In order to be true to what we believe the Bible teaches and keep
the door open for cooperation with as many Christians churches and
denominations as possible, we feel it is helpful to separate our
doctrine into two categories:
About Jesus Christ
Jesus is God the Son, equal with the Father and the Holy Spirit. He
took the form of human flesh in which he was both fully God and fully
man. He was born of the Virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit and lived a
sinless life, confirming all He taught with mighty works, wonders, and
signs. He offered His life as payment for the sins of all people; was
crucified, died, and was resurrected on the third day. He returned to
the Father's right hand in heaven where He prays for all of His
followers. He will come again personally, bodily, and visibly to judge
the living and the dead and to establish His kingdom.
While
standing in agreement on essential doctrines of the faith, the Church (all
believers worldwide) is diverse in belief and practice. We hold the following
teachings with conviction, however we do not consider these essentials and
gladly fellowship and partner with other churches and Christians who may differ
with us.
Bible
The Bible is God's Word in every part. It is authoritative and without error on
every matter it addresses.
We believe and teach
the inerrancy and infallibility of God's Word. (See Isaiah 40:8)
Evangelical
An individual decision to trust Jesus Christ is necessary to begin the
relationship with God and the adventure for which He created us.
We as a church and as
individuals have the responsibility to tell others how they can be saved. (See Romans
10:14)
Lay Ministers
We believe in the priesthood of every believer -- that is every Christian is
uniquely gifted by God and is equally valuable in accomplishing God's mission
for the church.
The priesthood of
every believer means that each of us who know Christ have a special
relationship with God and enjoy a special responsibility -- to bring His love
and provision to people in need. (See 1 Peter 2:9, Hebrews 4:18, Ephesians
4:11)
Immersion
We believe that because it illustrates all which occurs in the life of an
individual who trusts Christ as Savior, baptism should be received following
the decision of an individual to trust Christ and by the total immersion of the
body in water.
We are baptized: 1) To
obey Christ's command and follow His example; 2) To symbolize the washing away
of our sins and our new life in Christ; 3) To testify to the gospel. (See Matthew
28:19, Romans 6:3-4, 2 Timothy 1:8)
Eternal Security
We believe that, although sin can interrupt a Christian’s fellowship with God,
it cannot interrupt his relationship with God.
Keeping one's
salvation by works is no different from getting one's salvation by works. God's
unconditional love is the basis and model for our own relationships with
others. (See Romans 8:38-39, Romans 8:15)
Far-Sighted
We believe that God calls us to
reach beyond the walls of our church, working together with other Christians to
touch the entire world with God's love and truth.
We are committed to
missions. We believe in becoming involved in and supporting ministries whose
goal is to reach people for Christ outside of the Mesilla Valley, as well as
uniting with other churches to meet the needs of and reach people for Christ
within the Mesilla Valley. (See Matthew 28:19, 1 Corinthians 1:2)
Spiritual Gifts
We believe in one baptism of the
Spirit, which occurs at the time of conversion. Apart from this the Holy Spirit
gives gifts and experiences to individuals - which are a part of His unique
work in the life of each person. (Every experience must be evaluated by and
find a precedent in Scripture). We believe that the works and gifts of God's
Spirit continue to be active in the church today.
Every Christian is
baptized by, with, in the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation. The Christian life is not a matter of
pursuing spiritual blessings we lack but appropriating the fullness which
belongs to every Christian the moment he/she is saved. (See 1 Corinthians
12:11, 13, Titus 3:5; Ephesians 1:3)
