The following are foundational beliefs of Christian orthodoxy from a Biblical perspective. These beliefs will guide the teaching and ministry of Crosspoint, and protect us from teaching that would be contrary to the whole of Scripture. Covenant members of Crosspoint are called to agree to this statement.
Bible
The Bible is created and inspired by God. It is His Word to mankind and reveals to us the nature and character of our God. It was written by human authors under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of authority and truth on all matters of faith and godly living. Because the Bible is inspired by God, we can be confident that it is completely sufficient to provide for all our spiritual needs, true without errors, and relevant for all time. Nothing may be taken from it and nothing may be added. Psalm 12:6; 19:7-11; Psalm 119; Proverbs 30:5; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:3, 20-21
Trinity
There is only one God, creator of heaven and earth, who exists eternally as three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each fully God yet personally distinct from the other. Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Matthew 28:19; John 5:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Titus 3:4-7; Hebrews 1:10; 1 Peter 1:2
God the Father
God the Father created heaven and earth through His word and for His glory. He is completely sovereign, and before Him there was and is no other God. He is self-existent, infinite, personal, unchangeable, and eternal in His being. He is perfect in holiness, righteousness, love, grace, justice, goodness, wisdom and truth. He is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. The Father sent His Son, Jesus Christ, who rescues from death and adopts into His family all who come to Him through Christ. He is the perfect heavenly Father who loves and cares for His children. He is good in all He does and in everything He gives, including His discipline. He desires that His Name should be praised forever. Genesis 1; Exodus 3:14; Psalm 24:10, 72:18-19, 103; John 3:16-18; 2 Corinthians 1:3; Ephesians 1:3-14; James 1:17; 1 Peter 1:3
Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came to earth fully God and fully man. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life on Earth and offered Himself as God’s sacrifice and atonement for the sins of mankind. He died on a cross, was buried, and rose from the dead after three days proving His authority and power over sin and death. He is at the right hand of God as our advocate and mediator. He will return to fulfill the eternal plan of God. Isaiah 9:6; Matthew 1:18; Luke 1:26-27; John 1:1-5,14, 29-34; Acts 1:9-11; Romans 1:3-4, 8:34; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Galatians 4:4-5; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:3, 4:14-15; 1 John 2:1
Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the very Spirit of God living and at work in the life of a believer. He reveals the truth of God’s Word in order that believers may understand and apply the Scriptures to become more like Jesus Christ. He convicts the world of sin, works to bring about salvation, and is given to believers as a seal
guaranteeing their future inheritance. Those persons, who have trusted in Jesus Christ as Savior, receive
the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation. The Holy Spirit indwells and empowers the believer to do
God’s will. He also gives spiritual gifts to believers for the purpose of building God’s kingdom. John
14:26, 16:8,13; Acts 1:8; Romans 8:2, 9-11; 1 Corinthians 2:10-16, 3:16; Ephesians 1:13-14
Humanity
All people are created in God’s image and matter deeply to Him. God loves people, and invites them to live in communion with Himself and in community with each other. While people were created in the image of God, our sin has separated us from Him. Each person is born with a sin nature and as a result naturally lives in rebellion to God. Apart from Christ, they are dead in their sin and are in danger of experiencing eternal judgement in hell. Genesis 1:27-28; Psalm 8:3-6; Matthew 25:41; John 3:16; Romans 3:23, 5:12-21; Ephesians 2:1-10; Revelation 20:11-15
Salvation
People are saved by God’s grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone. Salvation can never be
acquired on one’s own merit or accomplishment. It is a gift that must be received by humble
repentance and faith in Christ and His finished work on the cross. The death of Jesus on the cross was
necessary to provide atonement for our sin, to provide us righteousness from God, to redeem us from
the slavery of sin, to reconcile us to God, and to demonstrate God’s love for us. Those who place their
faith in Jesus Christ are regenerated, justified, adopted into God’s family, and receive eternal life. We
believe that their sin has been imputed to Christ and His righteousness imputed to them. We believe
that Scripture assures us that believers are no longer slaves to sin, having died to it, and are now called
to live for the glory of God. Salvation is eternally secure and can never be lost. It is the grace and
keeping power of God that gives us this security. Isaiah 53:5-6; John 1:12, 29, 5:24, 10:28; Acts 4:12;
Romans 3:10,21-25, 5:1-10,12-21 6:1-14,23, 10:8-10; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians
3:10-14,26; Ephesians 2:8-9; Philippians 3:9; 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 3:5
The Church
All believers are members of the body of Christ, the one true church universal. Spiritual unity is to be
expressed among Christians by acceptance and love of one another across ethnic, cultural, socioeconomic,
national, generational, gender, and denominational lines. The local church is a congregation
of believers who gather for worship, prayer, instruction, encouragement, mutual accountability, and
community with each other, thus living out the Great Commandment. Through the life of the church,
believers invest time, energy, and resources to fulfill the Great Commission of making disciples of all
nations. Matthew 22:36-40, 28:18-20; John 17:20-21; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:20; 4:1-6, 11-16; Colossians
1:28-29, 3:1-17; Revelation 7:9-10
Human Sexuality and Marriage
Marriage is the joining of one naturally-born man and one naturally-born woman for life. Marriage was
created by God and is a holy and divinely established covenant between man and woman to be a
representation of the relationship between Jesus Christ and His church. We believe that God created
sexual intimacy to be enjoyed exclusively between one man and one woman who are married to one
another. We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a covenant marriage between one man and one woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, or pornography is a sinful distortion of God’s gift of sex. We believe that any attempt to change one’s sex or disagreement with one’s biological sex, is sinful and contrary to God’s design and how He has knit us together. Genesis 1:27-28, 2:22-24; Psalm 139:13-16; Matthew 19:3-9; Romans 1, 7:2; 1 Corinthians 5,7:10; Ephesians 5:22-23, 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8; Hebrews 13:4
Return of Christ
We believe there will be a sudden, personal, visible, bodily return of Christ. As believers, we eagerly long for Christ’s return, the time of which is unknown. The final result of Christ’s return will be the judgement of unbelievers and the final reward of believers, and then believers will live with Christ in new heavens and a new earth for all eternity. God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit will reign and be worshipped in a never-ending kingdom with no more sin, sorrow, or suffering. Matthew 24:44, 25:13; John 5:28-29; Romans 8:19-21; 1 Corinthians 3:12-15; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18; Titus 2:12-13, 2 Peter 3:10-13; Revelation 20-22
Eternity
People were created to exist forever. They will either exist eternally absent from God's benevolent grace and blessing, subject only to God's eternal wrath, because of sin and curse; or they will exist eternally united with God in peace and blessing. To be eternally subjected to God's full wrath is in Hell. To be eternally united with God is in Heaven. Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal existence as described in the Holy Bible. Hell is a place of everlasting torment and suffering with no relief. Heaven is a place of everlasting peace, comfort and joy. Matthew 8:12; Mark 9:43; Luke 16:28; John 3:16-18, 5:24; Romans 2:5; Romans 6:23; Romans 12:19; Psalm 139:7-12; 1 Peter 1:3-9; 1 John 5:11-13, Revelation 20:15, 21-22
Statement of Biblical Convictions
Click here for summary statements on areas that are sometimes debated among Bible-believing Christ followers. Some people refer to these as ‘secondary’ matters of doctrine, but they are nonetheless important and true as we understand and interpret the Scriptures. Our teaching and ministry will be shaped by these convictions.
God's Discipline Through the Church
Click here for a thorough summary around this specific area of life in the church.