Beliefs

We believe there is one true, holy God, eternally existing in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - each of Whom possesses equally all the attributes of deity and the characteristics of personality. In the beginning, God created the world, and all that is in it, out of nothing. God manifests and demonstrates His power, wisdom, and goodness as Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer of the universe. God is just, yet loves us and offers us forgiveness. God the Father operates throughout history to fulfill His redemptive purposes.

Genesis 1:1; Exodus 15:11-14; Exodus 20:1-6; Psalm 19:1-3; Matthew 6:9-10; John 14:6-13; 1 Corinthians 8:5-6; Hebrews 11:6.

Jesus Christ, God’s son, is both fully God and fully human. He was united with true human nature by a miraculous conception and virgin birth. He lived a life of perfect obedience to the Father and voluntarily atoned for the sins of all by dying on the cross, thus satisfying divine justice and accomplishing salvation for all who trust in Him. He rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of the Father, where He is the only Mediator between God and humanity. He will come again to the earth, personally and visibly, to fulfill God’s eternal plan and conclude human history.

Isaiah 53; Matthew 1:18-23; Matthew 3:16- 17; Matthew 28:1-6; Luke 1:35; Luke 24:46-47; John 1:1-18; John 11:25-27; John 14:7-11; John 20:1-20; Acts 2:22-24; Romans 3:23-26; Romans 5:8-21; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Galatians 4:4-5; Philippians 2:5-11; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; 1 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 1:1-3; Hebrews 4:14-15; Hebrews 12:2; 1 Peter 2:21-25; Revelation 1:13-17; Revelation 5:11-14.

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the trinity. He was sent into the world by the Father and the Son to apply to humanity the saving work of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit awakens in us an awareness of our sin, and our need for the Savior. At the point of salvation, He permanently indwells every believer and becomes the source of comfort, strength, wisdom, and assurance of salvation. The Holy Spirit guides believers in understanding and applying the scripture. His power and control are appropriated by faith, making it possible for the believer to lead a life of Christ-like character and to bring glory to God the Father. He also gives every believer at least one spiritual gift for the building up of the body of Christ.

Genesis 1:2; Psalm 139:7-10; Joel 2:28-29; Matthew 28:19-20; John 4:24; John 14:16-17, 26; John 16:7-14; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:1-4; Acts 4:31; Romans 8:9-11, 14-16, 26-27; 1 Corinthians 2:10-13; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; Ephesians 1:13-14.

The basis of our belief is the Bible, composed of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments. We believe the Scripture originated with God, was written and recorded by men divinely inspired by God. The Bible thus speaks with the authority of God and reflects the backgrounds, cultures, lifestyles, and vocabularies of the human authors. The message of the Bible is God’s instructions for living, and shows us the way to salvation through Jesus Christ. The Bible is the unique, full, and final authority on all matters of faith and practice.

Deuteronomy 4:1-2; Psalm 19:7-10; Psalm 119:105; Isaiah 40:8; Luke 24:44-46; Romans 15:4; Romans 16:25-26; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 4:12; 2 Peter 1:19-21.

The central purpose of God’s revelation in Scripture is to call all people into fellowship with Himself. Originally created to have fellowship with God, humans defied God, and chose to go their own way. They were separated from God and suffered the corruption of their nature. Sin entered the world early in human history and all individuals since have suffered and are thus in need of the saving grace of God. Our inability to re- establish our relationship with God through our own power leaves us dependent on God's mercy. God graciously provides the means to reconcile ourselves to Him through His son, Jesus Christ. Our relationship is re-established when we make a commitment to accept Jesus as God's Son and our Savior and Lord.

The salvation of humanity is wholly the work of God’s free grace, not the result, in whole or in part of human works or goodness. Every individual must personally appropriate salvation by faith in Jesus Christ. When God has begun a saving work in the heart of any person, He will continue performing it until the day of its full consummation.

Practically speaking, this acceptance is demonstrated through both a private and public commitment. We demonstrate our commitment privately by faith (believing that Jesus is the Son of God, that he died for our sins, and that he overcame death through His resurrection) and repentance (turning back to God and depending upon Him to provide loving and wise oversight of our lives). At the same time, we publicly express our commitment by demonstrating our acceptance of God's salvation through submitting ourselves in Christian baptism.

John 3:3-21; Romans 1:16-17; Romans 3:23-24; Romans 6:22-23; Romans 8:1-3; Romans 8:28-30, 38-39; Romans 10:9-13; 2 Corinthians 5:17-20; Colossians 3:10-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Peter 1:23; 1 John 1:5-9; Revelation 3:20.

Human beings were created to exist forever. Each person will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or eternally united with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is Hell. To be eternally in union with Him is eternal life.

Heaven and Hell are actual places of eternal existence. God gives each human being free will to choose his or her destiny. God fully desires that all people come to Him and share in the fulfilled promise of eternal life in Heaven. For those who genuinely choose Him, God gives eternal life through Jesus Christ.

A person who genuinely accepts salvation through Jesus Christ cannot lose his or her salvation. The true believer is secure in that salvation for eternity. Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self- effort of the Christian. It is the grace and keeping power of God that gives us this security.

John 3:16; John 14:17; Romans 6:23; Romans 8:17-18; Revelation 20:15; 1 Cor. 2:7-9; John 10:29; 2 Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 7:25, 10:10,14; 1 Peter 1:3-5

There is one true universal church, known as the “Body of Christ” in scripture, composed of all those who acknowledge Jesus Christ as Savior. The Scripture commands believers to regularly gather together to devote themselves to worship, prayer, teaching of the Word, and fellowship. Baptism and communion are observed as the ordinances established by Jesus Christ. Service to the body of Christ and outreach to the world are accomplished through the development and use of gifts and talents.

The local expression of the church is realized wherever God’s people meet in obedience to this command. Members are to work together in love and unity, under the watch care and guidance of the appropriate leadership, with the ultimate purpose of glorifying Christ.

Matthew 16:15-19; Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 14:22- 26; Acts 2:41-42, 47; Acts 9:31; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians 11:23-28; Ephesians 1:22-23; Ephesians 2:19- 22; Ephesians 4:11-12; Hebrews 10:24-25; 1 Peter 5:1-3.

Scripture is the final authority in all matters of faith and practice. Coastal Community Church recognizes that it cannot bind the conscience of individual members in areas where Scripture is silent or does not provide clear direction. There are some areas of our faith practice that may be different than other churches. For instance:

• Marriage: We believe marriage is defined in the Bible as a covenant, a sacred bond between one man and one woman, instituted by and publicly entered into before God. (Matthew 19:4-6; Genesis 2:24)
• Women in Ministry: We believe the Bible teaches that no person be disqualified from service in the body of Christ based solely on gender, and that men and women are full partners in ministry in the kingdom of God. (Acts 2:17-18; Galatians 3:28)
• Loving Others: We strongly believe in treating all people with dignity, respect and love, including those who believe differently than we do. (Matthew 7:12; Romans 12:9-10)

Romans 1:8-12, 17; Romans 3:21-26; Romans 14:19-23, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, 1 Corinthians 13:1-8, 13; Galatians 2:20; Galatians 5:22-26; Ephesians 1:15-18; Hebrews 10:22-25; Hebrews 11; James 1:2-6; James 2:14-18, 24-26.