What We Teach (UCC summary)

WHAT WE TEACH

Virgil Warren, PhD

            We teach that the Bible is God’s revelation to us and that it is the sufficient guide for what we believe and practice (1 Corinthians 2:7-14; 2 Timothy 3:16-17).

            We teach that there is one God who is known to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and that he created the universe and everything in it (Matthew 28:19; John 14:16-26; 16:7-15).

            We teach that God created us in his image and so designed us for fellowship with him and that they have all sinned and separated themselves from God by their disobedience to his will (Genesis 1:1-3:24).

            We teach that Jesus Christ is the only Savior God has appointed and that through him every human person may be brought back into fellowship with God. Jesus Christ is the unique son of God, the Messiah promised through the Jewish prophets of old. This Word of God became a man, lived a sinless life, died by crucifixion, and resurrected from the dead. His life, death, and resurrection provide the basis of salvation for everyone of us who puts trust in him as Savior from sin and Lord of life (Romans 8:31-34; Galatians 3:13-14; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Philippians 2:5-8; Hebrews 4:14-15; 9:11-14; 10:10-13; 1 Peter 2:21-24; 3:18).

            We teach that we are saved by God’s grace through our faith, not because we have earned God’s favor by achieving our own moral perfection. We are saved through Christ by identifying with him as the one who is what we aspire to be as regards the moral quality of our life (John 3:9; Ephesians 2:8-9; 1 John 1:8-10). Identification with Christ means commitment to him and to his lordship, values and purposes, which we express formally in Christian baptism as immersion (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:38; Galatians 3:26-29; Titus 3:4-7).

            We teach that salvation means the forgiveness of sins and consequently the gift of the presence of God’s Spirit and inclusion in Christ’s body the church (Acts 2:38-47).

            We teach that the Holy Spirit is a divine person who is present with all believers (John 14:23-36; 16:8-15; Acts 5:3-4; 8:26-27; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 5:18; 1 John 2:20, 27; 3:9

            We teach that those who remain faithful till death have the hope of life in personal relationship with God forever (Romans 8:16-17; 1 Corinthians 15:1-58; 2 Corinthians 5:6-8; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 John 3:1-2).

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