Cornerstone Beliefs

GRACE ALONE. FAITH ALONE. SCRIPTURE ALONE.

The Bible is a vast and unique treasury of wisdom, written by men divinely inspired, with the Holy Spirit as the ultimate author. The history and prophecy of the Bible are unparalleled in human culture. But it is much more than that. It is God’s Holy Word and the principal way that we learn that our salvation is by grace alone through faith alone.

We have summarized several key teachings into a succinct and retainable system that can be shared:

The Sovereignty of God: We believe that God created and sustains the vast universe, from the largest galaxy to the smallest cell. He is infinite in holiness-all powerful, all loving and all wise. He reveals Himself in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
The Deity of Christ: We believe that Jesus Christ is God’s Son, whose death, burial and resurrection have redeemed mankind from sin and death. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and was born of a virgin, making Him both fully God and fully man. We believe that Christ Jesus is the only mediator between mankind and God.
The Authority of Scripture: We believe the Bible to be inspired Word of God, the singular document of divine revelation, truth without error and sufficient for all Christian guidance.
The Reality of Sin: We believe that sin is a curse upon all creation, and is the result of man’s fall from grace, and the work of Satan. Only the grace of God and repentance of man can restore us into right fellowship.
The Necessity of Salvation: We believe that salvation is an act of God’s elective grace, activated by the willful, faith-filled confession of the humble man or woman, with the effect of bringing eternal life and spirit regeneration. It is by faith alone and not works, whereby we are saved.
The Ministry of the Spirit: We believe that God’s eternal Spirit, or Holy Spirit, indwells and empowers those who receive Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, at the moment of salvation. He seals the believer until the day of final redemption.
The Destiny of Man: We believe that mankind awaits the return of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, and will spend eternity in the destination of either Heaven or Hell. The Church, or Body of Christ, will be raptured and all believers will be taken up into Heaven.
The Power of Prayer: We believe that prayer is essential to the practice of worship in that it connects us to God through supplication and gratitude for God’s blessings.

THE PLAN OF SALVATION

GOD’S PLAN for mankind from the beginning was fellowship with Him and fulfillment for Him. Jeremiah 29:11 says, ‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.’
MAN’S PROBLEM throughout the centuries has been hereditary, willful separation from God which began with Adam’s first sin in the garden. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” The separation between God and man could not be spanned by religion or good works or morality or the church.
GOD’S REMEDY for this unreachable chasm between God and man could only be filled by God’s son Jesus. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Jesus was the only person in human history who could give His life for our sins. We call His death, burial and resurrection THE GOSPEL because it is the bridge between heaven and earth.

MAN’S RESPONSE to God’s gift is to accept it.

Accept the fact that God has a plan for your life.
Accept the fact that you have inherited a spiritual problem called sin.
Accept the fact that the only remedy for this disease is Jesus, who was crucified as a propitiation for our sins, and then rose from the dead.

Romans 10:9-10 says, “if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.