OUR BELIEFS

We Believe the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, to be the inspired Word of God. God so superintended the human authors that while retaining their own individual personalities and writing styles they chose the very words that God intended. Their original writings were free from error. The Bible is the believer’s only infallible rule for faith and practice.

Psalms 19:7-9; I Corinthians 2:13; II Timothy 3:15-17; II Peter 1:20,21

We Believe that the Holy Spirit is the Divine Person who convicts the world of sin, gives eternal life to those who place their trust in Christ, unites all believers to Christ in one body by His baptizing ministry, indwells them permanently, seals them unto the day of redemption, fills (controls) those who are yielding to Him, and empowers them for service. He seeks to direct their attention not to themselves nor to their experience, but to Christ.

John 3:5-8; 14:16-17; 16:7-11; 16:13-14; Acts 1:8; I Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 4:30; 5:18

We Believe that enabling gifts for service are bestowed according to God’s own will upon all believers by the Spirit of God to be exercised for the edification of the Church and for the glory of the Lord. These gifts are sovereignly bestowed by God in order to fulfill specific purposes in His program. We believe that, as a sign to unbelievers, the Biblical gift of speaking in tongues was speaking in existing languages which the speaker had never learned and that it was never the common nor necessary sign of the baptism or filling of the Spirit. We further believe that while God may choose to heal supernaturally, the healing of the temporal body is not assured by Christ’s atoning work on the cross; the complete deliverance of the body from sickness awaits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection.

Romans 8:23; I Corinthians 12:4-11; 27-31; 13:8-10; 14:21,22; II Corinthians 12:7-9; Ephesians 4:7-13; Hebrews 2:3,4; I Peter 4:10,11; II Timothy 4:20

We Believe that salvation from the guilt and condemnation of sin is possible only as the gift of God’s grace. It cannot be gained by good resolutions, sincere efforts, nor submission to the rules, regulations, or ordinances of any church, but is freely bestowed on all who put their faith in Christ and trust in the work which Christ accomplished on the cross of Calvary. All who so trust the Savior pass from death unto life, are forgiven of their sins, accepted by the Father, and born into His family by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit through the Word of God.

John 5:24; Ephesians 1:6-7; 2:8,9; Titus 3:5; I Peter 1:23

We Believe in the literal, physical, visible, and personal Second Coming of Jesus Christ. We believe each Christian ought to live in anticipation that the end of the age could occur during their lifetime. We also believe that events surrounding the End Times will include increasing wickedness and persecution of God?s people in this world, the removal (Rapture) of God?s church, the resurrection of the Dead in Christ, God?s divine judgment on a disbelieving world, the great and final Battle of Armageddon where the armies of Antichrist are defeated, the establishment of the Millennial Kingdom where Christ rules for 1000 years, and the ultimate creation of a new heavens and earth as our new eternal home and place of service under God?s sovereign and benevolent rule.

II Corinthians 5:10; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 3:10; 19:11-16; 20:1-6

We Believe that all who have placed their faith in Christ are united by the Holy Spirit into one spiritual body, the Church, of which Christ is the Head. This body was formed on the day of Pentecost and will be completed at the coming of Christ for His own. The members of this one spiritual body are directed to associate themselves together in local assemblies for instruction, worship, prayer, fellowship, service, and the administration of the ordinances of baptism and the Lord?’s Supper. They are likewise to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:42-47; I Corinthians 11:23-26; 12:13; Ephesians 1:22,23; 4:3

We Believe that man was originally created in the image and after the likeness of God, free from sin. He subsequently fell into sin by a voluntary act of personal disobedience to the revealed will of God, lost his spiritual life, and became dead in sins and corrupt in nature. These effects of sin have been transmitted to the entire human race, Jesus Christ excepted, and thus every person born into the world is alienated from the life of God and incapable of remedying his lost and depraved condition apart from divine grace.
Genesis 1:26; 3:1-24; 6:5; Psalms 51:5; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3:10-18; 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3

On the Sanctity of Life

We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically and mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life (Psalm 139; Jeremiah 1:4-5).

On Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality

We agree with God’s ordination of marriage as the covenant relationship between one man and one woman (Genesis 1-2) and only participate in weddings that reflect the biblical definition of marriage in this way.

We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God (Genesis 1:26-27).

We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other (1 Corinthians 6:18; 7:2-5; Hebrews 13:4). We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman.

We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ (Acts 3:19-21; Romans 10:9-10; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity (Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31). Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual with a different perspective are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture nor the doctrines of Faith Community Church.