WHAT WE BELIEVE

The Christian gospel is the good news that “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (Jn. 3:16).

In Jesus Christ, God entered this world to save sinners.  He lived a perfect life, offered himself on the cross, and rose again from the dead to welcome us back to himself, that we might live in relationship with him.

The core of this gospel is that unrighteous people can be declared righteous before a holy God because Jesus was righteous in their place.  This is called “justification” and comes as a free gift to all who receive and rest on Jesus alone by faith. 

Both the Old and New Testaments testify that God justifies people not because of their own works, but by grace alone, through faith alone (Gen. 15:6; Deut. 9:4-6; Dan. 9:8-9, 18-19; Acts 13:39; 15:10-11; Ro. 3:19-22, 28; Gal. 2:16, 21; 3:22; Eph. 2:8-9; 1 Tim. 1:15; Tit. 3:4-7).

We believe that this gospel is the fountain of all joy, peace, security, and confidence, which frees us to “live uniquely, serve joyfully, and walk daily with Christ.”

Along with this gospel, we affirm the following foundational truths of the Christian faith:

We believe the 66 books of the Bible to be sacred Scripture, having been recognized by the church from earliest times (Luke 24:44-45; 2 Pe. 3:15-16; 1 Tim. 4:13; Col. 4:16; 1 Thess. 5:27; 2 Thess. 2:15; 2 Pe. 1:12-15), written by human authors, who were “carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pe. 1:21), such that these writings are “God-breathed” (2 Tim. 3:16) and without error in all they affirm (Ps. 119:160; Pr. 30:5; Jn. 10:35; 17:17; Tit. 1:2-3) in their original manuscripts.  This means that Scripture is a divine-human product, in which God superintended the writing of the human authors, not overriding their styles or “dropping a book out of heaven,” but using them to pen what he willed to make known to human beings (1 Cor. 14:37).

We believe that the Scriptures (comprising the apostolic word) define the church, not vice versa.  Therefore, the Scriptures alone are the church’s standard for determining matters of faith and life (1 Cor. 4:6).  There is no apostolic authority remaining today outside of the New Testament Scriptures.

We believe there is one true God (Deut. 6:4), who has existed eternally in three Persons – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Mt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14).  These three Persons are the same in essence, equal in power and glory (Jn. 1:1; 10:30; 14:9; 16:13-15; 17:5; Phil. 2:6; Acts 5:3-4).

We believe God created all things good and for his own glory.  He created humans male and female in his image (Gen. 1:26-28), morally upright yet capable of sinning (Eph. 4:24).  When tempted by Satan, Adam and Eve rebelled against God, resulting in guilt and corruption having spread to the whole human race (Ps. 51:5; Ro. 3:23; 5:12; 8:7-8).  Humans are now separated from God, subject to his wrath and curse (Ro. 1:18; Eph. 2:1-3), and are unable to contribute in any way to their salvation (Jn. 6:44; Tit. 3:3-5).

We believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God (Jn. 8:58; 12:41; Heb. 1:2-3), the Second Person of the Trinity, who became man – conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary.  Jesus is one Person, with two natures – truly God and truly man forever (Heb. 13:7). 

He is the “Second Adam,” who came to secure the salvation of God’s people by living a perfect life and bearing the penalty of sin in his death on the cross (Ro. 3:23-26; 1 Pe. 2:24).  After being in the grave for two days, he rose from the dead on the third day, as the beginning of a new creation (1 Cor. 15:20-23). 

He then ascended into heaven, where he rules by his Spirit over his church (Eph. 1:20-23).  And he will come again to judge the living and the dead (1 Thess. 4:13-17; Heb. 9:27-28; Rev. 22:20).

We believe that the only way to receive the benefits of Christ’s work is by “faith” (Jn. 3:16; 6:29, 40; Ro. 4:13-16; Heb. 6:12), through which we receive and rest on him alone for salvation – looking away from ourselves and to his finished work (Gal. 2:20; 6:14).  

And this faith is itself a gift of God (Eph. 2:8; Phil. 1:29), granted by God along with repentance (Acts 11:18; 2 Tim. 2:25).  

