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STATEMENT OF FAITH
Evangelical. Reformed. Spirit led.
Our commitment at Church of the Open Door is to a Statement of Faith, which we summarize as evangelical, Reformed, and continuationist.
The Scriptures
The entire bible, including all 39 books of the Old Testament and 27 books of the New Testament, are the God-breathed, inerrant written Word of God. These books are without error in all they teach and affirm and provide the entire written revelation of God necessary for belief in and service of Jesus Christ. The scriptures are the only rule of faith and practice for the believer and all doctrine must pass the test of scripture to be considered valid and binding to the believer.
2 Timothy 3:16, Galatians 3:22, 1 Timothy 4:13, 2 Peter 1:20
God is Triune
There is one God, eternally existing in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three persons are not manifestations or modes of one, but in fact three distinct persons, making up one perfectly united Godhead.
Colossians 2:9, Matthew 28:19, Luke 22:69
God the Father
God the Father created all things that exist. He spoke the world into existence and all things are created for His glory. He is intimately involved with His creation. All things are sustained by His power. His is ultimately sovereign and nothing that He purposes can be thwarted or prevented. In His amazing grace, before the foundation of the world, He determined to send the Son to live and die for the His chosen people, redeeming them from the penalty of an eternal existence separated from His presence.
Psalm 115:3, Isaiah 43:15,1 Timothy 6:15
Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ, is Himself, fully God and fully man. He came to earth conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary. He perfectly fulfilled the requirements of the Law and became the perfect once and for all sacrifice for all those who have trusted in Him by faith for their salvation. He is described in the scripture as being the catalyst of all creation and the perfect image of God in the flesh. He lived a life that we are incapable of living, died on the cross as the pure sacrifice for our sins. He rose again on the third day, having fulfilled the scriptures, being victorious over death, hell, and the grave. He now stands as our High Priest and the only mediator before the Father of all those who believe.
Matthew 1:20, Colossians 2:9, John 20:31, Revelation 19:16
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the agent of regeneration. He convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. He works through the scriptures and the proclaimed Word to bring men to faith in Christ. He leads unbelieving sinners to Christ, brings them to faith, and then indwells believers as the down payment for our future inheritance. The Holy Spirit guides believers into all truth and is to be worshipped as God, being the Third Member of the Trinity.
Mark 1:8, Ephesians 1:13, Ephesians 4:30, Titus 3:5
Man
God created mankind without sin, in His own image. Adam fell in the garden by disobeying God's command and estranged himself and the rest of mankind from God. Because of his sin, we are all thoroughly affected by sin. Sin affects each and every part of our being. We are reckoned spiritually dead, hostile toward God, and none of us seek Him without a special act of divine grace.
1 Corinthians 15:21-22, 1 Corinthians 2:14, Ephesians 2:1
The Gospel
Jesus Christ is the good news of God's love for mankind. Christ's crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension are the heart of the Gospel. Christ's death is substitutionary in nature, providing a complete and total payment for the sin of all those who believe in Him. It satisfies God's holy demand for justice and demonstrates His amazing love and grace for those whom He has chosen to redeem.
Mark 16:15, Romans 1:16, Romans 8:29-39
Man’s Response to the Gospel
Each individual's response to the gospel is founded in God's free and unconditional election. In His sovereignty, God is free to choose whomever He pleases to inherit eternal life. We are to sincerely preach the gospel to all men everywhere. The gospel is only beneficial to those who, by God's saving grace, repent of their sins and place the full weight of their faith in Christ for the remission of their sins. Repentance results in a changed life and the fruit of Christlikeness. While neither repentance nor works saves, they are both evidence of a real saving faith.
Romans 3:28, Romans 9:11, 2 Peter 1:10
Man’s Inheritance Through the Gospel
Salvation is a free gift of God. It is provided, by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, to the Glory of God alone. Salvation is provided for anyone who repents of their sin and turns to Christ. By placing their faith in Christ's substitutionary death for the payment for their sins, they are given eternal life and declared righteous before God. They are completely and totally justified and are secure in Christ forever.
