Our Christian Beliefs Start with the Bible

We believe the Bible is awesome! It is a joy to study. It is the answer to the desert island question about which book to bring. It never gets old, it only gets more profound and more fascinating.

The Bible is God’s Word and is truth without error. We believe that the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments that make up the Bible are the Word of God, written by human authors under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It is truth without error, trustworthy, and the supreme authority to guide disciples in the faith.

How we avoid normal human pitfalls:

Humans like to be right about their opinions and the lies they accept as true. People will do all kinds of things to the Bible to make it seem to say what they want. People who want to reconcile the Bible with macroevolution “science” love 2 Peter 3:8. They believe by applying it to Genesis 1&2 that a creation day doesn’t have to mean it was a normal 24-hour day. This is taking a verse out of context. The other common thing to suggest the creation story was figurative.

While we acknowledge that the Bible contains figurative language, we do not believe in reassigning verses or passages as figurative when they are inconvenient.

We do not believe in subordinating Scripture, as in the New Testament being more important than the Old, or the Words of Christ being more important than those of Paul.

We believe in studying and teaching from the Bible in both passage and full biblical context. What this means is that when we look at Romans 3:23, we don’t conclude that ‘all’ includes Jesus because of what Romans 3 is talking about and because of verses like 2 Corinthians 5:21. We can say that ‘all’ includes all other humans because of passages like Romans 5. We believe that context provides comfort and confidence that we are learning and teaching truth.

We believe in a sovereign God who designed the Bible to be translated into every language and into English more than a couple of times.

The Beliefs that follow are based on the above.

God

There is one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son (Jesus Christ), and Holy Spirit (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19).

Attributes of God include but are not limited to:

  • Omnipotence: All-powerful (Psalm 66:7).
  • Omniscience: All-knowing (Psalm 147:5).
  • Omnipresence: Present everywhere (Psalm 139:7–8).
  • Holiness: Perfect in goodness and righteousness (Isaiah 6:3).
  • Justice: Perfectly fair and righteous (Deuteronomy 32:4).
  • Goodness: Source of all good (James 1:17).
  • Faithfulness: Keeps His promises (Hebrews 10:23).
  • Love: Love defines His nature (1 John 4:8).
  • Mercy: Compassionate and forgiving (Exodus 34:6).
  • Grace: Undeserved favor (Romans 5:15).
  • Eternal: Without beginning or end (Psalm 90:2).
  • Immutable: Unchanging (Malachi 3:6).
  • Self-sufficient: Needs nothing from creation (Acts 17:25).
Creation

God created the heavens and the earth by His word, all that is seen and unseen (Genesis 1:1; Colossians 1:16).

Humanity

God created humanity, male and female, in His image (imago Dei) (Genesis 1:27). This means we reflect God’s nature in love, creativity, and moral reasoning.

Humanity bears the consequences of sin, separating us from the fullness of God’s image (Romans 3:23).

Sin

Sin is transgressing God’s law (1 John 3:4) and rebelling against His character and will (Deuteronomy 9:7; Joshua 1:18).

  • Acts of commission and omission (Romans 7:15–20)
  • Separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2)
  • Damages relationships (Romans 1:29–31)
  • Corrupts hearts and minds (Romans 6:16)
The Fall

God created Adam and Eve and placed them in the Garden of Eden. Through deception and disobedience, sin entered the world.

  • Broken Relationship: Separation from God (Genesis 3:7–10).
  • Curse on Creation: Toil and suffering (Genesis 3:17–19).
  • Death: Entered through sin (Romans 5:12).
The Gospel

The Gospel is the good news that humanity can be reconciled to God through faith in Jesus Christ (Mark 1:15).

  • Humanity’s sinfulness (Romans 3:23)
  • Christ’s sacrificial death (Romans 5:8)
  • Bodily resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:3–4)
  • Salvation through faith (John 3:16)
Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man (John 1:1–4). He lived a sinless life, died for our sins, rose physically from the dead, ascended into heaven, and reigns at the right hand of the Father.

The Church

The Church is the body of Christ, composed of all believers (1 Corinthians 12:13).

  • Glorifying God (Matthew 5:14–16)
  • Fulfilling God’s mission (Matthew 28:18–19)
  • Growing in Christlikeness (Romans 8:28–29)
  • Serving others (1 Corinthians 12:4–7)
  • Being the light of the world (Matthew 5:14–16)
Spirit-Filled Life
  • Indwells believers (1 Corinthians 6:19)
  • Guides and teaches (John 16:13)
  • Empowers holy living (Galatians 5:22–23)
  • Intercedes for believers (Romans 8:26–27)
Return of Christ

Jesus Christ will return to judge the living and the dead (Acts 1:11; Revelation 20:11–15).

Eternal Life

Those who believe in Jesus Christ will have eternal life with God in His fully established Kingdom (John 3:16; Revelation 21:1–4).