JESUS CHRIST
Jesus Christ is God the Son, the second person of the Trinity. On earth, Jesus was 100% God and 100% man. He is the only man ever to have lived a sinless life. He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, performed miracles, died on the cross for mankind and thus, atoned for our sins through the shedding of His blood. He rose from the dead on the third day according to the Scriptures, ascended to the right hand of the Father, and will return again in power and glory.
John 1:1,14, 20:28; I Timothy 3:16; Isaiah 9:6; Philippians 2:5-6; I Timothy 2:5
SALVATION
We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ; His death, burial, and resurrection. Salvation is a gift from God, not a result of our good works or of any human efforts.
Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 2:16, 3:8; Titus 3:5; Romans 10:9-10; Acts 16:31; Hebrews 9:22
WATER BAPTISM
United Church practices Believer’s Baptism, which means that we baptize those who have made a personal decision to follow Christ and trust Him alone for salvation with full immersion to reinforce the symbolism of burial and resurrection, and to reflect the practice as found in the New Testament. (We sometimes refer to baptism as “Going Liquid” with your faith.) At United Church, baptisms are celebrations! This is the attitude toward someone's desire to announce that "I have chosen to follow Christ!"
John 4:2; Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:41
HOLY BIBLE
The Holy Bible, and only the Bible, is the authoritative Word of God. It alone is the final authority in determining all doctrinal truths. In its original writing, it is inspired, infallible and inerrant.
II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:20-21; Proverbs 30:5; Romans 16:25-26
TRINITY
There is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. These three are coequal and co-eternal.
I John 5:7; Genesis 1:26; Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19; Luke 1:35; Isaiah 9:6; Hebrews 3:7-11
VIRGIN BIRTH
Jesus Christ was conceived by God the Father, through the Holy Spirit (the third person of the Trinity) in the virgin Mary’s womb; therefore, He is the Son of God.
Matthew 1:18, 25; Luke 1:35; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18, 23-25; Luke 1:27-35
REDEMPTION
Man was created good and upright, but by voluntary transgression he fell; his only hope of redemption is in Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Gen. 1:26-31, 3:1-7; Romans 5:12-21
REGENERATION
For anyone to know God, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.
John 6:44, 65
REPENTANCE
Repentance is the commitment to turn away from sin in every area of our lives and to follow Christ, which allows us to receive His redemption and to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit. Thus, through repentance we receive forgiveness of sins and appropriate salvation.
Acts 2:21, 3:19; I John 1:9
SANCTIFICATION
Sanctification is the ongoing process of yielding to God’s Word and His Spirit in order to complete the development of Christ’s character in us. It is through the present ministry of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God that the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.
I Thessalonians 4:3, 5:23; II Corinthians 3:18, 6:14-18, II Thessalonians 2:1-3, Romans 8:29, 12:1-2, Hebrews 2:11
MARRIAGE
The testimony of the God-breathed Holy Scriptures is that the marriage covenant shall be reserved only for one man with one woman. It was our Creator, the Lord God, who decided that the man should not be alone, who specifically fashioned the woman as the suitable helper for the man, who literally made the woman from a part of the man, and in the woman made the man complete, who designed sexual union to be with a husband cleaving to his wife as one flesh, who bestowed his divine blessing upon the unity of a man and a woman, who gave the man and the woman the ability to fulfill his charge to be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth, and who ordained the pattern for human existence that a man and a woman would pair up and cleave to each other in one flesh. No other relationship can ever be the holy unity between one man and one woman established by our Creator, which the Apostle Paul frequently compared to the holy unity of Christ and the church, and man has no authority to alter the divine order of the unity between one man and one woman.
