Statement of Faith

The Scriptures

Exodus 24:4; Deuteronomy 4:1-2; 17:19; Psalm 19:7-10; 119:11, 89, 105; Proverbs 30:5; Isaiah 40:8; 55:10-11; Matthew 5:17-18; 22:29; 24:35; Luke 21:33; 24:44-46; John 5:39; 17:17; Acts 2:16-36; 17:11; Romans 15:4; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 1:1-2; 4:12; 1 Peter 1:25; 2 Peter 1:19-21.

We believe that the Bible, consisting of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, is the inspired Word of God, without error in the original manuscripts, the complete revelation of his will for the salvation of humanity, and the supreme authority for all matters of faith and practice.

The Holy Trinity

Genesis 1:26; 3:22; 11:7; Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Isaiah 6:8; Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 1:9-11; Acts 20:28; Romans 14:17-18; 1 Corinthians 2:2-5; 6:11; 12:4-6; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22; 13:14; Galatians 3:11-14; 4:6; Ephesians 2:18; 3:14-19; 4:4-6; Colossians 1:3-8; 1 Thessalonians 1:3-5; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14; Hebrews 10:29-31; 1 Peter 1:2; 4:14; 1 John 5:7; Jude 1:20-21.

We believe in the mystery of the Holy Trinity, the one true and living God, eternally co-existent in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—equal in every divine perfection, mutually giving and receing love among themselves, and executing different yet harmonious functions in the work of creation, redemption, providence, and restoration.

God the Father

Genesis 1:1; 2:7; Exodus 3:14; 6:2-3; 20:1-7; Leviticus 22:2; Deuteronomy 6:4; 32:6; 2 Samuel 7:22; 1 Chronicles 29:10-13; Psalm 19:1-3; Isaiah 43:15; 64:8; Jeremiah 10:10; Matthew 6:9-13; 7:11; 23:9; John 4:24; 5:26; Acts 1:7; Romans 8:14-15; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 4:6; 1 Timothy 1:17; Hebrews 11:6; 12:28-29; 1 Peter 1:17; 1 John 4:8; 16.

We believe in God the Father almighty—omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent—maker of heaven and earth, who is both immanent to and transcendent above his creation, sovereign over the affairs of humanity, and infinitely perfect in love, holiness, goodness, justice, wisdom, power, grace, and truth.

God the Son

Psalms 2:7-12; 110:1-4; Isaiah 7:14; 53:1-12; Matthew 1:18-23; 3:17; 8:29; 14:33; 16:16, 27; 17:5; 28:1-6, 19; Mark 1:1; Luke 1:34-35; 22:70; John 1:1-18, 29; 10:30, 38; 11:25-27; 12:44-50; 14:3, 6-11; 16:15-16, 28; 17:1-5; 20:1-20, 28; Acts 1:9; 2:22-24; 7:55-56; Romans 1:3-4; 3:23-26; 5:6-21; 8:1-3, 34; 10:4; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 8:6; 15:1-8, 24-28; 2 Corinthians 5:19-21; 8:9; Galatians 4:4-5; Ephesians 1:20-23; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:13-22; 2:9; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; 3:16; Titus 2:13-14; Hebrews 1:1-3; 4:14-15; 9:12-15, 24-28; 12:2; 13:8; 1 Peter 2:21-25; 3:22; 1 John 2:1; 4:14-15; Revelation 1:13-16; 5:9-14; 12:10-11; 19:16.

We believe in the full humanity and deity of God’s only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and in his virgin birth, his sinless life, his love, his teachings, his miracles, his substitutionary death on the cross, his bodily resurrection, his ascension to the right hand of the Father, his present ministry as high priest and advocate, and his personal, visible return in power and great glory at the end of the age.

