What We Believe

Our Values

Statement of Faith

  • The Word of God: We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and that it has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Mark 13:31; John 8:31-32; John 20:31; Acts 20:32).

  • The Trinity: We believe that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons; that these are equal in every divine perfection, and that they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence and redemption (Genesis 1:1, 26; John 1:1, 3; Matthew 28:19; John 4:24; Romans 1:19-20; Ephesians 4:5-6).

  • God the Father: We believe in God the Father, an infinite, personal spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. We believe that He infallibly foreknows all that shall come to pass, that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ (Luke 10:21-22; Matthew 23:9; John 3:16; 6:27; Romans 1:7; 1 Timothy 1:1-2; 2:5-6; I Peter 1:3; Revelation 1:6).

  • Jesus Christ: We believe in Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, and teachings. We believe in His substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people, and personal visible return to earth (Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38; John 1:1; 20:28; Romans 9:5; 8:32; 2 Corinthians 5:21; I Peter 2:21-23; John 20:30, 31; Matthew 20:28; Ephesians 1:4; Acts 1:11; Romans 5:6-8; 6:9-10; Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 9:28; 1 Timothy 3:16).

  • The Holy Spirit: We believe in the Holy Spirit who came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and to regenerate, sanctify, and empower all who believe in Jesus Christ. We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Christ, and that He is an abiding helper, teacher and guide (John 14:16-17, 26; 15:26, 27; John 16:9-14; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19; Galatians 5:22-26).

  • Regeneration: We believe that man was created by God in His own image; that he sinned and thereby incurred physical, spiritual and eternal death, which is separation from God; that as a consequence, all human beings are born with a sinful nature and are sinners by choice and therefore under condemnation. We believe that those who repent and forsake sin and trust Jesus Christ as Savior are regenerated by the Holy Spirit and become new creatures, delivered from condemnation and receive eternal life (Genesis 1:26; 5:2; Genesis 3; Genesis 2:17; 3:19; Ecclesiastes. 2:11; John 3:14; 5:24; John 5:30; 7:13; 8:12; 10:26; Romans 9:22; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; Revelation 19:3, 20; 20:10, 14-15; 21:18; Psalm 51:7; Jeremiah 17:9; James 1:14; Romans 3:19; 5:19; Proverbs 28:13; 1 John 1:9; John 3:16; John 1:13; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 8:1).

  • The Church: We believe in the universal church, a living spiritual body of which Christ is the head and all regenerated persons are members. We believe in the local church, consisting of a company of believers in Jesus Christ, baptized on a credible profession of faith, and associated for worship, work, and fellowship. We believe that God has laid upon the members of the local church the primary task of giving the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world (Ephesians 2:19-22; Acts 1:8; Ephesians 5:19-21; Acts 2:42; Hebrews 10:23-25).

  • Christian Conduct: We believe that a Christian should live for the glory of God and the well-being of his fellow men; that his conduct should be blameless before the world; that he should be a faithful steward of his possessions; and that he should seek to realize for himself and others the full stature of maturity in Christ (1 Corinthians 10:31; Romans 12:1-3; Hebrews 12:1-2; John 14:15, 23-24; I John 2:3-6; 2 Corinthians 9:6-9; I Corinthians 4:2; Colossians 1:9-10).

  • The Sacraments: We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has given two sacraments to the local church, baptism and the Lord's Supper.

    • We believe that Christian baptism is best defined by the Westminster Confession of Faith, “Baptism is a sacrament of the New Testament, ordained by Jesus Christ, not only for the solemn admission of the person baptized into the visible Church, but also to be a sign and seal of the covenant of grace to that person, of his ingrafting into Christ, of regeneration, of the remission of sins, and of his being given up to God, through Jesus Christ, to walk in newness of life. This sacrament is, by Christ’s own appointment, to be continued in his Church until the end of the world. Not only those who actually profess faith in and obedience to Christ, but also the infants of one believing parent, or both, are to be baptized.” (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 3:27-28; Acts 2:41, 10:47; Romans 4:11; Colossians 2:11-12; Galatians 3:27, 29; Romans 6:3-5; Acts 8:37-38; Genesis 17:7,9-10; Galatians 3:9,14; Colossians 2:11-12; Acts 2:38-39; Romans 4:11-12; 1 Corinthians 7:14; Mark 10:13-16; Luke 18:15-16; Acts 16:4-15,33)

