The Bible

All of our beliefs are based on the Bible whose 66 books of the Old and New Testament were written by human beings inspired by God. It is the record of God’s revelation of Himself to humanity through human authors. Therefore, it speaks with the full authority of God on all matters of faith and practice, and there are no other writings similarly inspired by God.

God the Father

There is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each with the attributes of deity and the characteristics of personality. In the beginning, God created the world out of nothing. Throughout history, He is working to fulfill His redemptive purposes.

Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God and second person of the Trinity. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. He identified completely with humanity but was without sin. He lived a life of perfect obedience to the Father and voluntarily atoned for the sins of all mankind by dying on the cross as their substitute. He was raised from the dead in the same body and ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to earth, personally and visibly, to consummate the eternal redemptive plan of God.

Humanity

Humans were created by a special act of God, in His own image, and are the crowning work of His creation. In the beginning, humans were without sin and given freedom of choice by God. Through this freedom, sin was brought into the human race for all mankind. Because of this sin, there is eternal separation from God.

Salvation

The central purpose of God’s revelation in the Bible is to call all people into fellowship with Himself. All human beings have fallen into sin and are in need of God’s saving grace. The salvation of mankind is wholly a work of God’s free grace and not the result in whole or in part of human works or goodness. It must be personally received through faith, thus beginning a process which continues to final completion when we enter heaven and an eternity in the presence of God.

Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity who indwells every believer at the point of salvation. The Holy Spirit convicts of sin, awakens in people a need of a Savior, and makes them into new creations. He comforts, encourages, and provides wisdom for believers and instills them with gifts to enable them to serve in the church. His power is appropriated by faith allowing the believer to be obedient and to bear fruit to the glory of God.

The Church

There is one true universal church comprised of all those who acknowledge Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. The Bible commands believers to gather together to devote themselves to worship, prayer, teaching of the Word, observance of baptism and communion, fellowship, service to the body through the development and use of grace gifts, and outreach to the world. Under the watch care of elders and leadership, its members are to work together in love and unity for the glory of God.

Baptism

Christian baptism as practiced in the Bible is the immersion of the new believer in water. It is the believer’s appeal for a clear conscience (i.e., forgiveness of sins). It is also the convert’s participation in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the benefit of both Christ’s death and resurrection, and the convert’s own death to the world, and resurrection to walk in newness of life with Christ. First Christian Church does not practice infant baptism.

Communion

Communion is a meal-time fellowship with Christ himself and other believers, through the partaking of the bread and cup, memorializing the death of Jesus Christ and the promise of his return.