Statement of Faith

THE BIBLE

I believe the entire bible is true - from the first page to the last.  It is fully inspired and trustworthy and has final authority in our lives.

THE TRINITY

I believe in one God who is perfect in unity as three persons:  Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

GOD THE FATHER

I believe God the Father created all things through Jesus.  He is sovereign over everything at all times and in all places.

GOD THE SON

I believe that Jesus came to earth as both fully God and fully Man.  He was born of a virgin birth and lived a perfect, sinless life and died on the cross of His own will and chose to do so in order to save sinners.  He provided the only way to heaven through faith in His name and through His sacrifice on our behalf.  He rose from the dead as victor and champion and sits, today, alive and well at the right hand of God the Father.  I believe He will return one day just as He said He will.

GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT

I believe that God The Holy Spirit glorifies and points us to Jesus.  He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment and He lives in us at the moment of our salvation.  He is a guarantee for our future and He gives each of us gifts for the service of others and the building up of the Church.

MAN

I believe that God created mankind - both male and female,  in His own image and likeness and that He created us to know and enjoy Him forever.  All of us fall short of the glory and standard of God and each of us will be without excuse, and are, therefore, subject to His righteous wrath.  Therefore, our only hope is in Jesus, our Savior.

I believe that God never creates a generic human but, instead, forms each person uniquely and wonderfully with an assigned gender.  Each person is made in His image and portrays some of the qualities that He possesses.  All people are made with great purpose, dignity, and value and should be treated and valued as such. 

SALVATION

I believe that Jesus willingly died on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins and that salvation can be found in no other way, means, or name than Jesus. People are saved when they place their faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the only acceptable payment for their sin and for the debt they owe - but could never repay on their own. 

THE CHURCH

I believe that the Church is the body of Christ and that Jesus Christ is the Head of it.  He is Supreme over all.  The Church is made up of people who have trusted - by faith - that Jesus finished the work needed to bring us back into a right relationship with God. The Church exists to glorify God and to share His Good News with all the world.  I believe that two ordinances committed to the local Church are baptism and communion.

BAPTISM 

I believe that baptism by immersion is a public testimony of the believer’s personal faith and trust in Jesus and that it illustrates the believer’s death to the old self and symbolizes their resurrection to a new life in Him.  It symbolizes the internal transformation and spiritual new birth that happened by grace through faith.

COMMUNION

I believe that communion is the continual and necessary remembrance of the death of Christ until He comes again and that it should always take place after self-examination and confession of sins.  I believe that the elements of communion are only symbolic of the body and blood of Jesus Christ. It is a time to remember that Christ’s body was the sacrifice for our sins and it is a time to also celebrate His victory over sin and death and it further reminds us of the price that was paid on our behalf and what our future holds by His grace, love, and mercy.

SPIRITUAL GIFTS

I believe that the Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts to all believers for Christian service and the building up of the Church. These gifts are to be exercised according to biblical guidelines to ensure orderliness and to prevent chaos or confusion among believers and non-believers alike.  I believe that God is able to do anything He wants and He can do what He wants through anything or anyone that He chooses to use.  He is unlimited in every way.  However, I do not believe that every spiritual gift was intended for every believer to possess and that many of the spiritual gifts expressed in the bible are not as normative today as they were at the onset of the Church age.

MARRIAGE & SEXUALITY

I believe that marriage is the joining of one man and one woman in an exclusive union, as outlined by Scripture. I believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other and that no intimate sexual activity should be engaged in outside of marriage.

I believe that any form of sexual immorality, such as adultery, fornication, homosexuality, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, pornography or any attempt to change one’s sex, or disagreement with one’s biological sex, is a clear break from the original intent and design that God ordered for our own good and enjoyment.  Any expression outside of this original intent and design is, therefore, harmful to us and goes against God’s best for us.

I believe that God offers forgiveness through Jesus Christ to all who confess and repent of these (or any) sins. Furthermore, I believe that every person should be treated with compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity. Hateful behavior or attitudes directed toward others is wrong and sinful and those who treat others like that are not living according to the standards or teachings of Christ.

THE FUTURE

I believe in and can’t wait for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ!  Our hope in His return is critical to living life on mission today. I believe that when we die, there is a conscious, personal existence after death. There will be a bodily resurrection for both the saved and the lost. The lost will live in and experience eternal separation from God in hell.  The saved will live in eternal joy in the presence of God, Himself.  We will see Him as He is and be with Him and enjoy Him forever and ever and ever.  Amen.

**These statements reflect Nate's beliefs and his alone.  Not all members of Get In The Fight are required to agree or commit to these beliefs in order to participate or belong to it.