WHAT WE BELIEVE
WHAT WE BELIEVE
We, as members of the Hope Community Church of Newburyport, believe the scriptures teach that:
THE BIBLE, composed of the sixty-six (66) canonical books of the Old and New Testaments, is inspired of God by verbal, plenary inspiration and is inerrant in the original autographs. It is the supreme and final authority in all matters of faith and practice (2 Timothy 3:16–17; 2 Peter 1:19–21).
THERE IS ONE GOD, the creator and preserver of all things, infinite in being and perfection. He exists eternally in three persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, who are of one substance and equal in power and glory; co-equal, co-eternal, and co-existent (Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; John 14:16–17).
HUMANS, created in the image of God, through disobedience, fell from their sinless state at the suggestion of Satan. This fall plunged humans into a state of sin and spiritual death, and brought upon the entire race the sentence of eternal death. From this condition, humans can be saved only by the grace of God, through faith, on the basis of the saving work of Christ, and by the agency of the Holy Spirit (Genesis 1:27; 3:6–19; Acts 4:12; 17:24–28; Romans 3:10–12; 5:12; Hebrews 9:27).
THE ETERNALLY PRE-EXISTENT SON became incarnate without human father, by being born of the Virgin Mary. Thus in the Lord Jesus Christ, divine and human natures were united in one person, both natures being whole, perfect, and distinct. To effect salvation, He lived a sinless life and died on the cross as the sinner’s substitute, shedding His blood for the remission of sins. On the third day, He rose from the dead in the body, which had been laid in the tomb. He ascended to the right hand of the Father where He performs the ministry of intercession. He shall come again, personally and visibly, to complete His saving work and to consummate the eternal plan of God. He is the only and sufficient mediator between God and humans (Luke 1:27, 31, 35; 24:36–43; Galatians 4:4; John 3:16–17; 1 Corinthians 15:3–8; 2 Corinthians 5:21).
THE HOLY SPIRIT is the third person of the triune God. He applies the work of Christ to the life of a believer. By justification and adoption, believers are given a right standing before God; by regeneration, sanctification, and glorification, a believer’s nature is renewed. The Holy Spirit is the indweller of believers and exercises the power of God in their lives (John 3:3; 1 Corinthians 6:19; Galatians 2:15–16; Ephesians 1:13–14; Titus 3:5).
THE BELIEVER, having turned to God in penitent faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, is accountable to God for living a life separated from sin and characterized by the fruit of the Spirit. It is the believer’s responsibility to contribute by word and deed to the universal spread of the gospel (Acts 1:8; Romans 6:1–6; Galatians 5:15–26; 1 Peter 1:13–15; 3:15).
EVERY BELIEVER IS A PRIEST and has been given at least one gift by the Holy Spirit to minister as a member of the body of Christ. The discovery and development of this gift or gifts is integral to the edification and growth of the body. Only those who have been born again by the Spirit of God compose the Church universal and are eligible for membership in the local assembly. The church is gathered regularly for worship, fellowship, and instruction; believers are scattered for expression of their faith, using their God-given gifts both to edify and to evangelize (1 Corinthians 12:1–11, 13; Acts 2:42–47; 1 Peter 4:10).
CHRISTIAN BAPTISM, in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, is the immersion in water of a believer in Christ. It shows forth, in a solemn and beautiful emblem, our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior, and its effect being our death to sin and resurrection in a new life. Baptism is a prerequisite to the privileges of church membership (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38; Romans 6:1–3).
THE LORD'S SUPPER is a provision of bread and wine, as symbols of Christ’s body and blood, partaken of by believers in Christ to commemorate the suffering and death of Christ, showing their faith and participation in His finished work on the cross, and their hope of eternal life through His resurrection from the dead. Its observance is to be preceded by faithful self-examination (Matthew 26:26–28; 1 Corinthians 11:17–32).
CIVIL GOVERNMENT is of divine appointment, for the interest and good order of human society; magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored and obeyed, except only in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the only Lord of the conscience, and the Prince of the kings of the earth (Romans 13:1–6; Acts 5:29; 1 Timothy 2:2; 1 Peter 2:13–15).
THE CHURCH is committed to fulfill the great commission of our Lord Jesus to go into all the world and disciple all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that Jesus commanded (Matthew 28:18–20; Acts 1:8).
THE LOCAL CHURCH is totally autonomous and shall have neither policy, doctrines, nor actions dictated by ecclesiastical authorities or bodies, but shall be held accountable to the Lord Jesus Christ for all of the above mentioned; these having been determined by Holy Scriptures (Deuteronomy 7:6; Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 2:19; Colossians 1:18; 1 Peter 2:9).
MARRIAGE is the lifelong uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment; the husband and wife are of equal worth before God, being both created in the image of God and, in equal measure, dependent on His grace. Marriage is God’s unique revelation of the union between Christ and His Church (Genesis 1:27; 2:18–25; Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 5:22–33; Hebrews 13:14).
THE END OF THE WORLD is approaching. At the last day, Christ will descend from heaven and raise the dead from the grave for final retribution; a solemn separation will take place. The wicked will be adjudged to endless sorrow and the righteous to endless joy, and this judgment will fix forever the final state of humans in heaven or hell on the basis of their personal commitment to Jesus Christ (Matthew 24:42–44; 25:31–46; 1 Thessalonians 4:16–18; Hebrews 9:28; Revelation 1:7; 20:11–12, 15; 22:12–24).
THE CHRISTIAN BELIEVERS are committed to the Lord’s Great Commandment to love one another as Christ loved us (Matthew 22:34–40; John 15:12).