Christ Community Church of Princeton

Statement of Faith

 

 

GOD, JESUS, AND HOLY SPIRIT

As our first priority we love, worship and serve the triune God of the Bible, who is eternally one God in three persons Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Father is sovereign over all and His grace is uniquely revealed and realized through His Son, Jesus Christ. The Son is fully divine and fully human. He alone is our Savior and Lord. The Holy Spirit likewise is fully divine, and is a personal being, given as God’s gift upon conversion to each follower of Jesus Christ.

 

SIN AND SALVATION

Because of its rebellion against God (sin), humanity is estranged from its Creator and stands under God's judgment. Jesus Christ has rescued us from this separation through His death and resurrection. This work of salvation is available only through faith in Christ. As Lord, He calls us to joyously and personally surrender to His purpose and will through repentance, confession of sin, and acceptance of His free gift of salvation. We live out God’s calling by the power and ministry of the Holy Spirit, and proclaim the Good News of God’s reconciling grace for all human beings.

 

Colossians 1:13-29; Ephesians 1:19-23; 2:8-9; Romans 1, 3:22-26; Philippians 2:5-11; John 14:6, 16:5-15; Acts 4: 12; Galatians 5:22-23; 1 John 5:7; 1 Corinthians 12 & 14

 

BIBLE

We believe that the Bible, composed of the Old and New Testaments, is the divinely inspired word of God, the final authority, and is trustworthy for faith and practice. It is to be interpreted responsibly under the guidance of the Holy Spirit within the community of faith. The primary purpose of the Bible is to point to and glorify Jesus Christ, the living Lord of the Church. Furthermore, it is the supreme standard for all human conduct and behavior. The essentials necessary for our salvation and the basics of how to conduct our lives are clearly revealed through it.

 

2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Timothy 2:15; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Deuteronomy 4:1-2

 

THE CHURCH

The church, as the Body of Christ, includes all believers and is manifested most visibly in local congregations. The church is the presence of the living Christ in the world, led, empowered and gifted by the Holy Spirit to continue His mission until His return. Christ Jesus, the Head of the Body, calls each local congregation into an interdependent, cooperative relationship with other congregations to advance the Kingdom of God on earth. Being grounded in the sole Lordship of Jesus Christ this association is characterized by the incarnational behaviors of mutual submission, encouragement, service, the pursuit of holiness and accountability.

 

Matthew 18:15; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:41; Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 5:1-2; 12-14; Ephesians 4; 5:21, 23; Colossians 3:16;

 

MISSION

God’s love for us in Christ and our reciprocal love for God motivates us to reach out with love for all people. This love leads us to exercise responsible stewardship of God’s creation. Love compels us to live and make decisions in accordance with God’s design in obedience to His Word and will. The heart of God, as reflected in both the Old and New Testaments, is to create a redeemed people loving and serving God with all their hearts, minds and bodies—a community in which people of every race, gender, social status and culture are equal in Christ. The mandates of the Great Commandment and the Great Commission compel us to live out our calling through witness and service. We will continue to be a missional people, both men and women working in partnership together to publish the Gospel to our neighbors, communities, nation and the world. This is our first calling, and highest priority, to which we are fully committed.

 

Mark 12:18-31; Matthew 28:18-20; John 15-17; 1 John 4:21; Acts 1:8; Romans 12:1-2; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:48-49; 2 Cor. 5:14; Galatians 3:28; James 2:14-19

 

HUMAN SEXUALITY

Because we are all wounded and broken people in need of the healing power of God’s grace in Christ Jesus, and being aware of the confusion of voices pertaining to human sexuality, the following statement defines our common understanding for sexual behavior:

 

Because we affirm the Bible as our rule for faith and practice and embrace its ethic of compassion, love and ministry to all persons and the availability of God’s grace through repentance and Christ’s transforming power; (Lk. 5:30-32; Jn. 8: 1-11, 1 Cor. 6:11)

 

We affirm that God’s gracious creation intent for human sexual conduct as defined in scripture is faithful, lifelong heterosexual union for married persons and committed celibate behavior for unmarried persons. All other sexual practices are clearly identified as sinful and destructive of individuals, of community, of the fellowship of believers, and the missional purposes of the church, and like all sin, calls for repentance, submission to the transforming power of God, and restoration to the community of faith. (Gen. 1:27, 2:24; 1 Thess. 4:3-8; Heb. 13:4); (Lev. 18:22, 20:13; Rom. 1:18-32; 1 Cor. 6:9-10)

 

This moral standard gives absolutely no permission for violence against any person who engages in sexual practices contrary to scripture, nor does this standard give permission for demeaning any person’s value in God’s sight. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” And, “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save it.” (Romans 3:23; John 3:17)

 

Therefore, we encourage grace-motivated ministries that respond to human need and offer Christ’s transforming love and healing to all wounded and broken people, including those who habitually engage in various sexual sins, heterosexual and homosexual alike.

 

Acknowledging the high calling of the church we oppose the ordination, or recognition of the preexisting license or ordination, of any person practicing, affirming, endorsing and/or celebrating adultery, fornication, gay/lesbian/bisexual behavior, or any other practices that are contrary to God’s creation intent as defined above.