WHAT WE BELIEVE
"In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In everything, love."-St. Augustine
The idea bound up in these few words is that there exist essential teachings within Scripture that the church must be united on if the people are to experience the life of God in the family of God.
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Additionally, the church has divided over the years time and time again over smaller disputes, for which there should be liberty within the church family to come as far as each member is able, honoring the continual process of belief that we each experience over a lifetime of walking with Jesus. The essentials are the anchors that hold us. The non-essentials are vital and extremely important, but the most loving, dignifying way to hold these teachings in the Christian Church is by liberty.
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Finally, in everything, we are a family bound together by love. Right belief, expressed pridefully, is not love. Wrong belief, permitted freely, is also not love. Right belief, championed by love, is what Jesus embodied. We, the Body of Christ, should be a living expression of the same.
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THE ESSENTIALS
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GOD: We believe God exists eternally and equally in three persons: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He actively engages with humanity and has revealed Himself to us through Scripture and the person of Jesus Christ.
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Scripture References: Matthew 28:19 NIV; John 1:18 NIV; Colossians 2:9 NIV
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JESUS: We believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God, fully human and fully God. He lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on the cross. He rose from the dead on the third day to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended into heaven and will return to earth to reign as King.
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Scripture References: John 1:1, 14 NIV; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 NIV; Acts 1:11 NIV
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SALVATION: We believe salvation is a FREE gift from God to humanity. It involves the forgiveness of sins, reconciliation with God, and the promise of eternal life. As is the case with any gift, we must receive it. We receive it by trusting in the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ.
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Scripture References: John 3:16 NIV; Romans 10:9 NIV; Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV
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THE HOLY SPIRIT: We believe the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. Jesus often talked about the Holy Spirit and promised He would come to help us. From the moment someone truly becomes a Christian, the Holy Spirit lives within them. He works in our lives in many ways: He fills us with His presence, gives us understanding and power, leads and guides us, corrects us when we're wrong, helps us realize when we've sinned, and comforts us in our troubles.
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We're currently teaching about the Holy Spirit in our midweek series, Foundations. Once we've concluded it, we will add the scripture references.
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THE BIBLE: Coming Soon