Our own good works do not contribute to our standing with God (Ro. 3:28; Gal. 2:16; 5:4; Eph. 2:8-9; Tit. 3:5), which is based on Christ’s merits alone (Ro. 5:1, 19; Phil. 3:9-10).  However, all who have been declared righteous in Christ are also “born again” by his Spirit (Jn. 3:5) and begin to live new lives of obedience, bearing the fruit of good works (Ro. 8:11-14; Gal. 5:22-25; Eph. 2:10).

We believe the church of Jesus Christ is the people whom he has redeemed with his own blood – an “invisible” multitude (known to God alone – Jn. 10:14; 2 Tim. 2:19), spanning all generations, who belong to him, having placed their faith in God’s promise of redemption, now realized in Jesus Christ (Jn. 8:56; Ro. 3:25; 1 Cor. 10:1-4).

Scripture also speaks of the church as being “visible” (comprising all who profess faith – 1 Tim. 6:12; Heb. 10:23).  This visible church is both “universal” (consisting of professing believers in all places and times) and “local” (lived out within established “churches,” where Christians are bonded together in advancing Christ’s mission and persevering in faith – Eph. 4:1-16). 

The marks of a true church are (1) faithful proclamation of the gospel, as set forth in the New Testament, (2) the administration of the sacraments as Christ instituted them, and (3) the practice of spiritual shepherding/discipline.

Our church is governed by “elders” (Grk. presbyters), elected by the congregation according to biblical qualifications (1 Tim. 3:1-7; Tit. 1:5-9).  The primary task of elders is to “shepherd” the congregation through the ministry of the word and prayer (1 Pe. 5:1-4; 1 Tim. 5:17; Acts 6:4).  We also elect deacons according to biblical qualifications (1 Tim. 3:8-13) to oversee the church’s mercy ministries and to lead teams that advance the church’s mission.   

We believe in two sacraments that Christ has instituted to be signs and seals of his saving work – baptism and the Lord’s Supper (Mt. 28:19; Lk. 22:19).  These sacraments are signs of the new covenant (Lk. 22:20; Heb. 10:19-22). 

Baptism is the initiation sign to be received by believers and their children (their children also being members of the covenant – Gen. 17:9-14; Acts 2:39; 16:33-34; 1 Cor. 1:16; 7:14).  Baptism signifies a person’s membership in Christ’s church (1 Cor. 12:13), though the “invisible church” is known only to God (2 Tim. 2:19) and requires a true and saving faith (Ro. 11:20).

The Lord’s Supper is a sign to be received repeatedly by those who have been baptized and profess saving knowledge of Christ (1 Cor. 11:27-32).  

Neither baptism nor the Lord’s Supper confer salvation automatically, and it is possible to receive these signs and not possess what they signify.  Sacraments become effectual means of grace when accompanied by faith in the gospel that they signify and seal. 

We believe that Jesus Christ will come again with glory at the end of the age to judge the living and the dead (Heb. 9:27-28) and to consummate his eternal kingdom (Lk. 22:16, 28-30; 1 Cor. 15:22-28). 

This day (known as “the day of the Lord”) will come “like a thief,” (1 Thess. 5:2; 2 Pe. 3:10), for which Scripture calls us to be ready (Lk. 12:35-48) and because “no one knows the day or the hour” (Mt. 24:36).  Therefore, we can be ready, but not “unsettled or alarmed” (2 Thess. 2:2).  On this day, all the dead shall be raised.  Those belonging to Christ will be raised to eternal life (Jn. 5:24-25; 1 Cor. 15:51-57) in a “new heavens and earth” (Ro. 8:21; 2 Pe. 3:13; Rev. 21), and those outside of Christ to eternal punishment (Jn. 5:28-29; Rev. 20:11-15). 

This coming is the Christian’s “blessed hope” (Tit. 2:13), when all wrongs will be made right and every tear shall be wiped away (Isa. 25:7-8; Rev. 21:4). 

Along with these foundational doctrines, our church subscribes to the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms as containing the system of doctrine taught in Scripture.