God the Holy Spirit

Genesis 1:2; Psalm 139:7-10; Isaiah 61:1-3; Joel 2:28-32; Matthew 1:18; 3:16; 12:28-32; 28:19; Luke 1:35; 4:1, 18-19; 11:13; 12:12; 24:49; John 4:24; 14:16-17, 26; 15:26; 16:7-14; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4, 38; 4:31; 5:3; 6:3; 7:55; 8:17, 39; 10:44; 13:2; 15:28; 16:6; 19:1-6; Romans 8:9-11, 14-16, 26-27; 1 Corinthians 2:10-14; 3:16; 12:3-11,13; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30; 5:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:19; 1 Timothy 3:16; 4:1; 2 Timothy 1:14; 3:16; Hebrews 9:8, 14; 2 Peter 1:21; 1 John 4:13; 5:6-7; Revelation 1:10; 22:17.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, who is the fully divine third person of the Trinity, and that the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Son of God, to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, to draw people to the Savior, to regenerate repentant sinners upon their confession that Jesus Christ is Lord, to illuminate the truth of God, and to indwell, seal, secure, guide, gift, fill, and empower believers for service and holy living.

Personal Salvation

Genesis 1:27; 3:15; Matthew 1:21; 4:17; 27:22-28:6; Luke 2:28-32; John 1:11-14, 29; 3:3-21, 36; 5:24; 8:35-36; 10:27-29; 14:6; Acts 2:21; 4:12; 15:11; 16:30-31; Romans 1:16-18; 3:23-26; 4:3-8; 5:8-10; 8:1-18, 29-39; 10:9-10, 13; 2 Corinthians 5:17-20; Galatians 2:20; 3:13-14; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-10; Philippians 1:6; Colossians 1:19-23; 3:1-4; ; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Peter 1:3-12; 1 John 5:11-13.

We believe that humanity was created in the image of God but willfully fell into sin and condemnation through disobedience; therefore, the shed blood of Jesus Christ and his resurrection from the dead provide the only ground for justification and salvation from sin, and that only those who repent of their lostness and receive Christ by faith are born of the Holy Spirit and become children of God forever.

The Church

Matthew 16:15-19; 18:15-20; Acts 2:41-42; 14:27; 15:1-30; 16:5; 20:28-29; Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:2-3; 3:16; 5:4; 9:13-14; 10:1-4; 12:1-14:5; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 3:8-12; 14; 21; 5:22-32; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:18; 1 Timothy 3:15; Hebrews 4:1-2; 11:39-40; 1 Peter 2:4-5; 9-10; Revelation 2-3; 21:2-3.

We believe that the universal church is a spiritual family of believers over which Jesus Christ is head and all regenerated persons are members, and that the local church today is that company of believers in Jesus Christ who have made a credible profession of faith and are associated for Christian worship, growth, service, and mission.

Christian Conduct

Deuteronomy 10:12; Micah 6:8; Zechariah 8:16-17; Matthew 5:13-16, 43-48; 6:19-21; 22:36-40; 25:14-30; 34-36; Luke 10:27-37; 16:1-13; John 15:12; Acts 2:44-47; 20:35; Romans 12:1-15:4; 1 Corinthians 4:1-2; 5:9-11; 6:1-7, 19-20; 10:23-11:1; 16:1-4; 2 Corinthians 8:1-9:15; Ephesians 4:25-5:20; Colossians 3:12-17; 1 Thessalonians 3:12; James 1:27; 2:8.

We believe that Christians should live in love and holiness for the glory of God and the well-being of their neighbors, that their conduct should be honorable before the world and consistent with the values of Scripture, that they should be faithful stewards of their God-given time, talent, and treasure, that they should seek to pursue full maturity in Christ, and that where they fail, they should avail themselves of the restorative gifts and graces of the church.

The Sacraments

Matthew 3:13-17; 26:26-30; 28:19-20; Mark 1:9-11; 14:22-26; Luke 3:21-22; 22:19-20; John 3:23; Acts 2:41-42; 8:35-39; 16:30-33; 20:7; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17; 11:23-29; Colossians 2:12.

