WHAT WE BELIEVE

We believe Scripture (the Bible) is the Word of God written to man. The Scripture consists of the 66 books of Genesis to Revelation. God inspired human authors who, using their own unique gifts, passions, and communication style, wrote His Word (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20–21). The Scriptures are inerrant in everything they address, including matters of faith, science, and history (Proverbs 30:5). The Scriptures are infallible and achieve the ends for which God intended them (Isaiah 55:11). The Scriptures are clear, “making wise the simple” (Psalm 19:7). The Scriptures are sufficient for faith and practice, and “are useful for teaching, correcting, rebuking, and training in righteousness, that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

We believe God is the eternal, uncreated Creator and Sustainer of all things (Genesis 1:1; Colossians 1:16–17). He is the First and the Last, and beside Him there is no god (Isaiah 44:6). This one God exists in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Genesis 1:2; Deuteronomy 6:4–5; Matthew 3:16–17) and each member of the Trinity is fully God. God is holy (Isaiah 6:3), unchanging (Malachi 3:6), omniscient (Isaiah 46:10), omnipresent (Psalm 139:7–8), omnipotent (Job 42:2; Luke 1:37), just (Deuteronomy 32:4), gracious (Exodus 33:19), and loving (1 John 4:8).

- God, the Father

We believe God the Father is the infinite personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power, and love. We believe that He perfectly ordains all that comes to pass, that He concerns Himself mercifully with the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all that come to him through faith in Jesus Christ (Matthew 23:9; Luke 10:21–22; John 3:16; John 6:27; Romans 1:7; 1 Timothy 1:1–2; 1 Timothy 2:5–6; 1 Peter 1:3; Revelation 1:6).

- God, the Son

We believe Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, that He came in the flesh and was born of a virgin, and lived a sinless, miraculous life (John 8:46, 18:38, 19:4, 21:25). He was in very nature God, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant (Philippians 2:4–5). He taught that He alone was the means by which man would be reconciled to God. He believed and proved that He was equal to God, provoking the anger of His enemies according to the predestined purpose of God. (John 5:18, 10:30–33, 14:6; Acts 4:28) He was tempted in every way, just as we are, and yet never sinned (Hebrews 4:15). According to the Father’s perfect plan laid out in eternity past, He gave himself up freely as a ransom for our sins (Mark 10:45; John 10:18; Acts 4:28; Ephesians 1:3–6; Revelation 13:8). He was crucified by sinful men (Acts 2:36), and rose from the dead on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:4). Today, He sits at the right hand of the Father until His second coming, when He will return as King of Kings to judge the living and the dead (Acts 1:9–11; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; 2 Thessalonians 1:9–10; Revelation 1:7, 19).

- God, the Holy Spirit

We believe the Holy Spirit is fully God (Genesis 1:2; Acts 5:3–5). He is given as our Helper (John 14:26) and is the Deposit who guarantees the inheritance of every believer (Ephesians 1:13–14). He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:7–11). He is the leading agent in the planting and building up of the church, since His job is to testify of Jesus and to the truthfulness of the Gospel (Acts 1:8; John 15:26). The Holy Spirit gives gifts to each believer for the edification of the church and the proclamation of the Gospel (1 Corinthians 12:7, 14:22). While every believer is told to earnestly desire spiritual gifts, the Holy Spirit alone decides which spiritual gifts each believer receives (1 Corinthians 12:4–7, 11).

- Man

We believe God created man on the 6th day in His own image and likeness (Genesis 1:26–27). He created man morally perfect with a free will to choose good or evil (Ecclesiastes 7:29; Genesis 2:16–17). Our first parents, Adam and Eve, were able to choose to obey God and live under blessing or to disobey God and die under a curse. They chose to disobey God, and they died spiritually. Every part of man was affected by this original sin. All the areas of man’s self – his will, desires, mind, body, and conscience – were affected by the Fall (Jeremiah 17:9). God cursed man with immediate spiritual death (separation from God) and eventual physical death (Genesis 3:19). Because of their choice, their posterity is given a sinful nature at conception and is held equally responsible for Adam and Eve’s disobedience (Psalm 51:5). Every person also chooses of his own free will to disobey God as revealed in Scripture (Galatians 3:10; James 2:10); therefore, every person is a sinner by nature and by choice (Psalm 14:1–3). As a result, every person is an enemy of God (Job 15:14, 25:4), under His righteous wrath, and without excuse (Romans 1:18–32). Man is dead in trespasses and sins, and apart from the grace of God cannot and will not seek after God (Jeremiah 13:23; John 6:44; Romans 3:10–18, 8:5–8; 1 Corinthians 2:14; Ephesians 2:1–3; Colossians 2:13).

- The Good News

We believe that because every person has sinned against God by refusing to honor Him as God and obey His Law, God is under no obligation to save anyone from His wrath. In fact, all men deserve eternal punishment (Romans 1:16–32). The Gospel is the Good News that God has chosen to save undeserving sinners from His righteous wrath for His own glory (Ephesians 2:5–7; Titus 3:4–7). He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to do what man could not do and would not do, which is to live a sinless life and submit perfectly to God. Jesus gave Himself up in our place and on our behalf (Romans 3:25; 1 John 2:2). He then rose from the dead on the third day, victorious over sin and death (1 Corinthians 15:3–4, 17).

