Statement of Belief
The Scriptures (The Bible)
The Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, are inspired by
God, without error in the original writings, and the complete Divine standard
for all Christian faith and life.
Psalm 119:9-16; II Timothy 3:16&17
God is the creator and sustainer of everything that exists.
He is one God manifesting Himself in three persons—the Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit. These have the same nature, are co-equal and
co-existent.
Genesis 1 & 2; John 14:15-21; Colossians 1:15-20
Jesus Christ
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. He is truly God
and truly Man, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin
Mary. He was sinless, yet He gave his life for the sins of the world by dying
on the cross in accordance with the Scriptures. He arose bodily from the dead,
ascended into heaven, sits at the right hand of God, and is our great High
Priest and Advocate. He alone can restore the relationship of mankind to God.
Isaiah 53; Matthew 1:18-25; I Corinthians 15:1-8; Hebrews 1:1-4
Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is fully God, the Third Person of the Trinity.
He is the Spirit of God and Christ, filling, comforting, and guiding those who
love and are obedient to Jesus Christ.
John 14:15-21; I John 2:1-6
Sin
Man is created in the image and likeness of God. The first man,
Adam, rebelled against God, fell from a right relationship with Him, and in so
doing, introduced sin and death into the world. All human beings share Adam’s
sinful, fallen nature.
Genesis 3:13-17; Romans 5:12-13; I Corinthians 15:22
Salvation
God sent Jesus Christ to save mankind from his sins and restore
his relationship with God. Jesus was sacrificed on the cross, died, and was
resurrected, atoning for the sins of all who believe in Him. Man can do nothing
to earn his salvation. It is grace—a free gift of God through faith.
Romans 3:10-24; Ephesians 2:1-10
Baptism
Major portions of the New Testament were dedicated to teaching
the mode, purpose, and spiritual implications of baptism. Every person who
became a Christian in the New Testament was baptized.
Baptism is integral to becoming a follower of Christ. In baptism, a believer
participates in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, is raised
to walk with Him in a new kind of life, is freed from bondage to sin and death,
and is empowered to walk in God’s grace. The mode of baptism according to the
Biblical records is by immersion.
Faith, repentance and public confession of Christ precede
baptism, all of which are directly linked to the forgiveness of sins and the
gift of the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 28:19; John 3:23; Acts 2:38, 8:38, 22:16; Romans 6:1-14; Galatians
3:27; Colossians 2:12
The Lord’s Supper
The Lord’s Supper, or Communion, is practiced weekly, according
to the example of the New Testament church. Physically, it consists of
unleavened bread and grape juice. Corporately, it is open to all believers. The
purpose of The Lord’s Supper is three-fold: to remind the church of the New
Covenant, to proclaim Christ’s death until He comes, and to promote honest
self-examination within the Church.
Acts 2:46; I Corinthians 11:23-34
The Church
The Church consists of all people who believe and obey Jesus
Christ. It is the Body of Christ, the Temple of the Holy Spirit, a Royal
Priesthood, a Holy people who have been regenerated in heart and mind. The
purpose of the church is to glorify Jesus Christ through worship, Bible
teaching, service, discipleship, and sharing Christ with others.
I Corinthians 6:15-20; Ephesians 5:18-21; I Peter 2:1-6
Second Coming of Jesus Christ
The return of Jesus Christ is a “Blessed Hope” to be eagerly
anticipated. It gives Christians the courage to pray without ceasing, to work
with energy, to expose falsehood, and to strive for justice and peace. (Godly
men and women hold a number of views concerning the return of Jesus Christ.
These are matters of scriptural interpretation and so should not be used as a
test of faith or fellowship.)
I Thessalonians 3:11-13, 4:13-18; I Corinthians 15:20-28
The Eternal State
God will raise all people from the dead bodily and judge them.
Those who have trusted Christ spend eternity in Heaven. Those who have rejected
Him spend eternity in Hell.
I Corinthians 15:20-28; Hebrews 9:27-28; Revelation 21:6-8
In the spiritual context of CIC, “Connect” refers to the system of
basic building blocks that enable us as a church to fulfill our vision/mission.
The concept of ‘Connection” is built upon three basic principles, or building
blocks;
1. Spiritual health is equal to connect with God
2. Spiritual growth equal to connect other Christians
3. Spiritual maturity is equal to connect with the world.