Walton Christian Church Statement of Beliefs
The Bible
We believe the Bible is the Word of God. (2 Timothy 3:16)
The Bible consists of 66 books, 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament.
The Bible was written by 40 different men from various walks of life that were inspired by the leading of the Holy Spirit over a 1,500 year period. (1 Peter 1:20-21)
Though each human writer wrote using their own unique background, style, and vocabulary the Bible tells the one story of God’s redemptive work among men culminating in the death of Jesus for the sins of all people.
The original writings were written without error and laid out the message as God directed. We believe the manuscript evidence we have today confirms that what is recorded in the Old and New Testaments of today is the message given to the original writers.
The Bible is historically accurate, in agreement with demonstrable science and archaeology.
The Bible is the final authority on all matters of Christian faith and practice. (2 Timothy 3:16; John 17:17)
God
We believe in one eternal God that exists as three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The three distinct persons of the Godhead are all fully God; all of God’s attributes are true of each person and together they are one God.
God the FatherThe Bible teaches that God is eternal. He existed before anything was created and will always exist. (Genesis 1:1)
God is the Creator of all things. (Colossians 1:16)
God is all-seeing, all-knowing, all-powerful, and present everywhere. (Hebrews 4:13; Job 21:22; Romans 1:20; Psalm 139:7-12)
God is the sustainer of all things. Colossians 1:17)
God can be intimately known but never fully known. (Job 36:26)
God the Son
Jesus is God in the flesh. (Matthew 1:26; John 1:1)
Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born to a virgin named Mary. (Luke 1:26-38)
Jesus is fully God and fully man. (Philippians 2:5-7)
Jesus came to show us the Father and what he is like. (John 14:8-10)
Jesus lived a perfect and sinless life in order to be the perfect sacrifice for our sins. (Hebrews 4:15; Hebrews 10:12-18)
In obedience to God Jesus willingly gave his life upon the cross to save us from our sins. In doing so, he took the guilt of our sin upon himself and, in so doing, took our place in experiencing the wrath of God. 1 John 2:2; Isaiah 53:4-5)
Three days after his crucifixion Jesus arose from the dead conquering sin and death and proving his power over both. (Matthew 28:1-7; 1 Corinthians 15:54-57)
After his resurrection, Jesus ascended to his Father and now sits at the right hand of God. (Acts 1:9-11; Acts 7:55-56)
Jesus will return one day to judge the world and to reward those who have faithfully followed him. (Matthew 2531-46)
God the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the presence of God living inside each follower of Christ. (Acts 2:38; Romans 8:11)
The Holy Spirit bears witness to Jesus and helps us to understand how to live in a way that glorifies God. (John 15:26-27; Acts 1:8; John 16:13-14)
The Holy Spirit gives different spiritual gifts to people and empowers them to use those gifts for the building up of the church. (1 Corinthians 12:7-11)
The Holy Spirit aids the Christian when they don’t know how or what to pray for. (Romans 8:26-27)
The Holy Spirit guides the Christian in the truth of God’s Word. (John 14:26)
The Holy Spirit gives strength to the Christian when faced with a spiritual battle. (Ephesians 6:10-18)
The Holy Spirit sanctifies, or sets apart as holy, followers of Jesus. (Romans 15:15-16)
The Holy Spirit gives followers of Jesus assurance of their salvation. (Ephesians 1:13-14)
The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin. (John 16:8)
The Holy Spirit is promised to those who repent of their sins and are immersed in the waters of baptism. (Acts 2:38)
Man
God created man on the sixth day of creation and that man is the pinnacle of his creation. (Genesis 1:26-31)
Man was created to enjoy fellowship with God. (Genesis 3:8)
God created each person in his image and life is therefore sacred. (Genesis 1:26)
Having created man and woman in the beginning God established marriage as a lifelong, exclusive relationship between one man and one woman and He has reserved sexual intimacy as an expression of love and commitment between married couples. (Genesis 2:20-25)
God creates each person as male or female and therefore each person’s biological gender is an intrinsic, immutable aspect of his or her nature and identity. (Genesis 1:27; Psalm 139:13-16)
Man was created with freewill and willfully chose to break fellowship with God by disobeying God’s commands. The disobedience of God’s command is called sin. (Genesis 3)
Because of his sin man is lost and without hope apart from Jesus as Lord of his life. (Romans 6:23)
Salvation
Salvation, the forgiveness of our sins, is a gift of God that can never be earned through good works or self-improvement. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Salvation is based on the work of Jesus on the cross where he willingly gave his sinless life for us, took the sin and shame of all men and women upon himself, and endured the punishment that we deserved because of our sin. Through his sacrifice he paid the price of sin required by God for all those who believe in him. (Colossians 2:13-15)
In the Bible we see the following pattern when one decided to accept this salvation from God. They would:
Baptism note: Baptism by immersion is the pattern we see in Scripture as the God-ordained method for receiving the salvation offered by God through the death of Jesus on the cross. While Scripture binds us to uphold the biblical teaching of baptism by immersion, we acknowledge that God is sovereign and saves people as he sees fit. Baptism by immersion is the pattern laid out in Scripture for one wanting to give his or her heart to God, accept Jesus as Lord of their lives, and become a Christian. We acknowledge that there are circumstances where God can save people by looking at the heart without being baptized by immersion. God is not bound to baptism by immersion, but we are.
