st. luke's community church

statement of faith


THE HOLY SCRIPTURES

We believe that the Holy Bible is God's written revelation to man, and thus the 66 books of the Bible given to us by the Holy Spirit constitute the Word of God (1Corinthians 2:7-14; 2 Peter 1:20-21).


God

We believe that there is but one living and true God (Deutoronomy 6:4; Isaiah 45:5-7; 1 Corinthians 8:4), an infinite, all-knowing Spirit (John 4:24), perfect in all his attributes, eternally existing in three Persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 13:14).


God the Father.  We believe that God the Father, the first Person of the Trinity, orders and disposes all things according to His own sovereignty, purpose and grace (Psalm 145:8-9; 1 Corinthians 8:6).  He is the Creator of all things (Genesis 1:1-31; Ephesians 3:9).  As the only absolute and omnipotent Ruler in the universe, He is sovereign in creation, providence, and redemption (Psalm 103:19; Romans 11:36).


God the Son.  We believe that Jesus Christ, the second Person of the Trinity, is coequal and coeternal with the Father (John 10:30; 14:9).  We believe that God the Father created everything according to His own will, through His Son, Jesus Christ (John 1:3).  We believe that in the incarnation the eternal Son without altering His divine nature or surrendering any of the divine attributes, made Himself of no reputation by taking on a full human nature yet without sin (Philippians 2:5-8; Hebrews 4:15; 7:26).  We teach that He was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the virgin Mary (Luke 1:35).  He is therefore very God and very man, yet one Christ, the only mediator between God and man.  We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through the shedding of His blood and sacrificial death on the cross.  We believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave, in this God confirmed the deity of His Son and gave proof that God has accepted the atoning work of Christ on the cross.  Jesus' bodily resurrection is also the guarantee of a future resurrection life for all believers (John 5:26-29; 14:19; Romans 1:4; 4;25; 6:5-10; 1 Corinthians 15:20, 23).  We believe that Jesus Christ will return to receive the church, which is His Body, unto Himself at the rapture, and returning with His church in glory, will establish His millennial kingdom on earth (Acts 1:9-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 20).  


God the Holy Spirit.  We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine Person, eternal, possessing all the attributes of Godly personality and deity, including intellect (1 Corinthians 2:10-13), will (1 Corinthians12:11), eternality (Hebrews 9:14), omnipresence (Psalm 139: 7-10), omniscience (Isaiah 40: 13-14), omnipotence (Romans 15:13), in all the divine attributes He is coequal with the Father and the Son (Matthew 28:19; Acts 5: 3-4; 28:25-26; 1 Corinthians 12:4-6; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 10:15-17).  We believe that it is the work of the Holy Spirit to execute the divine will of the Almighty.


The Church

We believe that all who place their faith in Jesus Christ are immediately placed by the Holy Spirit into one united spiritual Body, the church (1 Corinthians 12:12-13), the bride of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:23-32; Revelation 19:7-8), of which Christ is the Head (Ephesians 1:22; 4:15; Colossians 1:18).  We believe that the foundation of the church, the Body of Christ, began on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-21, 38-47) and will be completed at the coming of Christ for His own at the rapture (1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).


We believe that the purpose of the church is to glorify God (Ephesians 3:21) by building itself up in the faith (Ephesians 4:13-16), by instruction of the Word (2 Timothy 2:2, 15; 3:16-17), by fellowship (Acts 2:47; 1 John 1:3), by keeping the ordinances (Luke 22:19; Acts 2:38-42) and by advancing and communicating the gospel to the entire world (Matthew 28:19; Acts 1:8, 2:42).