Our Beliefs
Christ is the head.
The Bible is our only creed.
Love is the rule.
Salvation makes you a member.
More appropriately a few of our beliefs. And not a statement of faith. A statement of faith might be perceived a test of fellowship. Further, a statement of faith may give a wrong impression regarding the merit of beliefs excluded and virtue of certain points included. A statement of faith (and yes, a list of beliefs) may prove problematic as well because of inartful wording.
We sometimes say, “We are the church where: Christ is the head; the Bible is our only creed; love is the rule; salvation makes you a member.” We do look to the Word of God, the Bible, as authoritative. It is comprehensive, all-encompassing. Certainly, there are beliefs we hold which do not accompany those listed below. We do subscribe to the long-standing sentiment “In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things charity.”
We trust the following beliefs and related scripture passages provide adequate insight for initial inquiry.
The Scriptures
We believe the Bible to be inspired, the only infallible authoritative Word of God. Inspired by the Holy Spirit it has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct. The principles of Christ’s kingdom as proclaimed by our Lord and as detailed in the New Testament are applicable to the daily lives of believers in our time. These principles help us find our way through the difficult issues we face in life. Whatever the question, whatever the test, whatever comes before us, in the end, it is the Scripture, above all other disciplines, which informs and defines us.
II Timothy 3:14-17; II Peter 1:20-21; Matthew 5:18; John 16:12-13; Hebrews 4:12
The Trinity
Though difficult for the human mind to fully comprehend, our one God expresses Himself in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These are equal in every divine perfection, and they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence, and redemption. Each person of the Trinity serves a unique role to bring God glory and accomplish His purposes in the world.
Genesis 1:26; Deuteronomy 6:4 [ask us about The Shema]; II Corinthians 13:14; Mark 12:29; Matthew 28:19
God, The Father
We believe in God, the Father, an infinite personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power, and love. We believe that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of humanity, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 48:12; Psalm 95:3,6; Isaiah 43:10-11; Isaiah 40:21-26; Psalm 139:1-12
Jesus Christ
We believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return for His church and with His church in power and glory. He is the Bread of Life, the Water of Life, the Lamb of God, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, the one Mediator between God and humankind, the Lord of lords, the King of kings, the Son of man, the Son of God, the Word became Flesh, the Name at which every knee shall bow.
Philippians 2:6; Hebrews 1:8; Colossians 2:9; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:20; Romans 3:25; Titus 2:13; I Corinthians 15:20; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; John 20:31; Acts 2:36
The Holy Spirit
We believe the Holy Spirit is a divine Person, the third Person of the Trinity. He convicts of sin, of judgment, and of righteousness, He bears witness to the truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony, He is the agent in the new birth, indwells all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, baptizes them into the body of Christ, seals them unto the day of redemption. God commands every believer to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and He bestows gifts as He wills. The Holy Spirit can transform us, possess us, equip us, and empower us. It is the work of the Holy Spirit that sanctifies us, makes us holy, sets us apart for sacred service, and seals us for eternity’s sake. It is the Spirit that convicts us of sin and enables us to overcome sin. It is the Holy Spirit that can breathe supernatural gifts into us, for Jesus’ sake. He is the Comforter promised by Jesus and the witness of our redemption.
Acts 1:8; Romans 8:9; John 20:19-22; I Corinthians 12:12-14; Ephesians 5:18-20; John 7:37,38; I Corinthians 3:16-17; Acts 10:47-48; Galatians 5:22-23
Salvation
We believe in the sinful condition of humanity (Romans 3:23), that all are sinners by choice and are therefore in need of salvation, divine redemption through personal regeneration. We believe that those who repent of their sins and believe in Jesus Christ as Savior are "saved", "regenerated" by the Holy Spirit. Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Except a man be born again . . . born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:3,5). A cleansing and indwelling of the Holy Spirit takes place (Ezekiel 36:25-27).
Romans 3:23; Isaiah 53:6; Romans 6:23; Romans 10:9-10; I John 1:9; John 3:3,5; Ezekiel 36:25-27; Romans 12:1-2; Titus 2:11-14
Thought on salvation we appreciate
To the question “What must I do to be saved?” we must learn the correct answer. To fail here is not to gamble with our souls; it is to guarantee eternal banishment from the face of God. Here we must be right or be finally lost.
