virgin mother by the power of the Holy Spirit. As He walked the earth, Jesus spoke to mankind on behalf of God, showing God to all who knew Him, ending His life by making purification for the sins of man. He was sinless as He walked, glorified upon His death, resurrected to life eternal, and exalted to the right hand of God in Heaven. All who seek to come to God the Father must do so through Jesus, for without His sacrifice, there is no salvation. He is now the King of Kings, ruling over His kingdom until all enemies have been defeated, the last of which is death. Upon His second coming, He will gather up all those who are His disciples that they might live with God forever in Heaven. It is Jesus, by virtue of His life’s example and teaching, whom we follow as our Lord, seeking to become like Him as we mature in our Christian walk.
- John 1:1-5, 14
- John 3:16
- John 14:1-6
- Hebrews 1:1-4
- Colossians 3:1
- 1 Corinthians 15:25-26
- Ephesians 4:11-16
- 2 Corinthians 5:21
About the Holy Spirit, we believe Scripture teaches…
…He is a distinct being, co-equal with God the Father and Jesus. He existed at creation (He is eternal). The Spirit has moved men to write the Scriptures, disclosing the words of God. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, the world is convicted of sin, righteousness, and judgment. When one is baptized, the Holy Spirit comes to live in the body of the disciple of Jesus, sealing him in Christ, making that body His temple so as to deter immoral conduct. The Spirit also helps generate in the believer godly attributes.
- John 16:7-15
- Genesis 1:1,2
- James 4:5
- 2 Peter 1:20-21
- Galatians 5:22-23
- 1 Corinthians 6:18-20
- Acts 2:38
- Ephesians 1:13,14
About the church, we believe Scripture teaches…
…Jesus purchased and built the church by virtue of the atoning sacrifice of His blood on the cross. The church is synonymous with the body of Christ, and Jesus is its head. All those who are baptized believers in Christ are part of the one body of Christ, unified by the Holy Spirit, seeking to live out that unity in our care for one another. The one body exists as many congregations of believers all of whom are led by Christ as the head, then by elders (or shepherds, pastors) over each individual congregation who guard the flock and watch over it. Each congregation is autonomous—meaning no one congregation has authority over another—and subject to Christ Himself as the Chief Shepherd. The church exists to emulate the life and mission of Christ in our age, as a body and as individuals.
About Eternity, we believe Scripture teaches…
…every man has been created with a soul that lives on after death. There will come a day when Jesus, who came once to this world as a man, will return as the triumphant Son of God. He will resurrect and gather up all those who are His—believers who have followed Him in faith. At that time all souls will come before the Father for judgment and each soul will be apportioned a place in Heaven (with the Father and the Son) or Hell (apart from the Father and Son). When this day will come, no one knows but the Father, thus we who have hope stay vigilant and prepared. The hope of believers is that, in Christ, we will be saved in the last day to live with God in Heaven as God has promised.
About Faith, we believe Scripture teaches…
…Faith is trust or belief in the unseen promises of God. Without faith, it is impossible to please God or be saved. Faith must be an active, working faith that shows itself through acts of godliness on one’s life. An inactive faith is dead. Faith in Jesus Christ as the resurrected Son of God is essential to salvation, manifesting itself specifically in the commitment to follow Jesus as Lord and by immersion baptism. Faith is increased as one understands God through His word and puts his understanding into practice. It is by virtue of one’s faith, and not the goodness of his life’s deeds, that God will look upon Him favorably in the Judgment.
About Baptism, we believe the Scripture teaches…
…Baptism is immersion in water for the purpose of receiving forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Baptism is the spiritual participation of the believer in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Baptism saves the one who submits with faith, acknowledging Jesus as their Lord, and turns away from sin (repentance). It is at the moment of baptism that a sinful person puts to death the old self, is raised up a new creation, clothed with Christ, and begins the walk of faith. Baptism is essential to salvation as an active part of faith, and as a commandment from God.