What We Believe
We are a Spirit-filled body of believers who believe that all the gifts of the Holy Spirit are alive today for the growing of God's Kingdom.
The Point practices the following in handling views which differ:
In essentials - Unity.
In non-essentials - Liberty.
In all things - Love.
Introduction to Our Statement of Faith
The following section contains our Statement of Faith. Explanatory comments clarify and help apply these vital doctrines. Reading through these statements, you will see that they are rich with spiritual truth. Read them slowly and thoughtfully, asking yourself
What difference does this truth make in my life?
If I didn’t know or believe this, would it matter?
The Point’s Statement of Faith
The Bible
The sole basis of our beliefs is the Bible, composed of 66 books of the Old and New Testament. We believe that Scripture in its entirety originated with God and that it was given through the instrumentality of chosen men. Scripture thus at one and the same time speaks with the authority of God and reflects the backgrounds, styles, and vocabularies of the human authors. We hold that the Scriptures are infallible and inerrant in the original manuscripts. They are the unique, full, and final authority on all matters of faith and practice, and there are no other writings similarly inspired by God.
References: 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Jeremiah 1
Comments: Human reason is a powerful tool, but our finite and often self-centered perspective distorts it. Reason alone cannot figure out the meaning to life and cannot comprehend who God is beyond the simple awareness that He exists. If we are to have a relationship with God, we cannot get through our limitations to reach Him; He will have to break through and get to us. The Bible is the written summary of His attempts to do that.
The Bible, however, isn’t just a record of God’s words. It is itself the Word of God in written form. It is revelation – truth expressed not by means of humans groping in the dark for the right way to say it, but truth given by God Himself as, by the Holy Spirit, He “carried people along” in their writing. Their message was and is His message. Because God cannot lie, this written Word is completely reliable, so we must let it judge us instead of us judging it. Though other books, both modern and ancient, may contain helpful spiritual truth, no other writings are “God-breathed” in the way the Bible is. Truth is mixed with error everywhere except in the Bible. That is why we base our beliefs on its teaching and submit all our thoughts and plans to its scrutiny.
God
We believe that there is one true, holy God, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – each of Whom possesses equally all the attributes of deity and the characteristics of personality. In the beginning God created out of nothing the world and all the things in it, thus manifesting the glory of His power, wisdom, and goodness. By His sovereign power He continues to sustain His creation. By His providence He is operating throughout history to fulfill his redemptive purposes.
References: Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; Genesis 1:1ff; Isaiah 40:21-31; Isaiah 6:3; Jonah 4:2; John 1:1; Acts 5:3-5; Romans 8:28-39;
Colossians 1:15-20; Ephesians 1:9-10
Comments: The Bible begins with the phrase, “In the beginning, God…” God has always existed – His nature and being are eternal. We also learn, from God’s revelation to us about Himself, that three distinct “persons” are called God: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Because the Bible clearly teaches that there is only one God (not three Gods), we understand that these three persons must fully share the one and only divine nature. We use the term “Trinity” as a label for the teaching that God has a singular nature but a plural personality.
This creative God desired to share the “community” that has always existed within Him, so He made a universe that would reflect His attributes. All that He created is dependent on Him – He made it out of nothing, keeps it together, can reshape it, and is Master over it. God crowned His creation with man and woman, fashioned in His personal image, with whom He could have a relationship, and who could relate to each other. They would reflect His nature by exhibiting unity in the presence of diversity, love in the midst of differences, ruling while remaining submissive all at the same time.
God has been involved in the affairs of His creation from the very beginning, and continues to play an active role in relating to mankind, specifically in rescuing us from our rejection of His love and His legitimate right to be glorified as our Creator.
Salvation
The central purpose of God’s revelation in Scripture is to call all people into fellowship with Him. Originally created to have fellowship with God, man defied God, choosing to go his independent way, and thus was alienated from God and suffered the corruption of his nature, rendering him unable to please God. The fall took place at the beginning of human history, and all individuals since have suffered these consequences and are thus in need of the saving grace of God.
The salvation of mankind is, then, wholly a work of God’s free grace, not the result, in whole or in part, of human works or goodness. Salvation must be fully appropriated by repentance and faith. When God has begun a saving work in the heart and life of any person, He gives assurance in His Word that He will continue performing it until the day of its full consummation.
