What the Bible Says About Salvation
a. God’s Demand: Perfection
(Rev. 21:27) And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
(Psalm 5:4) For you are not a God that takes pleasure in wickedness, nor shall evil dwell with You.
b. Man’s Condition: Sinful
(Isa. 64:6)But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
(Rom. 3:23) For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
c.God’s Provision: Jesus Christ:
(II Cor. 5:21) For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
d. Man’s Response: Believe in Christ
(Eph. 2:8-9) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:Not of works, lest any man should boast.
e. God’s Guarantee: Eternal Life
(I Jn. 5:11-13) And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
What We Believe
Sometimes when you visit a church, the first thing you read on their welcome material is “What We Believe” and it’s usually a doctrinal statement. That’s good, except it may be perceived as what it takes to get in our door. Perhaps we use doctrine for exclusional barriers rather than transformational truth. We think that’s backward.
In our post-Christian, post-modern culture, we want to communicate what we value first, things like authenticity, generosity, transparency, acceptance, a heart for the poor, people who don’t yet know Jesus, diversity, servanthood, Biblical truth, simplicity, worship, a dependency on the Holy Spirit and more.
In the big picture, a church’s belief system is really defined by what they spend energy and money on, what their mission and vision is, the atmosphere in which they do ministry and, of course, what their theology – doctrine is.
Hope this is helpful. Check out the info below for more info.
Our mission is to love the people of Henry into a relationship with Jesus Christ, and to give away to the world what God has given us.
Our Vision
Imagine a ragtag collection of surrendered and transformed people who love God and others. They are mesmerized by the idea that this is not about them, but all about Jesus. They are transfixed by His story and His heart for their village.
They are seed throwers and fire starters, hope peddlers and grace-givers, risk takers and dreamers, young and old. They link arms with anyone who tells the story of Jesus. They empower the poor, strengthen the weak, embrace the outcast, seek the lost. They serve together, play together, worship together, live life together. Their village will change because God sent them.
They are us.
We believe that small things done in Christ name with great love will change the world.
These are our 5 “SOWER” values:
1. Servant Community (In community we serve together)
Living everyday life in community is supposed to be normal life. It has a divine precedent in the community of the Father, Son and Spirit. The true care and nurture of one another as declared almost 60 times in the New Testament leads everyone who is in a small community toward their best personal safety and spiritual growth.
But more than that, when those in community turn their eyes outward and serve together, the power exhibited to those watching is overwhelming. Those in the world see Jesus loving them. That is the way it is supposed to be. What a good idea for normal everyday life!
2. Outward Focused (It’s all about somebody else)
Selfishness is the clearest symptom of our fallen nature. On the other hand, selflessness is the clearest inner-life change that reflects God’s redemption of us. When we live outward focused lives, it speaks to everyone around us of the real life change that is happening in us. The “abnormal” outward focused life draws all men’s attention to the acts of kindness and can draw them to a God who loves them.
An outward focused life changes everything it touches around the world. It’s the basis for all evangelism and all missions. It sums up our normal daily living.
3. Worship (What you were created for)
What is the absolute bottom line reason that we were created? Why did God go to the trouble of making the planet and the billions of us? What does every other thing we do ultimately accomplish? Everything we know is to bring God glory. Our every day, every minute life is to worship him and bring HIM glory. For this we exist and wake up to have another day.
When this is understood, then everything else in the Bible and the stuff of life starts to make sense. Worship is the bottom line.
4. Empowered Transformation (Redeemed to maturity through the Holy Spirit)
Being changed from the inside out, from a sinner to a saint, is the norm of a Christ follower. But the change happens with mystery and wonder. The Holy Spirit of God is the change agent and the worker of “grace” in the life of every redeemed man and woman. The Holy Spirit shows up at salvation with power to change a person, and transforming change happens both instantly and steadily over time as a person hears and moves forward by the guiding of the Word of God.
