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We believe the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments are the completely accurate and authoritative revelation of God to mankind. The Bible is God’s absolute truth, without any mixture of error. While it was written by human beings, it was overseen and inspired by God so that the final result was God’s perfect word to us. The Bible also reveals God’s designs for his people to flourish and experience joy by living for His glory and purposes in the world.
Scripture References: Psalm 19:7–11; Psalm 119; John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:14–17; 2 Peter 1:16–21
The Bible reveals a God who created the world, mankind, and everything in it. This God exists as one being in three unique persons: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is perfectly just and good, but equally full of love and compassion. He is continually working to bring about the glory of His name through the rescue and redemption of sinful people. He does this by controlling the events of human history and directing them toward his ultimate purposes.
Scripture References: Genesis 1:1, 27; Exodus 34:6–7; Numbers 14:18–1; Psalm 8:3–9; Isaiah 6:1–8, 46:9–10; Nehemiah 9:26–31; Romans 11:34–36; Ephesians 1:11; Colossians 1:15–20; 1 Peter 1:1–2
Human beings are the unique and special creation of God. Different from the rest of creation, God created us in his image to enjoy a special relationship with Him. However, we have rejected this special relationship with God and chosen to find life in the creation, rather than in our Creator. From the moment each person is born, we inherit a sinful nature that leads us to run from God, rather than to Him. While mankind is uniquely valuable in the sight of God, we are also deeply fallen and in need of rescue.
Scripture References: Genesis 1:27, 3:6–7; Psalm 139:14–15; Romans 1:18–32, 3:10–18
Heaven and Hell are real places that exist as eternal destinations. When a person dies, where they will spend eternity instantly becomes real for them. In Heaven, people are fully reunited with God in a state of unhindered loving relationship that results in eternal joy and fulfillment. In Hell, people have freely chosen to separate themselves from God for all eternity and as a result, experience an eternal state of spiritual agony. How a person responds to God in this life will ultimately determine where they will spend eternity.
Scripture References: Matthew 25:31–46; Luke 16:19–31; John 3:14–21; Romans 2:6–8; 2 Thessalonians 1:5–10; Revelation 20:11–15, 21:1–8, 22–27
Jesus Christ is the second person of the Trinity. He came to Earth on a rescue mission to save fallen people from their sins. He was fully God, yet fully man at the same time. He was supernaturally conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived a perfect life and died a brutal death in our place. He was then physically raised from the grave, demonstrating his power over sin and darkness.
Scripture References: Mark 10:35–45; Luke 1:26–38, 19:1–10; John 1:1–14, 8:48–59; 1 Corinthians 15:1–8; Philippians 2:3–11; Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 2:21–25.
Because of what Jesus has done for us, we can be restored to a loving relationship with God. This happens when we stop trying to earn our way into God’s approval and simply trust in what Jesus has done in our place. Salvation is a gift from God that we do not earn, but simply receive. At the heart of the gospel message is that Jesus Christ suffered the punishment we deserve so that we can enjoy a relationship we do not. God is supremely glorified in the gospel, because it reveals the full array of his perfections working together to save unworthy sinners and bring them into the joy of his presence.
Scripture Reference: Mark 2:13–17; John 3:14–18; Romans 3:21–27; 2 Corinthians 5:17–21; Galatians 3:10–14; Ephesians 2:1–10; 2 Timothy 1:8–10; Titus 3:3–7
The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. He is fully God, yet he is a divine person who indwells every believer from the moment of their salvation. The Holy Spirit lives within every believer to help us submit all of our lives to the Lordship of Jesus, experience the joy of our salvation, and become increasingly more like Christ. He has distributed spiritual gifts to the church for the mutual building up of believers and the advancement of God’s mission on Earth.
Scripture References: John 14:15–16, 16:4–11; Romans 12:3–8; 1 Corinthians 12:12–21; Galatians 5:16–26; Ephesians 4:11–16; Philippians 2:12–13; 1 Peter 4:11–12
Because the Holy Spirit indwells every believer, he is both our guarantee of final salvation and the one who empowers us to live a life of obedience to Christ. Because salvation is a gift, it can never be taken away, but those who receive this gift are changed by God’s love to live differently than we used to.
Scripture References: John 6:37–39, 10:28–30; Romans 8:28–37; 1 Corinthians 1:7–8; Galatians 5:22–26; Ephesians 1:13–14; Colossians 3:1–17; James 2:14–17; 1 Peter 1:3–5; 2 Peter 1:3–11
The church is not ultimately a building, but a group of people who share life together and celebrate the work of Christ. We are a group of imperfect people whom God graciously uses to advance His kingdom. God’s design is for every Christian to be deeply connected to a local group of believers who love, serve, and encourage one another in their Christian life. As the world sees God’s people loving and serving one another, we put the glory of God on display and invite people to be a part of something their souls truly long for.
Scripture References: John 13:34–35; Acts 2:42–47; Romans 12:9–13; 2 Corinthians 5:14–15; Galatians 6:1–5; Ephesians 4:11–16, 5:1–21; 1 Thessalonians 2:8; 1 John 3:11–24, 4:7–21
Copyright © 2021 Stonegate Fellowship.