We believe salvation involves the redemption of the whole man, and is offered freely to all who receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, who by His death and resurrection obtained eternal redemption for the believer. In its broadest sense, salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification (John 3:16, 6:44; Acts 2:37–38, 4:12, 11:18, 17:30; Romans 4:1–5; 2 Corinthians 7:10–11; 2 Timothy 2:25).

We believe regeneration is a change of heart given by the Holy Spirit who gives life to those dead in trespasses and sins. In regeneration, the Holy Spirit grants the ability to understand the Word of God, to exercise saving faith in Jesus Christ, and to love and practice holiness (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:1–6; Titus 3:5; 1 John 5:1).

We believe repentance and faith are required by God for salvation. While two distinct principles, they are not two separate acts. A regenerate person turns from sin (repentance) and turns to Christ (faith) as a result of his new nature given at regeneration (John 6:44; Acts 2:37–38, 11:18, 17:30; Romans 4:1–5; 2 Corinthians 7:10–11; 2 Timothy 2:25). God has promised to save any who repent of their sins and trust in the finished work of Christ alone for forgiveness and reconciliation with God (John 3:16, 6:37; Acts 4:12).

We believe God chooses to justify, or declare both not guilty and righteous, every person who repents of sin and believes the Gospel. Though no person is righteous, God counts a believer’s faith in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection as righteousness (Romans 4:1–5). Through faith, the righteousness of Christ is credited to the believer, and the believer’s guilt through sin is credited to Christ. No believer is justified by works of the Law, but each believer displays evidence of justification by doing good works (Galatians 2:15–16; James 2:20–24). Salvation is the work of God from start to finish, not a work of man, so that no man may boast (Romans 9:11; Ephesians 2:8–9) or despair (John 10:28–30). Those God has predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified He also glorified (Romans 8:30).

We believe sanctification is the lifelong process of becoming like Christ. Those who have been justified are also sanctified by God’s Word and Spirit dwelling in them. God chose us to obey Him and be holy (Titus 2:11–14; 1 Peter 1:2). In becoming like Him, we know Him more intimately and display His glory. The process of sanctification will culminate in the resurrection of our physical bodies when we will be without sin (John 17:19; Romans 8:29–30; 1 Peter 1:23; Revelation 21:1–8, 22–27).

We believe glorification is the culmination of salvation and is the final blessed and abiding state of the believer (Romans 8:29–39; Revelation 21:1–22:5).

We believe every person who repents of sin and believes the Gospel is a member of the Universal Church, which consists of all believers who have lived, are living, and will ever live (Colossians 1:24). The Universal Church is the only institution that will not and cannot be defeated (Matthew 16:18). Christ died for His Bride, the Church, and will sanctify the Church to present her to Himself without spot or blemish (Ephesians 5:25–27).

- Baptism

We believe Jesus commanded every believer to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:18–20). Baptism serves as a symbol of being buried with Christ and being raised to walk in new life and as such is to be performed only with professing believers (Romans 6:4–6). Baptism is a matter of obedience, not salvation. It does not confer favor from God beyond the blessings that come from obedience to God. (Luke 23:43; 1 Corinthians 1:13–17).

- Communion

We believe Communion was instituted by Christ on the night He was betrayed (1 Corinthians 11:23). Communion consists of bread and wine, which represent His body that was broken for believers and His blood that was shed for believers (1 Corinthians 11:24–25). Communion serves as a reminder to both believers and non-believers that Jesus has died, is risen, and is coming again (1 Corinthians 11:26). We will share Communion with any believer of like-faith and practice (1 Corinthians 11:27–30).

We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. All human life, from the moment of conception to natural death—including pre-born babies, the aged, and the physically or mentally challenged—holds immeasurable value and dignity. We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life. (Genesis 1:26-27, 9:6; Psalm 139; Matthew 9:36, 14:14, 18:1-6)

We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary sexes together reflect the image and nature of God. Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person. (Genesis 1:26-27)

We believe that any form of sexual immorality (such as adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, rejection of one’s biological sex, use of pornography, etc.) is sinful and offensive to God. (Matthew 15:18-20; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10)

We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. (Acts 3:19-21; Romans 10:9-10; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity. Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be rejected and are not in accord with Scripture nor the doctrines of the ministry. (Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31; 1 John 3:14-15; Ephesians 4:31)

We believe the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one biological male (“man”) and one biological female (“woman”) in a single, exclusive union, as presented in Scripture. (Genesis 2:18-25)

We believe that marriage between one man and one woman, for life, uniquely reflects one of the most sacred truths of our faith: Christ’s relationship with His Church. (Ephesians 5:21-33)

We believe that God intends for sexual intimacy to occur exclusively between a man and a woman who are married to each other, and that no sexual activity should take place outside of this marital union. (1 Corinthians 6:18, 7:2-5; Hebrews 13:4)

Our Statement of Faith does not exhaust the extent of our sincerely held beliefs. The Bible itself, as the inspired and infallible Word of God that speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind, is the sole and final source of all that we believe. For purposes of MTN CHURCH's faith, doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline, our Elders are MTN CHURCH's final interpretive authority on the Bible's application. (2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12, 13:17; 1 Peter 5:1-5; Act 20:28)