Genesis 2:18-24; 1:27-28; Matthew 19:4-6; Ephesians 5: 23, 25, 31-32
SEXUALITY
God’s intention for human sexuality is to occur between one genetic male and one genetic female within the covenant of marriage. All forms of sexuality outside of God’s intention are a result of separation from God and are illegitimate moral options for the confessing Christian. In Scripture, several sexual behaviors are expressly forbidden, which include but are not limited to fornication, adultery, incest, unnatural sexual intercourse and homosexual acts.
Genesis 2:18, 21-24; Hebrews 13:4; 1 Corinthians 6:13, 18–20; Exodus 20:14; Leviticus 18:7–23, 20:10–21; Matthew 5:27–28; Romans 1:20–27; 1 Corinthians 6:9; Galatians 5:19; Ephesians 4:17–19; Colossians 3:5
Into this broken world, God sent himself in the form of His only begotten Son, Jesus the Christ (John 1:1–3, 14). Through His sacrifice, Jesus became the Way to restoration of the Divine/human community (John 3:16). Until one has restored his or her relationship with God through His Son, Jesus, all other relationships — including human sexuality — will remain broken (John 14:6–7).
JESUS’ BLOOD
The Blood that Jesus Christ shed on the Cross of Calvary was sinless and is 100% sufficient to cleanse mankind of all sin. Jesus allowed Himself to be punished for both our sinfulness and our sins, enabling all those who believe to be free from the penalty of sin, which is death.
I John 1:7; Revelation 1:5, 5:9; Colossians 1:20; Romans 3:10-12, 23, 5:9; John 1:29
JESUS CHRIST DWELLS IN ALL BELIEVERS
Christians are people who have invited the Lord Jesus Christ to come and live inside them by His Holy Spirit. They relinquish the authority of their lives over to him thus making Jesus the Lord of their life as well as Savior. They put their trust in what Jesus accomplished for them when He died, was buried, and rose again from the dead
John 1:12; John 14:17, 23; John 15:4; Romans 8:11; Revelation 3:20
BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT
Given at Pentecost, it is the promise of the Father, sent by Jesus after His Ascension, to empower the Church to preach the Gospel throughout the whole earth.
Joel 2:28-29; Matthew 3:11; Mark 16:17; Acts 1:5,2:1-4, 17, 38-39, 8:14-17, 10:38, 44-47, 11:15-17, 19:1-6
THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit is manifested through a variety of spiritual gifts to build and sanctify the church, demonstrate the validity of the resurrection, and confirm the power of the Gospel. The Bible lists of these gifts are not necessarily exhaustive, and the gifts may occur in various combinations. All believers are commanded to earnestly desire the manifestation of the gifts in their lives. These gifts always operate in harmony with the Scriptures and should never be used in violation of biblical parameters.
Hebrews 2:4; Romans 1:11,12 :4-8; Ephesians 4:16; II Timothy 1:5-16, 4:14; I Corinthians 12:1-31, 14:1-40; I Peter 4:10
THE CHURCH
The church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of Jesus’ great commission. Every person who is born of the Spirit is an integral part of the church as a member of the body of believers. There is a spiritual unity of all believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 1:22, 2:19-22; Hebrews 12:23; John 17:11, 20-23
TWO ORDINANCES
Water Baptism: Following faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the new convert is commanded by the Word of God to be baptized in water in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38; Mark 16:16; Acts 8:12, 36-38; 10:47-48
The Lord’s Supper: A unique time of communion in the presence of God when the elements of bread and grape juice (the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ) are taken in remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross.
Matthew 26:26-29; I Corinthians 10:16, 11:23-25
HEALING OF THE SICK
Healing of the sick is illustrated in the life and ministry of Jesus, and included in the commission of Jesus to His disciples. It is given as a sign, which is to follow believers. It is also a part of Jesus’ work on the Cross and one of the gifts of the Spirit.