We believe the distinguishing characteristic of those who have received God’s salvation and who now live in God’s Kingdom is Christ-likeness. As one conforms to the image of Christ he becomes more loving in his or her relationship with God and with his fellow man. Our love for others, especially for other Christians, is the clearest demonstration to the world that we are true disciples. God’s love for us compels us and His Spirit empowers us to love others as He loves us. (Philippians 2:1-13)
The Church
The church is the community of all the true followers of Jesus Christ. (Acts 2:42-47)
The church is the body of Christ and Jesus Christ is the head of the church. (Colossians 1:18)
The church’s mission is to go to all nations and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to baptize and teach those who accept Jesus as Lord of their lives. (Matthew 28:18-20)
The Bible commands believers to gather together for the teaching and study of the Scripture, fellowship, prayer, encouragement of one another, the worship of God, and disciple-making. This gathering of believers is the local expression of the church. (Hebrews 10:23-25)
Each local church has the obligation under Christ to decide and govern its own affairs in obedience to the will of God, the Word of God, and the Spirit of God. (Acts 14:23; 1 Peter 5:2-3)
Church Membership
When a person follows the biblical pattern of accepting God’s salvation by repenting of their sins, confessing Jesus as Lord of their lives, and being immersed in the waters of baptism they become a part of the worldwide body of believers known as the church.
Those baptized by immersion at WCC are also considered members of the local body of believers. Those immersed elsewhere following the biblical pattern are considered members of the local body when they come forward and repeat the confession of faith before the congregation. Members of WCC are expected to actively support the mission of the church: Leading people to Jesus daily by learning from Jesus, loving like Jesus, and living for Jesus. (Acts 2:41)
Leadership and Ministry within the Church
Through His Holy Spirit, God equips and empowers each and every true believer in Christ with a spiritual gift to use to build up the church in unity and love. Each member of the local church is encouraged to use his or her gift to begin and/or strengthen ministries within the church in order that the church might grow spiritually and numerically. This is referred to as the “ministry of all believers.” (1 Peter 2:9; 1 Corinthians 12:7-11)
Within the local church the ministries of the church are carried out under the authority of the elders. Scripturally the elders are men who have dedicated themselves to the ministry of prayer and the Word. Therefore, they are the spiritual overseers of the congregation as a whole. (Acts 6:4)
In addition to the elders, the church is supported by a group of men known as deacons. Deacons are the servant-leaders of the congregation. These men have set themselves aside to oversee the physical needs of the local church and local church families. The elders and deacons work together to assure that the church is meeting the needs of its people both spiritually and physically. (Acts 6:1-7)
Working in conjunction with the elders are the evangelists whose main responsibilities are the preaching and teaching of God’s Word. (Ephesians 4:11-13; 2 Timothy 4:1-5)
Eternal Destiny
The Bible teaches that Jesus will one day return to judge all men. When that day comes, there will be a division between those that followed Jesus and those who did not. Those that followed Jesus will be rewarded and will spend eternity with God. Those who did not follow Jesus will be sent to a place of eternal torment separated from God. Because of our belief in a literal heaven and hell, we are compelled to preach the gospel in an attempt to reconcile all men to God so that they might spend eternity with Him. (Matthew 25:31-46)
The Bible
We believe the Bible is the Word of God. (2 Timothy 3:16)
The Bible consists of 66 books, 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament.
