Statement of Faith
The Word of God
The original writings of both Old and New Testaments were inspired by God by means of the Holy Spirit. These original writings were recorded in 66 separate books, and were without error in their original format. The Bible is of supreme and final authority in every aspect of life for any person in any age. The Bible says everything God intended to say to mankind regarding redemption and how people are to live out their lives in relation to God and their fellow man. (Isaiah 40:8; John 17:17; Rom. 15:4; 1 Cor. 2:12-13; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21)
The Triune God
There is only one true God who eternally exists as a Trinity, three distinct persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – and that these three are one God, having precisely the same nature and perfection, and worthy of the same worship and obedience. They share in the work of creation, maintenance of the universe, sovereign control of history, redemption of believers and judgment of angels and mankind. (Gen 1:1, 26; Isa 40:15-17, 22-24; Matt 3:16-17; Matt 28:18-19; John 1:1-3; Eph 4:4-6; Col 1:15-20; Heb 1:1-3;)
God the Father
God the Father, is eternal and distinct in His being. He decrees and works all things according to His own purpose and for His own glory, being sovereign in creation, providence, and redemption. He continually sustains all of creation, directing and governing all creatures and events, accomplishing this without being the author or approver of sin, nor minimizing human responsibility. He has graciously chosen the elect from all eternity. He saves from sin all who come to Him through Jesus Christ, and He personally relates to His children as their Father. (Deut 6:4; Mark 12:29; Isaiah 45:5; John 1:18; 1 Chr. 29:11; Ps. 103:19; Rom. 11:33; 1 Cor. 8:6; Eph. 1:3-6; Heb. 4:13; Ps. 145:8, 9)
God the Son
A multitude of Old Testament passages and prophecies pointed to a coming Messiah, Jesus Christ who is fully God, Creator of all things, and fully man, conceived of the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life, died on a cross in complete obedience to God the Father to reveal God to man and, through His shed blood, paid the penalty for the sins of the world and thereby redeemed man to God. He was raised bodily by the Father from the dead, ascended into heaven and given the name which is above every name. He intercedes at the right hand of the Father for all the saved. He is the only mediator between God and humanity, the head of His Body, the Church. He is coming again as Messiah and King and the final judge of both believers and unbelievers. (Phil. 2:5-11; Heb. 1:1-8; John 1:1-2; 8:58; 10:30; Col. 1:15-20; 2:9; Isa. 7:14; Mat. 1:18-25; Heb. 7:25-27; 1 Pet. 3:18; John 3:16; 14:6-12; 1 Tim. 2:5-6; 1 Cor. 15:1-4; Acts 1:9-11; Rom. 3:25-26; 1 John 2:1; Eph. 1:22-23; Rev. 20:11-15)
God the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit exists eternally with the Father and the Son. He was sent by the Son from the Father to reveal and glorify Jesus Christ. He convicts the world concerning sin, righteousness and judgment. After regenerating the sinner who believes, He indwells, seals and gives spiritual gifts. Throughout the life of the believer, He fills, guides, teaches, empowers and comforts. Thus, He is the source of growth in godliness and sanctification. The Holy Spirit, permanently living in believers, is the guarantee of their inheritance in Jesus Christ. (Gen. 1:2; Mat. 1:18, 20; John 14:16-17; 15:26-27; 16:5-16; Acts 2:1-4, 16-21; Rom. 8:9-11, 26-27; 1 Cor. 2:10-16; 1 Cor. 12:1-11; Gal. 5:16-18, 22-23; Acts 1:8; Eph. 1:13-14)
Humanity and its Need
Mankind was created by God in His own image and for His glory. Thus, all human life, from pre-born to the most elderly is of inestimable value to God. For this reason, no human life should ever be taken apart from a clear biblical mandate. Though humans were created in God’s image, through Adam’s sin, all mankind dies and is sinful in nature. Because mankind sins through personal disobedience to the revealed will of God, he stands rightly condemned, is utterly unable to save himself, and faces eternal separation from God, apart from Christ. While each person has inherent value, being created by God in His image, each is nonetheless inherently sinful and hopelessly lost apart from divine grace and salvation in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ, though fully man and fully God, did not possess Adam’s fallen nature, nor indeed any sin. (Gen. 1:26-28, 2:7, 18-24; Gen. 3:1-24; Rom. 5:12-14; Ps. 51:5; Mark 7:21-23; John 8:42-44; Is. 53:6, 64:6; Jer. 17:9; Rom. 1:18-21, 3:10-18, 23-23, 6:23; 1 Cor. 2:14; Eph. 2:1-3; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 4:15-16; 1 Jn. 3:5)
Redemption – God’s Solution to Man’s Need
Jesus Christ uniquely satisfied God’s just requirement of death as the penalty for sin by dying a substitutionary death for all mankind on the cross. The shed blood of Jesus Christ, together with His resurrection, provide the only grounds for justification and salvation for each one who believes in Him and calls upon His name. One who is in Christ not only receives forgiveness of all sin, but also receives Christ’s imputed righteousness. Everyone who is called into this relationship by God is granted every spiritual blessing that is in Christ and will finally be perfected as He is perfect. Nothing can separate the believer from the salvation and the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus. (John 1:12; John 10:28; Acts 2:21; Acts 4:12; Rom 3:21-26, 4:24-25, 5:1-11, Rom 5:17-21; 8:29-39, 10:8-11; 1 Cor 15:58; Eph 1:3-14; Phil 1:6; 1Tim 2:5; 1John 1:9; 1John 2:2; )