References: John 3:16; Romans 5:6-10; 3:9-18, 22-26; 6:23; 8:1-2, 15-17; John 1:12-13; Ephesians 1:11-14; 2:1-10; Philippians 1:3-6; 2:12-13;
2 Timothy 1:12; Colossians 1:21-23; Hebrews 6:4-6; 10:36-39
Comments: The Bible does not support the common myth that humankind is basically good. We were originally created good, but the first man and woman rebuffed God’s rightful place in their lives – we are now all infected with the disease called “sin” and are spiritually separated from God. This condition is without remedy through any human effort. If God had left us to ourselves, all of us would continue in disobedience and rejection of Him.
The good news is that He has provided a way out of our dilemma through the death of Jesus Christ, which paid the penalty for our sins. Those who personally appropriate the forgiveness that God
offers will be restored to a right relationship with Him. This new life is a gift; it cannot be earned by our activities nor revoked by our failures – what God begins, He finishes. We live with the undeserved promise that the change He has begun in His followers is only the beginning of a total transformation that culminates when we are taken to His very presence to live forever.
Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the eternal second Person of the Trinity who was united forever with a true human nature by a miraculous conception and virgin birth. He lived a life of perfect obedience to the Father and voluntarily atoned for the sins of all by dying on the cross as our substitute, thus satisfying divine justice and accomplishing salvation for all who trust in Him alone. He rose from the dead In the same body, though glorified, in which He lived and died. He ascended into heaven and sat down at the right hand of the Father, where He, the only Mediator between God and man, continually makes intercession for His own. He shall come again to earth, personally and visibly, to consummate history and the eternal plan of God.
References: John 1:1-14; 3:16; Luke 1:31-35; Matthew 1:18-21;
Romans 5:6-8; 1 Peter 2:24; Romans 3:25; 1 Corinthians 15:3-6;
Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25; Colossians 1:13-20; Hebrews 1:1-3;
1 Timothy 2:5; John 14:1-6; Acts 1:11; Ephesians 1:1-10; Philippians 2:5-11
Comments: Jesus is the “God-Man” who is unlike any person who has lived or ever will live. He is not part divine, part human – He is fully both. All of God dwelt in Him and His humanity was complete. His birth evidences his humanity in that He was born in the normal way from a human mother, yet His divinity is established by virtue of the fact that His mother was a virgin who conceived miraculously. In His humanity, He experienced every human limitation except sin. He was like us in every way except that He never disobeyed His heavenly Father. In His divinity, He was coequal with His Father and the Holy Spirit from all eternity. His death did not end His existence, but after He had paid for our sin on the cross, He arose from the dead on the third day. His resurrection not only shows His complete provision for sin’s effects; it also serves as a prototype of our future resurrection when our bodies will be remade in the same way to live in eternity. Jesus continues to possess both full humanity (though glorified) and full divinity. He is our ongoing mediator between us and the Father, ever mindful of our needs, always concerned for our well-being. His final words on earth included the promise to return to earth visibly and bodily for the purpose of consummating history.
The Holy Spirit
The essential accompaniment of a genuine saving relationship with Jesus Christ is a life of holiness and obedience, attained by believers as they submit to the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity. He was sent into the world by the Father and the Son to apply to mankind the saving work of Christ. He enlightens the minds of sinners, awakens in them recognition of their need of a Savior, and regenerates them. At the point of salvation, He permanently indwells every believer to become the source of assurance, strength and wisdom, and uniquely endows each believer with gifts for the building up of the body. The Holy Spirit guides believers in understanding and applying the Scripture. His power and control are appropriated by faith, making it possible for the believer to lead a life of Christ like character and to bear fruit to the glory of the Father. We beleive that we are all in need of more of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The baptism in the Holy Spirit as found in several parts of the book of Acts, is a 2nd work of God coming on people with power as in Acts 2 which is a fulfillment of what John the Baptist had described of Jesus' ministry. That is that Jesus would baptize us with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
References: Acts 5:3-4; Acts 8:14-17; John 16:5-15; 3:5-6; Romans 8:1-16;
Galatians 5:22-23; 1 Corinthians 12:13; 1 Corinthians 12; Ephesians 4;
Romans 12; Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12-13; 1 John 2:20; John 15:1-10.
