Summit View Church Statement of Faith

 

1.  THE WORD OF GOD

 

We believe the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the inspired writings, complete as the

revelation of God's will for salvation, and the supreme and sole authority in faith and life

 

2.  THE TRINITY

 

We believe in one God, creator and sustainer of all things, eternally existing in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit; that these are equal in every divine perfection and that they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence and redemption.

 

3.  GOD THE FATHER

 

We believe in God the Father, an infinite, personal spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love.  We believe He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.

 

4.  JESUS CHRIST

 

We believe that Jesus Christ is God's only Son, and has precisely the same nature, attributes and perfections as God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.  We believe, further, that He is not only true God, but true man, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.  We also believe in His sinless life, His substitutionary atonement, His bodily resurrection from the dead, His ascension into heaven, and His personal, visible, premillenial return from heaven.

 

5.  HOLY SPIRIT

 

We believe in the Holy Spirit, His personality, and His work in regeneration, sanctification, and preservation.  His ministry is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ and implement Christ's work of redeeming the lost and empowering the believer for godly living and service.

 

6. MAN

 

We believe God created man, male and female, in the image of God and free from sin.  We further believe man is a sinner by nature and choice and, therefore, he is spiritually dead.  We also believe that those who repent of sin and trust Jesus Christ as Savior are regenerated by the Holy Spirit.

 

7. SALVATION

 

We believe in salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.  We further believe that this salvation is based upon the sovereign grace of God and was purchased by Christ on the cross and is received by man through faith, apart from any human merit, works, or ritual. We further believe salvation results in righteous living, good works and proper social concern.

 

8. THE CHURCH

 

We believe that the church is the spiritual body of which Christ is the head.  We believe that the true church is composed of all persons who through saving faith in Jesus Christ have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit.  This body expresses itself in local assemblies whose members have associated themselves for worship, for instruction, for evangelism, and for service.  We believe the ordinances of the local church are believer's baptism by immersion, and the Lord's Supper.

 

9. RELIGIOUS LIBERTY

 

We believe that each local church is self-governing in function and must be free from interference by any ecclesiastical or political authority.  We further believe that every human being is directly responsible to God in matters of faith and life and that each should be free to worship God according to the dictates of his conscience.  We also believe in the interdependence of local churches and the mutual submission of believers to each other in love.

 

10. CHRISTIAN CONDUCT

 

We believe that the supreme task of every believer is to glorify God in his life; that his conduct should be blameless before the world; that he should be a faithful steward of his possessions; and that he should seek to realize for himself the full stature of maturity in Christ.

 

11. LAST THINGS

 

We believe in the bodily resurrection of the saved and lost, the eternal existence of all men either in heaven or hell, in divine judgments, rewards and punishments.