What We Believe
Doctrinal Beliefs
NWCC is truly a non-denominational Bible church. We decry the human creeds that divide Christianity, thus we seek to follow the Bible only as God’s only source of revelation for a knowledgeable faith. The following statements are meant not as a “creed,” per se, but as a means to reassure people that we strive to be “simply Christians.” That is, we seek to be the Church Christ died to establish and that existed in the first century in its most pristine form—the Kingdom of God on earth! Thus, we call ourselves by one of several biblical names that honor that Lord Jesus Christ: the Christian Church. In summary, we believe the Bible to be the only inspired and authoritative Word of God. Where the Bible speaks, we speak. Where the Bible is silent, we strive to remain silent. In matters related to the stated scriptural Truth we are committed to biblical authority over human doctrines; where there are matters of opinion that do not compromise scripture we allow great latitude; and in all matters we strive to love the Lord and others.
Acts 2 through 11, 2 Timothy 2:15, 16; Hebrews 1:1, 2; 2 Peter 3:16-18
ABOUT GOD
The Word of God teaches that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, equal in power and glory; that this triune God created all, upholds all, and governs all.
John 1; Ephesians 1
ABOUT MAN
The Word of God teaches that man is made in the spiritual image of God, to be like him in character. He is the supreme object of God’s creation. Although man has tremendous potential for good, he is marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called "sin." This attitude separates man from God.
Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6a; Romans 3:23; Isaiah 59:1, 2
ABOUT SALVATION
The Word of God teaches that humankind was created by God to exist forever. We will either exist eternally in union with God through his redemptive grace in Christ, or be separated from God by our sin. To be eternally in union with Him is eternal life. To be eternally separated from God is hell. Heaven and hell are real places of eternal existence.
Genesis 1-3; John 3-4, Isaiah 40:8, Luke 12; Revelation 21, 22
ABOUT ETERNAL SECURITY
The Word of God teaches that because God gives man eternal life through Jesus Christ, the believer is secure in salvation for eternity. Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the Christian.
John 10:29; 2 Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 7:25; 10:10, 14; 1 Peter 1:3-5
ABOUT JESUS CHRIST
The Word of God teaches that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the Savior, the Son of God who was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on a cross, and was raised from the grave. He will return one day as our victorious Lord.
Matthew 1:18-25, Hebrews 2:18, 4:15, Luke 24:1-8; I Corinthians 15:1-5, Matthew 24:30,31; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Word of God teaches that the Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and the Son as one God. He is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. The Christian seeks to live under His control daily.
John 14:25, 26; Acts 2:38; Galatians 5:22-25
ABOUT SALVATION
The Word of God teaches that for the salvation of lost and sinful man, regeneration (to be “born again”) by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential. That salvation cannot be gained by human effort, but only through God's grace in the redemption He provided through Jesus Christ; a redemption which is responded to by faith and which leads to a life devoted to obeying God.
John 3:3-17; Romans 5:8
ABOUT BAPTISM
The Word of God teaches that repentant believers must confess their faith in Christ before witnesses and be baptized in water (biblically, only by immersion) in obedience to Christ. Our members are baptized into Christ, not into the church.
Matthew 28:18-20; Romans 10:8-10; Acts 2:36-42; Romans 6:1-14; 1 Peter 3:18-22
ABOUT COMMUNION
The Word of God teaches in observing the Lord's Supper at least every Sunday (the “first day of the week,” and “Lord’s Day”) as was the practice of the early church. In this time of “communion” with God and one another we are remembering the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. During communion, we take time to examine ourselves because we are proclaiming His death until he comes again.
Matthew 26:25-29; 1 Corinthians 11:23-32, Acts 20:7
Some Practical Applications
CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
We believe the only true basis of Christian fellowship is Christ's unconditional (agape) love, which is greater than any differences we possess, and without which we have no right to claim to be Christians.
John 3:16, 17; 13:34, 35; 1 Peter 4:8
OTHER CHRISTIANS
We believe that, because all believers are spiritually united in the Lord Jesus Christ, we should cooperate in all possible ways in God's desire for his Church to “to seek and to save the lost” with our fellow believers, both those among us and elsewhere, loving and being patient with one another in our differences.
Matthew 28:18-20; John 17; Acts 2:47
WORSHIP
We believe that worship of God must be a spiritual act (from the mind and the heart); therefore, we rely upon the leading of the Holy Spirit through study and prayer in the planning and implementation of our worship services.
We believe worship of God should include time for praise; therefore, we give emphasis to the music in our worship.
We believe that worship of God should be in truth; therefore, our services are designed with great emphasis upon the teaching the Word of God. We emphasize the Word of God in order for its message to be applied to a person's life, leading to greater maturity in Christ.
John 4:21-26; 1 Corinthians 14:26, 40, John 4:11-26; John 8:31; 14:6; 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:14-17, Psalm 100; Ephesians 5:19, 20; Colossians 3:16, 17
CHURCH ORGANIZATION
We believe that the Church should follow the design laid out in the New Testament with dependency on the Holy Spirit to guide and lead us, under Jesus Christ as the “Head” of the Church. Every part of the “body of Christ” is “gifted” by God and has an important part in the church’s growth and development, including the growth of individual Christians to assume places of Christ-like “servant-leadership” Like the Church of the New Testament, the local church is to encourage men to aspire to the place of ultimate leadership in the Church: Elders and various kinds of pastoral leadership.
1 Corinthians 12; Ephesians 4:11-16, Acts 20:13-26; 1 Corinthians 3:1-8; 1 Timothy 3:1-13, 5:17-19; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Hebrews 13:7, 17
We pray that the above information is helpful. We encourage you to call or email our offices with any question. Even better, we encourage you to visit us on a Sunday!