What We Believe

Hartwick Christian Church
Statement of Faith

WE BELIEVE and teach the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, to be the inspired Word of God, without error in the original writings. God’s Word is the complete revelation of His will for the salvation of men and the Divine and final authority for Christian faith and life. Deut 4:2; 2Tim 3:16-17; 2Pet 1:20-21; Matt 5:17-18; Rev 22:19

WE BELIEVE and teach that there is but one living and true God. He is an infinite, all-knowing Spirit, perfect in all His attributes, One in essence, eternally existing in three Persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - each equally deserving worship and obedience. Deut 6:4-6; 1Cor 8:4; John 4:24; 1John 5:7 (missing from most modern Bible translations)

WE BELIEVE and teach that Jesus Christ is true God and true man, conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He died on the cross, the sacrifice for our sins, according to the Scriptures. Further, He arose bodily from the dead three days later, ascended into Heaven, where He now is at the right hand of Majesty on High, as our High Priest and Advocate. We believe also in the personal imminent and pre-millennial coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and that this "Blessed Hope" has a vital bearing on the personal life and service of the Believer. Matt 16:13-16; 1Tim 2:5; Rom 8:34; 1John 1:1-2; 1John 3:1-4; John 1:1-5; John 3:16-17; 1Thess 4:16-17; 1Cor 15:20-24; Rev 19:11-16; Luke 1:35; Matt 1:18-25; Matt 19:28-20:18; Acts 1:9-11; Heb 4:14-16; Col 1:12-14

WE BELIEVE and teach that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, equal with God the Father and God the Son and of the same nature. He was active in creation. In His relation to the unbelieving world, He restrains the evil one until God's purpose is fulfilled. He convicts the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. He bears witness to the truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony. He is the agent in the Believer’s new birth. He indwells, regenerates, fills, seals, empowers, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies, strengthens and helps the Believer. Eph 1:13-14; Acts 5:30-32; Acts 11:16; 1Cor 3:16; 1Cor 6:19; 1Cor 12:13; Gen 1:1-2; Titus 3:4-7; John 14:16-17; John 16:5-15

WE BELIEVE and teach that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is the universal spiritual experience of all true Christians and not a post-conversion experience evidenced by speaking in tongues. At the moment of conversion, the Believer is baptized with the Holy Spirit by Jesus Christ into the Body of Christ. The Believer now has the capacity to be under the Spirit's empowerment for character transformation and ministry. We do not regard as normative the practice of "sign gifts" (e.g. tongues, interpretation of tongues, revelatory prophecy, gifts of healing) in any of our Church gatherings (such a public worship or small groups). Nor do we believe that the regular public exercise of these gifts must occur for the growth of the individual or the Church. Matt 3:11; John 1:33; Luke 3:16; Acts 2:1-40; Acts 10:44-48; Acts 19:1-10; 1Cor 12:13; 1Cor 14:6-9; 1Cor 14:22; Eph 1:13-14

WE BELIEVE and teach that man came into being by direct creation of God and that man is made in the image and likeness of God. We believe that the human race sinned in Adam; that Adam and Eve died spiritually on the day of their sin; that sin is universal in man; and that it is exceedingly heinous to God. We believe that man inherited a sinful nature from Adam, that he is born spiritually dead; that he is alienated from God; that he is totally depraved; and that of himself, he is utterly unable to remedy his lost estate. We believe that all men are guilty and in a lost condition apart from Christ. Gen 1:26-27; Gen 2:7; Gen 2:17; Rom 5:12; Rom 3:23; Eph 2:1-5; Eph 2:12

WE BELIEVE and teach that salvation is wholly of God by Grace through faith on the basis of redemption through Jesus Christ, the merit of His shed blood, and not on the basis of any human merit or works. John 1:12-13; John 5:24; Eph 1:4-7; Eph 2:8-10; 1Pet 1:18-19; Titus 3:4-6; Rom 3:23-25

WE BELIEVE and teach that all the Redeemed, once saved, are kept by God's power and are thus secure in Christ forever. John 5:24; John 6:37-40; John 10:27-30; Rom 5:9-10; Rom 8:1; Rom 8:34-39; Eph 1:13-14; Eph 4:30; Col 1:13-14; Heb 7:25; Heb 13:5; 1Pet 1:3-5; Jude 24