The Bible was written by 40 different men from various walks of life that were inspired by the leading of the Holy Spirit over a 1,500 year period. (1 Peter 1:20-21)
Though each human writer wrote using their own unique background, style, and vocabulary the Bible tells the one story of God’s redemptive work among men culminating in the death of Jesus for the sins of all people.
The original writings were written without error and laid out the message as God directed. We believe the manuscript evidence we have today confirms that what is recorded in the Old and New Testaments of today is the message given to the original writers.
The Bible is historically accurate, in agreement with demonstrable science and archaeology.
The Bible is the final authority on all matters of Christian faith and practice. (2 Timothy 3:16; John 17:17)
God
We believe in one eternal God that exists as three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The three distinct persons of the Godhead are all fully God; all of God’s attributes are true of each person and together they are one God.
God the FatherThe Bible teaches that God is eternal. He existed before anything was created and will always exist. (Genesis 1:1)
God is the Creator of all things. (Colossians 1:16)
God is all-seeing, all-knowing, all-powerful, and present everywhere. (Hebrews 4:13; Job 21:22; Romans 1:20; Psalm 139:7-12)
God is the sustainer of all things. Colossians 1:17)
God can be intimately known but never fully known. (Job 36:26)
God the Son
Jesus is God in the flesh. (Matthew 1:26; John 1:1)
Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born to a virgin named Mary. (Luke 1:26-38)
Jesus is fully God and fully man. (Philippians 2:5-7)
Jesus came to show us the Father and what he is like. (John 14:8-10)
Jesus lived a perfect and sinless life in order to be the perfect sacrifice for our sins. (Hebrews 4:15; Hebrews 10:12-18)
In obedience to God Jesus willingly gave his life upon the cross to save us from our sins. In doing so, he took the guilt of our sin upon himself and, in so doing, took our place in experiencing the wrath of God. 1 John 2:2; Isaiah 53:4-5)
Three days after his crucifixion Jesus arose from the dead conquering sin and death and proving his power over both. (Matthew 28:1-7; 1 Corinthians 15:54-57)
After his resurrection, Jesus ascended to his Father and now sits at the right hand of God. (Acts 1:9-11; Acts 7:55-56)
Jesus will return one day to judge the world and to reward those who have faithfully followed him. (Matthew 2531-46)
God the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the presence of God living inside each follower of Christ. (Acts 2:38; Romans 8:11)
The Holy Spirit bears witness to Jesus and helps us to understand how to live in a way that glorifies God. (John 15:26-27; Acts 1:8; John 16:13-14)
The Holy Spirit gives different spiritual gifts to people and empowers them to use those gifts for the building up of the church. (1 Corinthians 12:7-11)
The Holy Spirit aids the Christian when they don’t know how or what to pray for. (Romans 8:26-27)
The Holy Spirit guides the Christian in the truth of God’s Word. (John 14:26)
The Holy Spirit gives strength to the Christian when faced with a spiritual battle. (Ephesians 6:10-18)
The Holy Spirit sanctifies, or sets apart as holy, followers of Jesus. (Romans 15:15-16)
The Holy Spirit gives followers of Jesus assurance of their salvation. (Ephesians 1:13-14)
The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin. (John 16:8)
The Holy Spirit is promised to those who repent of their sins and are immersed in the waters of baptism. (Acts 2:38)
Man
God created man on the sixth day of creation and that man is the pinnacle of his creation. (Genesis 1:26-31)
Man was created to enjoy fellowship with God. (Genesis 3:8)
God created each person in his image and life is therefore sacred. (Genesis 1:26)
Having created man and woman in the beginning God established marriage as a lifelong, exclusive relationship between one man and one woman and He has reserved sexual intimacy as an expression of love and commitment between married couples. (Genesis 2:20-25)
God creates each person as male or female and therefore each person’s biological gender is an intrinsic, immutable aspect of his or her nature and identity. (Genesis 1:27; Psalm 139:13-16)
Man was created with freewill and willfully chose to break fellowship with God by disobeying God’s commands. The disobedience of God’s command is called sin. (Genesis 3)
Because of his sin man is lost and without hope apart from Jesus as Lord of his life. (Romans 6:23)
Salvation
Salvation, the forgiveness of our sins, is a gift of God that can never be earned through good works or self-improvement. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Salvation is based on the work of Jesus on the cross where he willingly gave his sinless life for us, took the sin and shame of all men and women upon himself, and endured the punishment that we deserved because of our sin. Through his sacrifice he paid the price of sin required by God for all those who believe in him. (Colossians 2:13-15)
In the Bible we see the following pattern when one decided to accept this salvation from God. They would:
- Hear and believe the good news of Jesus. (Romans 10:13-15)
- Accept Jesus as a free gift by acknowledging there is nothing they could do to save themselves. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
- Agree with God that they were sinners and then repent of their sins. (Acts 2:38)
- Confess Jesus as Lord of their lives. (Matthew 10:32-33; Romans 10:9)
- Be baptized by immersion in order that their sins would be forgiven and that they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38; 1 Peter 3:21)
Baptism note: Baptism by immersion is the pattern we see in Scripture as the God-ordained method for receiving the salvation offered by God through the death of Jesus on the cross. While Scripture binds us to uphold the biblical teaching of baptism by immersion, we acknowledge that God is sovereign and saves people as he sees fit. Baptism by immersion is the pattern laid out in Scripture for one wanting to give his or her heart to God, accept Jesus as Lord of their lives, and become a Christian. We acknowledge that there are circumstances where God can save people by looking at the heart without being baptized by immersion. God is not bound to baptism by immersion, but we are.
