What We Believe

About the Bible. . .
Our foundation at the Village is based firmly and doctrinally upon the Bible. It is our authority and our guide to living. We believe the Bible to be the divinely inspired Word of God. It is without error, and it is given to us so that we may know and understand the truth of God and His love (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

The Bible is to be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path (Psalm 119:105). It is worthy of our study and application – We have no creed but Christ; no book but the Bible.

God divinely inspired human authors to write the sixty-six books that make up the Bible. It is through these authors that he chose to communicate the values and principles which are pleasing to Him and in our best interests (2 Peter 1:21). We look to the Bible as the final authority on all matters of faith and conduct (John 17:17).

(2Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:21; John 17:17; Psalm 119:105)

About God….
We believe there is one God, the creator and sustainer of the universe, and he eternally exists (Genesis 1:1, 26-27). He exists as three distinct persons (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) although He is One. (Deut. 6:4) He is all powerful (Luke 1:37) and all knowing (Rom. 11:33). While we cannot fully comprehend his divine nature, it is possible for people to know him. We believe that God loves us and wants to have a relationship with us. (1 John 4:16)

About Jesus…
Jesus Christ came to Save the World (John 3:16-17). We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, our leader and forgiver (John 1:14). He came to earth voluntarily, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. We believe he lived a sinless life (Hebrews 4:15), choosing to die on a cross for our sins (Phil. 2:6-8). He was raised to life by God for our salvation (1 Peter 1:19-21). He is at the right hand of God and will return one day as our victorious Savior (Acts 1:11).

We believe that Jesus is the bread of life (John 6:35), the light of the world (John 8:12), the resurrection and the life (John 11:25), and as the way, the truth, and the life – the only means of access to God the Father (John 14:16).

About the Holy Spirit…
We believe that the Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son. As children of God we believe He lives within us (Romans 8:11) to guide us (John 16:13) in our understanding of His Truth (1 Corinth. 2:10). We believe the Holy Spirit empowers us to live Christ-like lives (Acts 1:8).

The Holy Spirit is constantly available to Christ’s followers, showing Christ to us, forming Christ in us, guiding us into truth, and empowering us to live a Christ-life in the world. The Holy Spirit assures us that God is our Father and loves us. God has poured out his love into our hearts (Rom. 5:5). Romans 8:15-16 says that when we cry, “Abba Father,” the Holy Spirit is witnessing to our spirit that we are God’s children. Few experiences can provide more power in our lives than to have the assurance of our salvation.

About Relationship with God…
In our natural state we are sinners who fall short of the glory of God (Rom.3:23). But through Christ’s work we receive forgiveness (Acts 2:38; 13:38), which frees us from the burden of guilt (Heb. 9:14) that ruins any hope of our being truly satisfied. Whereas we were sinners condemned to die (Rom. 6:23), now we receive the gift of eternal life. So marked is the change that takes place at conversion that Jesus describes it as crossing over from death to life (John 5:24).

Baptism serves as a symbol of the burial of the old self and the resurrection of the believer’s soul to walk in life with Christ. The Bible teaches we are saved by grace through faith, but in the New Testament church (Eph 2:8), a person’s baptism was always the first expression of faith, not separate from it. Baptism is intended to offer a means of union with Christ and a benchmark of transformation, marking the place and time a person made a commitment to Christ (Rom. 6:1-8).

Because we have sinned, we have severed our relationship with God and have fallen short of His intended purpose for our lives. The separation will lead to eternal death unless we are reconciled to God (Rom. 3:23; 6.23). Anyone who has fallen into sin after having been baptized should seek forgiveness and repent (Acts 8:13-24). To repent means to change your mind. We must decide today that we no longer want to live life doing our own thing, but want to follow God’s path instead (Acts 3:19). “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom. 10:9).

With our guilt taken away, we can be reconciled to God and thus relate to him personally (Rom 5:10; 2 Cor. 5:19). Jesus said that the resulting relationship with God (“knowing God”) is the most important aspect of eternal life (John 17:3). God provides the deepest fulfillment that anyone could have as our loneliness is banished and a friendship is established with God.

To be a Christian is to change. It is to become new. It is not simply a matter of choosing a new lifestyle, though there is a new style. It has to do with being a new person.

About the Church. . .
God works through the church to reconcile a lost world to Himself through His son, Jesus. For this reason it is important for followers of Christ to regularly gather together for celebration. During celebration, followers come to experience community by being built up and encouraged. These connections occur through teaching, fellowship, prayer, and communion. Celebration in this manner enables all believers to serve and connect with one another and with the unchurched (Acts 2:42-47).

The church compares to a living organism, with Jesus at the head. God arranges the parts of the body according to His divine plan. Each follower of Christ is given special functions to perform by God for the good of the body. (Ephesians 4:1-16; Romans 12:4).