Church Santa Cruz
Statements of Faith
Bible:
We believe the Bible is the Word of God, fully inspired and is without error in the original documents a complete and final written revelation from God. (2 Timothy 3:15-17, 2 Peter 1:21; Joshua 1:8; Matthew 5:18; John 16:12-13).
God in Three persons:
We believe there is only one God, eternally existing , immutable and manifests Himself in three distinct persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. (Genesis 1:1, Deuteronomy 6:4, Matthew 28:19; John 10:30, 14: 9-11; 2 Cor. 13: 14; Eph. 4: 4-6; 1 John 5: 7-8).
Jesus Christ:
We believe Jesus of Nazareth is the promised Messiah (John 1:36 – 42), born of a virgin ((Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23, Luke 1:34-35), lived a sinless life ((Hebrews 4:15, Hebrews 7:26), God in human flesh (Luke 1:35 John 1:1 & 14, 10:30, 20:28, Col. 1:15-19, 2:9), died on the cross for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3, Ephesians 1:7, Hebrews 2:9), was buried (John 19:40-42), rose again from the dead on the third day (John 2:19), and ascended to the right hand of the Father in heaven, where He now intercedes for us who have faith and believe in Him. (Mark 16:19, Acts 7:56, Eph. 2:8,9, 1 Timothy 2:5) He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and His Kingdom will have no end. (Matthew 24: 30; Rev. 19:11-18)
Saved by faith:
We believe that all humanity is lost and born with a sinful nature, and can only be saved by a personal faith in the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, and not by any human merit or performance. Said often we are saved by grace of God and nothing of ourselves. (John 3:16-19, John 5:24, Romans 3:10, Romans 3:23, 4, 5:8-9, Ephesians 2:8-10, Titus 3:5; Heb. 11:8-19)
Believers new life in Christ through the Holy Spirit:
We believe that genuine believers are born again by the Holy Spirit of God (Gal. 2:20; 2 Cor. 5:17), and are in-dwelt, baptized into the body of Christ, the true Church, and sealed by the Holy Spirit, and thus, unable to be separated from the love of Jesus Christ. (John 3:1-6, Acts 1:4-5, Romans 8:35-39, Ephesians 1:13-14). Holy Spirit: We believe that all believers need to be filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit to live a godly life and to be bold in our witness for the Lord. (Romans 8:13-14, 1 Corinthians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Ephesians 4:30, Ephesians 5:18).
Spiritual unity of believers:
We believe in the spiritual unity of all genuine believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, which is manifested by the exercise of spiritual gifts and fruit of the Holy Spirit’s presence through His love. (I Corinthians 12:12-13, Galatians 5:22-23, Ephesians 4:8-12). We believe Jesus started the Church.
Sanctity of marriage:
We believe a healthy, faithful and loving marriage covenant is the closets experience we will have on earth to help us live, understand and prepare us for our eternal relationship with Jesus/God Father our Lord in heaven (Pr. 2:17; Mal. 2:14) . We believe marriage is a sacred covenantal union between a man and a woman that limits sexual relations to monogamous, heterosexual marriage. (Genesis 1:24, 2:18, 23, 24; Lev. 18:6-29; Matt. 19: 4-6; Rom. 1:26, 27; 1 Cor. 7:17; Gal. 5:19, Col. 3:18; 1 Tim. 3: 2-12; Heb. 13:4 ). We believe that the solemnizing of a marriage is a sacred and profound event that shall be entered into only where the proposed covenantal union is in compliance with the Word of God. (Genesis 4:1). We believe that the solemnizing of a marriage between men and women of the same sex is contrary to the Word of God and is a sin before God. (Romans 1:21-27)
Sanctity of life:
We believe in the sanctity of human life in all stages from the day of hidden conception in the womb, to being born and to one’s natural death. The church, based upon clear biblical teaching and by obedience to the Holy Scriptures, believes that life is to be preserved without exception. (Psalm 82:3-4, Genesis 1:27, Psalm 127, 3-5, 139, Exodus 20-13, Exodus 20:13, Micah 6:7, John 10:10)
Sanctity of human race male & female:
We believe the human race was uniquely created in the image of God as male and female with warnings of great judgment for those who live outside His design. (Genesis 1:26-28; 2: 24,25, 3:22-24; I Cor. 2:14; 5:13; 2 Cor. 10:12; Rom. 1: 18-32; Titus 2; )
We believe in a literal heaven:
We believe heaven is a real place where the saved will dwell forever. (Isa. 65:17; Matt. 18:15-18; I Cor. 15: 40-49; Jn. 14: 1-3, 3:3-5; Phil. 3:20, 21; Acts. 1:11; Heb. 11:16; Rev. 21:1-2, 22:5 )
We believe in a literal hell/lake of fire:
We believe Satan/Lucifer/Devil, anti-Christ, false prophet, Demons/fallen angels and unbelieving mankind will be judged by Jesus Christ and are destined to hell & the lake of fire. (Dan. 12:1-2; Matt. 7:21-23, 25:46; John 5:22; Romans 2: 5,6; 14:10; Heb. 4:13, 9:27; Rev. 20:10-15, 17; 21: 8)
We believe in the Church:
We believe that Jesus Christ started the Church designed for His followers to have fellowship in worship, share in communion, baptism, raising up godly leaders, discipleship and equipping the saints to share the Gospel and disciple the World (Acts 1:8; Matthew 28: 19,20). The one Church over many years has fragmented into thousands of denominations often with small and at times major theological differences. The above statements of faith are written to help guide Church Santa Cruz for what churches to include on our Web site and who to partner with in Helping Ministries and larger multi-church events.
