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Statement of Faith
The West Chicago Bible Church is an evangelical non-denominational church, not affiliated with any other organization. Our beliefs are expressed in the following:
Scripture: We believe that the Scripture of the Old and New Testaments were written by men inspired by God and inerrant in the original writings (2 Peter 1:20-21) and that they are sufficient and final authority in faith and the life (2 Timothy 3:16).
God: We believe in one God (Deuteronomy 6:4), eternally existing in three persons (Matthew 28:19): Father, Son (Colossians 2:9) and Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3).
Jesus Christ: We believe that Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God (John 1:18), conceived by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18), is true man (Philippians 2:5-8) and true God (John 1:1-4).
Holy Spirit: We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life. This indwelling begins in believers at conversion at which time He regenerates them; gives them eternal life (John 3:5; Titus 3:5); baptizes them into the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13); seals them (Ephesians 1:13; 4:30); and indwells them (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 6:19). His ministry in the believer includes: guiding them (Romans 8:14); teaching them (John 14:26; 16:13), glorifying Christ in them (John 16:14), sanctifying Christ in them (Romans 15:16), empowering them (Ephesians 3:16), filling them for fruitful work and witness (Ephesians 5:18) and providing them with spiritual gifts of His sovereign choice (Romans 12:4-8; 1 Corinthians 12; Ephesians 4:8-12). We believe in the unity of the body of Christ, and for the purpose of working harmoniously together, do not practice the “sign” gifts (tongues, healing, miracles). However, we do affirm that the Holy Spirit may demonstrate His presence and work in any way that He may desire, according to the Word of God. (1 Corinthians 14:22; 2 Corinthians 12:12; Ephesians 2:20; Hebrews 2:1-4).
Man: We believe that man was created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27), that he sinned (Romans 5:19) and thereby incurred not only physical death, but also that spiritual death which is separation from God (Romans 5:12) and that all human beings are born with a sinful nature (Ephesians 2:3), and in the case of those who reach moral responsibility, become sinners in thought, word and deed (Romans 3:10-12,23).
Atonement: We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scripture (1 Corinthians 15:3-4) as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice (1 Peter 2:4) and that all who believe in Him are justified on the grounds of His shed blood (Ephesians 1:7).
Resurrection of Christ: We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of Christ our Lord (Luke 24:39), in His ascension into heaven (Acts 1:11) and in His present life there for us as High Priest (Hebrews 6:20) and Advocate (Romans 8:34).
Second Coming: We believe in “that blessed hope” (Titus 2:13), the personal and pre-millennial return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17).
Salvation: We believe that all who receive by faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), the Lord Jesus Christ, are born again of the Holy Spirit (John 3:5-7) and thereby become children of God (John 1:12).
Resurrection: We believe in the bodily resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:42-44) of the just and the unjust (John 5:28-29), and the everlasting blessedness of the saved (John 14:1-3) and the everlasting conscious punishment of the lost (2 Thessalonians 1:5-9).
Ordinances: We believe the Lord Jesus Christ instituted the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper; that baptism is only to be administered upon profession of faith in Christ, by immersion, thereby declaring our faith in a crucified, buried and risen Savior (Matthew 28:19; Acts 8:36-39; Romans 6:3-5); that the Lord’s Supper is only for believers, is to be preceded by faithful self-examination, and is in remembrance of the Lord’s death until He comes (1 Corinthians 11:23-28).
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