STATEMENT OF FAITH
Northside Church of Christ
For the Northside Church of Christ to function as the body of Christ in our community there must be a core of commonly held beliefs. The beliefs stated here are what we require leadership, employees, and volunteers to teach and abide by.
This statement of faith does not include all of our beliefs. We rely on the Bible itself, as the inspired and infallible Word of God, to be the final authority on truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind. For Northside’s practice, policy, and discipline our board of Elders is the final interpretive authority on the Bible’s meaning and application.
ABOUT GOD
There is only one true God. He is the Creator of all life and the Supreme Ruler of the universe. He has always been (He is eternal) and co-exists equally in three Persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. We learn about God through His creation, His Word, and His Son.
Genesis 1:26-27; Deuteronomy 6:4; Job 38:1-41:34; Matthew 3:13-17; John 3:16; Romans 1:19-20; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 4:6
Jesus Christ is the one and only Son of God. He came to earth and became man. He was completely God while at the same time being fully man. He revealed to us who God is. His miraculous acts, sinless life, and life-changing teachings all confirm the fact that He is God’s Son. His purpose for coming to Earth was to show God’s love by dying on a cross, thus taking the sins of all mankind upon Himself, and paying the penalty that our sins deserve. His bodily resurrection from the grave and His promise to return someday are testimonies to the fact that He is the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Matthew 1:22-23; John 1:1,14,18; Acts 10:37-43; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Ephesians 2:48; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:15-21; Hebrews 1:1-3
The Holy Spirit dwells in each member of God’s family as a Helper and Guide. At baptism, the Holy Spirit comes to live in our physical bodies and begins the work of sanctification in us. The works of the flesh begin to fade and the fruit of the Spirit begins to appear as we allow God’s Spirit to lead us.
John 14:16-17; John 16:7-13; Acts 2:38; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Ephesians 3:16-20; Ephesians 5:18; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Galatians 5:19-25; Romans 8:13,14
ABOUT THE BIBLE
The Bible is God’s written Word. The process that God used to give us His Word is called inspiration, which means God-breathed. The Word of God is without error and is truth. The teachings of the New Testament are the basis of our beliefs, teaching, and practices.
Psalm 19:7-11; Psalm 119:105, 160; John 17:17; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21
ABOUT MANKIND
All humans are created in the spiritual likeness or image of God. God gave us free will because He desires us to want to love Him. Because the first man and woman chose to sin, we live in a marred creation. All of us eventually choose to sin and become separated from God.
Genesis 1:27; Genesis 3:1-24; Psalm 8:3-6; John 4:24; Ephesians 1:4-6; Romans 3:23
Sexual Identity: God immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders 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; Romans 1:26-32
Marriage: The term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union. This “one flesh” union is the divine plan for procreation and a family that best furthers moral, spiritual, and public good by the binding of father, mother, and child.
Genesis 1:27,28; Genesis 2:18-24; Matthew 19:4-9, Mark 10:5-9, Ephesians 5:31-33
Sexual Immorality: God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and woman who are married to each other. Any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, same-sex acts, and incest) is sinful and offensive to God.
Exodus 20:14; Leviticus 18:7-23; Leviticus 20:10-21, Deuteronomy 5:18, Matthew 15:19, Matthew 5:27-28, Matthew 15:19, Romans 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9-13, 1 Thessalonians 4:3, Hebrews 13:4, Galatians 5:19, Ephesians 4:17-19, Colossians 3:5
Sexual Redemption: Sexual attractions – both heterosexual and homosexual – are a common human temptation in the list of works of the flesh. As with all sins, we believe there is redemption in Christ. All sinners may seek redemption through confession, repentance, baptism, and faith in Jesus Christ. We welcome all who confess sexually immoral acts but are committed to resisting sexual temptation, refraining from sexual immorality and conforming their behavior to Northside’s Statement of Faith.
Matthew 11:28-30, Romans 3:23, Ephesians 2:1-10, 1 Corinthians 10:13, Hebrews 4:14-16
Sanctity of Life: All human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death, should be defended, protected, and valued. Psalms 139
ABOUT SALVATION
We need salvation because we have sinned. Sin separates us from God who desires relationship with us. It was God’s plan from the beginning to save us from our sins through the death of Jesus Christ. The Bible calls God’s act of love, grace. His grace is His gift to us. The way we receive His gift is by placing our trust and faith in Him, repenting of our sins, confessing our belief in Christ, and obeying His command to be immersed (baptized) in water. When we are immersed our sins are forgiven and we receive the gift of the indwelling Spirit.
Isaiah 59:2; John 3:16; John 14:6; Acts 2:37-39; Romans 3:10, 11, 23; Romans 6:3-4; Romans 6:23; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Ephesians 2:1-10; Titus 3:3-8
ABOUT THE CHURCH
The Church is God’s spiritual family. It is made up of all those who have been “called out” of the world to be His followers (known as disciples, believers, Christians). The Bible uses the analogy that Jesus is the Head of the Church, which is His body. The Church is to seek to do the will of God, which includes making and growing followers of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 16:15-18; John 17:20-23; John 13:34-35; Acts 2:42-47; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Ephesians 1:22-23; Ephesians 2:19-22; 1 Peter 2:4-10
A local congregation of the Lord’s church such as Northside is a group of Christians who agree to work and worship together to accomplish the will of God. This group attempts to work and fellowship in a spirit of unity under the leadership and discipline of qualified men selected to serve the body as Elders. Membership is open to any immersed believer who agrees to abide by Northside’s Statement of Faith and submit to the oversight of Northside’s Elders.
Matthew 18:15-20; 1 Corinthians 5; 2 Corinthians 2:7-8; Galatians 6:1,2; 2 Thessalonians 3:6; 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9; Titus 3:10-11; 2 John 7-11
ABOUT ETERNITY
We are created with a soul which will never cease to exist. Those who choose to follow Jesus as Lord, and continue to trust Him as their savior, will spend eternity with God in Heaven. Those who reject Jesus by refusing to follow Him will spend eternity in Hell. Heaven and Hell are real places.
Ezekiel 18:20; Matthew 7:21-23; Matthew 10:28; Matthew 25:31-46; Luke 16:19-31; John 14:1-6; Romans 6:23; Philippians 3:17-21; Revelation 20:15
Effective 1/1/2017