Bible:
We believe the Bible is the Word of God, fully inspired and is without error in the original documents a complete and final written revelation from God. (2 Timothy 3:15-17, 2 Peter 1:21; Joshua 1:8; Matthew 5:18; John 16:12-13).
God in Three persons:
We believe there is only one God, eternally existing , immutable and manifests Himself in three distinct persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. (Genesis 1:1, Deuteronomy 6:4, Matthew 28:19; John 10:30, 14: 9-11; 2 Cor. 13: 14; Eph. 4: 4-6; 1 John 5: 7-8).
Jesus Christ:
We believe Jesus of Nazareth is the promised Messiah (John 1:36 – 42), born of a virgin ((Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23, Luke 1:34-35), lived a sinless life ((Hebrews 4:15, Hebrews 7:26), God in human flesh (Luke 1:35 John 1:1 & 14, 10:30, 20:28, Col. 1:15-19, 2:9), died on the cross for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3, Ephesians 1:7, Hebrews 2:9), was buried (John 19:40-42), rose again from the dead on the third day (John 2:19), and ascended to the right hand of the Father in heaven, where He now intercedes for us who have faith and believe in Him. (Mark 16:19, Acts 7:56, Eph. 2:8,9, 1 Timothy 2:5) He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and His Kingdom will have no end. (Matthew 24: 30; Rev. 19:11-18)
Saved by faith:
We believe that all humanity is lost and born with a sinful nature, and can only be saved by a personal faith in the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, and not by any human merit or performance. Said often we are saved by grace of God and nothing of ourselves. (John 3:16-19, John 5:24, Romans 3:10, Romans 3:23, 4, 5:8-9, Ephesians 2:8-10, Titus 3:5; Heb. 11:8-19)
Believers new life in Christ through the Holy Spirit:
We believe that genuine believers are born again by the Holy Spirit of God (Gal. 2:20; 2 Cor. 5:17), and are in-dwelt, baptized into the body of Christ, the true Church, and sealed by the Holy Spirit, and thus, unable to be separated from the love of Jesus Christ. (John 3:1-6, Acts 1:4-5, Romans 8:35-39, Ephesians 1:13-14). Holy Spirit: We believe that all believers need to be filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit to live a godly life and to be bold in our witness for the Lord. (Romans 8:13-14, 1 Corinthians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Ephesians 4:30, Ephesians 5:18).
Spiritual unity of believers:
We believe in the spiritual unity of all genuine believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, which is manifested by the exercise of spiritual gifts and fruit of the Holy Spirit’s presence through His love. (I Corinthians 12:12-13, Galatians 5:22-23, Ephesians 4:8-12). We believe Jesus started the Church.
Sanctity of marriage:
We believe a healthy, faithful and loving marriage covenant is the closets experience we will have on earth to help us live, understand and prepare us for our eternal relationship with Jesus/God Father our Lord in heaven (Pr. 2:17; Mal. 2:14) . We believe marriage is a sacred covenantal union between a man and a woman that limits sexual relations to monogamous, heterosexual marriage. (Genesis 1:24, 2:18, 23, 24; Lev. 18:6-29; Matt. 19: 4-6; Rom. 1:26, 27; 1 Cor. 7:17; Gal. 5:19, Col. 3:18; 1 Tim. 3: 2-12; Heb. 13:4 ). We believe that the solemnizing of a marriage is a sacred and profound event that shall be entered into only where the proposed covenantal union is in compliance with the Word of God. (Genesis 4:1). We believe that the solemnizing of a marriage between men and women of the same sex is contrary to the Word of God and is a sin before God. (Romans 1:21-27)
Sanctity of life:
We believe in the sanctity of human life in all stages from the day of hidden conception in the womb, to being born and to one’s natural death. The church, based upon clear biblical teaching and by obedience to the Holy Scriptures, believes that life is to be preserved without exception. (Psalm 82:3-4, Genesis 1:27, Psalm 127, 3-5, 139, Exodus 20-13, Exodus 20:13, Micah 6:7, John 10:10)
Sanctity of human race male & female:
We believe the human race was uniquely created in the image of God as male and female with warnings of great judgment for those who live outside His design. (Genesis 1:26-28; 2: 24,25, 3:22-24; I Cor. 2:14; 5:13; 2 Cor. 10:12; Rom. 1: 18-32; Titus 2; )
We believe in a literal heaven:
We believe heaven is a real place where the saved will dwell forever. (Isa. 65:17; Matt. 18:15-18; I Cor. 15: 40-49; Jn. 14: 1-3, 3:3-5; Phil. 3:20, 21; Acts. 1:11; Heb. 11:16; Rev. 21:1-2, 22:5 )
We believe in a literal hell/lake of fire:
We believe Satan/Lucifer/Devil, anti-Christ, false prophet, Demons/fallen angels and unbelieving mankind will be judged by Jesus Christ and are destined to hell & the lake of fire. (Dan. 12:1-2; Matt. 7:21-23, 25:46; John 5:22; Romans 2: 5,6; 14:10; Heb. 4:13, 9:27; Rev. 20:10-15, 17; 21: 8)
We believe in the Church:
We believe that Jesus Christ started the Church designed for His followers to have fellowship in worship, share in communion, baptism, raising up godly leaders, discipleship and equipping the saints to share the Gospel and disciple the World (Acts 1:8; Matthew 28: 19,20). The one Church over many years has fragmented into thousands of denominations often with small and at times major theological differences. The above statements of faith are written to help guide Church Santa Cruz for what churches to include on our Web site and who to partner with in Helping Ministries and larger multi-church events.