The Word of God
We believe the Bible, as revealed in the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, is the authoritative, inspired, and infallible Word of God. Scriptures teach that men, carried along by the Holy Spirit, wrote them not as an expression of their own will, but as prophetic words inspired by the Holy Spirit. While they are written in various literary forms and are at times complex and difficult to understand, we believe them to be what many theologians refer to as perspicuous, meaning their message of salvation and instructions for a life of faith can be easily grasped and understood by all seekers with an open heart.
We also acknowledge that we live within a Post-Christian society, so there is an ever-present temptation to either water down scriptures, or adjust them to be more relevant to our modern sensibilities. We do not believe that is appropriate, but must let the full scope of scriptures stand on their own in each generation. While it may be tempting to let our culture critique the Bible, we believe the Bible should critique our culture in every generation. They represent the lens through which we filter our feelings, experiences and opinions, and must be how we practically express the Lordship of Jesus in our lives.
Scriptures for further study: (Deut. 4:1-6, 6:1-9; Psalm 119; 2 Chron. 34; Nehemiah 8; John 8:31-32, 12:44-50; Acts 2:42, 17:10-11; 2 Tim. 3:14-4:4; Hebrews 4:12-13; James 1:22-25; 1 Pet. 1:24-25)
The Gospel of Jesus Christ
We believe the Gospel (literally “good news”) of Jesus Christ is represented by the message of Jesus in the New Testament, especially the books Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Each writer, in their own way, reveals the central message of all scripture in the person of Jesus, breaking into humanity as God in the flesh. This was testified to in the Old Testament, and fulfilled in the New Testament. His perfect and sinless life, lived as a human among fallen people, is the best expression of God’s incredible and limitless grace toward people that have rejected him. Jesus’ willing submission to God’s calling of saving humanity was expressed by His sacrificial death on a cross for our sins. That complete and finished work ushered in salvation, a new life for us today, and hope for eternal life beyond this broken world.
Scriptures for further study: (Gen. 1-3, 12:1-3; 2 Samuel 7:1-16; Isaiah 7:14, 11:1-4, Isaiah 53; Micah 5:2-4; Daniel 2:44-45; Rom. 3:10-12, 21-26, 7:8-26; Matt. 4:17, 25:31-32; Luke 1:32-33; John 1:1-3; Gal. 3:6-9; 1 Cor. 15:1-8; 2 Cor. 5:11-21; Acts 2:36, 3:19-21; Col. 3:1-4; Titus 3:3-8; Rev. 21:1ff)
Salvation and New Birth
We believe the correct response to the Gospel of Jesus Christ is first of all to believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and that God loved us enough to send His one and only son into this world to die for our sins. We did not deserve it. This belief should compel us to desire His lordship in our lives and draw us into a new and transformed life of salvation. This belief leads a person to repent (which simply means to let the grief caused by the realization of our sins produce a total change of heart and mind) and get baptized by full immersion in water for the forgiveness of their sins. Baptism is our participation in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, ushering in a total change of status before God.
Scriptures for further study: (Matt. 28:19-20; John 3:1-9; 3:16-18; 3:19-21; 1 Cor. 8:6; Luke 13:3-5; Acts 2:38; 3:19; 4:12; 8:36-38, 9:17-19, 16:31-33, 20:21, 22:16, 26:20; Romans 6:1-4; 1 Cor. 12:13; Col. 2:12; Gal. 2:20, 3:26-27; Titus 3:5; 1 Pet. 3:21)
Life of Faith in the Local Church
When God calls people out of their lost state in this world, he calls them into a community of fellow redeemed sinners. He has broken down the walls of hostility that a fallen society has built up and called people to live together in a state of spiritual unity, all with the purpose of showing the world the wisdom of his plan of unification. While there are multiple expressions of Christian communities, the life of a faithful disciple cannot be lived in isolation from other people, especially those who disagree with our viewpoints. The battle for the kind of unity the world needs is fought within the messy and often complicated walls of the local church.
The local church is also where Christians interact with the objective viewpoints of brothers and sisters who know them and love them enough to teach, correct, rebuke, and train them. In our current age of “De-churching,” the powerful witness of people striving to live together in harmony, based solely on their orientation to the cross and Gospel of Jesus Christ, cannot be replaced. God’s church is his “crown jewel” and bride in a broken world. We are all called to robustly engage in the church based on our faith in God and His promise of a better Kingdom.
Scriptures for further study: (Matt. 16:18, 18:20; Acts 2:42-47, 11:26, 12:5, 13:1, 14:23; Acts 20:17-31; Romans 12:5, 16:1, 5, 23; 1 Cor. 12:12-31; Eph. 1:22-23, 2:19-22, 3:10-13, 21, 4:14-16; Col. 1:17-20, 3:16; 1 Thess. 5:11; Heb. 10:24-25; 1 Peter 2:5, 9-10; Jude 1:21-21)
Making Disciples of Jesus
We believe the purpose of our lives is to know God and to make him known to others, which inwardly compels us to embrace and carry on the mission Jesus gave us to make disciples and teach them to obey everything he has commanded us. This means that when someone becomes a disciple (follower) of Jesus, we don’t see our job as done. Instead, we stay in there with them, doing our very best to help train people in the ways of God, as ongoing love, shepherding and training represent the heart of Jesus toward other believers. We meet each week for church not only to connect with God through our communion, worship, and fellowship, but to visibly display to lost people the power of lives lived in service to King Jesus. The mission of making disciples of Jesus belongs to God: we partner with Him, He does not partner with us. It is a fine and delicate distinction that is worth wrestling with.
Scriptures for further study: (Matt. 28:19-20; John 13:34-35; Acts 2:37-41, 5:42; Romans 1:14-17; 1 Cor. 9:16, 24-27, 13:1-13; Gal. 4:19; Phil. 1:3-6, 20-21; Col. 1:28-29; 1 Thess. 2:19-20; 1 John 3:16)