ABOUT GOD

• We believe that there is one Divine Being who exists equally in three distinct persons: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
• God has chosen to reveal himself to us through his Son, Jesus Christ, The Bible (special revelation), and his creation (general revelation).
• He continues to sustain his creation and provides for our needs.
• God loves us and desires to be in a relationship with us.

ABOUT THE FATHER

• God as Father reigns with providential care over all creation. He is sovereign.
• He is all powerful (omnipotent), all knowing (omniscient), present everywhere (omnipresent) all loving and full of justice, and all wise.
• God is Father in truth to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ.
• He is fatherly in His attitude toward all mankind.

Genesis 1:1, 2:7   Exodus 3:14, 6:2-3, 15:11, 20:1   Leviticus 22:2   Deuteronomy 6:4, 32:6   1 Chronicles 29:10   Psalm 19:1-3   Isaiah 43:3,15, 64:8   Jeremiah 10:10, 17:13   Matthew 6:9, 7:11, 23:9, 28:19   Mark 1:9-11   John 4:24, 5:26, 14:6-13, 17:1-8   Acts 1:7   Romans 8:14-15   1 Corinthians 8:6   Galatians 4:6   Ephesians 4:6   Colossians 1:15   1 Timothy 1:17   Hebrews 11:6, 12:9   1 Peter 1:17   1 John 5:7

ABOUT JESUS CHRIST

• Jesus Christ voluntarily came to earth and lived in human form, experiencing the same things that any human would.
• Even though he lived a sinless life, he submitted to death on a Roman cross for the penalty of our sins.
• He rose again on the third day and ascended to the Father in heaven, where he is now the Mediator between God and humans.
• At the appointed time in the future, He will return to take those who belong to him to live with God for eternity with Him.

Genesis 18:1   Psalms 2:7, 110:1   Isaiah 7:14, 53:1-12   Matthew 1:18-23, 3:17, 8:29, 11:27, 14:33, 16:16, 27, 17:5, 27, 28:1-6, 19   Mark 1:1, 3:11   Luke 1:35, 4:41, 22:70, 24:46   John 1:1-18, 29, 10:30, 38, 11:25-27, 12:44-50, 14:7-11, 16:15-16, 28, 17:1-5, 21-22, 20:1-20, 28   Acts 1:9, 2:22-24, 7:55-56, 9:4-5, 20   Romans 1:3-4, 3:23-26, 5:6-21, 8:1-3, 34, 10:4   1 Corinthians 1:30, 2:2, 8:6, 15:1-8, 24-28   2 Corinthians 5:19-21, 8:9   Galatians 4:4-5   Ephesians 1:20, 3:11, 4:7-10   Philippians 2:5-11   Colossians 1:13-22, 2:9   1 Thessalonians 4:14-18   1 Timothy 2:5-6, 3:16   Titus 2:13-14   Hebrews 1:1-3, 4:14-15, 7:14-28, 9:12-15, 24-28, 12:2, 13:8   1 Peter 2:21-25, 3:22   1 John 1:7-9, 3:2, 4:14-15, 5:9   2 John 7-9   Revelation 1:13-16, 5:9-14, 12:10-11, 13:8, 19:16  

ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT

• As the third equal person of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit's role is to reside in the life of every believer at the point of salvation, to mark and seal them as believers, and guiding and equipping them for the purpose of effectively building the Kingdom.
• By his presence we can understand and apply the truth of Scripture, and are empowered to live God honoring lives.
• The Holy Spirit applies all of the work of Christ to our lives, supernaturally developing his character in us expressed in conduct and action.

Genesis 1:2   Judges 14:6   Job 26:13   Psalms 51:11, 139:7   Isaiah 61:1-3   Joel 2:28-32   Matthew 1:18, 3:16, 4:1, 12:28-32, 28:19   Mark 1:10,12   Luke 1:35, 4:1,18-19, 11:13, 12:12, 24:49   John 4:24, 14:16-17,26, 15:26, 16:7-14   Acts 1:8, 2:1-4,38, 4:31, 5:3, 6:3, 7:55, 8:17,39, 10:44, 13:2, 15:28, 16:6, 19:1-6   Romans 8:9-11,14-16,26-27   1 Corinthians 2:10-14, 3:16, 12:3-11,13   Galatians 4:6   Ephesians 1:13-14, 4:30, 5:18   1 Thessalonians 5:19   1 Timothy 3:16, 4:1   2 Timothy 1:14, 3:16   Hebrews 9:8,14   2 Peter 1:21   1 John 4:13, 5:6-7   Revelation 1:10, 22:17   

