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Statement of Faith Scripture We believe the Bible to be the written word of God, that is, full and complete in the sixty-six books of the Bible. We believe that the Bible is inspired in every word, and that the original manuscript is without error, authoritative, and God-breathed. We believe the Bible is the only infallible rule of faith, worship, and practice. The Scripture is the only source to preach and teach by; it is the final word and the final source for training. Through the Scriptures, we have learned of our hopeless sinful situation and how we can be redeemed through the gracious love of Jesus. The Scriptures show us how we are to live and how to honor God, that through the salvation of Christ, the Holy Spirit has entered us and we are transformed. Understanding of Scripture is the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit helps humanity understand and apply the spiritual meaning to one's life and others. Biblical References: God God is the creator of all, and is, and has always been. God is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end and is the only uncreated being. God eternally exists as one in essence and in three persons (the Trinity: the Father, the Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit), each having the same nature, attributes and perfections, each being its own self. God is a god of infinite love and righteousness. He is also a God that is jealous and just. God is a god of holiness, mercy, and wisdom. God detests evil; it is not what He wanted for us but it is what we have chosen. His character is revealed to us in the Holy Bible. God's wisdom is beyond our own. God has all wisdom because of God's omnipresence (all-present), omniscience (all-knowing), and omnipotence (all-powerful). We can praise God that He is loving, understanding, and forgiving. "If God is for us who can be against us?" Biblical References: Jesus Christ Christ is the only Son of God the Father. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born to a virgin. In this way, Christ was human but also held all the divine excellence of God. Christ brought together God and humanity without one losing its essence because of the other. Christ was God made human. The purpose of Christ becoming human was to reveal God, redeem humanity, and bring to us the Holy Spirit so we could once again have a close union with God and the Trinity. Christ's death on the cross was an act of substituting His life for ours (substitution atonement). Jesus was able to demonstrate God's love for us by taking the penalty for our sinful lives as He died on the cross. If we (individually) believe that Jesus died for us and seek forgiveness and give our life over to God, we can have eternal life. When we stand before God we will be welcomed because God will not see our sinfulness but will see Christ in us. When Jesus Christ left this world, He ascended to Heaven and now sits at the right hand of the Father, where He is Lord of all and will judge all people when He returns. Biblical References: The Holy Spirit The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit participated in the creation of the universe and inspired the writers of the Word of God (the Bible). The Holy Spirit is called the Counselor and is sent by the Father and the Son to Jesus' followers. When a person accepts Jesus as his/her personal Savior, the Holy Spirit fills the believer. The Holy Spirit teaches us about our walk with God and keeps the will of God in our hearts. It is only through the power of the Holy Spirit that we can do God's work. "The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God...If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ." (Romans 8:6-9) The Holy Spirit offers all believers the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23) which cannot be obtained without the Spirit in us. Biblical References: Man and His Need for Salvation God created man for His pleasure, to have fellowship with Him. Man was originally created without sin, however, through Adam and Eve, sin entered the world. “We are all sinners; not one is without sin.” (Romans 5:12) Since we are sinful we are condemned to death; the only hope for man comes through Jesus Christ. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life."(John 3:16) Biblical References: The Church The church is universal and local. The universal Church is made up of all those who believe and put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, from every land, nation, and country. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ and all authority and leadership comes from Christ. The Church answers to Christ who is the head. "There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to one hope when you were called - one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."(Ephesians 4:4-6) The local church is a group of believers that meet together to worship Him. God has given the people in the church many gifts so we can work together to further His kingdom. The pastor is responsible to equip the believers for the ministry. For a church to be truly healthy, each person needs to look at the gifts God has given him/her and use them to honor God and further His kingdom. The church's purpose can be summarized in these four areas:
(taken from Twin Rivers Community Church’s Mission Statement) Biblical References: Baptism We believe that water baptism is a sign that we have life in Christ. We do not believe that baptism brings about salvation; we are saved through faith. In Acts 2:37, Peter tells the followers to repent and be baptized. This is an outward expression of an inward belief. It gives us one of our first opportunities to share with others the love of Jesus Christ and how it has changed us. Baptism is a symbol of being united with Jesus in His death and resurrection and also a symbol of the washing away of the old self and the coming of the new life in Christ. Christ was baptized at the beginning of His ministry. He set the example of how we are to walk in His steps. Believers are baptized in obedience to God. Biblical References: Communion Communion is a time for believers to give thanks and celebrate what Christ has so graciously given to us (salvation through His death), symbolized by the bread (His body) and the wine (His blood). It shows the intimate relationship we can have with God; Christ died for us personally. Jesus Christ was the one who instituted Communion. He did this as an act to remember what He did for us on the cross. This was done in order "to proclaim the Lord's death until He comes." (1Corinthians 11:26) Those who can partake of the Lord's Supper are those who know Jesus Christ as their Lord and personal Savior and have examined themselves to see if they are participating in a worthy manner. It is an act of worship and a reflection of our walk with God. Biblical references: |