Comments: We believe that all the gifts of the Spirit are alive today for the glory of God and the advancement of His Kingdom. The Holy Spirit is God, not just a force. Scripture describes Him with personal pronouns and reveals He has personal attributes. He works to prepare people to hear the Gospel and then applies the merits of Christ to them at the point of regeneration. Jesus promised the Spirit’s presence to all His followers, assuring us He would actually indwell us in a permanent union. His ministry in us includes helping us understand the Bible, making us aware of things we do that don’t please God, assuring us we are God’s children, empowering us for witness, gifting us to uniquely serve others in the church, helping our prayer life through interceding for us, and producing in us the kind of character that makes us credible, persuasive representatives of Christ.
Human Destiny
Death seals the eternal destiny of each person. For all mankind, there will be a resurrection of the body into the spiritual world and a judgment that will determine the fate of each individual. Unbelievers will be separated from God
into condemnation. God’s judgment will reveal His justice in consigning them to perpetuate in eternal retribution their own rejection of God. Believers will be received into eternal communion with God and will be rewarded for works done in this life.
References: Hebrews 9:27; Matthew 16:27; 25:31-46; John 3:18-21; 5:19-30; Revelation 19:16-19; 20:11-15
Comments: There are no second chances after we die. Our relationship to God for eternity is set by how we respond to Him in this life. God has not only saved our souls, but, just as He did for Jesus, He is going to resurrect our bodies in a form that will be suited to the environment of the eternal life we will inherit. The only hope for spending eternity with God will be to claim the merits of Christ. Anyone attempting to hold out their good deeds as sufficient for God’s approval will discover that those behaviors weren’t enough, and that one’s misconduct was far more serious than anticipated now that it is brought into the searing light of a holy God.
Because we are made in God’s image and have the mark of His handiwork on us, He does not destroy us after we die – He is the God of the living, “for all live to Him”, as Jesus said. Rather, God fixes our eternal condition based on our life preferences: heaven and hell are simply the fulfillment of our spiritual aspirations as manifested in life. If we welcomed His presence and cooperated with Him in our earthly life, He is pleased to continue that relationship for all eternity. If, on the other hand, we looked for ways to avoid Him and sought to live in behavior He condemned, He will allow
us to continue unbothered forever by His presence and commands. Hell is God’s provision for those who have longed for Him to stop interfering with their plans and who wish He would leave them alone. In hell, they will be “protected from God” forever, while those in heaven, whose highest delight in life was God, will be able to enjoy forever the One who gave them pleasure on earth.
The Church
The corollary of union with Jesus Christ is that all believers become members of His body, the Church. There is one true Church universal, comprised of all those who acknowledge Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. The Scripture commands believers to gather together to devote themselves to worship, prayer, the teaching of the Word, the observation of believer’s baptism by immersion, and communion as the sacramental ordinances established by Jesus Christ, fellowship, service to the body through the development and use of talents and gifts, and outreach to the world. Wherever God’s people meet regularly in obedience to this command, there is the local expression of the church. Under the care of elders and other supportive leadership, its members are to work together in love and unity, intent on the one ultimate purpose of glorifying Christ.
References: Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 4:15-16; I Corinthians 3:16; 12:13; 1 Peter 2:9; Hebrews 10:24-25; Acts 2:42-47; 1 Timothy 3; Titus 1;
Hebrews 13:7, 17
Comments: The Church is first and foremost an organism, not an organization. It is the living body of Christ, made up of all people everywhere who are His followers. It is not defined by the limits of any particular denomination but includes all true believers. The local expression of this body is found wherever His children gather in His name. Scripture describes some of the activities of a church, but it is Christ in our midst that makes us His church, not anything we do.
Faith and Practice
Scripture is the final authority in all matters of faith and practice. This church recognizes that it cannot bind the conscience of individual members in areas where Scripture is silent. Rather, each believer is to be led in those areas by the Lord, to whom he or she alone is ultimately responsible.
References: 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Romans 14-15; 1 Corinthians 8-10; Romans 12
Comments: Truth is found in the Scriptures – but truth is not found ONLY in the Scriptures. The Bible is sufficient for our spiritual lives, but many other beneficial things can be learned through other means. We embrace whatever we can learn from whatever legitimate source, always passing it through the discerning grid of God’s unerring Word. What Scripture teaches, we embrace. Beyond that, no person, organization, or writings have authority to dictate our beliefs.