ABOUT HUMANKIND

• Human beings are the supreme part of God's creation, and are designed to be in relationship with Him.
• However, the first humans willingly chose to listen to the satan (accuser) and were deceived.
• At that point, sin entered the world and our relationship with God was severed. Alienation resulted: God with humans; humans with ourselves ; humans with other humans, and humans with nature. We were out of harmony with all of creation.
• Every human being since that time has suffered the consequences of alienation from God.
• We are open to Satan's influence, unable to please God, and are hopelessly condemned to spend an eternity without Him.
• Our greatest need as humans is to have our relationship with God restored.

Genesis 1:26-30, 2:5,7,18-22, 3, 9:6, Psalms 1, 8:3-6, 32:1-5, 51:5   Isaiah 6:5   Jeremiah 17:5   Matthew 16:26   Acts 17:26-31   Romans 1:19-32, 3:10-18,23, 5:6,12,19, 6:6, 7:14-25, 8:14-18,29   1 Corinthians 1:21-31, 15:19,21-22   Ephesians 2:1-22   Colossians 1:21-22, 3:9-11   

ABOUT THE HOLY BIBLE

• Over an approximate period of 1500 years, God inspired human authors to reveal his truth to us - which is completed in the Old and New Testaments called the Holy Bible.
• It comes in the form of sixty-six books of the various writing styles and languages of that time that all point to the same truth - that God is actively working to redeem the world and restore His creation.
• The Bible is the uniquely inspired Word of God and authoritative revelation of God to be the rule of faith and practice as Christians
• Therefore, we can look to the Bible as the complete and final source of authority for how God wants us to live.

Exodus 24:4   Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 17:19   Joshua 8:34   Psalms 19:7-10, 119:11,89,105,140   Isaiah 34:16, 40:8   Jeremiah 15:16, 36:1-32   Matthew 5:17-18, 22:29   Luke 21:33, 24:44-46   John 5:39, 16:13-15, 17:17   Acts 2:16, 17:11   Romans 15:4, 16:25-26   2 Timothy 3:15-17   Hebrews 1:1-2, 4:12   1 Peter 1:25   2 Peter 1:19-21   

ABOUT SALVATION

• Because there is no way for humans to achieve reconciliation with God, we must totally depend on his grace and mercy. Salvation is by grace alone through faith in Jesus Christ.
• Through faith in what Jesus did for us by offering himself as a sacrifice on the cross to atone for our sins, we can be restored, and have peace with God again.
• When we make the decision to accept Jesus Christ as Savior, confess our sins, repent of our disobedience, and are baptized (immersed) into the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, we begin our eternal life in Christ and receive the Holy Spirit into our lives.
• We belong to Christ and are destined to spend eternity with God. Our commitment is both private and public.

Genesis 3:15   Exodus 3:14-17, 6:2-8   Matthew 1:21, 4:17, 16:21-26, 27:22-28:6   Luke 1:68-69, 2:28-32   John 1:11-14,29, 3:3-21,36, 5:24, 10:9,28-29, 15:1-16, 17:17   Acts 2:21, 4:12, 15:11, 16:30-31, 17:30-31, 20:32   Romans 1:16-18, 2:4, 3:23-25, 4:3, 5:8-10, 6:1-23, 8:1-18,29-39, 10:9-10,13, 13:11-14   1 Corinthians 1:18,30, 6:19-20, 15:10   2 Corinthians 5:17-20   Galatians 2:20, 3:13, 5:22-25, 6:15   Ephesians 1:7, 2:8-22, 4:11-16   Philippians 2:12-13   Colossians 1:9-22, 3:1   1 Thessalonians 5:23-24   2 Timothy 1:12   Titus 2:11-14   Hebrews 2:1-3, 5:8-9, 9:24-28, 11:1-12:8,14   James 2:14-26   1 Peter 1:2-23   1 John 1:6-2:11   Revelation 3:20, 21:1-22:5   

