What We Believe - CONCEPTS OF GOD

WHAT WE BELIEVE

1. We believe in One God, who is the Creator of all things.
2. We believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who lived, died and lives again so that we can have eternal life.
3. We believe in the Holy Spirit, who is God’s presence in our lives.

HUMANITY

A. We are created in the image of God. (Genesis 1:27)
   1. This gives human beings inherent worth.
   2. The image of God continues in humankind, but it is distorted by our tendency toward self-interest.
B. We are sinners. (Romans 3:23)
1. Our potential is to be totally loving like God, but our basic nature is to be more interested in ourselves than God or others.
     a. Sin is excessive self interest.
     b. Sin alienates us from God.
     c. Sin produces guilt and low self-worth within us.
2. Sin brings about a broken relationship between God and humankind.
     a. The wages of sin are death. (Romans 6:23a)
     b. The gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ. (Romans 6:23b)

GRACE

1. We are saved by grace alone. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
   a. Grace is:
       God’s initiative toward us.
       God’s unconditional love.
       God’s favor, kindness, forgiveness, and mercy freely shown to humankind.
       God’s eternal love toward us whether or not we love God in return.
    b. Grace saves us to do good works in this life. (Ephesians 2:10)
2. We see God’s grace in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
3. God’s grace is a gift that is constantly being offered, and our act of faith is our acceptance of the gift.
    Therefore, faith is a condition of receiving the gift.
4. The results of God’s grace and our faith:
    a. We are set free from the prison of sin.
    b. Our relationship with God is corrected, it is a new relationship of love.
    c. We realize our potential to be fully loving like God.
    d. We are called to grow in faith and moral obedience.

THE BIBLE

1. We affirm that the essence of the Christian faith is revealed in scripture.
2. We look to the Bible as our authority and guide for daily living.
3. We believe that the Bible is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16)

THE CHURCH

1. We believe the Christian Church is the community of all true believers under the Lordship of Christ.
2. We believe the Church is one, holy, apostolic and catholic.
3. We believe the Church is the redemptive fellowship in which the Word of God is preached.
4. We believe that under the discipline of the Holy Spirit the Church exists for the maintenance of worship, the edification of believers and the redemption of the world.
5. We believe that the focus of the Church is to look outward and offer others the redeeming love of Jesus Christ.