Statement of Faith
The Church
The Church established by Christ, is comprised of members of God’s family, and is seen globally. The visible church is derived locally for the purpose of shepherding, fellowshipping, supporting one another, sharing the gospel, and making and maturing disciples. Each local church body submits to their elders and serves the church with their gifts.
Creation
Creation is the sole work of the Triune God. God, who has no beginning and no end, brought all things into existence out of nothing, for his glory. God providentially governs, and continually works in and interacts with his creation.
The Bible
The Bible is God’s divine revelation, which carries the full weight of God’s authority. All Scripture is the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God.
The Trinity
God is triune; three fully divine yet distinct persons in one substance, inseparable, always working together in unison, and for one purpose. The one true and eternal God is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The three persons are equal in power and glory.
Father
God the Father is ruler and creator; fully omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. God is holy and unchanging. God is all wisdom, power, justice, goodness, and truth. God is infinite and eternal. God chooses his people.
Son
God the Son is eternally begotten from all eternity, co-equal and co-eternal with the Father. He is the one through whom all things were made, and he is the one who became incarnate to redeem us. In the Incarnation, the Son, assumed a human nature. Jesus Christ was fully God and fully man, with two inseparable natures with their own attributes, fully united in one divine person. Jesus lived a sinless life, was crucified, died, buried, and rose on the third day. Jesus ascended to heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father, he will return in glory and bring judgment to those outside of God’s family. Jesus redeems and forgives God’s people.
Holy Spirit
God the Holy Spirit is one distinct, divine person of the Trinity. He is fully God, proceeding from the Father and the Son, and indwells God’s people. The Holy Spirit regenerates hearts, seals what Christ accomplished on the cross, and transforms God’s people into his image.
The Christian Life
The biblical prescription for Christian living is found in the Great Commandment and the Great Commission (Matthew 22:36; 28:19-20). The earthly life of Jesus offers humanity a perfect example for the Christian life. Through the work of the Spirit, a Christian is enabled to wholly love God, love their neighbor, and make and nurture disciples. This involves upholding a biblical understanding of marriage, gender, and sexuality, while also protecting the lives of the unborn.
The Christian life is a visible testimony to others of the gospel. A person is saved by faith in Christ, not by works of the law. Faith is the response of the Christian to God’s gift of salvation through Christ. It is by the inner work of the Spirit that a person comes to a saving faith, and thus becomes justified by the work of the cross. The good works produced through Christians by the Spirit are a response of love and service to God.
Humanity, the Fall & Atonement
Humanity
The creation of humanity comes at the culmination of the Creation account in Genesis, whereby God created humans in his own image, male and female.
The Fall
The sin of Adam occurred and affects all of humanity. Adam’s sin brought about corruption, causing separation from God, and condemnation.
Atonement
For God’s people to be reconciled to him, an atonement must be made. Jesus came as God’s only begotten Son, as the only perfect sacrifice to redeem God’s people. On behalf of sinners, Jesus’s substitutionary atoning death provided complete atonement for God’s people. Through this gracious gift, His righteousness is imputed upon all who trust in Him alone for salvation and repent of their sins.
The Nicene Creed
Everyday Theologians affirms the Nicene Creed:
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, visible and invisible.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father. Through him all things were made.
For us, and for our salvation, he came down from heaven, was incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate. He suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again, in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who in unity with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic* and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.
Amen.
*The word “catholic” in the creed is defined as the universality of the people of God.