 |
|||
|
|||
 At 1.21 Church, it doesn't matter who you are, where you're from, how many times you've been to church, or even whether you believe in God. You're not required to recite the Ten Commandments or the Lord's Prayer to stay. We do, however, want to be clear as to who we are as a church and what we believe. Here you can find some of the basics theological tenets that 1.21 Church has been built upon. Take a look, and if you have any questions, by all means - ask! (Each Scripture reference contains a link to an online ESV Bible for easy studying and referencing. For an excellent article on bible translations and why 1.21 Church teaches out of the ESV translation, read Acts 29 Pastor Mark Driscoll's Pastoral Reflections on Bible Translations.)  This creed is called the Apostle's Creed not because it was written by the apostles themselves but because it contains a brief summary of their teachings. In its present form it is dated no later than the fourth century. More than any other Christian creed, it may justly be called an ecumenical (worldwide) symbol of faith. This translation of the Latin text was approved by the CRC Synod of 1988. "We believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. We believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified and buried; he descended into Hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian church of all times and all places, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen."  Back to Top We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the verbally inspired word of God, the final authority for faith and life, without error in the original writings, infallible (incapable of error) and God-breathed. (see 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:20-21, Matthew 5:18, and John 16:12-13) Back to Top We believe in one triune (three in one) God, eternally existing in three persons — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — co-eternal in being, co-eternal in nature, co-equal in power and glory, having the same attributes and perfections. (see Deuteronomy 6:4 and 2 Corinthians 13:14) Back to Top We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God who became man without ceasing to be God. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, in order that he might reveal God and redeem sinful mankind. (see John 1:1-2 and 1:14, and Luke 1:35) We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through his death on the cross as a representative, vicarious (suffering in our place), substitutionary sacrifice. Our justification (salvation) is made sure by his literal, physical resurrection from the dead. (see Romans 3:24, 1 Peter 2:24, Ephesians 1:7, and 1 Peter 1:3-5) We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where, as our high priest, he fulfills the ministry of representative, intercessor, and advocate. (see Acts 1:9-10, Hebrews 7:25 and 9:24, Romans 8:34, and 1 John 2:1-2) Back to Top We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He is the supernatural agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, living within them and sealing them until the day of redemption. (see John 16:8-11, 2 Corinthians 3:6, 1 Corinthians 12:12-14, Romans 8:9, and Ephesians 5:18) Back to Top We believe that humanity was created in the image and likeness of God, but that through Adam's sin the race of humans fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God. Mankind is totally depraved and by himself completely unable to remedy his lost condition. (see Genesis 1:26-27, Romans 3:22-23 and 5:12, and Ephesians 2:1-3 and 2:12) Back to Top We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to mankind by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on the cross at Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins. (see Ephesians 2:8-10, John 1:12, Ephesians 1:7, 1 Peter 1:18-19) Back to Top We believe that those who are truly redeemed are kept by God's power and are therefore secure in Christ forever. We don't believe "once saved, always saved" — we believe "if saved, always saved." (see John 6:37-40 and 10:27-30, Romans 8:1 and 8:38-39, 1 Corinthians 1:4-8, and 1 Peter 1:5) We believe it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God's word (the Bible), which clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as permission to sin. (see Romans 13:13-14, Galatians 5:13, and Titus 2:11-15) Back to Top We believe that God is sovereign in the giving of spiritual gifts. It is, however, the believer's responsibility to attempt to develop their sovereignly given spiritual gift(s). The baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs at conversion and is the placing of the believer into the body of Christ. We also believe that particular spiritual gift(s) are neither essential (proving the presence of the Holy Spirit), nor an indication of deep spiritual experience. (see 1 Corinthians 12:7, 11, and 13, and Ephesians 4:7-8) We believe that God does hear and answer the prayer of faith, in accord with his own will, for the sick and afflicted. (see John 15:7 and 1 John 5:14-15) We believe it is the privilege and responsibility of all believers to minister according to the gift(s) and grace of God given to them. (see Romans 12:1-8, 1 Corinthians 13, and 1 Peter 4:10-11) Back to Top We believe that the church, which is the body and married bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born-again persons of this present age. (see Ephesians 1:22-23 and 5:25-27, 1 Corinthians 12:12-14, and 2 Corinthians 11:2) We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament scriptures. (see Acts 14:27, 18:22, and 20:17, 1 Timothy 3:1-3, and Titus 1:5-11) We believe in the autonomy of the local church, free of any external authority and control. (see Acts 13:1-4, 15:19-31, and 20:28, Romans 16:1 and 16:4, 1 Corinthians 3:9, 3:16, 5:4-7, and 5:13, and 1 Peter 5:1-4) We recognize a believer's baptism and the Lord's supper as scriptural means of testimony for the church in this age. (see Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 2:41-42 and 18:8, and 1 Corinthians 11:23-26) Back to Top
|
|
||
| © 2008 1.21 Church. All Rights Reserved. | |||