    • In regards, to the Lord's Supper, again we reference the Westminster Confession of Faith, “Our Lord Jesus, in the night in which he was betrayed, instituted the sacrament of his body and blood, called the Lord’s supper, to be observed in his Church up to the end of the world, for the purpose of the perpetual remembrance of the sacrifice of himself in his death; the sealing of all benefits of his death to true believers; their spiritual nourishment and growth in him; their further commitment in and to all duties which they owe to him; and to be a bond and pledge of their communion with him and with each other, as members of his mystical body.” (1 Corinthians 11:23-26, 10:16-17, 21, 12:13; Matthew 26:26-27; Luke 22:19-20)

  • Religious Liberty: We believe that every human being has direct relations with God, and is responsible to God alone in all matters of faith; that each church is independent and must be free from interference by any ecclesiastical or political authority; that therefore Church and State must be kept separate as having different functions, each fulfilling its duties free from dictation or patronage of the other (1 Timothy 2:5; Romans 14:7-9, 12).

  • The Last Things: We believe in the personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth and the establishment of His kingdom. We believe in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, the eternal felicity of the righteous and the endless suffering of the wicked (Matthew 16:27; Mark 14:62; John 14:3; Acts 1:11; Philippians 3:20; I Thessalonians 4:15; 2 Timothy 4:1; Titus 2:13; I Corinthians 4:5; 1 Corinthians 15; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; Revelation 20:4-6, 11-15).

As a church we also affirm various Creeds, Confessions, and Statements listed below under our foundational documents. This does not mean we place these on equal footing with the inerrant, inspired, infallible Word of God as found in the 66 books of the Bible. The Word of God is the highest and ultimate authority and source of faith and practice. We embrace them because we believe that they are a faithful expression of the Christian faith in the doctrines expressed within the Word of God. Please see below under Foundational Documents to access a copy.

Foundational Documents

Below you will find a series of various Creeds, Confessions, and Statements that will provide you with a more thorough foundation of our doctrinal beliefs.

  • The Apostles Creed

    • The Apostles' Creed is a good summary of Christian doctrine that serves as a uniting expression of the Christian faith.

  • The Three Forms of Unity

    • The Three Forms of Unity is a collective name for the 'Belgic' Confession of Faith, the Canons of Dort, and the Heidelberg Catechism, which are accepted as official statements of doctrine by many Reformed churches.

  • Chicago Statement on Inerrancy

    • The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy was formulated by more than 200 evangelical leaders at a conference convened by the International Council on Biblical Inerrancy and held in Chicago in October 1978. The statement was designed to defend the position of biblical inerrancy against a trend toward liberal conceptions of Scripture.

  • The Frankfurt Declaration of Christian & Civil Liberties

    • This declaration outlines how people of faith should respond to the abuse of power from civil authorities. The following affirmations and denials, derived from biblical principles, are for consideration by all Christians and relevant authorities, in the hope that this document will give light and strength for faithful witness to Jesus Christ in our day.

  • The Statement on Social Justice & the Gospel

    • The Gospel seeks to address questionable sociological, psychological, and political theories presently permeating our culture and making inroads into Christ’s church, it seeks to clarify certain key Christian doctrines and ethical principles prescribed in God’s Word. Clarity on these issues will fortify believers and churches to withstand an onslaught of dangerous and false teachings that threaten the gospel, misrepresent Scripture, and lead people away from the grace of God in Jesus Christ.

  • The Nashville Statement

    • The Nashville Statement is an evangelical Christian statement of faith relating to human sexuality and gender roles authored by the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood in Nashville, Tennessee. The Statement expresses support for an opposite-sex definition of marriage, for faithfulness within marriage, for chastity outside marriage, and for a link between biological sex and "self-conception as male and female."

  • The Danvers Statement

    • The Danvers Statement is a statement of the complementarian Christian view of gender roles.

Helpful Articles

Below you will find a series of articles that will address common questions regarding where The Outpost stands on certain issues.

Affiliation

The Outpost Bible Church is part of the Evangelical Free Church of America. Their statement of faith can be found here.