What We Believe
What We Believe
Does it really matter what a church’s leadership believes and teaches? Absolutely. Jesus came up with the idea of a “church” and has a unique purpose and mission for us to fulfill. It’s extremely important that we, as a church, believe, teach, and live out the truth that Jesus taught and endorsed. If you’re a believer seeking to connect with a church family and are considering membership, a church’s doctrinal beliefs are the first and most important factor in your decision.
We want to be able to convey what we believe in two ways. First, we offer a “short version” that captures not only what we believe, but why it’s important to us. And second, we offer a “detailed version” that is purposely more technical and more detailed because, when it comes to doctrine, precision and clarity matter deeply. Read the short version and study the detailed version.
The Short Version
God is real. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, and totally in charge of the direction history is moving. He is Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He created everything and everyone and every person matters deeply to Him. Everyone has sinned, so everyone needs Jesus, who died for our sins, rose again from the dead, and is coming back. Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone.
Heaven and hell are real, as are angels and demons, including Satan. The Holy Spirit lives in every believer and empowers and gifts us to live and serve. The Bible, which is God’s Word, is both true and powerful.
The Detailed Version
God is the creator and ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed in three persons – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God.
Genesis 1:1, 26, 27; 3:22; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Corinthians 13:14
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all men 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 to earth to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
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; Titus 2:13
The Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and the Son as God. He is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in all of us from the moment of salvation. He provides us with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. We seek to live under his control daily.
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; Ephesians 5:1
We believe the Old and New Testaments are the inspired Word of God, inerrant in the original writings, complete as to the revelation of God’s will for salvation, and the supreme and final authority in all matters to which they speak.
2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20, 21; 2 Timothy 1:13; Psalm 119:105,160, 12:6; Proverbs 30:5
We are made in the spiritual image of God, to be like Him in character. We are the supreme object of God’s creation. Although humanity has tremendous potential for good, we are marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called “sin.” This attitude separates us from God.
Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6a; Romans 3:23; Isaiah 59:1, 2
Humanity was created to exist forever. We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin or in union 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 places of eternal existence.
John 3:16; 1 John 2:25; 1 John 5:11-13; Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:15; Matthew 25:31-46
Salvation is a free gift from God to humanity. 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 we be saved from sin’s penalty. Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into his/her life by faith.
Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8, 9; John 14:6, 1:12; Titus 3:5; Galatians 3:26; Romans 5:1
Because God gives humanity eternal life through Jesus Christ, the believer is secure in salvation for eternity as long as one keeps trusting in Jesus. Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the Christian.
John 10:29; 2 Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 7:25; 10:10, 14; 1 Peter 1:3-5
We believe and have experienced that through the sacrament of Baptism, which is commanded by Jesus, God adopts us as His children. Because being part of God’s eternal family is entirely His doing and not our own, and because all humans are born with a sinful nature, we affirm the practice of baptizing infants as well as adults.
Romans 6:4-6; Matthew 18:1-6; Acts 2:39; Acts 16:30-33; Colossians 2:12; Acts 2:41; Ephesians 2: 8-9; Matthew 28:19-20
We believe that in the sacrament of Holy Communion, God comes to love and forgive us. Through this meal, He brings us His love in a tangible way and renews us in our relationship with Him. As He promised, Jesus is truly present in the bread and wine. Jesus has instructed that we remember Him when we celebrate this meal. As we come to communion, we bring to Jesus our sin with a sincere desire to be forgiven and to be changed to be more like Him.
Matthew 26:26-30; Mark 14:22-26; Luke 22:19,20; John 6:53-56; 1 Corinthians 11:23-29