We are a Spirit-filled body of believers who believe that all the gifts of the Holy Spirit are alive today for the growing of God's Kingdom.
The Point practices the following in handling views which differ:
In essentials - Unity.
In non-essentials - Liberty.
In all things - Love.
Introduction to Our Statement of Faith
The following section contains our Statement of Faith. Explanatory comments clarify and help apply these vital doctrines. Reading through these statements, you will see that they are rich with spiritual truth. Read them slowly and thoughtfully, asking yourself
What difference does this truth make in my life?
If I didn’t know or believe this, would it matter?
The Point’s Statement of Faith
The Bible
The sole basis of our beliefs is the Bible, composed of 66 books of the Old and New Testament. We believe that Scripture in its entirety originated with God and that it was given through the instrumentality of chosen men. Scripture thus at one and the same time speaks with the authority of God and reflects the backgrounds, styles, and vocabularies of the human authors. We hold that the Scriptures are infallible and inerrant in the original manuscripts. They are the unique, full, and final authority on all matters of faith and practice, and there are no other writings similarly inspired by God.
References: 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Jeremiah 1
Comments: Human reason is a powerful tool, but our finite and often self-centered perspective distorts it. Reason alone cannot figure out the meaning to life and cannot comprehend who God is beyond the simple awareness that He exists. If we are to have a relationship with God, we cannot get through our limitations to reach Him; He will have to break through and get to us. The Bible is the written summary of His attempts to do that.
The Bible, however, isn’t just a record of God’s words. It is itself the Word of God in written form. It is revelation – truth expressed not by means of humans groping in the dark for the right way to say it, but truth given by God Himself as, by the Holy Spirit, He “carried people along” in their writing. Their message was and is His message. Because God cannot lie, this written Word is completely reliable, so we must let it judge us instead of us judging it. Though other books, both modern and ancient, may contain helpful spiritual truth, no other writings are “God-breathed” in the way the Bible is. Truth is mixed with error everywhere except in the Bible. That is why we base our beliefs on its teaching and submit all our thoughts and plans to its scrutiny.
God
We believe that there is one true, holy God, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – each of Whom possesses equally all the attributes of deity and the characteristics of personality. In the beginning God created out of nothing the world and all the things in it, thus manifesting the glory of His power, wisdom, and goodness. By His sovereign power He continues to sustain His creation. By His providence He is operating throughout history to fulfill his redemptive purposes.
References: Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; Genesis 1:1ff; Isaiah 40:21-31; Isaiah 6:3; Jonah 4:2; John 1:1; Acts 5:3-5; Romans 8:28-39;
Colossians 1:15-20; Ephesians 1:9-10
Comments: The Bible begins with the phrase, “In the beginning, God…” God has always existed – His nature and being are eternal. We also learn, from God’s revelation to us about Himself, that three distinct “persons” are called God: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Because the Bible clearly teaches that there is only one God (not three Gods), we understand that these three persons must fully share the one and only divine nature. We use the term “Trinity” as a label for the teaching that God has a singular nature but a plural personality.
This creative God desired to share the “community” that has always existed within Him, so He made a universe that would reflect His attributes. All that He created is dependent on Him – He made it out of nothing, keeps it together, can reshape it, and is Master over it. God crowned His creation with man and woman, fashioned in His personal image, with whom He could have a relationship, and who could relate to each other. They would reflect His nature by exhibiting unity in the presence of diversity, love in the midst of differences, ruling while remaining submissive all at the same time.
God has been involved in the affairs of His creation from the very beginning, and continues to play an active role in relating to mankind, specifically in rescuing us from our rejection of His love and His legitimate right to be glorified as our Creator.
Salvation
The central purpose of God’s revelation in Scripture is to call all people into fellowship with Him. Originally created to have fellowship with God, man defied God, choosing to go his independent way, and thus was alienated from God and suffered the corruption of his nature, rendering him unable to please God. The fall took place at the beginning of human history, and all individuals since have suffered these consequences and are thus in need of the saving grace of God.
The salvation of mankind is, then, wholly a work of God’s free grace, not the result, in whole or in part, of human works or goodness. Salvation must be fully appropriated by repentance and faith. When God has begun a saving work in the heart and life of any person, He gives assurance in His Word that He will continue performing it until the day of its full consummation.