Romans 4:5, Romans 10:11, 1 Peter 1:3-5
Sanctification
True believers are expected to bear fruit keeping with repentance. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, our minds and hearts are renewed. We are enabled to live out and to love the commands of Christ. While we still continue to struggle with the reality of indwelling sin, we strive to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. We are to use every means of grace afforded us, especially public worship, prayer, and meditation on scripture to aid in our efforts. We ultimately persevere, not through our own efforts, but through the promises provided in scripture to all who are His.
Ephesians 5:25-27, 1 Thessalonians 5:23, Hebrews 13:12
Empowered by the Spirit
The Holy Spirit continues to work in the life of genuine believers beyond conversion, affecting an continued empowerment. We are instructed to not only be indwelt with the Spirit but filled continually. This empowerment results in power for the Christian life and emboldened witness. He imparts supernatural gifts for the edification of the body of Christ and supernaturally effective ministry. The gifts of the Spirit are distributed throughout the church for the edification of the Body of Christ. Each one is afforded gifts by grace, according to His sovereign will.
1 Corinthians 12:4-7, Romans 12:4-8
The Church
The church of Jesus Christ is made up of all those who are redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb. Men and women from every tribe, tongue, and nation make up the body of Christ. All those who have experienced regeneration, or "being born again", are part of the church universal. The church isn't a building or organization. It is made up of all those who have truly placed their faith in Christ. The church's purpose is to worship and glorify God as He has revealed Himself through the scripture. The primary expression of this is through the gathering of corporate worship on the Lord's Day as commanded in scripture. The mission of the church is the great commission, to make and train disciples to obey Christ.
Matthew 16:18, Ephesians 5:27, 1 Timothy 3:15, 1 Timothy 4:13, Matthew 28:19-20
Church Leadership
All members of the church are vital to the proclamation of the gospel and should be connected to a local body of believers. Certain individuals are called to serve in roles of equipping the body of Christ as teachers, elders, or pastors. Though all believers receive spiritual gifts to edify the body, only men are permitted to teach and have authority in the church over other men.
1 Timothy 3:8-13, Titus 1:5-9, 1 Timothy 2:12
Baptism
Water baptism by immersion is only intended for those individuals who have been beneficiaries of the saving work of Christ and have publicly declared their faith in Christ. In obedience to Christ's commands they are to be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Baptism is a signification of the identification of the individual with Christ. The believer is outward expressing his renunciation of his old life and his public declaration of faith in Christ.
Matthew 28:19, Ephesians 4:5, Acts 2:41
Communion
The Lord's Supper, or communion, is to be observed only by those who have genuinely placed their faith in Christ for salvation. Communion signifies the incredible sacrifice of Christ for those who are in Him. This should be observed by the local body on a regular basis with a proper attitude of repentance and gratitude for Christ's meritorious work on our behalf. Through this commemoration, we proclaim with joyful hearts the death of Christ on our behalf, receive spiritual nourishment, and identify ourselves with our fellow members of the body of Christ.
Luke 22:19, John 6:53-54, 1 Corinthians 11:26
Marriage and Sexuality
Marriage is designed by God to be a reflection of the relationship between Christ and His church. It is designed by God to be between one man and one woman for life. The only biblical allowances for the believer to break the marital bond are those listed in scripture, being desertion and adultery.
Human sexuality is a gift from God. Like all other aspects of human nature it has been fundamentally flawed by sin. The only proper expression of this gift is within the confines of a biblical marriage between a man and a woman.
Hebrews 13:4, 1 Corinthians 7:2, Galatians 5:19, 1 Thessalonians 4:3
The Return of Christ
The consummation of all things includes the imminent, visible return of Jesus Christ to the earth. Those in who have died in Christ will be resurrected and those who are alive will be caught away to be with the Lord. Christ will judge every human being who has ever lived, believer and non-believer alike. Those who have rejected the gospel will be totally and finally separated from the presence of God forever. Those who have been saved will receive new, glorious bodies to live and reign with Christ forever.
Matthew 24:27-31, 1 Corinthians 15:52, 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18
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In Addtion to our statement of faith we would affirm the following confessions and statements
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1646 1st London Baptist Confession of Faith -
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The Danvers Statement on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood
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