As the Holy Spirit leads people and works in them, they learn from Jesus and over time begin to look like he lives in their skin. What a remarkably amazing grace is now revealed—a total transformation brought about by the power of the Holy Spirit! There is nothing else like it on earth.
5. Relevant (Just right for every moment)
Every fingerprint is distinct on the planet. That is the way God made it. Every tribe, nation, tongue and set of ears is unique. The one message of truth that God has given will be heard differently by different people unless the messenger adjusts the message for the unique set of ears that are prepared to listen.
Loving the world with God’s love means loving people as they are, and relating to them in their own unique circumstances (culture or subculture) so the true message can be received. The value of listening, watching and working carefully to make those adjustments and clarify the message is the profound and exhilarating work of every Christ follower with God’s message of good news.
Henry Bible Church Statement of Faith & Doctrine
Believing that we are living in the last days and that many have departed from sound doctrine, we ask all applicants for membership into our church to agree to the following articles of faith:
1. We believe that “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God” (II Tim. 3:16-17; I Cor. 2:13-14; Acts 1:16)
2. We believe in the Holy Trinity: The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. (Jn. 1:1-4; Matt. 28:18-19; Acts 5:3-4; II Cor. 13:14; Heb. 1:1-3; Rev. 1:4-6)
3. We believe that man was, in the beginning, created in the image and likeness of God and that man fell from his high estate and became dead in trespasses and sin. (I Tim. 5:6; I Jn. 3:8; Eph. 2:1-3)
4. We believe that this spiritual death or total corruption of human nature has been transmitted to the entire race of man. The God-man, Jesus Christ, is the only exception. (Gen. 6:5; Ps. 14:1-3; Jer. 17:9; Rom. 5:12-19; Titus 3:5, 8:6-7)
5. We believe that owing to this universal depravity and death in sin, no one can enter into the Kingdom of God unless he or she is born again. ( Isa. 64:6; Jn. 3:5-18; I Pet. 1:23; Gal. 6:15; Phil. 3:18-19; Titus 3:5; James 1:18)
6. We believe that our redemption must be accomplished solely by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, who was made to be sin and a curse for us, and who died in our place. (Lev. 17:11; Matt. 26:28; Rom. 5:6-9; II Cor. 5:21; Eph. 1:7; I Pet. 1:18-19)
7. We believe that Jesus Christ, in the fullness of the blessing He has secured by His obedience unto death is, received by faith alone, and that the moment we receive Jesus as our Savior, we pass out of death into everlasting life. (Jn. 5:24; Acts 13:39; Rom. 5:1-2; Eph. 2:4-6, 13; I Jn. 4:17, 5:11-12)
8. We believe that all Scripture, from first to last, centers around our Lord Jesus Christ, in His person and work. (Luke 24:27-44; Jn. 5:39-40; Acts 17:2-3, 18:28, 26:22-23; Rom. 15:4; I Cor. 10:11)
9. We believe that the church is composed of all who are united by the Holy Spirit to the risen and ascended Son of God. (Matt. 16:16-18; Acts 2:32-47; Rom. 12:5; I Cor. 12:12-27; Eph. 1:20-23, 4:3-16)
10. We believe that the Holy Spirit, the third person of the trinity, is a Divine Person having influence over the saints at all times. (Jn. 7:38-39, 14:16-17, 15:26, 16:13-14; Acts 1:the 8; Rom. 8:9; Phil. 3:3)
11. We believe that the souls of those who have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation do, at death, immediately pass into His presence. (Acts 7L59-60; I Thes. 4:13-18; Rev. 20:11-15)
12. We believe that our Lord left two ordinances which He expects His saints to practice:
A. Baptism by immersion; (John 3:23; Acts 8:36-39)
B. Communion in remembrance of Christ by all born-again believers having examined themselves and feeling they are worthy. (I Cor. 11:23-31)
13. As God has blessed us, we believe in giving tithes and offerings for the support of our church and for other ministries as the Holy Spirit leads. (Mal. 3:8-11; I Cor. 16:1-3)
14. We believe in foreign missions as well as in home missions. (Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 1:8)