References: John 3:16; Romans 5:6-10; 3:9-18, 22-26; 6:23; 8:1-2, 15-17; John 1:12-13; Ephesians 1:11-14; 2:1-10; Philippians 1:3-6; 2:12-13;
2 Timothy 1:12; Colossians 1:21-23; Hebrews 6:4-6; 10:36-39
Comments: The Bible does not support the common myth that humankind is basically good. We were originally created good, but the first man and woman rebuffed God’s rightful place in their lives – we are now all infected with the disease called “sin” and are spiritually separated from God. This condition is without remedy through any human effort. If God had left us to ourselves, all of us would continue in disobedience and rejection of Him.
The good news is that He has provided a way out of our dilemma through the death of Jesus Christ, which paid the penalty for our sins. Those who personally appropriate the forgiveness that God
offers will be restored to a right relationship with Him. This new life is a gift; it cannot be earned by our activities nor revoked by our failures – what God begins, He finishes. We live with the undeserved promise that the change He has begun in His followers is only the beginning of a total transformation that culminates when we are taken to His very presence to live forever.
Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the eternal second Person of the Trinity who was united forever with a true human nature by a miraculous conception and virgin birth. He lived a life of perfect obedience to the Father and voluntarily atoned for the sins of all by dying on the cross as our substitute, thus satisfying divine justice and accomplishing salvation for all who trust in Him alone. He rose from the dead In the same body, though glorified, in which He lived and died. He ascended into heaven and sat down at the right hand of the Father, where He, the only Mediator between God and man, continually makes intercession for His own. He shall come again to earth, personally and visibly, to consummate history and the eternal plan of God.
References: John 1:1-14; 3:16; Luke 1:31-35; Matthew 1:18-21;
Romans 5:6-8; 1 Peter 2:24; Romans 3:25; 1 Corinthians 15:3-6;
Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25; Colossians 1:13-20; Hebrews 1:1-3;
1 Timothy 2:5; John 14:1-6; Acts 1:11; Ephesians 1:1-10; Philippians 2:5-11
Comments: Jesus is the “God-Man” who is unlike any person who has lived or ever will live. He is not part divine, part human – He is fully both. All of God dwelt in Him and His humanity was complete. His birth evidences his humanity in that He was born in the normal way from a human mother, yet His divinity is established by virtue of the fact that His mother was a virgin who conceived miraculously. In His humanity, He experienced every human limitation except sin. He was like us in every way except that He never disobeyed His heavenly Father. In His divinity, He was coequal with His Father and the Holy Spirit from all eternity. His death did not end His existence, but after He had paid for our sin on the cross, He arose from the dead on the third day. His resurrection not only shows His complete provision for sin’s effects; it also serves as a prototype of our future resurrection when our bodies will be remade in the same way to live in eternity. Jesus continues to possess both full humanity (though glorified) and full divinity. He is our ongoing mediator between us and the Father, ever mindful of our needs, always concerned for our well-being. His final words on earth included the promise to return to earth visibly and bodily for the purpose of consummating history.
The Holy Spirit
The essential accompaniment of a genuine saving relationship with Jesus Christ is a life of holiness and obedience, attained by believers as they submit to the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity. He was sent into the world by the Father and the Son to apply to mankind the saving work of Christ. He enlightens the minds of sinners, awakens in them recognition of their need of a Savior, and regenerates them. At the point of salvation, He permanently indwells every believer to become the source of assurance, strength and wisdom, and uniquely endows each believer with gifts for the building up of the body. The Holy Spirit guides believers in understanding and applying the Scripture. His power and control are appropriated by faith, making it possible for the believer to lead a life of Christ like character and to bear fruit to the glory of the Father. We beleive that we are all in need of more of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The baptism in the Holy Spirit as found in several parts of the book of Acts, is a 2nd work of God coming on people with power as in Acts 2 which is a fulfillment of what John the Baptist had described of Jesus' ministry. That is that Jesus would baptize us with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
References: Acts 5:3-4; Acts 8:14-17; John 16:5-15; 3:5-6; Romans 8:1-16;
Galatians 5:22-23; 1 Corinthians 12:13; 1 Corinthians 12; Ephesians 4;
Romans 12; Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12-13; 1 John 2:20; John 15:1-10.
