CHRIST IS THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH
The church of our Lord, Jesus Christ (Rom 16:16), has no official, published list of beliefs or doctrines, nor does it have a “Confession of Faith.” The church does not adhere to or recognize any man-made document for outlining its ideology and theology. The Bible is the sole authority for all things pertaining to the church. The entire Bible is infallible and is the inspired Word of God. Therefore, it is the supreme and final authority in all doctrine and practice (Isaiah 40:8; II Tim 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12; 2 Peter 1:20-21).
There exists no central headquarters that decides or mandates the affairs of the church of Christ. Instead of those earthly-type arrangements, each congregation of the church of Christ is autonomous (governing itself) by simply recognizing Jesus as the Head of the church (Ephesians 1:22-23) and the Bible as its only guide in “all things that pertain to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3).
Jesus stated, “Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord’ shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, except he who does the will of my Father in heaven,” (Matt 7:21). So, the real question is, “What is His will that we should be doing?” Based on the simple principles stated above, leaders of each congregation make decisions for leading the church by applying the Bible in order to fulfill His will. We strive to speak only where the Bible speaks and remain silent where the Bible is silent. We do Bible things in Bible ways and call Bible things by Bible names.
This being understood, the following are a few general statements regarding our beliefs, directly from the Bible:
SALVATION
According to the pattern found in the New Testament, an individual is added to the church (the body of Christ) when they “Obey the Gospel.” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4; 2 Thessalonians 1:8) To obey the Gospel requires one to believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God (John 3:16; 8:24); to turn away from one’s past life of sin through repentance (Luke 13:3); to confess one’s faith in Jesus (Acts 8:37; Romans 10:9-10); and to be baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of sin (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Peter 3:21). One is then added to the church by the Lord (cf. Acts 2:47).
No passage exists that teaches one must say a “sinner’s prayer,” or invite Jesus into their heart, or attend a special class to become a disciple. Instead, there are many passages that give examples of the first Christians obeying “from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered,” (Romans 6:17).
FATHER, SON, & HOLY SPIRIT
The Bible presents one God, eternally existing in three equal persons. This is known as the “God Head” which consists of the Father (Creator), the Son (Redeemer), and the Holy Spirit (Sustainer) as presented in John 1:1-3; Matthew 3:16-17; and II Corinthians 13:14. These Three have the same nature, essence and attributes, yet they are distinct in office and activity according to Matthew 28:19; John 10:30; Acts 5:3-4; and Hebrews 1:8. Those added to the church receive the gift of the Holy Spirit according to Acts 2:38, and walk in newness of life by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 6:1-6).
WORSHIP
In accordance with His will, each first day of the week, we humbly and obediently assemble with our Christian brothers and sisters to praise His name by singing songs, hymns, and spiritual songs to edify one another (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16). Our singing is acapella without the addition of instrumental music. We also offer Him our prayers of petition, thanksgiving, and supplication. We give attention to reading the Bible and teaching of His word so that our lives might be strengthened spiritually and that we might be emboldened to carry out our God-given commission to go into all the world, teaching the good news of salvation and making disciples. Also, upon the first day of the week, to support the works of His kingdom locally and throughout the world, we give back to Him financially as He has prospered us.
Central to our weekly gathering is the Lord’s Supper. Some call this “communion” or the “breaking of bread.” Our Lord directed His apostles on the night before His death to remember His sacrifice through the bread and the cup (Matt 26:26-28). As the church grew, the apostles directed all the Lord’s disciples to observe this remembrance each first day of the week (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 11:29-30).
THE ONE CHURCH
The church is described in many ways in the Bible. It is defined as, “the body of Christ,” (Colossians 1:18); the “household of God,” (Ephesians 2:19); the “church of Christ,” (Romans 16:16), the “church of God,” (Acts 20:28); and “the kingdom” (Matthew 16:18,19; Colossians 1:13). These are all synonyms used to describe the same entity. Yet, even though it has many descriptions, there is only one that belongs to the Lord (Ephesians 4:4). This means we must follow the example and pattern of the church that is described in the New Testament, not the multiple ways that man has devised.
THE RESURRECTION
The Bible teaches us about the resurrection of the dead (at the Second Coming of Christ) and the eternal conscious existence of all individuals in either heaven or hell, after the judgment of God (cf Luke 16:19-31; I Corinthians 3:11-15; II Corinthians 5:8-10). Therefore, one needs to be prepared for that final judgment.