What We Believe

Section 1 - The Importance of Doctrine
      CCBC shall function as an independent, evangelical church committed to the fundamental, historic Christian truths recorded in God’s inerrant revelation - the Holy Scriptures.

Section 2 - Articles of Faith

A. The Trinity - God exists in three, eternal, co-equal persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

B. The Person of Christ - Undiminished deity (true God) and complete humanity are united in one sinless, virgin born person, the Lord Jesus Christ, forever.

C. The Work of Christ - The death of Christ served as a perfect, God-satisfying, substitute payment for the penalty of the sins of the world. His bodily resurrection guaranteed the hope of life eternal for all that believe in Him.

D. Personal Salvation - One can be assured of God s forgiveness and deliverance from eternal separation from God (i.e. consignment to hell) and the sure hope of eternal life only through personal trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and acceptance of God s free gift of salvation through Christ.

E. Revelation – God has revealed Himself and His will through the divinely inspired, inerrant Scriptures.

F. Sanctification – A true child of God will evidence the reality of his conversion by making progress in his personal spiritual growth and in the manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit.

Section 3 – Doctrinal Statement

A. The Bible – We believe the Bible (consisting of the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments) is the verbally inspired Word of God, without error in its original writings. It is to be interpreted in a normal, literal fashion (John 17:17; I Timothy 3:16, 17; II Peter 1:21; 3:15, 16).

B. God – We believe in one God eternally existing in three equal persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 48:16; Matthew 28:19; John 1:1-3; 10:30; Acts 5:3, 4; II Corinthians 13:14; Hebrews 1:8; 13:8).

C. Jesus Christ – We believe that:

   1.  God the Son became flesh in the person of Jesus Christ, who was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, and who is true God and true man (Matthew 1:18-25; 26:38; John 1:1-3, 14, 18; 8:58, 59; 20:28; Romans 9:5; Colossians 1:15-19; 2:9; Hebrews 1:8; 2:14; I John 5:20).
   
   2. And in the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ, His ascension into heaven, and His present life there for us. Jesus now serves as high priest, intercessor, and advocate on our behalf with the Father (Luke 22:69; John 20:25-27; Acts 1:9-11; Romans 1:4; 4:25; I Corinthians 15:12-19; Hebrews 7:25; I John 2:1).

D. The Holy Spirit – We believe that God the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He also regenerates those who receive Christ as Savior, baptizes them into the Church (the body of Christ), indwells them permanently, seals them unto the day of redemption, bestows spiritual gifts, and enables them to walk in obedience to Christ. We believe that some gifts such as speaking in tongues, prophecy, and miraculous healing were given as authenticating signs in the early Church and were temporary (John 3:8; 14:16, 17; 16:7-11; Romans 8:9; I Corinthians 2:12; 6:19; 12:4-11, 13; 13:8-13; 14:21-24; Galatians 5:16; Ephesians 1:13, 14; 2:18-20; 4:30; Hebrews 2:4).

E. Man – We believe that man was created in the image of God, and that in Adam he sinned and consequently experienced not only physical death but also spiritual death (which is separation from God). The consequences of this sin affect the entire human race. All human beings are born with a sinful nature and are sinners in thought, word, and deed (Genesis 1:26, 27; 2:17; 3:6; Mark 7:20-23; John 2:24, 25; Romans 3:23; 5:12-19; Ephesians 2:1-3; 4:18).

F. Salvation – We believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins as a substitutionary sacrifice and that all who personally trust in Him for salvation are declared righteous by God on the basis of His shed blood. This salvation is not the result of any human effort or merit; by grace, God chooses us to be His own and brings us to saving faith (Mark 10:45; John 3:16; 6:44, 65; Acts 13:48; 16:31; Romans 3:24, 25; 5:8,9; I Corinthians 15:1-4; II Corinthians 5:14; Ephesians 1:4-6; 2:8, 9; I Peter 3:18).

G. Assurance – We believe all who are born of the Spirit through faith in Christ can have assurance of salvation and are eternally secure in Christ (John 10:27-29; Romans 8:1; Ephesians 1:13, 14; 4:30; Philippians 1:6; II Timothy 1:12; I John 5:13).

H.   Sanctification – We believe every true child of God will evidence the reality of his conversion by making progress in his personal spiritual growth and in the manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit (II Corinthians 3:18; Galatians 5:22, 23; I Thessalonians 4:3-8; I John 3:7-10).

I. The Church – We believe

     1. The Church is composed of all believers; it is the body and bride of Christ. The Church exists in two aspects: the universal Church is the elect company of believers, baptized by the Holy Spirit into one body. The local church is a group of believers who meet regularly for the purposes of worship, prayer, teaching, fellowship, and evangelistic outreach (Matthew 28:19, 20; Acts 2:42; I Corinthians 12:13, 14, 27; Ephesians 1:22, 23; 5:24-30; I Timothy 2:1; Hebrews 10:23-25).

     2.  The ordinances of the Church are believer’s baptism and the Lord’s Supper (Matthew 28:19, 20; I Corinthians 11:23-26).

J.    Angels – We believe that God created angels as sinless beings. Some have remained in that holy state and serve the Lord. Others rebelled against God and are fallen spirit beings, among whom is Satan. (Matthew 25:41; John 8:44; Ephesians 6:12; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:14; 12:22; I Peter 5:8; Jude 6).

K. The Future – We believe:

1. In the imminent return of Christ for the Church. All members of the body of Christ, living or dead, will at that time be caught up to be with the Lord forever. This event will be followed by seven years of tribulation on earth, which will ultimately lead to the Second Coming of Christ to establish His kingdom on earth for a one thousand-year period. Following the earthly reign of Christ, a brief period of renewed deception by Satan will culminate in the destruction of the heavens and the earth and the establishment of eternal heavens and earth (Matthew 24:15-31; I Corinthians 15:51-53; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; II Peter 3:10-13; Revelation 3:10; 20:1-21:1).

2. In the bodily resurrection of all men. Believers are resurrected to enjoy eternal life with God in heaven. Unbelievers are resurrected to experience judgment and then eternal suffering apart from God in hell Daniel 12:1, 2; John 5:28, 29; I Corinthians 15:52; I Thessalonians 4:16, 17; Revelation 20:4-6, 12-15; 21:1-8