To this anxious question evangelical Christians provide three answers, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,” “Receive Christ as your personal savior,” and “Accept Christ.” Two of the answers are drawn almost verbatim from the Scriptures (Acts 16:31, John 1:12), while the third is a kind of paraphrase meant to sum up the other two. They are therefore not three but one.
To accept Christ is to form an attachment to the Person of our Lord Jesus altogether unique in human experience. The attachment is intellectual, volitional and emotional. The believer is intellectually convinced that Jesus is both Lord and Christ; he has set his will to follow Him at any cost and soon his heart is enjoying the exquisite sweetness of His fellowship.
This attachment is all-inclusive in that it joyfully accepts Christ for all that He is. There is no craven division of offices whereby we may acknowledge His Saviourhood today and withhold decision on His Lordship till tomorrow. The true believer owns Christ as his All in All without reservation. He includes all of himself, leaving no part of his being unaffected by the revolutionary transaction.
Further, his attachment to Christ is all-exclusive. The Lord becomes to him not one of several rival interests, but the one exclusive attraction forever. He orbits around Christ as the earth around the sun, held in thrall by the magnetism of His love, drawing all his life and light and warmth from Him. In this happy state he is given other interests, it is true, but these are all determined by his relation to his Lord.
That we accept Christ in this all-inclusive, all-exclusive way is a divine imperative.
The Best of A. W. Tozer compiled by Warren W. Wiersbe (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1978), "What It Means to Accept Christ," pp. 100-102
Sanctification
We believe that all believers are indwelt with the person of the Holy Spirit at the time of regeneration, given every spiritual blessing, all things pertaining to life and godliness, and empowered with the power of the Holy Spirit, drawing upon the resources available through the resurrected Christ, to the end that our lives increasingly manifest the very life, character, and power of Christ.
Acts 2:38; II Peter 1:3; Ephesians 1:3; Ephesians 2:1-6; I Corinthians 3:16; Romans 12:1-3; Galatians 2:20
Thought on sanctification we appreciate
On the day of His resurrection, our Lord gave his disciples the Holy Spirit to enable them to wait for the full outpouring of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost (John 20:22). It is only in the power of the Spirit already in us, acknowledged and yielded to, that we can pray for His fuller manifestation.
Andrew Murray, The Ministry of Intercessory Prayer (Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House, 2003), p. 159
The Church
We believe in the universal church, a living spiritual body of which Christ is the Head, and all regenerated persons are members. We believe in the local church, consisting of a company of believers in Jesus Christ who have a credible profession of faith, and have associated for worship, work, and fellowship. We believe that the calling of the church is to be the very presence of Christ amid the world, standing as a testimony of His life and character. We believe that the testimony of Christ’s life is seen most fully in the corporate expression of His life that is the church, and that when God calls people unto life with Himself, He necessarily calls them into fellowship with other believers as well.
Ephesians 1:22-23; Ephesians 5:25-27; I Corinthians 12:12-14; Hebrews 10:25
The Ordinances
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has committed three ordinances to the local church: Water Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and Foot Washing. We believe that Christian BAPTISM is the immersion of a believer in water, in the name of the triune God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). We believe that Baptism signifies and symbolizes Christian life begun. We believe that the LORD’S SUPPER was instituted by Christ for commemoration of His death and signifies Christian life continued. FOOT WASHING is an act symbolizing the servant ministry of all Christians to each other and to the world. We believe that these three ordinances should be observed and administered until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 10:47-48; Romans 6:4; I Corinthians 11:23-26; John 13:14-17
The Last Things (Eschatology)
We believe in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, the eternal blessedness of those made righteous in and through Christ, and the endless suffering of the wicked. As to eschatology or study of end times, our position is commonly known as amillennialism and is centered in the present reign of Jesus Christ. Amillenarians believe the millennium is a present reality (Christ’s present kingdom rule), not a future hope (Christ’s rule on earth after His return). In large measure amillennialism is grounded in history.
Mark 9:43-48; John 5:28-29; John 11:25-26; Revelation 20:5-15
Kingdom of God
The rule and reign of God is a present reality to be embraced and experienced today. His kingdom is not of this world and will therefore never be about [rely upon] earthly politics. As children of God, the spiritual riches of the King of kings are ours to seek and steward as we publish the good news of the kingdom to the world.
Luke 17:20-21 [note NASB or ESV]; Romans 14:17
Attitude
Considering the diversity of backgrounds of our church family, we wish to stress the importance of main fundamental doctrines as being necessary and the consideration of being understanding in minor differences that so often are merely differences in terminology or custom. Once more: “In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things charity.”