What We Believe
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:8-10)
Core Beliefs
The following are the core beliefs of Mason Street 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.
- This was done by God the Father, God the Son (Jesus) and God the Holy Spirit (Genesis 1-2; John 1:1-4; Colossians 1:15-20; Revelation 4:9-11; Isaiah 40:6-31)
- This triune God is the creator of all things on heaven and earth.
- We are made by God in His image, male and female, and are part of God’s story. (Genesis 1:26-31; 2:7; Psalm 8; Hebrews 2:5-9; 1 Corinthians 15:20-28; Romans 8:28-30; Ephesians 4:20-24)
Mankind marred this image and good creation by disobeying God’s command bringing sin, idolatry and corruption into the world and leading to the exile from the tree of life and eventual death.
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- We all sin and need God’s forgiveness which is only available through Jesus. (Genesis 3; Jeremiah 2:9-19; John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 3:9-23; Ephesians 2:1-3; Colossians 3:5-11; 1 John 1:5-10)
- God loves us passionately and relentlessly pursues a relationship with us. (Psalm 136; John 1:14; 3:16-17; 13:1; Romans 5:6-11; 8:31-39; 1 John 4:7-19)
- Eternity is real and a day of judgment is coming for all creation in which all things will be made right. (Matthew 25:31-46; John 6:35-40; Romans 2:5-11; 2 Corinthians 4:7-5:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11; Revelation 20:10-15; 21:1-22:21)
- God promises a future seed (Jesus) will be born who will overcome the power of Satan over sin and death. (Genesis 3:15; 12:1-3; 2 Samuel 7:12-16; Psalm 2; Luke 3:23-38; Galatians 3:15-18)
God rebuilds the tattered relationship through individual imagers (e.g. Abraham), a nation (Israel) a people (the church) and finally a fully realized eternal kingdom.
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- We have been adopted by God to be His children and therefore receive the promises to Abraham and his descendants. (Romans 4:13-25, 9:6-8, Galatians 3:5-14, 29; Ephesians 1:3-6)
- As God’s children, we are His ambassadors to the world to show what a relationship with God looks like. We are to be salt that flavors the world and light to overcome the darkness that exists in the world. We are to sow the good news that we have a Savior in King Jesus. (Matthew 5:13-16; 13:3-9,18-23; 24-52; Mark 16:15; Galatians 5:20; Ephesians 6:18-20)
- God provides gifts to the body through the Spirit for its growth and equipping for God’s mission. (Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; Ephesians 4:11-13)
Faithfully, God keeps all His promises including blessing all nations through the heir promised to Abraham through the lineage of Israel to sit on David’s throne forever.
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- Jesus is the only Son of God who took on human flesh while continuing to be divinity. (John 1:1-5;14; Galatians 4:4-5; Hebrews 2:14-18; 4:14-15)
- We have a loving, believing loyalty in the deity of King Jesus our Lord and the gospel message. (Mark 8:34-38; Acts 2:36; 5:40-42; 18:28; 1 Corinthians 15:1-2)
- God the Father sent Jesus, with the power of the Spirit, to this world to show us God and died to be the sacrifice that we couldn’t be for ourselves to pay the debt of sin. He has returned to heaven as King having defeated the spiritual powers that held us captive, through His death on the cross and resurrection. (Matthew 18:19-20; John 3:16-17; Romans 1:1-6; Galatians 1:3-5; 4:4-5; Ephesians 2:1-10; Colossians 2:13-15; 1 Peter 1:3-5; 3:21-22)
- We live in the overlap of the present evil age and the kingdom coming in its fulness. A spiritual warfare continues, and we rely upon the Holy Spirit and God’s mighty armor for our victory. (John 15:16-27; 17:6-18; 1 Corinthians 7:29-31; 2 Corinthians 14-19; 10:3-6; Galatians 1:3-5; Ephesians 6:12; Colossians 1:13-15)
Jesus is our Redeemer, Prophet, King and High Priest. He paid the price for our sins reconciling us with our Heavenly Father. (Redeemer: Psalm 19:14; Galatians 3:13; 4:4-5; Titus 2:11-14 Prophet: Matthew 21:11; Acts 3:21-22 King: Matthew 2:1-2; 27:11 High Priest: Hebrews 3:1; 4:14; 6:19-20)
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- We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus by believing in Him, accepting Him as Lord and putting Him on in baptism. This immersion is a burial which signifies our desire to end our old sinful life and begin a new walk with Christ. In addition, we strive to follow God’s desire that we repent from our sinful deeds. (Ephesians 2:4-10; Romans 2:4, 6:1-7; Acts 2:38, 17:31, 20:21)
- We have freedom in Jesus but not to serve the flesh. (Romans 6:22-23; 2 Corinthians 3:17; Galatians 5:1, 13; 1 Peter: 2:16)
- Obedience to God’s will is critical but grace covers the gap between what God demands and what our lives reflect. (Acts 6:7; Romans 1:5; 6:16-17; Titus 3:3-7; 1 Peter 1:1-2, 22-23)
- Jesus was the first fruits of a bodily resurrection that we are promised through His death, burial, and resurrection. After death, we will be preserved by God until our bodily resurrection occurs at the great judgment day. (John 11:25-26; Romans 7:4; 1 Corinthians 15; 1 Peter 1:3)
We are now part of God’s new creation that is breaking into this world. He continues to love us and provides what we need for a transformed life in the image of Christ. We are His family, a community that loves and supports one another while we serve God in carrying out His mission and honoring Him with our lives (Romans 12:1-2; 8:15; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; 1 Thessalonians 5:12-18).
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- The Bible is God’s word revealing who He is, His character and unchanging nature, and what He desires from us (Proverbs 7:1-3; Acts 17:11-13; 2 Timothy 1:8-14; Revelation 22:18-19).
- God has given us the gift of the Holy Spirit, to live within us, guide and strengthen us in our walk with Him (Romans 5:5; 8:26-27; Galatians 5:22-23).
- The Church is one part of the new creation which has broken into this world and will come fully at the judgment day. The kingdom of God is also manifested throughout creation (Matthew 16:18; Acts 9:31; Romans 2:14-16).
- Our worship is at least weekly as a community in a manner that seeks to honor and please God (John 4:20-24; Acts 2:42-47).
- We gather as a community on the first day of the week because it is when our Lord rose from the dead. God the Spirit ministers to us through His Word. He joins us at the table where we celebrate our union with His death and resurrection exalting Him in prayer and song and mutual edification of each other (Mark 16:1-8; John 20:1-10; Acts 20:7; Philippians 2:16; 3:20-21).
- There is perfect unity between God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Likewise, we strive for unity within the church which is the body of Christ. (John 17:20-23; 1 Corinthians 1:10, 12:12-27; Ephesians 4:1-6; Colossians 3:12-14)