STATEMENT OF FAITH
WE AT SUMMIT CHURCH BELIEVE THAT:
God: Is the one and only (Deut. 6:4) all-knowing (Rom 16:27, 11:33-34), all-loving (1 Jn 4:8,16), and all-powerful (Ex 6:3) Being, who is the Creator (Gen 1:1) and Sustainer (Rom 11:36) of the universe. The Godhead exists eternally in three parts: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit (Jn 3:16, Jn 15:26). God has always existed, with no beginning or end (Rev 22:13), and is wholly self-sustaining (Acts 17:24-25).
Humanity: Was created by God in his image (Gen 1:27). Sin has entered the world (Gen 3:1-7) and marred the image of God in us and our ability to recognize Him in the world around us (Rom 8:5-9). We believe in the depravity of mankind and our need for a savior (Rom 3:23). The grace of God comes through faith in Christ, and salvation comes in being reconciled to God through Christ (Eph 2:8, Col 1:15-20). As this happens, followers of Christ are again made in God’s image as they become more like Christ, for His sake and the sake of the whole created order (Phil 2:3-4).
Jesus Christ: Is the Son of God (Jn 3:16), who was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary (Lk 1:26-35). He was both fully God and fully human (Phil 2:6-7, Col 1:15-20). He taught by word and example, sign and wonder the way of love for God and neighbor, stranger and enemy, outcast and alien (Mt, Mk, Lk, Jn). He paid the penalty of our sins through his work on the cross (Rom 3:25); He suffered on the cross (Mk 8:31), died (Lk 23:53), and rose again (Lk 24:1), ascended to heaven (Lk 24:51), and is alive sitting at the right hand of the throne of God (Mk 16:19, Acts 7:55). By His Spirit, He continues to work in the lives of those who follow Him to accomplish His purposes (Jn 14:26, Eph 1:11).
Salvation: Comes by the grace of God through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ (Eph 2:8-9, Rom 10:9), and is both an eternity-altering instant, and a life-long process (Phil 2:12). God’s salvation is personal and extends to all the created order (Rom 8:19-21).
The Kingdom of God: Is at hand. This message, which was central to Jesus’ teaching means that every moment is pregnant with the possibility of God’s reality breaking into and transforming ours (Mark 1:15). This reality of new life in Christ for believers is attested to by the Holy Spirit (Rom 6:18) and the “fruit” believers bear (Jn 15:5-8) as they become fully devoted followers of Christ. They will enjoy never-ending life in communion with Christ and the family of God in the midst of a redeemed creation (Rev 22:1-5). Christ will come again (1 Thes 4:15-17). We believe in bodily resurrection (1 Cor 15:12-49), final judgment, and eternal destination, either with God or separated from Him; both heaven and hell do exist.
Believer’s Baptism: Is a crucial outward act of one’s inward confession of faith and acceptance of Christ as savior (Matt 28:19). It serves as a real and tangible channel marker in the lives of believers, showing that they are members of the body of Christ, and helps to anchor them in their faith. It is symbolic of Christ’s death and resurrection, and also the washing away of our sins (Rom 6:4-7). Likewise, it is a sign to the community of the decision the believer has made. Although many modes of baptism are used, we believe that submersion is the most appropriate mode, in that it mimics most closely the actions of which baptism is symbolic. Christ led by example in that he too was baptized (Matt 3:13). While baptism is important in the life of a believer, it does not gain one’s salvation (Eph 2:8-9).
Communion: Is taken in obedience to Christ’s command (Luke 22:19). It serves as a reminder of His work on the cross: his body that was broken and his blood that was shed for our salvation (1 Cor 11:23-26). It is to be partaken of by believers, and is openly offered to those who desire to be a part of the body of Christ. Although it is an integral part of the life of a Christ-follower, it does not gain one’s salvation (Eph 2:8-9).
The Bible: Is divinely inspired and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness (2 Tim 3:16). The Holy Scriptures are made up of the Old and New Testaments. The Holy Spirit preserves God’s word in the church today and speaks God’s truths through it (Jn 14:16). The scriptures are the normative means in which God reveals himself to the church and this world (Is 55:10-13, Rom 12:1-2).
