Words to Live by...

Statement of Faith, Christ Community Church of Blackstone:

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• The Bible...We believe that all the books of the Old and New Testaments, as originally written, were inspired by God and hence, free from error. The Bible, God’s written word, serves as our only true guide to faith and practice.(Timothy 3:15-17, II Peter 1:20-21)
• God...We believe there is one living and true God, Creator and Preserver of all things. God has revealed Himself through both His creation and redemptive actions, which fulfilled in Jesus Christ, to be perfect in love and in righteousness. (Deuteronomy 6:4, Genesis 1, Col. 1:16)
• Trinity...We believe God exists eternally in three equal persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19, II Corinthians 13:14, John 14:16-17)
• Mankind...We believe God created man and woman in His own image, as the crown of His creation that they might have fellowship with Him. Tempted by Satan they rebelled against God and fell into a state of sin and spiritual death. Through this fall, mankind has become separated from God and subject to His wrath. Apart from grace, mankind cannot be saved.(Genesis 1:26-28, Genesis 2, Genesis 3:1-19, Romans 3:9-26)
• Salvation...We believe God’s grace has been manifested to us through His Son, Jesus Christ to bring about our salvation and restore our relationship to God. Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, became a man, being born of the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life and offered Himself freely to death on the cross. His death was a substitutionary death whereby He bore the penalty rightly due our sin. On the third day, He rose from the grave. He was exalted and seated at the right hand of the Father. It is only through His death and His life that we can be saved from wrath. (Romans 3:21-26, 5:1-20, 8:1; Matthew 1:20-25; Luke 1:30-31; Hebrews 7:26; I Peter 2:22; 1 Corinthians 15:3; Acts 1:9, 11, 2:23; Philippians 2:11)
• Holy Spirit...We believe the Holy Spirit, through the proclamation of the Gospel, convicts us of sin, convicting us to repent of our sin and to confess Jesus Christ as Lord. He regenerates our fallen nature, causing us to be “born again” and through a lifelong process transforms us into the likeness of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit thus enables us to turn from sin and to live a life that produces the “fruit of the Spirit” whereby all might see our good works and give glory to God. The Holy Spirit within us gives us the power to be Christ’s witness in both word and deed.The same Holy Spirit also gives gifts to the Church and to those believers who seek His gifts. (John 3:3-8, 14:15-26, 16:5-15; Acts 1:8, 2:1-4, 2:17-18; Romans 8:1-11, 12:1-2; Galatians 5:16-25, I Corinthians 12-14; Ephesians 4:7-16)
• The Church...We believe those who turn to Jesus Christ in repentance and faith make up His Church. (Ephesians 4:5-6; Romans 12:4-5; Galatians 3:26-28)
• Ordinances...We believe that Jesus Christ commanded that the Church practice two ordinances or sacraments. These are Baptism and Communion. Of themselves these ordinances have no power to save. We observe these in obedience to our Lord and they serve as a powerful testimony and reminder of what Jesus Christ has done and will do on our behalf. (Matthew 26:26-29, 28:19; Romans 6:4; I Corinthians 11:23-26)
• The End of the Age...The End of the Age...We believe Jesus Christ will return one day, though “no one knows about that day or hour.” All the dead shall be raised and all mankind will be brought before God to be judged. Those who have refused God’s grace and have persisted in sin and unbelief shall be separated from His presence and thus be given up eternally unto His wrath. Those who have availed themselves of His grace, having placed their faith in Jesus Christ, shall live in the presence of God forever. Then shall God’s redemptive purposes be fulfilled and all of creation shall proclaim His glory.(Matthew 24:3-36, 25:31-46; Acts 1:11; I Thessalonians 5:1-11; II Thessalonians 1:6-10; Revelations 20:11-14, 21:1-6, 22:1-21)

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Covenant, Christ Community Church of Blackstone:

We, the members of Christ Community Church, subscribing to the above Statement of Faith covenant:

To gather together faithfully as a Christian community to worship the risen Lord Jesus Christ,

To strive together, using every means at our disposal to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ in our own community and in the wider world and thereby fulfill Christ's commission to make disciples, to work for justice in both word and deed in our community and in our world,

To encourage one another in our walk of faith rejoicing with those who rejoice and weeping with those who weep,

To encourage and facilitate the discovery and development to the God-given gifts and talents in our brothers and sisters, whatever these gifts may be,

To be a community where the stranger is always welcome, where the one searching for truth can come and hear truth spoken and see truth lived, where the one broken in spirit can come and find healing of spirit, striving with all the strength the Holy Spirit gives, to be all things to all men that we might win all to the Lord Jesus Christ,

Finally, to be a community that waits, enduring all things patiently and saying with the apostle John, "Even so Lord Jesus come".