We believe that Christ has committed two sacraments to the local church, both of which are “visible words” proclaiming and signifying the gospel: (1) baptism in water in the name of the Triune God as a sign of entry into the covenant community; and (2) the partaking of the bread and the cup of Holy Communion as a commemoration of Christ’s atoning death on the cross until He returns. These sacraments are signs of God’s grace and participation in the covenant community, though not a means of personal salvation.

Religious Liberty

Genesis 1:27; 2:7; Matthew 6:6-7; 16:26-27; 22:21; John 8:36; Acts 4:18-20; Romans 6:1-2; 13:1-7; Galatians 5:1, 13; Philippians 3:20; 1 Timothy 2:1-3; James 4:12; 1 Peter 2:12-17; 3:8-17; 4:12-19.

We believe that God alone is Lord of the conscience, that he has left it free from human dictates contrary to his Word, that all believers may have immediate fellowship with God and are ultimately responsible to him in matters of faith and practice, that each church is independent and must be free from any undue interference by ecclesiastical or political authorities, and that church and state must be kept separate as having different functions, each fulfilling its duties free from the dictation or patronage of the other.

Church Cooperation

Exodus 17:12; 18:17-26; Ezra 1:3-4; 2:68-69; Nehemiah 4:1-23; 8:1-8; Matthew 20:1-16; 22:1-10; 28:18-20; Mark 2:3; Luke 10:1-17; Acts 1:13-14; 2:1-4; 4:32-37; 13:2-3; 15:1-35; Romans 16:1-18; 1 Corinthians 1:10-17; 3:5-10; 5:11; 12:1-13:13; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; 8:1-9:15; Galatians 1:6-10; Ephesians 4:1-16; Philippians 1:15-18; 3:2-3; Colossians 4:7-17; Revelation 18:4-5.

We believe that local Christian churches can best promote the cause of Christ by working together and sharing resources with one another to the extent that such cooperation is prudent and productive, and does not undermine the integrity of the gospel. Participation in various events, projects, services, or outreaches, and affiliations with various districts, denominations, or other organization are completely voluntary and terminatable.

Last Things

Matthew 16:27; 18:8-9; 19:28; 24:26-27, 30, 36, 44; 25:31-46; 26:64; Luke 12:40; 16:19-26; 21:27-28; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:11; 17:31; Romans 14:10-12; 1 Corinthians 3:12-15; 4:5; 15:22-26, 35-58; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Philippians 3:20-21; Colossians 3:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18; 5:1-4; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; 2:1-4; 1 Timothy 6:14-15; 2 Timothy 4:1, 8; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 9:27-28; James 5:8-9; 2 Peter 3:3-10; 1 John 2:28; 3:2; Jude 14; Revelation 1:18; 3:11; 20:1-22:13.

 

We believe that God, in his own time and way, will bring the present age to its appropriate conclusion, that according to his promise, Jesus Christ will return to the earth personally, visibly, and in great glory, that the dead will be raised and all humanity will be judged in righteousness, and that Christ will restore the cosmos, making all things new such that believers in their resurrected and glorified bodies will receive their reward and live with the Lord forever.

“The German theologian Rupertus Meldenius famously said, ‘In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity.’ Philip Schaff, the distinguished church historian of the 19th century, called this adage ‘the watchword of Christian peacemakers.’ Indeed, it expresses well the posture we take at Christ Community Church—one of ‘mere Christianity.’ As St. Paul said, ‘Now we see dimly, as in a mirror.’ Consequently, charity in doctrinal matters is appropriate. On the other hand, Paul also insisted the church ‘must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine.’ Therefore, we want to be faithful to what God has revealed in Scripture. In the end, it is a ‘gracious orthodoxy’ we seek to promote in our fellowship. Might that be what you’re seeking, too?”

– Pastor Tim Valentino