Psalm 103:2-3; Isaiah 53:5; Matthew 8:16-17; Mark 16:17-18; Acts 8:6-7; James 5:14-16; I Corinthians 12:9, 28; Romans 11:29
GOD’S WILL FOR PROVISION
It is the Father’s will for believers to become whole, healthy and successful in all areas of life. But because of the fall, many may not receive the full benefits of God’s will while on Earth. That fact, though, should never prevent all believers from seeking the full benefits of Christ’s provision in order to better serve others.
Spiritual (John 3:3-11; II Corinthians 5:17-21; Romans 10:9-10)
Mental and Emotional (II Timothy 1:7, 2:11; Philippians 4:7-8; Romans 12:2; Isaiah 26:3)
Physical (Isaiah 53:4,5; Matthew 8:17; I Peter 2:24)
Financial (Joshua 1:8; Malachi 3:10-11; Luke 6:38; II Corinthians 9:6-10; Deuteronomy 28:1-14; Psalm 34:10, 84:11; Philippians 4:19)
RESURRECTION
Jesus Christ was physically resurrected from the dead in a glorified body three days after His death on the cross. In addition, both the saved and the lost will be resurrected; they that are saved to the resurrection of life and they that are lost to the resurrection of eternal damnation.
Luke 24:16, 36, 39; John 2:19-21, 20:26-28, 21:4; Acts 24:15; I Corinthians 15:42, 44; Philippians 1:21-23, 3:21
HEAVEN
Heaven is the eternal dwelling place for all believers in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 5:3, 12, 20, 6:20, 19:21, 25:34; John 17:24; II Corinthians 5:1; Hebrews 11:16; I Peter 1:4
HELL
After living one life on earth, the unbelievers will be judged by God and sent to Hell where they will be eternally tormented with the Devil and the Fallen Angels.
Matthew 25:41; Mark 9:43-48; Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 14:9-11, 20:12-15, 21:8
SECOND COMING
Jesus Christ will physically and visibly return to earth for the second time to establish His Kingdom. This will occur at a date undisclosed by the Scriptures.
Matthew 24:30, 26:63-64; Acts 1:9-11; I Thessalonians 4:15-17; II Thessalonians
Jesus Christ is God the Son, the second person of the Trinity. On earth, Jesus was 100% God and 100% man. He is the only man ever to have lived a sinless life. He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, performed miracles, died on the cross for mankind and thus, atoned for our sins through the shedding of His blood. He rose from the dead on the third day according to the Scriptures, ascended to the right hand of the Father, and will return again in power and glory.
John 1:1,14, 20:28; I Timothy 3:16; Isaiah 9:6; Philippians 2:5-6; I Timothy 2:5
SALVATION
We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ; His death, burial, and resurrection. Salvation is a gift from God, not a result of our good works or of any human efforts.
Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 2:16, 3:8; Titus 3:5; Romans 10:9-10; Acts 16:31; Hebrews 9:22
WATER BAPTISM
United Church practices Believer’s Baptism, which means that we baptize those who have made a personal decision to follow Christ and trust Him alone for salvation with full immersion to reinforce the symbolism of burial and resurrection, and to reflect the practice as found in the New Testament. (We sometimes refer to baptism as “Going Liquid” with your faith.) At United Church, baptisms are celebrations! This is the attitude toward someone's desire to announce that "I have chosen to follow Christ!"
John 4:2; Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:41
HOLY BIBLE
The Holy Bible, and only the Bible, is the authoritative Word of God. It alone is the final authority in determining all doctrinal truths. In its original writing, it is inspired, infallible and inerrant.
II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:20-21; Proverbs 30:5; Romans 16:25-26
TRINITY
There is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. These three are coequal and co-eternal.
I John 5:7; Genesis 1:26; Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19; Luke 1:35; Isaiah 9:6; Hebrews 3:7-11
VIRGIN BIRTH
Jesus Christ was conceived by God the Father, through the Holy Spirit (the third person of the Trinity) in the virgin Mary’s womb; therefore, He is the Son of God.
