Our Statement of Faith

The following statements represent the doctrinal beliefs of this local body of Christ’s church and comprise the foundation for the preaching and teaching of the Church, as well as a daily guide for the spiritual lives of the members of this body of believers.

1.        The Bible

We believe the Bible, the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, is the inspired and infallible Word of God, without error in its original writings (2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1):  It is the complete revelation of the Will of God regarding the salvation of mankind and the final authority of the Christian life.

2.        One True God, the Father

We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons:  Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who created all things (Matt. 28:19, 2 Cor. 13:14, John 10:30, Heb 1:2, Rev. 4:11)  We believe in the fatherhood of God:  that all people, through Adam and Eve, are the physical creation of God; but only those people who believe in His Son, Jesus Christ as their Savior are counted as the spiritual sons of God for all eternity. (Mal. 2:10, Rom. 3:29, Acts 17:24-27, John 3:3, John 1:12-13)

3.        Jesus Christ, the Son

We believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, His active role in the Creation of the world, His incarnation by virgin birth, His sinless life as a man in a sinful world.  We rejoice in His substitutionary death for our sins and His bodily resurrection, His present intercessory ministry for the Church and His future return to earth in power and glory. (John 3:16-17, Col.1:15-18, John 2:11, Matt 1:  18-25, Heb. 4:15, John 19:17-19, Matt 26:28, Rom. 3:24-26, 1 Cor. 15:3, Eph. 1:20, Col. 1:20, Heb. 1:3, Acts 1:2-3, 9-11, 1 Tim. 2:5, Mark 14:62, John 14:3, Rev. 1:7)

4.        The Holy Spirit

We believe that the present ministry of the Holy Spirit is: to reveal the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ; to convict individuals of sin; to draw individuals to Christ; to regenerate individuals; to indwell, guide, instruct and empower believers for Godly living and service and thus to accomplish the sanctification of the believer. (John 16:7-14, John 3:5-8, Titus 3:5, Rom. 8:14, Acts 1:8, Rom. 5:5, Gal 5:22-25)

5.        Mankind

We believe that man was created by a direct act of God, was made in the image of God and was placed in perfect fellowship with God.  Mankind’s subsequent willful fall into sin resulted in spiritual separation from God and the death of spiritual nature.  This separation and deadened nature constitutes a lost condition which can only be corrected by the regenerative work of the Holy Spirit through a new spiritual birth. (Gen. 1:26-28, Gen 3:1-24, Rom. 3:10, Rom. 5:12, Rom. 1:18-32, John 3:3-5, John 3:36)

6.        Salvation

We believe that by God’s grace alone is one saved completely and eternity.  This salvation comes solely through the placing of one’s personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished ministry.  All those who have been saved will never again be separated from God. (Eph. 2:8-9, John 3:16, Acts 4:12, Rom. 3:26, 8:38-39, 2 Tim. 1:9, John 6:39-40)

7.        The Christian Life

We believe that all those who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ:  exist for the purpose of bringing glory to God the Father as witnesses of His love and will be preserved by the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit; will receive eternal rewards for the good works of their lives at the judgment of believers, having been removed from any condemnation for sin. (Rev. 4:11, Matt. 8:28, Acts 1:8, Luke 4:10, John 17:11-15, Gal. 5:22-23, Heb. 12:7-11, 1 Thes. 5:23-24, 2 Thes. 11:4, 1 Peter 2:20, Matt. 16:27, 1 Peter 1:7, 1 Cor. 3:8, John 5:24)

8.        The Church

We believe that Jesus Christ is the head of the Church and that the True Church is composed of all those who have accepted Him as Savior.  The local church is composed of a body of believers who assemble together to worship God, to be strengthened and built up in Christ, and to share Christ with others. (Col. 1:18, Eph. 4:11-16, 1 Cor. 12:12-13, Heb. 10:22-25, Acts 1:8)

9.        Baptism and Lord’s Supper

We believe that water baptism and Lord’s Supper are commands to be observed by the Christians during the present age.  We do not believe that these give or preserve salvation but rather are beautifully symbolic acts of obedience commanded of believers by Christ. (Acts 8:36-39, Matt. 28:19-20, Acts 2:38, Rom. 3:3-4, Matt. 26:26-29, Acts 10:44-48)

10.     Satan/Angels

We believe in the existence of Satan as the great adversary of God and in angels as God’s ministering spirits who minister to all believers. (Matt. 25:41, Heb. 1:14)

11.     The Return of Christ

We believe in the imminent return of our Lord Jesus Christ.  This expectation should influence and encourage the believer to lead a Godly and fruitful life. (1 The. 4:13-18, Acts 1:11, 2 Tim. 4:8, Titus 2:13, 1 Peter 1:13)

12.     Resurrection and Judgment

We believe in the bodily resurrection of all the dead, of the believer to everlasting blessedness and eternal life in the presence of God, and of the unbeliever to judgment and everlasting punishment apart from God. (John 5:27-29)

13.     Marriage

We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God.  (Gen. 1:26-27.)

Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person.

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

We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other.  (1 Cor. 6:18; 7:2-5; Heb. 13:4.)

We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. 

We believe that any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, and use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God.  (Matt. 15:18-20; 1 Cor. 6:9-10.)

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

We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity.  (Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31.)

Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture nor the doctrines of Maple Grove Christian Church.

14.     Sanctity of Life

We believe in the sanctity of human life and that life begins at the moment of conception.  (Psalm 139:13-16; Jer. 1:5; Isaiah 44:2.)