Church Doctrine – WHAT WE BELIEVE
The following are indispensable church doctrines that are essential to the Christian faith and are what we believe and teach at Desert Bible Church.
The Bible
The Bible, consisting of both Old and New Testaments, is God’s written revelation to man. It is inspired by God, and thus totally without error in part and in whole, as given in its original documents. It is completely unfailing, accurate, sufficient, and authoritative in all matters pertaining to salvation and godly living.
God
There is one living and true God, eternally existing in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Trinity is one in essence, yet distinct — each member equally deserving of worship and obedience.
Mankind
Mankind was created by God in His own image but is separated from God because of sin. Having descended from Adam, all human beings are born with a sinful nature, are sinners by choice, and are, therefore under condemnation.
Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ, being fully God and fully man, was born of a virgin, lived a perfectly sinless life, died on the cross as a substitutionary and atoning death on behalf of sinners, rose bodily from the dead to conquer sin and death, and ascended to the right hand of the Father, from which He rules over all things, and until He returns in glory to reign.
Salvation
Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, to anyone who repents of his sins and believes in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. The gift of eternal life comes not as a result of any human merit but solely by God’s grace to those who truly believe.
Holy Spirit
Every true believer is indwelt and secured by the Holy Spirit of God and is a new creation who walks in the newness of life, desiring to obey God and striving to grow in Christlikeness.
The Church
All who put their faith in Jesus Christ are immediately placed by the Holy Spirit into one universal church, the living spiritual body of which Christ is the Head, and all believers are members. This reality is meant to be expressed in local assemblies of believers who are baptized upon a credible profession of faith and are associated with worship, service, fellowship, and mission.
Second Coming
Jesus Christ will certainly return in His Second Coming to judge the living and the dead, the redeemed to be glorified in eternal life with Him, and the unredeemed will be justly sentenced to eternal damnation in hell.