Our Beliefs

We are a part of a fellowship of churches called the Evangelical Free Church of America.

EFCA Statement of Faith

The Evangelical Free Church of America is an association of autonomous churches united around these theological convictions:

God
1.  We believe in one God, Creator of all things, holy, infinitely perfect, and eternally existing in a loving unity of three equally divine Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Having limitless knowledge and sovereign power, God has graciously purposed from eternity to redeem a people for Himself and to make all things new for His own glory.
 
The Bible
2. We believe that God has spoken in the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, through the words of human authors. As the verbally inspired Word of God, the Bible is without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of His will for salvation, and the ultimate authority by which every realm of human knowledge and endeavor should be judged. Therefore, it is to be believed in all that it teaches, obeyed in all that it requires, and trusted in all that it promises.
 
The Human Condition
3. We believe that God created Adam and Eve in His image, but they sinned when tempted by     Satan. In union with Adam, human beings are sinners by nature and by choice, alienated from God, and under His wrath. Only through God’s saving work in Jesus Christ can we be rescued, reconciled and renewed.
 
Jesus Christ
4. We believe that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, fully God and fully man, one Person in two        natures. Jesus—Israel's promised Messiah—was conceived through the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father as our High Priest and Advocate.
 
The Work of Christ
5. We believe that Jesus Christ, as our representative and substitute, shed His blood on the cross as the perfect, all-sufficient sacrifice for our sins. His atoning death and victorious resurrection constitute the only ground for salvation.
 
The Holy Spirit
6. We believe that the Holy Spirit, in all that He does, glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ. He convicts the world of its guilt. He regenerates sinners, and in Him they are baptized into union with Christ and adopted as heirs in the family of God. He also indwells, illuminates, guides, equips and empowers believers for Christ-like living and service.
 
The Church
7. We believe that the true church comprises all who have been justified by God's grace through faith alone in Christ alone. They are united by the Holy Spirit in the body of Christ, of which He is the Head. The true church is manifest in local churches, whose membership should be composed only of believers. The Lord Jesus mandated two ordinances, baptism and the Lord’s Supper, which visibly and tangibly express the gospel. Though they are not the means of salvation, when celebrated by the church in genuine faith, these ordinances confirm and nourish the believer.
 
Christian Living
8. We believe that God's justifying grace must not be separated from His sanctifying power and     purpose. God commands us to love Him supremely and others sacrificially, and to live out our faith with care for one another, compassion toward the poor and justice for the oppressed. With God’s Word, the Spirit’s power, and fervent prayer in Christ’s name, we are to combat the spiritual forces of evil. In obedience to Christ’s commission, we are to make disciples among all people, always bearing witness to the gospel in word and deed.
 
Christ’s Return
9.  We believe in the personal, bodily and premillennial return of our Lord Jesus Christ. The coming of Christ, at a time known only to God, demands constant expectancy and, as our blessed hope, motivates the believer to godly living, sacrificial service and energetic mission.
 
Response and Eternal Destiny
10. We believe that God commands everyone everywhere to believe the gospel by turning to Him in repentance and receiving the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that God will raise the dead bodily and judge the world, assigning the unbeliever to condemnation and eternal conscious punishment and the believer to eternal blessedness and joy with the Lord in the new heaven and the new earth, to the praise of His glorious grace. Amen.
 

As is illustrated in point eight we believe our beliefs should make a great difference not just in our thought processes but in our actions as well.

At Community Bible Church there are three principles that guide our relationships.  They are especially important in our belief statement.  We hope you will agree that:
 
 
In essential beliefs — we have unity.
“There is one Body and one Spirit...there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of us all...”   Eph. 4:4-6


In non-essential beliefs — we have liberty.
“Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters...  Who are you to judge someone else’s servant?  To his own master he stands or falls...  So then each of us will give an account of himself to God...  So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God.”  Romans 14:1,4,12,22


In all our beliefs — we show charity.
“...If I hold in my mind not only all human knowledge but also the very secrets of God, and if I have the faith that can move mountains — but have no love, I amount to nothing at all.”    1 Cor. 13:2  (Ph)
If you share our beliefs and your desire is to grow to live out those beliefs,
we invite you to get connected with us by becoming a member of Community Bible Church.