We believe the distinguishing characteristic of those who have received God’s salvation and who now live in God’s Kingdom is Christ-likeness. As one conforms to the image of Christ he becomes more loving in his or her relationship with God and with his fellow man. Our love for others, especially for other Christians, is the clearest demonstration to the world that we are true disciples. God’s love for us compels us and His Spirit empowers us to love others as He loves us. (Philippians 2:1-13)
The Church
The church is the community of all the true followers of Jesus Christ. (Acts 2:42-47)
The church is the body of Christ and Jesus Christ is the head of the church. (Colossians 1:18)
The church’s mission is to go to all nations and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to baptize and teach those who accept Jesus as Lord of their lives. (Matthew 28:18-20)
The Bible commands believers to gather together for the teaching and study of the Scripture, fellowship, prayer, encouragement of one another, the worship of God, and disciple-making. This gathering of believers is the local expression of the church. (Hebrews 10:23-25)
Each local church has the obligation under Christ to decide and govern its own affairs in obedience to the will of God, the Word of God, and the Spirit of God. (Acts 14:23; 1 Peter 5:2-3)
Church Membership
When a person follows the biblical pattern of accepting God’s salvation by repenting of their sins, confessing Jesus as Lord of their lives, and being immersed in the waters of baptism they become a part of the worldwide body of believers known as the church.
Those baptized by immersion at WCC are also considered members of the local body of believers. Those immersed elsewhere following the biblical pattern are considered members of the local body when they come forward and repeat the confession of faith before the congregation. Members of WCC are expected to actively support the mission of the church: Leading people to Jesus daily by learning from Jesus, loving like Jesus, and living for Jesus. (Acts 2:41)
Leadership and Ministry within the Church
Through His Holy Spirit, God equips and empowers each and every true believer in Christ with a spiritual gift to use to build up the church in unity and love. Each member of the local church is encouraged to use his or her gift to begin and/or strengthen ministries within the church in order that the church might grow spiritually and numerically. This is referred to as the “ministry of all believers.” (1 Peter 2:9; 1 Corinthians 12:7-11)
Within the local church the ministries of the church are carried out under the authority of the elders. Scripturally the elders are men who have dedicated themselves to the ministry of prayer and the Word. Therefore, they are the spiritual overseers of the congregation as a whole. (Acts 6:4)
In addition to the elders, the church is supported by a group of men known as deacons. Deacons are the servant-leaders of the congregation. These men have set themselves aside to oversee the physical needs of the local church and local church families. The elders and deacons work together to assure that the church is meeting the needs of its people both spiritually and physically. (Acts 6:1-7)
Working in conjunction with the elders are the evangelists whose main responsibilities are the preaching and teaching of God’s Word. (Ephesians 4:11-13; 2 Timothy 4:1-5)
Eternal Destiny
The Bible teaches that Jesus will one day return to judge all men. When that day comes, there will be a division between those that followed Jesus and those who did not. Those that followed Jesus will be rewarded and will spend eternity with God. Those who did not follow Jesus will be sent to a place of eternal torment separated from God. Because of our belief in a literal heaven and hell, we are compelled to preach the gospel in an attempt to reconcile all men to God so that they might spend eternity with Him. (Matthew 25:31-46)