What We Believe
These things don’t change at Sharondale. This is what we believe, and it’s who we are at the core as a church.
We believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of all things visible and invisible.
• God is the only sovereign and good Creator of all things and reigns as King over all creation for His own glory.
We believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the eternal Word, the one and only Savior.
• Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He was both fully human and fully divine. Jesus lived a sinless life. He suffered and was crucified as an atonement for sin. On the third day, He was from the dead. He ascended into Heaven and is at the right hand of the Father.
We believe in the Holy Spirit.
• The Holy Spirit indwells in every Christian. He convicts us of sin. He helps us in our weakness and intercedes for us in prayer. The Holy Spirit empowers us to life a fruitful Christian life.
• We believe the Bible is inspired Word of God. Therefore, the Scripture is without error and needs no further revelation.
• We believe that the Bible is the final authority for all matters of truth, faith, morality and Christian living.
• The Gospel is the life, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is the Good News.
• Man willfully sinned against God and is consequently lost and without hope apart from Jesus Christ.
• Salvation – the forgiveness of sins – is available by grace through the blood of Jesus Christ.
• Those who receive salvation through faith in Jesus Christ are sent into the world to proclaim the Gospel and to love and serve the world, just as Jesus Himself did.
• We believe the church was founded on the Day of Pentecost and consists of all Christians everywhere.
• We believe the Bible teaches that every Christian should be an active member of a local church.
• We believe that the elders of the church are the overseers of its affairs and the shepherds of its members. They are the final interpretive authority of the Bible’s meaning and application for the church. They are responsible for the oversight, instruction, edification, discipline and restoration of church members.
• We believe the Bible instructs Church members to:
- Meet together on the first day of the week for fellowship, worship, teaching and the Lord’s Supper.
- Use our natural abilities and gifts to serve one another.
- Love one another, bear with one another, accept one another and forgive one another.
- Seek unity, agreement and peace with one another.
- Encourage and build up one another.
- Bear one another’s burdens and pray for one another.
- Spur one another to love and good deeds.
- Submit to the authority of the elders of the church.
- Support the church financially.
- Pursue personal holiness and obedience to God’s Word.
- Strive together to fulfill the Great Commission.
Plan of Salvation
Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. – Romans 10:17
They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” – Acts 16:31
In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. – Acts 17:30
The eunuch answered, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” – Acts 8:37
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. – Acts 2:38
…strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. – Acts 14:22
Baptisms
We believe that baptism is an essential part of our salvation. Baptism and salvation are clearly linked throughout scripture. We spiritually die to ourselves. Our eternal life begins when we die spiritually. There is no new life, without burying the old life. Our baptism is a death, burial and resurrection through which we receive the forgiveness of our sins.
Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” – Romans 6:4
“In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,” – Colossians 2:11-13
“and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ” – 1 Peter 3:21
“Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’.” – Acts 2:38