What You Believe Matters…
The Beliefs of the Mendon Church Faith Community
“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved – you and your household.”
Acts 16:31
The God of Christian Faith: “In the beginning God” Genesis 1:1. Whose nature, purposes and work are revealed in the Holy Bible. God is Spirit, infinite, eternal, unchanging in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth. God is high and holy, the Creator and Ruler of the universe; all-powerful, all-righteous, in wisdom and mercy.
The Doctrine of the Trinity: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” John 1:1. “God is Spirit” John 4:24. One God who exists eternally and manifests Himself in three Persons Father, Son and Holy Spirit as revealed in Scripture and Christian experience.
The Deity of Jesus Christ: “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” John 14:9. “I and the Father are one” John 10:30. Who, being the eternal Son of God, became human, being conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, yet without sin; so He is both fully God and man, the only perfect mediator between God and man, by whom alone we can come to the Father. We believe in Christ’s incarnation in humanity, His holy life of obedience, His atoning death, His bodily resurrection, and His reign in glory.
The Holy Spirit: “The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” John 14:26. The Holy Spirit convinces and enables persons to obey the call of the gospel, and lives within every believer as the spirit of truth, of holiness, of power and of comfort.
The Inspiration and Authority of the Scriptures: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” 2 Timothy 3:16. The Scriptures are the revelation of God’s will for mankind and of humanity’s duty to God, and are our authoritative rule of faith and life. The Bible is the basis of our beliefs.
Salvation by Grace: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast” Ephesians 2:9. All people are sinful, and unable to save themselves. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son to be the Savior of lost sinners. Salvation by grace is freely offered to all, and is sufficient for all, but becomes effective only in those who believe in Jesus Christ.
Justification by Faith: “Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” Romans 5:1. Everyone who humbly relies upon Christ alone for salvation and in repentance confesses his sins, is pardoned and accepted as righteous in God’s sight. When, by faith, we accept what God has done for us in Jesus Christ, we are born again into a new life by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Priesthood of All Believers: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God” 1 Peter 2:9. No system of religious leaders, institutions, and ceremonies can stand between Christians and our God. Each Christian has immediate access to God; each one of us finally is responsible to God for his or her own spiritual decisions and for his or her actions.
The Church: “Christ is the head of the church, His body, of which He is the Savior” Ephesians 5:23b. We acknowledge one universal church, the same in all ages, of which Christ alone is the head. The church invisible consists of all the redeemed through the ages. The church visible consists of all those throughout the world who profess faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. The church plays an essential role in winning the world to Christ, in building up the lives of Christian people, and in doing Christ’s work in the world. The Church is the body of Christ on earth.
The Sovereignty of God: “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world and all who live in it” Psalm 24:1. God is the creator, the ruler, the owner, and the judge of all things and all people. God is the center of the universe and all life; everything depends upon His power and His mercy. We depend upon his kindness; our daily well-being and our eternal hope rests upon His mercy.
The Perseverance of the Saints: “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand” John 10:28. God has chosen us as His own. And when we have committed ourselves to Him, we can go on with hope and confidence, for it is God that works in us both to will and to do His own good pleasure.
The Life Everlasting: “that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life” John 3:15. The souls of believers at their death are made perfect in holiness, and dwell in glory. And their bodies, being united with Christ, rest until the resurrection. At the resurrection, believers, being raised up in glory shall be acquitted in the day of judgment and be perfectly blessed in the full joy of God in eternity.
The Sacrament of Baptism: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” Matthew 28:19. As circumcision was the sign and symbol of inclusion in God’s grace and covenant with the Church. Baptism signifies faithfulness to God, the washing away of sin, being sealed by God’s Holy Spirit, adoption into the covenant family of the Church, and rebirth and resurrection in Jesus Christ.
The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper: “Whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes” 1 Corinthians 11:26. The Lord’s Supper is the sign and seal of eating and drinking in communion with the crucified and risen Lord. The New Testament describes the meal as a participation in Christ and with one another in the expectation of the Kingdom and as a foretaste of the messianic banquet. It is a time of remembrance of the sacrifice of Christ for our sakes. All who claim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are welcome at His table.
Adopted by the Session of Mendon Church – 12/13/06