Man’s Response to God
Eternal salvation from sin, death and hell is the free gift of God’s grace, and is based solely upon one’s personal faith and belief in Jesus Christ. Everyone has the obligation and the opportunity to respond to God. This response is initiated by God as He draws people to Himself. All who repent of their sinfulness and trust in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as full payment for all their sins receive Him as their Savior and Lord, and are forever reconciled to God the Father. This salvation is not received by, nor based on, any sacrament, merit, or good work, though good works will naturally flow from the believer’s changed heart and life. This salvation is publicly expressed by the believer’s baptism. (Matt. 28:19; John1:9-13; John 3:16; 5:24; 6:44; 10:28-30; John 14:6; Acts 2:37-39; Acts 10:47-48; Acts 13:48; Rom 1:18-20; Rom. 3:22-25; Rom 8:34; Rom 10:8-11; 2 Cor. 5:17-19; Eph. 2:8-10; Titus 3:4-5; Heb. 9:26; Hebrews 10:11-12, 14, 18; 1 John 5:11-13)
The Christian’s Responsibility
The Christian’s responsibility is to walk in a manner worthy of his or her calling, one of a living sacrifice, not conforming to this world but being transformed to live a Christ-like life. This transformation occurs as the believer is obedient to Christ as Lord. Obedience grows as believers learn to yield to the Spirit of Christ in them, by confessing their sins, and living daily in submission to Christ’s teachings, producing a greater awareness of peace and joy in the believers. (Rom. 12:1-2; Gal. 2:20; Rom. 8:1-17; 6:15-18; 2Cor. 3:5-6,18; 5:17; Eph. 2:10; 5:3-10; 1 John 1:8-2:1)
Marriage and Sexuality
Scripture teaches that God intends sexual intimacy to only occur between one man and one woman who are married to each other. God has commanded in Scripture that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage. Scripture also teaches that a person’s gender is designated by God even before birth and is given as a gift in as much as each person bears the image of God to a certain degree. (Gen 2:23-24, Mark 10:6-8, Mt 19:4-6, Heb 13:4)
The Church
The Church is the body of Christ on earth. It consists of all who have placed their faith in Christ, being united together immediately by the Holy Spirit in one spiritual body, of which Christ is the Head. This body finds expression as local churches, operating under the direction of Jesus Christ as Lord and Head of His body, through elders, pastor-teachers and evangelists, who equip the saints for the work of the ministry. Within the Church, believers utilize their spiritual gifts for the common good and are His witnesses in the world to further the task of making disciples of all nations. Water baptism and the Lord’s Supper are the only ordinances of the Church and are commanded in Scripture. Baptism represents our death to the old way of life apart from Christ and our resurrection in Him to a newness of life. The Lord’s Supper serves to remind us that Christ’s body was broken and his blood was spilt for the redemption of all who repent and put their faith in His work on the cross. We hold that the Church is distinct from Israel, that it is not the “new Israel.” (Eph. 2:11-22; 2 Cor. 6:16; Rom 5:10; 8:16-17; 12:3-8; 1 Cor. 12:12-27; 1 Pet 2:4-5, 9-10; 4:10-11; Eph. 4:11-12; Acts 2:42-47; Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 10:47-48, Acts 16:32-33; 1 Cor. 11:23-34; Rom. 11:7-8, 11, 25-36) The local Church is to be governed by biblically qualified Elders who are the final authority for the interpretation of Scripture for Compass Community Church. They are to govern and superintend all matters of membership, policy, discipline, benevolence, and governance. (1 Tim. 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9) Deacons and Deaconesses are to oversee the physical needs of the flock as well as the resources provided to care for the flock. (Acts 6:1-4; Tim. 3:8-13) This does not, however, preclude Elders from providing the same care and oversight if they fulfill the qualifications for both offices.
The Future
The return of Jesus Christ to this earth is imminent. His return will be bodily and visible, bringing to completion His kingdom, in order to judge the world in righteousness, to fulfill His prophetic promises to Israel and to the rest of mankind concerning the future, and to create a new heaven and a new earth. All people who have died will be raised from the dead, and those who have been redeemed will participate in eternal life in the presence of God, but those who have rejected Christ will suffer separation from God and eternal, conscious punishment in hell with Satan and the fallen angels. (John 14:1-3; Matt. 25:31-34, 41; Acts 15:16-17; Rom. 11:25-27; 1 Cor. 15:22-26, 40-44, 50-58; 1 Thes. 5:1-11; 2 Thes. 2:1-12; Rev. 3:5; 20:12; 21:1-22:5; Luke 16:19-26)
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Complete Statement on Marriage Gender and Sexuality available upon request.