What We Believe

Hebrews 11:6 "Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him"

Core Beliefs

The following are the core beliefs of Fairview Road Church of Christ based on the foundational truths taught in the Bible. All of our teaching and ministry is rooted in and flows out of these biblical doctrines.

God

We believe in one eternal, all-powerful God who creates all things.  This one God exists in three perfectly unified expressions – God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit – and rules over His creation.

The God revealed to us in creation and through Holy Scripture is a God to hold in awe and reverence. He is a God worthy of our worship and adoration [Deuteronomy 6:4, 1 Chronicles 16:35, Revelation 4:11]. It is important that we worship together [Acts 2: 42], and that we live lives that honor him [Romans 12:1].

The God who creates all things exists in perfect community and created us in his image, to be in perfect community with him and with each other [Genesis 1:26, Genesis 2:18 Romans 12:16]. Though imperfect through our sinful nature, we strive to live in harmony with him through following his plan for our lives. We also strive to live in harmony with humanity, honoring the image of God that each person carries and the diversity present in his creation.

Revelation through the Holy Spirit

God is evident through the working of the Holy Spirit within his creation.  We believe the Bible is His inspired word and the divine revelation of his character and plan.  We believe the Holy Spirit works within creation and the lives of believers.

We strive to be life-long learners of God and recognize there are multiple ways for Christians to learn about him [John 17:3, Romans 1:19-20, 1 Corinthians 2:10-12].
• Study of the Bible
• Learning through others
• Personal encounter
We value each of these paths and incorporate them into our family life. Each week in worship, we hear Bible taught in sermons and classes. We encourage personal time spent in reading and reflecting on God's Word. In Life Groups and study groups, we have opportunities to engage with other Christians around God's Word. The Spirit works in community and we learn about God through what he is doing in the lives of our fellow Christians. We affirm the working and indwelling of the Holy Spirit [1 Corinthians 3:16]. Through prayer, mediation, time spend with God, fasting and other spiritual disciplines, the Holy Spirit continues to reinforce and reveal the nature of God to us, encouraging our growth and equipping our journey [Ephesians 4:11-13]. .

The Good News of Jesus

Creation lies in a fallen state of separation from God because of sin and our will.  While we are helpless to fix what is broken, God the Son became human in Jesus Christ, born to the virgin Mary to fulfill prophesy.  Jesus lived without sin yet was wrongly accused and executed on a Roman cross.  Three days later he rose victorious over death.  After being seen by witnesses he returned to the right hand of God the Father and we await in hope for his return.

We all need salvation, and the grace of God expressed through Jesus Christ is the only means by which we may be saved [Ephesians 2: 8-9]. We proclaim Christs victory over both sin and the grave with a verbal confession and by our commitment to follow Jesus [Matthew 10:32, 1 John 2:23]. We have the honor of sharing this news with those we come into contact with by living lives that honor Christ and by sharing our faith. We have been invited into the work of redemption by sharing Jesus with others and the work of making disciples [Matthew 28:19, 2 Corinthians 2:18-20].

God’s Plan

In Christ, we become united with God.  We receive salvation as an act of God’s grace as we come to Christ in faith, encounter him in baptism, and receive the Holy Spirit into our lives.  This empowers our journey of following Jesus and his way of life.  Our hope is in Him and His return when we, like him, will be victorious over death and live forever with God.

As recipients of God's grace, we should be a people who offer grace. We strive to be gracious to one another and to all we encounter. Though we often differ in many ways, the gracious gift of God through Jesus unifies us.

We believe the earliest disciples of Jesus followed his example of immersion baptism [Acts 2:38, 1 Peter 3:21]. Therefore, we teach and practice immersion baptism as the beginning of our journey with Jesus. We believe that baptism and salvation go hand-in-hand. In the water of baptism, we participate sacramentally in the good news of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection [Colossians 2:12]. Our movement through the water of baptism also symbolizes the move from oppression and death into a new life of freedom in Christ [2 Corinthians 5:17].

We believe that we are all called to follow Jesus as his disciples. This calling will vary in the particulars but will reflect the moral teaching and life that Jesus teaches and that the Holy Spirit guides us in [John 16:13]. We live transformed lives not to earn his love and grace, but in response to his love and grace [1 John 4:13-19]. We live transformed lives not out of obligation, but in trust that as our creator, God knows and desires what is best for us. We live in the hope that Jesus is returning and that his judgment and reign do not hold fear for those who are in him [Acts 1: 9-11, Hebrews 9:38, Revelation 1:7].

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