BELIEFS

God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed in three personalities: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one Being. Genesis 1:1, 26, 27, 3:22; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Corinthians 13:14

Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to heaven’s glory and will return again someday to earth to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Matthew 1:22, 23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5; 14:10-30; Hebrews 4:14, 15; 1 Corinthians 15:3, 4; Romans 1:3, 4; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Timothy 6:14, 15; Titus 2:13

The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son of God. He is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth and guidance in doing what is right. He gives every believer a spiritual gift when he/she is saved. As Christians, we seek to live under His control daily. 2 Corinthians 3:17; John 16:7-13, 14:16,17; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 2:12, 3:16; Ephesians 1:13; Galatians 5:25; Ephesians 5:18

The Bible is God’s Word to us. It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. Because it is inspired by God, it is the truth without any mixture of error. 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20, 21; 2 Timothy 1:13; Psalm 119:105,160, 12:6; Proverbs 30:5

People are made in the spiritual image of God, to be like Him in character. People are the supreme object of God’s creation. Although every person has tremendous potential for good, all of us are marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called “sin.” This attitude separates people from God and causes many problems in life. Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6a; Romans 3:23; Isaiah 59:1, 2

The Church of The Indwelling’s fundamental biblical conviction that Christian marriage is, by definition, the spiritual and physical uniting of one man and one woman in an exclusive covenant commitment for their joint lifetime.  We believe Christian marriage is God’s unique gift to depict and reveal the union between Christ and His church.  As such, we believe that wedding ceremonies on church property and/or weddings that are performed by our pastoral staff are spiritual observances of worship of God who created the divine institution of marriage.  As worship services, weddings on church property shall be officiated by one or more licensed or ordained ministers of the gospel.  No minister employed by the church or other designated pastor shall officiate at any marriage ceremony unless such marriage is consistent with this policy.  The church may decline to make its facilities or ministers available for any wedding not in keeping with our understanding of Christian marriage as indicated above.  Such determinations may be made by the Lead Pastor subject to the direction of the church Leadership Team. Genesis 1:26-28, 2:15-25; Exodus 20:12, 14, 17; Matthew 5:27-32, 19:3-9; 1 Corinthians 7:1-16; Ephesians 5:21-33; Colossians 3:12-19; Titus 2:3-5; Hebrews 13:4; 1 Peter 3:1-9

Salvation is God’s free gift to us but we must accept it. We can never make up for our sin by self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God’s offer of forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin’s penalty. When we turn from our self-ruled life and turn to Jesus in faith we are saved. Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into his/her life by faith. Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8,9; John 14:6, 1:12; Titus 3:5; Galatians 3:26; Romans 5:1

The Church is the Body of Christ in the world today. Every member has special abilities (spiritual gifts) in which to serve the body. The local church is an autonomous local body of baptized believers that are under the Lordship of Christ with Jesus at the head. The purpose of our church is to connect people with God and others. This means to connect people with God in worship and a personal relationship of salvation. It also means to connect people in discipleship, fellowship and service. The New Testament refers to the Body of Christ, which includes all believers of all the ages. Matthew 16:15-19; 18:15-20; Acts 2:41-42,47; 5:11-14; 6:3-6; 13:1-3; 14:23,27; 15:1-30; 16:5; 20:28; Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 3:16; 5:4-5; 7:17; 9:13-14; 12; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 3:8-11,21; 5:22-32; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:18; 1 Timothy 2:9-14; 3:1-15; 4:14; Hebrew 11:39-40;1 Peter 5:1-4.

The New Testament practice of baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. It is a symbol of obedience to Christ’s command and symbolizes the believer’s faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Baptism is a requirement of church membership and always follows a personal commitment of faith in Jesus as Savior. The Lord’s Supper is an act of worship that is symbolic and in remembrance of the death of Jesus Christ. Matthew 3:13-17; 26:26-30; 28:19-20; Mark 1:9-11; 14:22-26; Luke 3:21-22; 22:19-20; John 3:23; Acts 2:41-42; 8:35-39; 16:30-33; 20:7; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians 10:16,21; 11:23-29; Colossians 2:12.

Because God gives us eternal life through Jesus Christ, the true believer is secure in that salvation for eternity. If you have been genuinely saved, you cannot “lose” it. Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the Christian. It is the grace and keeping power of God that gives us this security. John 10:29; 2 Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 7:25, 10:10, 14; 1 Peter 1:3-5