The Word of God
We believe the Bible to be inspired, the infallible, authoritative Word of God. Written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, without error, and it is the supreme authority on faith and conduct. (2 Tim. 3:16; Heb. 4:12; 2 Peter. 1:21)
The Trinity
We believe that there is one living God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three are equal in divine characteristic, but execute distinct but harmonious offices and roles in God’s plan of redemption. All three persons were involved in creating the world, men and women, revealing their pre-existence (Deut. 6:4; Ac. 5:3-4; Heb. 1:8; 1 Pet. 1:2; Gen. 1:26; Is. 48:16; Mt. 28:19-20; Gen. 1:1-2; II Cor. 13,14; Col. 1:16)
God the Father
We believe in God the Father, an infinite personal spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. We believe that he concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of mankind, that He hears and answers prayer, and the He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ. (Jn. 4:24; Mt. 6:4, 6, 18; Mt. 7:11; Psalm 56:8; Jer. 33:3; Acts 4:12.)
Jesus Christ
We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, he is true God and true man, conceived by the Holy Spirit, in His virgin birth, in his sinless life, miracles and teachings, in HIs substitutionary and atoning death, through His shed blood, in his bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father and in his personal return to power and glory. He is the only mediator between God and man and is perpetually interceding for His people before God the Father. (Jn. 1:14; 8:58; Col. 2:9; Mt. 1:16-25; Is. 7:14; Micah 5:2; Jn. 8:40; Rom. 5:15; Heb. 4:15-16; Jn. 11:43-44; Mt. 20:28; 1 Jn. 3:16; Jn. 3:16; Rom. 5:8-9; Jn. 20:2; Lk. 24:50-51; Ac. 1:1-11; Rev. 19:11-16; 1 Tim 2:4; Heb. 1:1-3)
The Holy Spirit
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, proceeding forth from the Father and the Son. He convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment; regenerates lost and sinful men for salvation upon their repentance and belief. We believe the present ministry of the Holy Spirit is to indwell each believer and to empower them to live a godly life through teaching and guiding them. (2 Cor. 13:4; Gen. 1:2; Jn. 3:6; 2 Thess. 2:13; Jn. 14:26; 15:26; Jn. 16:7-11; Titus 3:5-7; Jn. 14:16-17; 1 Cor 3:16; Eph. 1:14; Jn. 16:13-15)
Regeneration and Salvation
We believe that every person is a sinner by nature and is under condemnation to hell. We believe that those who repent of their sin and, by faith, trust in Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection for the atonement and appeasement of sin and wrath are then regenerated by the Holy Spirit. We also believe and teach that once one is regenerated, one is eternally secure based on the promises of Jesus and Scripture. (Rom. 5:12-21; 1 Jn. 3:4; Rom. 3:23; Lk. 16:23; Ac. 4:12; Heb. 2:17; Rom. 1:16-17; Eph. 2:8,9; Mk. 1:15; Jn. 3:16; 1 Co. 15:1-4; Rom. 10:9,10; Ac. 26:20; Jn. 10:28; 1 Jn. 5:13)
The Church of Jesus Christ
We believe that all regenerated persons become members of the universal church of Jesus Christ. Christ is the head of that church and gives direction to that body. We also believe in the local church, consisting of those who believe in Jesus Christ, upon a credible confession of faith, and associated for worship, work, and fellowship for mutual edification and growth. Members of the church of Christ have two primary tasks; proclaiming the Gospel to the lost and discipling new believers. (Mt. 28:19,20; Eph. 2:12-17; 1 Cor. 12; Eph. 1:22; Acts 2:38-44; Eph. 4:11-16; Col. 1:28)
Ordinances
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has given two ordinances to the local church; baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Neither one of these, produce regeneration but are important steps of obedience and fellowship with Christ. We believe that baptism is by immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and is a public identification with Christ following faith of belief. The Lord’s supper was instituted by Christ for commemoration of His death. These two ordinances are to be practiced until Christ returns. (Ac. 2:38; 1 Cor. 11:24-26; Rom. 6:3-4; Ac. 22:16; Ac. 2:41; 8:36-37; 10:48; 16:31-33; Jer. 31:33; Luke 22:7-23)
Christian Conduct
We believe Christian believers should live to glorify God and the well-being of mankind. Conduct should be blameless before the world. Each believer should enjoy his own freedom in Christ, with the ability to think and have a unique relationship with God. We do believe in mutual accountability of each believer to one another in matters of doctrine and excesses. (1 Cor. 11:3; Eph. 1:22; 5:23; Jn. 15; Heb. 10:25; 1 Co. 12; Prov. 27:17; 2 Tim. 4:1-2; 1 Pet. 5:1-4; Ac. 20:26-32)
Religious Liberty
We believe that every human being has direct relations with God and is responsible to God alone in all matters of faith; that each church is independent and must be free from ecclesiastical or political authority; that, therefore, Church and State must be kept separate as having a different function, each fulfilling is duties free from dictation or patronage of the other. (1 Tim. 2:1-3; Ac. 4:17-20; 5:28-32; Rom. 13:8)
Matters of Conscience and Faith to Scriptural Revelation & Authority
Christ Community holds to the Biblical teaching that in the beginning, God created man and woman distinct and unique in their gender for the purpose of reproduction in order that they might fulfill the command of the Lord “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it.” We believe this commandment was/is to be fulfilled through the institution of marriage, which is the joining of a man and a woman in a holy covenant between them and God and they might become one together. This holy institution was created along with mankind at creation. We hold that both one’s gender as well as the institution of marriage is directly established and therefore defined by God. Therefore, to attempt to alter God’s good plan for one’s gender or the marriage relationship is to contradict God’s will and therefore sin, leading to both spiritual and physical consequences. (Gen. 1:27; Gen. 1:28a; Gen. 2:21-24; Psalm 139:13-16; Mt. 19:4-6; Lev. 18:22; 20:13; Deut. 22:5; Rom. 1:26-27; 2 Co. 6:9-10; Eph. 5:2-33)
As such, Christ Community holds that sex outside of marriage is to be taught as a sin. This included hetero-sexual pre-marital sex, adultery, bestiality, incest, and homosexual, and transgender sex. All sex outside of marriage is a sin against one’s own body and results in consequences. As a result of Article III, Section 1 and Article III Section 10a Christ Community as a matter of faith and conscience, retains the right to teach and believe in the authority of Scripture on these subjects and must obey God rather than men. (Heb 13:4; Ex. 20:14; Lev. 20:15; 1 Cor. 5; Lev. 20:13; Deut. 22:5; 1 Cor. 6:18; Ac. 4:17-18; Ac. 5:28ff)
Last Things
We believe in the personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth and the establishment of His kingdom. We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost – they that are saved unto the resurrection of life eternal and they that are lost unto the resurrection of final judgement and endless suffering in hell. (Jn. 14:3, 18, 28; Ac. 1:11; Mt. 24:30; Rev. 19:11-16; Is. 11:2-5; Rev. 20:11-15)
Full Doctrinal Statement
Click here to access the full doctrinal statement in PDF form.