Comments: We believe that all the gifts of the Spirit are alive today for the glory of God and the advancement of His Kingdom. The Holy Spirit is God, not just a force. Scripture describes Him with personal pronouns and reveals He has personal attributes. He works to prepare people to hear the Gospel and then applies the merits of Christ to them at the point of regeneration. Jesus promised the Spirit’s presence to all His followers, assuring us He would actually indwell us in a permanent union. His ministry in us includes helping us understand the Bible, making us aware of things we do that don’t please God, assuring us we are God’s children, empowering us for witness, gifting us to uniquely serve others in the church, helping our prayer life through interceding for us, and producing in us the kind of character that makes us credible, persuasive representatives of Christ.
Human Destiny
Death seals the eternal destiny of each person. For all mankind, there will be a resurrection of the body into the spiritual world and a judgment that will determine the fate of each individual. Unbelievers will be separated from God
into condemnation. God’s judgment will reveal His justice in consigning them to perpetuate in eternal retribution their own rejection of God. Believers will be received into eternal communion with God and will be rewarded for works done in this life.
References: Hebrews 9:27; Matthew 16:27; 25:31-46; John 3:18-21; 5:19-30; Revelation 19:16-19; 20:11-15
Comments: There are no second chances after we die. Our relationship to God for eternity is set by how we respond to Him in this life. God has not only saved our souls, but, just as He did for Jesus, He is going to resurrect our bodies in a form that will be suited to the environment of the eternal life we will inherit. The only hope for spending eternity with God will be to claim the merits of Christ. Anyone attempting to hold out their good deeds as sufficient for God’s approval will discover that those behaviors weren’t enough, and that one’s misconduct was far more serious than anticipated now that it is brought into the searing light of a holy God.
Because we are made in God’s image and have the mark of His handiwork on us, He does not destroy us after we die – He is the God of the living, “for all live to Him”, as Jesus said. Rather, God fixes our eternal condition based on our life preferences: heaven and hell are simply the fulfillment of our spiritual aspirations as manifested in life. If we welcomed His presence and cooperated with Him in our earthly life, He is pleased to continue that relationship for all eternity. If, on the other hand, we looked for ways to avoid Him and sought to live in behavior He condemned, He will allow
us to continue unbothered forever by His presence and commands. Hell is God’s provision for those who have longed for Him to stop interfering with their plans and who wish He would leave them alone. In hell, they will be “protected from God” forever, while those in heaven, whose highest delight in life was God, will be able to enjoy forever the One who gave them pleasure on earth.
The Church
The corollary of union with Jesus Christ is that all believers become members of His body, the Church. There is one true Church universal, comprised of all those who acknowledge Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. The Scripture commands believers to gather together to devote themselves to worship, prayer, the teaching of the Word, the observation of believer’s baptism by immersion, and communion as the sacramental ordinances established by Jesus Christ, fellowship, service to the body through the development and use of talents and gifts, and outreach to the world. Wherever God’s people meet regularly in obedience to this command, there is the local expression of the church. Under the care of elders and other supportive leadership, its members are to work together in love and unity, intent on the one ultimate purpose of glorifying Christ.
References: Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 4:15-16; I Corinthians 3:16; 12:13; 1 Peter 2:9; Hebrews 10:24-25; Acts 2:42-47; 1 Timothy 3; Titus 1;
Hebrews 13:7, 17
Comments: The Church is first and foremost an organism, not an organization. It is the living body of Christ, made up of all people everywhere who are His followers. It is not defined by the limits of any particular denomination but includes all true believers. The local expression of this body is found wherever His children gather in His name. Scripture describes some of the activities of a church, but it is Christ in our midst that makes us His church, not anything we do.
Faith and Practice
Scripture is the final authority in all matters of faith and practice. This church recognizes that it cannot bind the conscience of individual members in areas where Scripture is silent. Rather, each believer is to be led in those areas by the Lord, to whom he or she alone is ultimately responsible.
References: 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Romans 14-15; 1 Corinthians 8-10; Romans 12
Comments: Truth is found in the Scriptures – but truth is not found ONLY in the Scriptures. The Bible is sufficient for our spiritual lives, but many other beneficial things can be learned through other means. We embrace whatever we can learn from whatever legitimate source, always passing it through the discerning grid of God’s unerring Word. What Scripture teaches, we embrace. Beyond that, no person, organization, or writings have authority to dictate our beliefs.