Geist Chapel Statement of Faith

The Bible We believe the Bible, composed of the Old and New Testaments, is God’s revelation to us, written by human authors who were supernaturally guided by the Holy Spirit. As the inspired word of God, it is without error in the original manuscripts and serves as our supreme and final authority in all matters about which it speaks. (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:20-21)

The Trinity We believe God is One, the only God, eternally existing in three equal persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, each completely and fully God. (Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19; John 3:21-22; 2 Cor. 13:13; Eph. 4:4-6)

God the Father We believe the Father is fully God and His fatherhood is eternal and personal. He is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and of all who believe in Christ. (Gen. 1:1; Matt. 6:9; 2 Cor. 1:3; Eph. 4:6)

God the Son We believe Jesus Christ is the only Son of God, equal with the Father and the Holy Spirit. He is fully God and fully man, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. He lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect, complete sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. He physically rose from the dead, demonstrating His victory over sin and death and ascended to heaven where He is at the throne of the Father, interceding for us. One day, He will return to earth to reign as King of Kings. (Matt. 1:18- 25; John 1:1-2, 14; 3:16-18; Acts 1:9-11; Rom. 5:8; 1 Cor. 15:20; 2 Cor. 5:21; Eph. 1:20; Phil. 2:5-11; Heb. 4:14- 15; 7:25; 1 John 2:1-2)

God the Holy Spirit We believe the Holy Spirit is equal in deity and person with the Father and the Son. He moved the human authors of the Bible to write God’s Word. He makes people aware of their need for Jesus Christ, performs the miracle of new birth and comes to live in every Christian the moment they trust in Jesus Christ. He unites all Christians into the one Body of Christ, providing each of them with power for service, understanding of spiritual truths and comfort in life’s trials. (Jn. 3:3-8; 14:16-17; 16:7-11; Acts 5:3-4; Rom. 8:9-11; 1 Cor. 2:13; 12:11-13; 2 Pet. 1:20-21)

Human Beings We believe all people are created in the image of God, to be like Him in character. However, we are all marred by sin, both from Adam's original sin as well as our own sinful acts. Our sin alienates us from God, makes us liable for His judgment and ultimately results in eternal death apart from God’s salvation. (Gen. 1:26-27; Rom. 1:18-23; 3:23; 5:12; 6:23; Eph. 2:1-3; 4:18-19; 1 Pet. 1:15-16)

Salvation We believe salvation is God’s gracious gift, offered to all people, which we must accept. We can never make up for our sin by self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ alone can we be forgiven for our sin, overcome our alienation from God and be saved from God’s judgment. The moment we turn to Jesus Christ in faith, we are spiritually born again. Eternal life begins the moment one places his faith in Christ, and it can never be lost or taken away. With the new birth at salvation, we are spiritually created in righteousness and holiness of the truth, and justified by God, meaning that we are declared righteous. (Jn. 1:12-13; 3:5; 6:37-40; 10:28-29; Acts 16:31; Rom. 8:31-39, 2 Cor. 5:18-19; Eph. 1:7, 13; 2:8-9; 4:24)

The Christian Life

Before salvation, we were enslaved to sin, but at salvation the dominant power of sin in our lives is broken. Beginning at salvation, God begins to progressively work within believers to make us more and more free from sin and like Christ in our actual lives. The Christian life is a process of cooperating with God's sanctifying work in our lives by our faith and obedience to Christ and deepening our relationship with Him. It is God's will that we continually grow over the course of our lives until we get to heaven and then are made perfect in Christ. (1 Cor. 6:11; Rom. 6:1-8, 39; 1 Thess. 5:23; Phil 1:6, 2:13)

Baptism & Lord’s Supper Baptism is picture of our death, burial and resurrection in Christ, and is therefore an outward sign of an inward reality. We practice believer’s baptism by immersion. (Rom. 6:3-4; Col. 2:12; 1 Jn. 2:6; Matthew 28:19-20a) The Lord’s Supper is also a picture of our union with Christ through faith and our entering into His covenant by which we are given eternal life. (1 Cor. 11:23-43). Both baptism and the Lord’s Supper are ordinances to be observed by the church, but are not a means of special grace or salvation.

The Church We believe the Church is the family of God, the Body of Christ, the temple of the Holy Spirit, and that it is expressed in local churches. The church is made up of all born again believers in Christ, who is the head. We believe that the Church is the primary instrument through which God is working in the world today. (Matt. 26:26-29; 28:18-20; Acts 2:42-47; 1 Cor. 3:16-17; 12:27; 2 Cor. 6:18; Eph. 1:22-23; 3:10; Col. 1:18; 1 John 3:14- 18)

Future Things We believe in the immanent and personal return of Christ to earth in fulfillment of prophecy, and this expected return, which Scripture calls “the blessed hope,” should be a motivation for Christians to a holy lifestyle. (Titus 2:11-13)

Eternity We believe in the bodily resurrection of the dead; of believers to everlasting joy in heaven with the Lord and of unbelievers to hell and eternal destruction. (Dan. 12:2; Matt. 25:46; John 5:28-29; 1 Cor. 15:51-52; 1 Thess. 4:13-14)