We Believe
Bible. We believe the Bible, consisting of 66 books, to be the inspired Word of God, without error, the revelation of His will for the salvation of men, and the divine and final authority for all Christian faith and life.
God. We believe in one God existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God has always been and will always be the only God. There were none before Him and shall be none after him.
The Father. We believe that the Father created all things in heaven and on earth. He created human beings out of a love for us and desires a personal relationship with each of us.
Jesus. We believe that Jesus Christ is true God and true man, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life and died on the cross as the sacrifice for our sins according to the Scriptures. Furthermore, He arose bodily from the dead and ascended into heaven.
Holy Spirit. We believe that the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to convict men, making them aware of their sin and the salvation available through Jesus. He regenerates, guides, instructs, and empowers the believer for godly living and service.
Man. We believe that man was created in the image of God and sinless, but fell into sin and is therefore lost and subject to judgment. There is nothing man can do to save himself from this judgment, but he can accept the death of Jesus as punishment in place of his own eternal death by acknowledging God and accepting the free gift of salvation.
Salvation. We believe that the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ provides the only way of justification and salvation for all who believe. Any who attach additional works of man as a requirement for salvation are false in that they infer Jesus’ death is insufficient in and of itself to save and that human beings somehow have the capability to save themselves.
Accepting the Sinner, Denouncing the Sin. We believe that no sin is too big for God to forgive. Therefore, as Christians we should be open and eager to share the Gospel with everyone regardless of their sin or affliction. However, making Jesus Lord of our lives means striving towards holiness and turning from our sinful ways. Therefore, while being open to all sinners, Christians ought not accept, ignore, or promote any sin as permissible.
Non-Essential Elements. We believe the above tenets make up the basis of Christian faith on which all Christians believe and agree. We have intentionally omitted any statements regarding areas of legitimate disagreement (i.e., baptism, predestination, end times) on which agreement is not essential for salvation.
Service & Association Policies
As a Christian organization, OurChurch.Com reserves the right to decline to provide services, partner, publicize, or otherwise work with organizations or individuals whose beliefs or policies conflict with this statement of faith. Certain issues which have raised additional questions are addressed below:
Oneness. OurChurch.Com believes the Bible clearly describes God as a Trinity existing in three distinct persons: the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. We also realize that many aspects of God’s nature including His omnipotence, omniscience, holiness, and tri-unity are beyond human understanding. Therefore, we accept into our search engine Christian websites that hold to the “oneness” doctrine – believing the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all the same God-person – as long as they do not denounce the concept of the trinity or proclaim that belief in the triune God makes one unacceptable to God.
Grace Plus Nothing. As stated in the Salvation section above, it is only by grace through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus that one is justified and receives salvation. It is heretical to add any additional requirements to God’s grace. Therefore, we cannot accept websites that claim certain prayers, water baptism, baptism of the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, or any other human work is essential for salvation.
Sexuality. OurChurch.Com believes the Bible is clear that God designed sex to be enjoyed within the confines of a marriage between one man and one woman. Christians are called to accept people of all lifestyles and orientations, but not to accept or promote homosexual or heterosexual sex outside of marriage, or to accept or promote lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender relationships as equivalent to the marriage relationships between one man and one woman. In the event a local church or other organization that is affiliated with a denomination that permits homosexual clergy such as the Episcopal Church, we may choose to make an exception if the local organization disagree with their denomination’s stance on the issue.