Willamette Christian Church » What We Believe

What We Believe

Willamette Christian Church is a caring community that Loves God, Loves People and Serves the World. We see ourselves as the local expression of the Body of Christ located throughout the world.

We hold to the belief that:

In essential beliefs, we have Unity (Ephesians 4:4-6)
In non-essential beliefs, we have Liberty (Hebrews 12:1)
And in all our beliefs, we show Love (I Corinthians 13:2)

We hold to two scriptural, essential truths;

that Jesus is the Christ, the savior of mankind through His death, burial, resurrection and exaltation to the right hand of God in Heaven, and,
that the Bible is the supreme authority as our guide to Christian faith and service. We seek to speak where the Bible speaks, and be silent where the Bible is silent. The following statements are based upon our understanding of Scripture and are the basis for living the Christian life as a community of believers.

God We believe that there is one true, holy God, eternally existing in three persons- Father, Son and Holy Spirit- each of Whom possesses equally all the attributes of deity and the characteristics of personality. In the beginning God created out of nothing the world and all the things therein, thus manifesting the glory of His power, wisdom and goodness. By His sovereign power He continues to sustain His creation. By His providence He is operating throughout history to fulfill His redemptive purposes. (Matthew 28; John 14:26; II Corinthians 13:14)

Jesus Christ Jesus is the Son of God. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, thus he is fully God and fully man. He lived a sinless life. He offered himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. He rose from the dead after three days to conquer sin and death. He ascended into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of the Father, where He, the only mediator between God and man, continually makes intercession for His own. He will return to earth visibly in his person, at the end of human history, to gather those who belong to Him, to judge the living and the dead, and to fulfill the eternal plan of God. (John 1:1, 14; 1 Peter 2:24; Philippians 2:5-11; I Corinthians 15:1-8)

The Holy Spirit The essential accompaniment of a genuine saving relationship with Jesus Christ is a life of holiness and obedience, attained by believers as they submit to the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity. He was sent into the world by the Father and the Son to apply to mankind the saving work of Christ. He enlightens the minds of sinners, awakens in them a recognition of their need of a Savior and regenerates them. At the point of salvation, He permanently indwells every believer to become the source of assurance, strength and wisdom, and uniquely endows each believer with gifts for the up-building of the body. The Holy Spirit guides believers in understanding and applying the Scripture. His power and control are appropriated by faith, making it possible for the believer to lead a life of Christ-like character and to bear fruit to the glory of the Father. (Acts 5:3,4; Acts 2:38; I Corinthians 6:19)

Human Beings People are created in the image of God, to be like him in character. Human beings are the supreme creation of God. While every person has the potential for good, all of us are marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called "sin". All men and women have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Sin separates mankind from God eternally. Salvation from the sin condition can only be found in the grace of Jesus Christ. (Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6; Romans 3:23; Isaiah 59:12)

Satan We believe in the reality of the fallen, angelic person of Satan. He leads other fallen angels through evil intent and warfare against God and His people. Satan and all who follow him are doomed to a certain, everlasting judgment from God. In scripture, this eternal death is called Hell. (Matthew 4:10, 16:23; Revelation 12:9)

The Bible The Bible is God's Word to us. It was written by human authors under the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. It is the final and all-sufficient authority in all matters of faith and practice. Because it is inspired by God, it is the truth without error. (II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:20, 21; II Timothy 1:13; Psalm 119:105, 160, 12:6; Proverbs 30:5)

Baptism Baptism is one of two commands by Jesus that embody His death, burial and resurrection. We believe that your commitment to Christ in faith is to be accompanied by freely and publicly identifying with Christ through baptism by immersion. (Matthew 3:13-17; 28:19; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38)

Communion Communion is the second command by Jesus, to honor his death, burial and resurrection, through remembrance of the Last Supper. We believe that it is an important practice of worship for all God's people. (Acts 2:42; 20:7; I Corinthians 11:23-29)

The Church We believe in church unity and holiness. The Church belongs to Christ and his body in this world. Believers around the globe are spiritually united in Christ. While there may be difference in understanding and practice, we are called to unity. God will sort out the differences. (Matthew 16:18, Acts 20:28, Ephesians 1:22, 5:23)

Salvation Salvation is God's free gift to us, but we must accept it. Salvation is maintained through the grace and power of God. We can't make up for sin by self-improvement or good works. Only by accepting Jesus Christ as God's offer of forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin's penalty - eternal death. (John 10:29, 2 Timothy 1:12, Hebrew 7:25, 10:10, 14; 1 Peter 1:3-5)