First Congregational Christian Church Doctrinal Statement

  1. BIBLE: Every word in the original writings of the Holy Scriptures is inspired of God and without error.  (II Tim. 3:16; II Peter 1:21; I Cor. 2:13).
  2. GOD: The Godhead exists eternally in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one God.  (Gen. 1:1; John 10:30; John 4:24; Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19; II Cor. 13.14).
  3. MAN: Man was created in the image and likeness of God, but in Adam all mankind fell into sin with the result that all men are sinners, hopelessly sinful in themselves, apart from the grace of God. (Gen. 1:27; 9:6; Rom. 5:12; Rom. 3:23; Eph. 2:1).
  4. JESUS CHRIST:  The eternal Son of God became incarnate in the Lord Jesus Christ, being born of the virgin Mary, and is true God and true man.  (John 1:1, 14, 18; Heb. 1:6, 8; I John 5:20; I Tim. 2:5; Phil. 2:5-11).
  5. SALVATION: Salvation is received by faith alone in Christ, who died for man’s sins and rose again.  (Acts 4:12; Acts 13:38, 39; I Cor. 15:1-4; Romans 4:4, 5; Romans 5:1).
  6. SANCTIFICATION: Every true believer is promised positional, progressive, and ultimate sanctification.  (Heb. 10:10, 14; John 17:17; Eph. 5:26; I Thess. 4:3, 4; Eph. 5:27; I John 3:2).
  7. ASSURANCE:  All who are born of the Spirit through faith in Christ can have assurance of salvation and are eternally secure in Christ.  (Rom. 5:1; John 3:5, 6; I John 5:13; John 10; 28, 29; John 17:12; II Tim. 1:12).
  8. HOLY SPIRIT:  The Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Godhead, who regenerates, indwells, baptizes, and seals all true believers in Christ and fills those yielded to God.   (Matt. 28:19; John 1:13; John 3:3-6; Titus 3:5; I Cor. 2:12; I Cor. 6:19; Rom. 8:9; I Cor. 12: 13; Eph. 4:30).
  9. CHURCH:  The church, composed of all true believers, is the body and bride of Christ, formed by the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  (Eph. 1:22, 23; Eph. 5:24, 25, 30; I Cor. 12:12, 13, 27).
  10. CHRISTIAN LIFE:  Christians are called to a holy life of service and testimony in the power of the Holy Spirit, which service includes the propagation of the Gospel to the whole world.  There is promised reward in heaven for faithfulness in such service.  (I Peter 1:15, 16; John 12:25, 26; Acts 1:8; I Cor. 3:12-15).
  11. ORDINANCES:  The Scriptural ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper are for all true believers in Christ.  (Matt. 28:19, 20; Mark 16:15, 16; Acts 8:12, 36-38; Acts 9:18; Acts 10:47; I Cor. 1:16; I Cor. 11:23-26).
  12. ANGELS:  Angels were originally created holy, but now exist as unfallen and fallen, including Satan.  (Col. 1:16; Neh. 9:6; Psa. 148:2-5; Jude 6; Matt 25:41; Rev. 12:9; Eph. 6:11, 12).
  13. DISPENSATIONS: God has revealed different dispensations or stewardships with corresponding rules of life, of which the present dispensation is the age of grace.  (Eph. 3:2-6, 9-11; Col. 1:25-27; Romans 6:14; Hebrews 7:18, 19).
  14. SECOND COMING:  The blessed hope of the imminent return of the Lord for His Church, the Rapture, is to be followed in order by:  the tribulation; the second coming of Christ to the earth after the tribulation; the establishment of the reign of Christ on earth for one thousand years; the eternal state of punishment for the unsaved and the eternal state of blessing for the saved.  (Titus 2:13; I Thess. 1:10; 4:13-18; 5:4-10; Rev. 3:10; Matt. 24:21, 29, 30; 25:31; Rev. 20:1-6; 20:11-15; Matt. 24:21, 29, 30; 25:31; Rev. 20:1-6; 20:11-15; Matt. 25:46).

Revised   12/10/2014