301 N Varner St Jordan, MN 55352 scbcmn@gmail.com 952-522-7222

Beliefs

THE WORD OF GOD – We believe that the sixty-six books of the Bible are the Word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and that it has final authority in all matters of faith and conduct. (Zech. 7:12; John 17:17; Rom. 15:4; 2 Tim. 3:15-17; 2 Pet. 1:19-21)

THE TRINITY – We believe that there is only one living and true God, eternally existing in three Persons of one essence, that these are equal in every divine perfection, and that they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence, and redemption. (Deut. 6:4-5; Matt. 3:16-17; 28:19; John 10:30; 2 Cor. 13:14; Eph. 4:4-6)

GOD THE FATHER – We believe in God the Father, an infinite, personal spirit, perfect in the divine attributes. We believe that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men and that He saves from sin and eternal death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ. We believe He has a paternal relationship with His children, with whom He longs to fellowship and for whom He answers prayer according to His will. (Deut. 32:6; Matt. 6:9; John 1:12; 3:16; 14:6; 2 Cor. 6:18; Eph. 2:18)

JESUS CHRIST – We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, and teachings. We believe in His substitutionary, atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into Heaven, perpetual intercession for His people, and imminent return to Earth. (Is. 53:5; Matt. 1:18; John 3:16; Acts 1:3,11; 2:22; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 7:25; Rev. 22:20)

THE HOLY SPIRIT – We believe in the personality and deity of the Holy Spirit who convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. Upon salvation, He regenerates, indwells, seals, and baptizes every believer into the body of Christ. We believe that the Holy Spirit sanctifies, guides, empowers, and enlightens believers through the Word of God and that the filling of the Spirit is manifested by the fruits of the Spirit rather than by any specific spiritual gift. The Holy Spirit testifies concerning Jesus Christ and never leads any person at any time contrary to the Word of God. (John 16:7-14; Acts 5:1-4; Rom. 8:11; 1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 5:22-23; Eph. 1:13-14)

SPIRIT BEINGS – We believe that God created a multitude of sinless spirit beings to serve and worship Him. As created beings, angels are not to be worshipped but, rather, to minister to believers. One of these spirit beings, now known as Satan, sinned, became the author of sin, and provoked the fall of man. He led a host of spirit beings in rebellion against God and continues to seek ways to subvert the workings and plan of God. Satan is the god of this age and the ruler of all the powers of darkness, yet he is still ultimately limited by the sovereignty of God. Satan and his host are destined to eternal punishment in the lake of fire. (Is. 14:12-15; Matt. 25:41; Eph. 2:2; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:7,14; Rev. 5:11)

CREATION – We believe that the early chapters of Genesis are accurate history describing a literal six-day creation with a seventh day of rest. God sustains all creation, but He is in no way dependent upon it. (Gen. 1-2; Col. 1:16-17; John 1:2-3; Rev. 4:11)

MANKIND – We believe that all people are created by God in His image as male or female for His pleasure and His glory. Mankind is called by God to be stewards of the Earth, our resources, and our time, using all these for the glory of God. Each person is both physical and spiritual, and, though we will see death here on Earth, each person is an immortal being who will spend eternity with or apart from God. (Gen. 1:26-31; 2:7; Is. 43:7; Matt. 10:28; 25:46; Eph. 5:16; Rev. 4:11)

SIN –  We believe that because the first couple, Adam and Eve, disobeyed God, they and all people since are separated from God and are sinners by nature and by choice, Jesus Christ being the only exception. This sin nature is demonstrated through rebellious acts such as idolatry, homosexuality, sexual immorality, greed, murder, strife, deceit, gossip, rebellion against authority, and infinite other rebellions against the will of God, both great and small. Because God is holy and cannot tolerate sin, all people are under condemnation and totally unable to save themselves. (Gen. 3:1-6; Hab. 1:13; Rom. 1:18-32; 5:12; 2 Cor. 5:21)