Matthew 1:18, 25; Luke 1:35; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18, 23-25; Luke 1:27-35
REDEMPTION
Man was created good and upright, but by voluntary transgression he fell; his only hope of redemption is in Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Gen. 1:26-31, 3:1-7; Romans 5:12-21
REGENERATION
For anyone to know God, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.
John 6:44, 65
REPENTANCE
Repentance is the commitment to turn away from sin in every area of our lives and to follow Christ, which allows us to receive His redemption and to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit. Thus, through repentance we receive forgiveness of sins and appropriate salvation.
Acts 2:21, 3:19; I John 1:9
SANCTIFICATION
Sanctification is the ongoing process of yielding to God’s Word and His Spirit in order to complete the development of Christ’s character in us. It is through the present ministry of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God that the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.
I Thessalonians 4:3, 5:23; II Corinthians 3:18, 6:14-18, II Thessalonians 2:1-3, Romans 8:29, 12:1-2, Hebrews 2:11
MARRIAGE
The testimony of the God-breathed Holy Scriptures is that the marriage covenant shall be reserved only for one man with one woman. It was our Creator, the Lord God, who decided that the man should not be alone, who specifically fashioned the woman as the suitable helper for the man, who literally made the woman from a part of the man, and in the woman made the man complete, who designed sexual union to be with a husband cleaving to his wife as one flesh, who bestowed his divine blessing upon the unity of a man and a woman, who gave the man and the woman the ability to fulfill his charge to be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth, and who ordained the pattern for human existence that a man and a woman would pair up and cleave to each other in one flesh. No other relationship can ever be the holy unity between one man and one woman established by our Creator, which the Apostle Paul frequently compared to the holy unity of Christ and the church, and man has no authority to alter the divine order of the unity between one man and one woman.
Genesis 2:18-24; 1:27-28; Matthew 19:4-6; Ephesians 5: 23, 25, 31-32
SEXUALITY
God’s intention for human sexuality is to occur between one genetic male and one genetic female within the covenant of marriage. All forms of sexuality outside of God’s intention are a result of separation from God and are illegitimate moral options for the confessing Christian. In Scripture, several sexual behaviors are expressly forbidden, which include but are not limited to fornication, adultery, incest, unnatural sexual intercourse and homosexual acts.
Genesis 2:18, 21-24; Hebrews 13:4; 1 Corinthians 6:13, 18–20; Exodus 20:14; Leviticus 18:7–23, 20:10–21; Matthew 5:27–28; Romans 1:20–27; 1 Corinthians 6:9; Galatians 5:19; Ephesians 4:17–19; Colossians 3:5
Into this broken world, God sent himself in the form of His only begotten Son, Jesus the Christ (John 1:1–3, 14). Through His sacrifice, Jesus became the Way to restoration of the Divine/human community (John 3:16). Until one has restored his or her relationship with God through His Son, Jesus, all other relationships — including human sexuality — will remain broken (John 14:6–7).
JESUS’ BLOOD
The Blood that Jesus Christ shed on the Cross of Calvary was sinless and is 100% sufficient to cleanse mankind of all sin. Jesus allowed Himself to be punished for both our sinfulness and our sins, enabling all those who believe to be free from the penalty of sin, which is death.
I John 1:7; Revelation 1:5, 5:9; Colossians 1:20; Romans 3:10-12, 23, 5:9; John 1:29
JESUS CHRIST DWELLS IN ALL BELIEVERS
Christians are people who have invited the Lord Jesus Christ to come and live inside them by His Holy Spirit. They relinquish the authority of their lives over to him thus making Jesus the Lord of their life as well as Savior. They put their trust in what Jesus accomplished for them when He died, was buried, and rose again from the dead
John 1:12; John 14:17, 23; John 15:4; Romans 8:11; Revelation 3:20
BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT
Given at Pentecost, it is the promise of the Father, sent by Jesus after His Ascension, to empower the Church to preach the Gospel throughout the whole earth.