WE BELIEVE and teach that it is the privilege of Believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God's Word, which however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an excuse for sinful living and carnality. Luke 1:47; Acts 5:41; Rom 6:12-22; Rom 13:13-14; Gal 5:13; Gal 5:16-17; Gal 5:25-26; Titus 2:11-14; 1Cor 3:16; 1Cor 6:19; John 16:22; Phil 4:4; 1Pet 1:3-9

WE BELIEVE and teach that water baptism (on confession of faith in Christ), and communion are ordinances to be observed by the Church during this present age. Neither of them are to be regarded as a requirement for salvation. Matt 28:19; Acts 2:38; Acts 9:18; Acts 16:30-33; Col 2:12; Matt 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:19-20; 1Cor 11:23-34

WE BELIEVE and teach that the Body of Christ (the Church) is composed of all who, through saving faith in Jesus Christ, have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit and are united as the Body of Christ of which He is the head. Only those who are thus members of the Body of Christ (the Church) shall be eligible for membership in the local Church. Jesus Christ is the Lord and Head of the Church, and the local Church has the right, under Christ, to decide and govern its own affairs. Matt 16:16-18; Matt 28:19-20; Acts 2:32-47; Rom 12:5; 1Cor 12:12-14; Eph 1:20-23; Eph 4:4-6; Eph 5:25-27; Acts 6:1-7; Heb 10:25

WE BELIEVE and teach the physical resurrection of all, the Saints to everlasting joy and bliss, and the wicked to conscious and eternal torment. Matt 25:46; John 5:28-29; John 11:25-26; Rev 20:4-6; Rev 20:12-13; Job 19:25-27; Phil 3:20-21; 1John 3:2

WE BELIEVE and teach that the souls of the Redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection when spirit and soul are reunited in a glorified body, to be forever with the Lord. Luke 23:43; 2Cor 5:1-8; Phil 1:21-23; 1Thess 4:16-17; Rev 20:4-6

WE BELIEVE and teach that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious misery until their resurrection when their soul and body will be reunited. They shall then appear at the Great White Throne for judgment and finally be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting, conscious punishment for rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ. Matt 25:41-46; Luke 16:19-26; 2Thess 1:7-9; Jude 1:6-7; Rev 20:5; Rev 20:11-15

WE BELIEVE and teach that Satan is a created being. He was originally created by God as a beautiful mighty angel. But through his pride, rebellion, and self-will, fell from that position and became an evil supernatural spirit being. He is the prince of the powers of the air (evil spirits). He is the unholy god of this world. He is man's great tempter, the enemy of God and His Christ, the accuser of the Saints, the author of all false religions, the chief power behind the present apostasy; the lord of the antichrist, and the author of all of the powers of darkness. He is destined, however, to final defeat at the hands of God's Own Son, and to the judgment of an eternal justice in the Lake of Fire, a place of punishment prepared for him and his angels. Isa 14:12-15; Ezek 28:11-19; Matt 4:1-4; Luke 22:3-5; Eph 2:2; 2Cor 11:13-15; 2Thess 2:8-11; 1Pet 5:8; 1John 3:8; Rev 12:7-10; Rev 20:1-3; Rev 20:10

Hartwick Christian Church
Statement of Faith (Short Form)

The Bible is the inspired, infallible Word of God. (Deut 8:3; 2Tim 3:16; 2Pet 1:20-21)

One God is revealed in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Matt 28:19; 2Cor 13:14; 1John 5:7 (missing from most modern Bible translations))

Every person (except Jesus Christ) was or is born a sinner under the judgment of death. (Rom 3:10; Rom 3:23; Rom 5:12)

Salvation is only by Grace through faith in Jesus Christ who died for our sin. (John 3:16; Rom 6:23; Rom 8:33-34; Rom 5:8-9; 1Tim 2:5; Titus 3:5)

All those who have repented and have TRULY trusted Christ for salvation are eternally secure. (John 6:37; John 10:28-29; Rom 8:1)

Personal Holiness is the fruit of salvation. (Rom 12:1; 2 Cor 7:1; Gal 5:22-23; Eph 1:3-4)

The Holy Spirit is active in the world today, as well as in the life of the Believer, gifting and equipping the Saints for their ministries. (John 14:16; Acts 1:8)

There is a literal Heaven and a literal Hell. (John 14:2; Luke 16:19-31; 2Cor 5:1-10)

God is still on the throne . . . and prayer changes things!