ABOUT THE CHURCH

• The church is the community of believers who represents Jesus Christ to the world. The Bible refers to the church as the body of Christ, with Christ at the Head of the church.
• God divinely arranges each part of the body (individual believers) in such a way that the church can carry out its mission ( Matthew 28:18-20 ).
• To remain healthy, each part of the body must contribute and function together in harmony - one part supporting the others.
• Everyone in the church works toward the growth and maturity of the body as a whole.
• In that way, the church will be in the best shape to work with God in reconciling the world to himself.
• The church is instructed to gather regularly for the purposes of worship, teaching, fellowship, communion, encouraging, and equipping for ministry.
• The church is an autonomous local congregation of immersed believers, associated by covenant membership.
• Each congregation operates under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, lead by the Holy Spirit of God to follow the Word of God (the Bible).
• Each member is responsible and accountable to Jesus Christ as Lord. The biblical offices are elders and deacons.
• Both men and women are gifted for service in the church.
• The church practices the two ordinances of Christ, baptism and communion.
• The New Testament also includes the church or the Body of Christ as all Christians from all ages, and people.

Matthew 16:15-19, 18:15-20   Acts 2:41-42,47, 5:11-14, 6:3-6, 13:1-3, 14:23,27, 15:1-30, 16:5, 20:28   Romans 1:7   1 Corinthians 1:2, 3:16, 5:4-5, 7:17, 9:13-14, 12   Ephesians 1:22-23, 2:19-22, 3:8-11,21, 5:22-32   Philippians 1:1   Colossians 1:18   1 Timothy 2:9-14, 3:1-15, 4:14   Hebrews 11:39-40   1 Peter 5:1-4   Revelation 2-3, 21:2-3   

ABOUT BAPTISM AND COMMUNION

• Baptism is immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
• In baptism, a believer is immersed, crucified and buried with Christ (Rom. 6:3-4), receives forgiveness of sin and the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38), is resurrected (Col. 2:12) and clothed with Christ (Gal. 3:27), and becomes saved (1 Peter 3:21) because of God’s free gift of grace received by faith.
• This is an act of obedience to Jesus Christ who was crucified, buried and risen just as the believer's death to sin, burial of the old life and resurrection to walk in newness of life in Jesus becomes a new reality.
• The Lord's Supper or Communion is a celebration of the New Covenant (between God and all disciples). The community of disciples, in relationship with God, are invited to participate in this Supper that Jesus began before his death, which consists of the unleavened bread (representing His body crucified) and the fruit of the vine (representing His blood shed on the cross). We celebrate this "meal" typically at least weekly in remembrance of the death of Jesus Christ and the proclamation of His return.

Matthew 3:13-17, 26:26-30, 28:19-20   Mark 1:9-11, 14:22-26   Luke 3:21-22, 22:19-20   John 3:23   Acts 2:41-42, 8:35-39, 16:30-33, 20:7   Romans 6:3-5   1 Corinthians 10:16,21, 11:23-29   Colossians 2:12   

ABOUT MARRIAGE, GENDER, AND SEXUALITY

• We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male and female.
• These two distinct genders together reflect the image and nature of God ( Gen 1:26-27 ).
• Rejection of one's biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person.
• We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture ( Gen 2:18-25).
• We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other ( 1 Cor 6:18; 7:2-5; Heb 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 any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, and use of pornography) is sinful & offensive to God ( Mat 15:18-20; 1 Cor 6:9-10 ).

Genesis 1:26-28, 2:15-25, 3:1-20   Exodus 20:12   Deuteronomy 6:4-9   Joshua 24:15   1 Samuel 1:26-28   Psalms 51:5, 78:1-8, 127, 128, 139:13-16   Proverbs 1:8, 5:15-20, 6:20-22, 12:4, 13:24, 14:1, 17:6, 18:22, 22:6,15, 23:13-14, 24:3, 29:15,17, 31:10-31   Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, 9:9   Malachi 2:14-16   Matthew 5:31-32, 18:2-5, 19:3-9   Mark 10:6-12   Romans 1:18-32   1 Corinthians 7:1-16   Ephesians 5:21-33, 6:1-4   Colossians 3:18-21   1 Timothy 5:8,14   2 Timothy 1:3-5   Titus 2:3-5   Hebrews 13:4   1 Peter 3:1-7   

FINAL AUTHORITY FOR BELIEF AND CONDUCT

• This Statement of Beliefs does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs and faith.
• The Bible itself, as the inspired Word of God that speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of humankind, is the sole and final source of all that we believe.
• For purposes of Heyworth Christian Church's faith, doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline, our Elders are Heyworth Christian Church's final interpretive authority on the Bible's meaning and application.