Statement of Faith

What we believe at The Point Church about Jesus, the Bible, and the Church.

THE BIBLE

It is the main way that God has revealed himself to man. The Holy Spirit inspired human authors to write the 66 books of the Bible. It is the final authority in every issue of Christian faith and practice.  (II Tim. 3:16-17, I Thess. 2:13, II Peter 1:21)

GOD

There is one true, holy, and living God (Deut. 6:4; Rev. 4:8, Jer. 10:10). He is creator of the universe (Gen.1:1, Col. 1:16), all-powerful (Jer. 32:27), all-knowing (I John 3:20), and present everywhere (Psalm 139: 7-10). He is a personal being who reveals himself as good, kind, just, and merciful (I Chron. 16:34, Deut. 32:4, Daniel 9:9). God has existed since the beginning of time as three distinct and equal persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Gen. 1:26, Matt. 28:19, II Cor. 13:14).

The Son took on human form as Jesus of Nazareth (John 1:14), was born of the virgin Mary (Luke 1:30-35), and lived in the first century A.D. He was fully human and fully God. (Col. 2:9).  He lived a sinless life (Hebrews 4:15) and willingly offered himself (John 10:14-18) as the perfect final sacrifice for the sins of all people, in every place and age (Hebrews 10:1-18), dying on a Roman cross (Mark 15:37). After three days He defeated sin and death by rising from the grave (I Cor. 15:54-57). After forty days He ascended into Heaven (Acts 1:9) and will return to Earth one day to reign as king (Matt. 24:30). 

The Holy Spirit is the person of God who works in the world to make all people understand their need for Jesus Christ (John 15:26). He lives inside every follower of Jesus from the moment they decide to follow Him (Ezek. 36:27, I Cor. 3:16). The Holy Spirit is our power source for life, ministry, and spiritual growth (John 14:26, Acts 1:8). 

MAN

God created humanity, male and female, in his own image (Gen.1:27), with the moral ability to choose between right and wrong (Deut. 30:19). The first man and woman, Adam and Eve, chose to rebel against God (sin)(Gen.3:6), and their disobedient heart has been inherited by all subsequent generations (Rom. 3:23, 5:12). This rebellious attitude forever keeps man from forming a right relationship with his Creator unless restored through Christ (I Tim. 2:5).

The Bible teaches that man and woman were created to complement one another (Gen. 2:18). Christian marriage is more than simply a relationship of love and commitment between two people, but rather a spiritual covenant to be entered into only by one man and one woman before God (Matt. 19:4-6).   

SALVATION

Salvation is deliverance from the bondage of sin, both in this life and for eternity (Rom. 6:22). Anyone who receives salvation has first been drawn by the Holy Spirit (2 Thess. 2:13) to repent of (turn away from) their sin (Acts 2:38) and to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour (Acts 16:31). Jesus paid the penalty for everyone's sin through the shedding of His blood and His death on the cross (I John 4:10). His sacrifice is our only way of being made right before God (I Cor. 1:30).  We cannot earn our salvation through our own merit - it is a free gift of God (Eph. 2:8-9). 

Anyone who receives this salvation is born again and adopted into the family of God (John 3:13, Rom. 8:16-17). Through the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit, this believer grows in Christ, becoming more like Him and drawing closer to Him, for the rest of their life (Rom. 12:1-2).

THE CHURCH

The Church is the worldwide body of all believers in Christ (I Cor. 12:12), united as one in the Spirit and fellowship (Philippians 2:1-2) , whose purpose is to proclaim the glory of God (I Peter 2:9). Members of the Church (all believers) are called to worship together, study God's word, pray, love one another, help one another, and reach out to the world around them (Acts 2:42, Matthew 10:19-20). Local groups of believers (a local church) meet regularly as part of this worldwide body (Hebrews 10:25). They also partake in two particular practices: baptism and the Lord's Supper (communion).

BAPTISM

Baptism is a public declaration of a believer's faith in Jesus for salvation, through the act of immersion in water (Acts 8:35-38). This symbolizes death to sin and resurrection to a new life in Christ (Rom. 6:3-4).

THE LORD'S SUPPER

The Lord's Supper, also called communion, is a practice in which believers remember Christ's death by eating and drinking symbols of His body and blood (Luke 22:17-20). Believers are instructed to examine themselves before participating in communion and not to partake lightly (I Cor. 11:27-30).