Our Beliefs

Statement of Faith

From the Constitution of David’s Community Bible Church

Preamble

The teaching of David’s Community Bible Church is based on the Holy Scriptures. This statement of faith reflects doctrines the Elders consider to be essential to understanding, teaching and practicing God’s word, as approved by the congregation.

The Holy Scriptures

1. We believe the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, to be the verbally (God-breathed) inspired Word of God, without error in the original writing, the complete revelation of His will for the salvation of men, and the Divine and final authority of all Christian doctrine, faith, and life. The Bible has been translated into many languages. We believe any translation should be translated from original languages as far as possible. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

The Trinity

2. We believe in one God, one in essence, three in persons. He is creator of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally co-existing in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Genesis 1:1; Colossians 2:9)

God, the Son

3. We believe that Jesus Christ is true God and true Man, of one substance and equal with the Father, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He died on the cross a sacrifice for our sins according to the Scriptures. Further, He arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven where, at the right hand of the Majesty on High, He now is our High Priest and Advocate. (1 Corinthians 15:3-4; I John 2:1; Luke 1:35)

The Holy Spirit

4. We believe that the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ and during this age to convict men, regenerate the believing sinner, indwell, guide, instruct and empower the believer for godly living and service. (John 15:26; John 16:7-14)

Man, Sin, Salvation

5. We believe that man was created in the image of God, and through Adam, sin entered the world and is passed on to all men so that all men are born with a sinful nature and are under God’s wrath and curse. All men, therefore, are lost, and only through regeneration by the Holy Spirit can salvation and spiritual life be obtained. (Genesis 1:27; Romans 5:12; John 3:3)
6. We believe that the shed blood of Jesus Christ and His resurrection provide the only ground for justification and salvation for all who believe, and only such as receive Jesus Christ are born of the Holy Spirit, and thus become children of God. We believe that salvation and justification are by grace alone, through faith alone, because of Christ alone. (Hebrews 9:22; Romans 5:1; John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9)
7. We believe that God is the Author of salvation. Those in whom God has begun a work of grace can neither totally nor finally fall from the state of grace. Because God gives man eternal life through Jesus Christ, the believer is secure in the salvation for eternity. Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the Christian. It is the grace and keeping power of God that gives this security. (John 10:29; II Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 7:25; 10:10, 14; I Peter 1:3-5; Philippians 1:6; 2:13; Romans 8:28-30; Ephesians 1:13-14). David’s Community Bible Church, while believing and teaching this paragraph 7, recognizes that there exists a creditable different view. Because this portion of theology is not a core belief necessary to salvation, membership and fellowship, the Church does not, as a condition of membership, require strict adherence to this paragraph 7.
8. We believe that the sinless life and substitutionary death of Jesus Christ alone are sufficient payment for the justification of all who would believe. (Matthew 20:28; Hebrews 9:22)
9. We believe a person who is regenerated by the Holy Spirit receives Jesus Christ into his heart and confesses him as Lord. (Romans 10:9-10)
10. We believe sanctification is the work of God’s free grace whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God and are enabled more and more to die unto sin and live unto righteousness. This sanctification is throughout in the whole of man, yet imperfect in this life. (Romans 6:5-14; 7:18, 23; Galatians 5:17-18)

Ordinances

11. We believe, that during this present age, the Lord’s Supper and Water Baptism are ordinances to be observed by such as receive Jesus Christ. They are, however, not to be regarded as means of salvation. (1 Corinthians 11:23-26; Matthew 28:19-20)

The Church

12. We believe that the true Church is composed of all such persons who, through saving faith in Jesus Christ, have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit and are baptized into the body of Christ of which He is the Head. (1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 4:1-6; Titus 3:5)
13. We believe that only those who are thus members of the true and invisible Church shall be eligible for membership in the local Church. (Acts 2:47)
14. We believe that Jesus Christ is the Lord and Head of the Church and that every local Church has the right under Christ to decide and govern its own affairs. (Ephesians 1:22; Colossians 1:18)

Eschatology

15. We believe in the physical and imminent coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and that this “Blessed Hope” has a vital bearing on the personal life and service of the believer. (Acts 1:11; I Thessalonians 4:14-16; 1 John 3:1-3)
16. We believe in a heaven and a hell. Heaven is the place of eternal conscious happiness for all who accept by faith the merits of Christ’s atoning sacrifice. Hell is a place of eternal conscious torment for all who reject Christ. (John 14:1-6; Philippians 3:20; Psalms 9:17; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9; Revelation 20:10-15)
17. We believe in the bodily resurrection of the dead; of the believer to everlasting blessedness and joy with the Lord; of the unbeliever to judgment and everlasting conscious punishment. (2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 20:15; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9)
18. We believe that Satan is a created angel and the author of sin. He incurred the judgment of God by rebelling against his Creator, by taking numerous angels with him in his fall, and by introducing sin into the human race by his temptation of Eve. He is the open and declared enemy of God and man, the prince of this world who has been defeated through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and that he shall be eternally punished in the lake of fire. (Isaiah 14:12-17; Ezekiel 28:11-19; Revelation 20:7-10)

Marriage and Sexuality

19. We believe that the correct view of the Bible requires that the term “marriage” has only one meaning. As set forth in Scripture, marriage, as sanctioned by God, is joining one man and one woman in a single, lifelong and exclusive union. We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other. We believe that God has commanded no intimate sexual activity is to be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. (1 Corinthians 7; Hebrews 13:4; Exodus 20:14). Marriage, so defined, reflects the relationship of Christ to the Church. (Genesis 1:28; Proverbs 5:15-19; 1 Corinthians 7:1-5)
20. We believe that any form of sexual intimacy outside of marriage, as Biblically defined, is sinful and deviates from God’s purpose for a man and a woman. (Genesis 1:27, 2:24, 19:5-13, 26:8-9; Deuteronomy. 22:5; Leviticus 18:1-30; Romans 1:26-29; 1 Corinthians 5:1; 6:9; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8; Hebrews 13:4)
21. We believe that sexuality and gender are fixed by God at birth and are not fluid, resulting in each person being a unique creation by God’s perfect intention. (Psalm 139:13-16)
22. We believe that all people are made in the image of God and are to be treated with the compassion, love, kindness, respect and dignity personified by our Lord and that hateful or harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward anyone are not in accordance with Scripture or the essential faith of this Church. All people are welcome to respectfully attend and worship in this body of believers, recognizing that we all have sinned and that grace, mercy and victory are available to all who repent of their sins.

Scriptural Meaning

23. This Article III, Statement of Faith, does not set forth an exhaustive or complete statement of our faith. Only the Bible itself can do so. We believe that the Scriptures speak with final authority as to the proper conduct of mankind and are the final source of all that we believe. For purpose of interpretation of the meaning of Scripture, the Elders elected under this Constitution are the final interpretive authority for David’s Community Bible Church on the meaning and application of Scripture.