|
North Communities Church - What We Believe
In essential beliefs – we have unity.
“There is one Body and one Spirit…there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of us all, who is over all and through all and in all.” Ephesians 4:4-6 (NIV)
In non-essential beliefs – we have liberty.
“Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don’t see things the way you do. And don’t jump all over them every time they do or say something you don’t agree with. . . . God, after all, invited [us] both to the table. . . . Eventually, we’re all going to end up kneeling side by side in the place of judgment, facing God. . . .”
Romans 14:1, 4, 12 (MSG)
In all our beliefs – we show love.
“If [we] speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, [we are] nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If [we] speak God’s Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if [we] have faith that says to a mountain, ‘Jump,’ and it jumps, but [we] don’t love, [we are] nothing. If [we] give everything [we] own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr[s], but [we] don’t love, [we have] gotten nowhere. So, no matter what [we] say, what [we] believe, and what [we] do, [we are] bankrupt without love.”
I Corinthians 13:1-3 (MSG)
THE ESSENTIALS WE BELIEVE:
1. ABOUT GOD
God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. God has eternally existed in three personalities: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God.
Genesis 1:1, 26-27, 3:22; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; I Peter 1:2; II Corinthians 13:14.
2. ABOUT JESUS CHRIST
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven’s glory and will return again someday to earth to reign as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.
Matthew 1:22-23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5, 14:10-30; Hebrews 4:14-15; I Corinthians 15:3-4; Romans 1:3, 4; Acts 1:9-11; I Timothy 6:14, 15; Titus 2:13.
3. ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son of God. The Holy Spirit is present in the world to make people aware of their need for Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. The Holy Spirit provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. The Holy Spirit gives every believer a spiritual gift when they are saved. As Christians, we seek to live under The Holy Spirit’s control daily.
II Corinthians 3:17; John 16:7-13, 14:16, 17; Acts 1:8; I Corinthians 2:12, 3:16; Ephesians 1:13; Galatians 5:25; Ephesians 5:18
4. ABOUT THE BIBLE
The Bible is God’s word to us. It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living, inerrantly revealing the will of God concerning all things necessary to our salvation. Thus, there is no need and no sufficient authority to require belief in anything beyond what the Bible requires.
II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:20-21; II Timothy 1:13; Psalm 119:105, 160, 12:6; Proverbs 30:5
5. ABOUT HUMAN BEINGS
People are made in the spiritual image of God, to be like God in character. People are the supreme object of God’s creation. Although every person has tremendous potential for good, all of us are marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God call “sin”. This attitude separates people from God and causes many problems in life.
Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6a; Romans 3:23; Isaiah 59:1-2
6. ABOUT SALVATION
Salvation is God’s free gift to us, but we must accept it. We can never make up for our sin by self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God’s offer of forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin’s penalty. When we turn from our self-ruled life and turn to Jesus in faith we are saved. Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into his life by faith.
Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8, 9; John 14:6, 1:12; Titus 3:5; Galatians 3:26; Romans 5:1
7. ABOUT HOLINESS
We believe that God, who is holy, calls us to live a life of holiness. We believe that the Holy Spirit seeks to renew and to sanctify us in the image of God, to empower us to love God with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength, to empower us to love our neighbors as ourselves, and to produce in us the character of Christ. Holiness in the life of the Christian is most clearly understood as Christ-likeness.
Leviticus 11:44; John 17:17-19; Romans 15:16; II Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 5:24-26; II Timothy 2:21; Hebrews 13:12; I Peter 1:2; James 4:8; I John 1:7
8. ABOUT ETERNITY
People were created to exist forever. We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is Hell. To be eternally in union with God is eternal life. Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal existence.
John 3:16; John 14:17; Romans 6:23; Romans 8:17-18; Revelation 20:15; I Corinthians 2:7-9
9. ABOUT BAPTISM
We believe that Christian baptism, commanded by our Lord, is a sacrament signifying acceptance of the benefits of the atonement of Jesus Christ, is to be administered to believers, and is declarative of their faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior.
Matthew 3:1-7, 28:16-20; Acts 2:37-41, 8:35-39, 10:44-48, 16:29-34, 19:1-6; Romans 6:3-4; Galatians 3:26-28; Colossians 2:12; I Peter 3:18-22
10. ABOUT LORD’S SUPPER
We believe that the Lord’s Supper instituted by Jesus Christ is a sacrament and is declarative of Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection, through which believers have salvation, eternal life, and the promise of all spiritual blessings in Christ. The Lord’s Supper is for those who are prepared for reverent appreciation of its significance and who have faith in Christ.
Exodus 12:1-14; Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:17-20; John 6:28-38; I Corinthians 10:14-21, 11:23-32
|