1. At Christ's Church at Lillian, the foundation for our beliefs is the Bible, the inspired and infallible word of God. We believe in the God revealed in Scripture, as the only God, one in nature, yet existing in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
2. We believe that God is eternal, unchanging, all powerful, all knowing, and everywhere present. He is a God of love, mercy and justice. We believe that whatever we need to know about the nature and attributes of God is found in Scripture. We reject all statements about God which Scripture does not support. (Deut.4:35; 1 John 5:7-8; 2 Tim.3:16; 2 Pet.1:20-21)
3. We believe God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) created the heavens and the earth, and all things visible and invisible. Everything that exists owes its existence to God. (Gen.1:1; John 1:1-14; Col.1:16)
Jesus, God the Son, is the Messiah and the Word who became flesh through His miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit and His virgin birth. He is God and man united in one person. We believe He lived a life without sin, and willingly went to the cross to atone for the sins of the world, thus satisfying divine justice and accomplishing salvation for all who trust in Him. Jesus is preeminently Lord and Savior. We believe He rose bodily from the grave, ascended into heaven and is now seated at the right hand of God the Father where He possesses all authority in heaven and on earth. We believe Him to be the only mediator between God and man, and that apart from Him there is no salvation. We believe in the literal return of Jesus to the earth at the end of this age. He will come, gather His own people together, and deliver judgment to all mankind. (John 1:14; 1 Tim.2:5)
4. We believe in the ministry of the Holy Spirit. We believe He works in the minds and hearts of persons when the Gospel is proclaimed and when biblical truth is taught. He draws unbelievers to faith in Jesus Christ, imparts new life to those who believe, and dwells in every believer. He imparts to God's people both the fruit of the Spirit, enabling growth in Christ-like character, and the gifts of the Spirit which empower God's people for Christian service. We admonish believers to expect the Holy Spirit to work in ways compatible with Scripture and to beware of false spirits and teachings which cannot be biblically substantiated. (John 16:7-8; Rom.8:26; Eph.1:13-14)
5. We believe human beings were created in the image of God. Humanity's fall into sin is taught in the book of Genesis and elsewhere in Scripture where we learn that sin has alienated us from God. All humans need to trust in the sacrifice of Jesus for salvation, receiving also the regenerating and renewing work of the Holy Spirit. We believe a positive response to the gospel includes faith, repentance and baptism. Our church has historically practiced baptism by immersion, believing that to be the mode of baptism taught in Scripture. (Gen.1:27; Rom.3:23; Ezek.18:4; John 14:6; Acts 2:38)
6. We believe salvation to be wholly a work of God's grace, neither deserved nor earned through human deeds or religious ceremony. God credits His own righteousness to those who trust in Christ alone for salvation. It is a gift that must be received with humble repentance and faith in Christ and His finished work on the cross. (Eph.2:8-9)
7. We believe Jesus Christ established His church on earth consisting of all persons who are joined to Him through saving faith. We believe God's people should assemble together regularly for worship, sharing of the Lord's Supper, edification from the Scriptures and for mutual support and encouragement. We affirm the right of each local church to be free to conduct its own affairs, being bound only by their faith in Jesus and their desire to be faithful to His Word. (Heb.10:25)
8. Jesus Christ has commanded His church to proclaim the gospel throughout the world and to make disciples of all nations, baptizing believers and teaching them to observe all the commandments of Jesus. We believe the local church is mandated to evangelize in the local community and throughout the world. (Matt.28:18-20)
9. Recognizing the Bible as the inspired Word of God and the ultimate authority in matters of faith, doctrine and Christian living, we believe the Bible teaches that legitimate sexual relations are exercised only within marriage, and all forms of sexual immorality, including adultery, fornication and homosexuality, are abhorrent to God. We recognize marriage as a biblical institution established by God and described in Scripture as the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. We accept no other definition and oppose all forms of sexual immorality. (Matt.19:4-6; 1Cor. 6:9-10)
10. We recognize that there are differing interpretations on some doctrinal matters, and we accept that fact provided the interpretation is based on the Bible alone. While human reason, human experience, and church tradition may influence understanding of Christian faith, all must bow to biblical authority. We reject the notion that changes in popular culture and social customs can justify any teaching or behavior which is contrary to Scripture.