SALVATION – We believe that Jesus Christ was crucified, buried, and resurrected to bear the condemnation of all people and that nothing prevents anyone’s salvation except their rejection of Jesus Christ as their sin-bearer. Salvation is the gift of God freely offered to all by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. All who believe are regenerated and receive the perfect righteousness of Christ, eternal life, and are secure in Christ forever. (John 1:12; 10:27-28; Rom. 10:13; 1 Cor. 15:3-4; Ephesians 2:8-9; 2 Pet. 3:9)

CHRISTIAN CONDUCT – We believe that spiritual growth is the natural and expected result of receiving spiritual life. The Bible admonishes each believer to live a life of increasing holiness, becoming more and more like our Lord Jesus Christ through obedience to the Word of God and the enabling power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Each believer should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord. (Lev. 20:7; Acts 17:11; Romans 8:29; Gal. 5:22-23; Eph. 2:10; 1 Peter 1:13-2:17)

THE CHURCH – We believe in the universal church, a living, spiritual body composed of all regenerated believers having Christ as the head. We believe in the local church, consisting of a company of believers in Jesus Christ baptized on a credible profession of faith, associated for worship, instruction, outreach, and support, and governed by the Word of God. The church must be free to govern itself and fill its offices, pastors and deacons in particular. (Matt. 16:18; Acts 2:41-42; Eph. 4:4-16; 1 Tim. 3:1-13; Rev. 2-3)

ORDINANCES – We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to the church, baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We believe that Scriptural baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Triune God as a public testimony of conversion. We believe that the Lord’s Supper was instituted by Christ to commemorate His sinless life, substitutionary death, victorious resurrection and ascension, and promised return. We believe that those who partake of the Lord’s Supper should be born-again believers, walking in fellowship with Jesus Christ and obedient to His word. We believe that these two ordinances are physical symbols of spiritual realities and do not have any salvific or cleansing capabilities of themselves. The ordinances should be observed and administered regularly until the return of our Lord. (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 2:41; 8:36-38; 16:30-34; 1 Cor. 11:23-29)

THE LAST THINGS – We believe in the personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to Earth and the establishment of His Kingdom. We believe in the bodily resurrection of all people, believers to eternal life and glory and unbelievers to eternal punishment. We believe that the souls of believers in Christ are, at death, absent from the body and in conscious presence with the Lord. The souls of unbelievers are, at death, in conscious torment until their bodily resurrection and final judgment. Believers will escape judgment to Hell but will appear before the judgment seat of Christ. (Acts 1:11; 1 Cor. 15:51-57; 2 Cor. 5:8; Tit. 2:13; Rev. 20:11-15; Rom. 14:10; 2 Cor. 5:10)

RELIGIOUS LIBERTY – We believe that each church is independent and must be free to operate and discharge its God-given responsibilities without the control of any ecclesiastical or political authority. God has given both the church and the State specific biblical responsibilities and balanced those responsibilities so that neither institution has the right to control the other. Both of these authorities are answerable to God and judged by His word. (Matt. 22:21; Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Tim. 2:1-3; Acts 5:29)

CHURCH COOPERATION – We believe that loyalty to Christ and the biblical principle of holiness require separation from groups and organizations that do not uphold and contend for the truth of God’s Word. True spiritual fellowship is the result of a common faith and practice and should be pursued both within the local church and with other churches or organizations with common faith and practice. (Rom. 16:17; Eph. 4:13-15; 2 Thess. 3:6-7; 1 John 1:6-7; Jude 3)

SPIRITUAL GIFTS – We believe that the indwelling Spirit of God gifts every believer with at least one spiritual gift for the edification of the church. We believe miraculous signs and supernatural events that occurred in the New Testament church were gifts that authenticated the ministry of the apostles. We believe these confirmatory gifts do not continue in normal use in the post-apostolic church. (1 Cor. 12-14; 1 Pet. 4:7-11; 2 Pet. 3:15-17; 2 Cor. 12:12; Heb. 2:4; 1 Cor. 13:8)

STATEMENT OF FAITH – The Statement of Faith does not exhaust the extent of our faith. The Bible itself is the sole and final source of all that we believe. We do believe, however, that the foregoing statements accurately represent the teaching of the Bible and, therefore, are binding upon all members. (Acts 20:27; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; 4:1-2; 1 Pet. 2:9-10)