Joel 2:28-29; Matthew 3:11; Mark 16:17; Acts 1:5,2:1-4, 17, 38-39, 8:14-17, 10:38, 44-47, 11:15-17, 19:1-6
THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit is manifested through a variety of spiritual gifts to build and sanctify the church, demonstrate the validity of the resurrection, and confirm the power of the Gospel. The Bible lists of these gifts are not necessarily exhaustive, and the gifts may occur in various combinations. All believers are commanded to earnestly desire the manifestation of the gifts in their lives. These gifts always operate in harmony with the Scriptures and should never be used in violation of biblical parameters.
Hebrews 2:4; Romans 1:11,12 :4-8; Ephesians 4:16; II Timothy 1:5-16, 4:14; I Corinthians 12:1-31, 14:1-40; I Peter 4:10
THE CHURCH
The church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of Jesus’ great commission. Every person who is born of the Spirit is an integral part of the church as a member of the body of believers. There is a spiritual unity of all believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 1:22, 2:19-22; Hebrews 12:23; John 17:11, 20-23
TWO ORDINANCES
Water Baptism: Following faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the new convert is commanded by the Word of God to be baptized in water in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38; Mark 16:16; Acts 8:12, 36-38; 10:47-48
The Lord’s Supper: A unique time of communion in the presence of God when the elements of bread and grape juice (the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ) are taken in remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross.
Matthew 26:26-29; I Corinthians 10:16, 11:23-25
HEALING OF THE SICK
Healing of the sick is illustrated in the life and ministry of Jesus, and included in the commission of Jesus to His disciples. It is given as a sign, which is to follow believers. It is also a part of Jesus’ work on the Cross and one of the gifts of the Spirit.
Psalm 103:2-3; Isaiah 53:5; Matthew 8:16-17; Mark 16:17-18; Acts 8:6-7; James 5:14-16; I Corinthians 12:9, 28; Romans 11:29
GOD’S WILL FOR PROVISION
It is the Father’s will for believers to become whole, healthy and successful in all areas of life. But because of the fall, many may not receive the full benefits of God’s will while on Earth. That fact, though, should never prevent all believers from seeking the full benefits of Christ’s provision in order to better serve others.
Spiritual (John 3:3-11; II Corinthians 5:17-21; Romans 10:9-10)
Mental and Emotional (II Timothy 1:7, 2:11; Philippians 4:7-8; Romans 12:2; Isaiah 26:3)
Physical (Isaiah 53:4,5; Matthew 8:17; I Peter 2:24)
Financial (Joshua 1:8; Malachi 3:10-11; Luke 6:38; II Corinthians 9:6-10; Deuteronomy 28:1-14; Psalm 34:10, 84:11; Philippians 4:19)
RESURRECTION
Jesus Christ was physically resurrected from the dead in a glorified body three days after His death on the cross. In addition, both the saved and the lost will be resurrected; they that are saved to the resurrection of life and they that are lost to the resurrection of eternal damnation.
Luke 24:16, 36, 39; John 2:19-21, 20:26-28, 21:4; Acts 24:15; I Corinthians 15:42, 44; Philippians 1:21-23, 3:21
HEAVEN
Heaven is the eternal dwelling place for all believers in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 5:3, 12, 20, 6:20, 19:21, 25:34; John 17:24; II Corinthians 5:1; Hebrews 11:16; I Peter 1:4
HELL
After living one life on earth, the unbelievers will be judged by God and sent to Hell where they will be eternally tormented with the Devil and the Fallen Angels.
Matthew 25:41; Mark 9:43-48; Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 14:9-11, 20:12-15, 21:8
SECOND COMING
Jesus Christ will physically and visibly return to earth for the second time to establish His Kingdom. This will occur at a date undisclosed by the Scriptures.
Matthew 24:30, 26:63-64; Acts 1:9-11; I Thessalonians 4:15-17; II Thessalonians