Our Fundamental Beliefs

The Bible is the only comprehensive statement of faith and practice. The following statement is meant to be a foundation upon which Christians at the Smith Springs Church of Christ can live in harmony as they individually search God's word for His truth. These are basic truths to which we, the Elders, unanimously hold firmly. These statements form a basic doctrinal understanding from which we will lead the Smith Springs Church of Christ. The members of the Smith Springs Church of Christ must deal with one another in humility and patience. No one person or group has a handle on all of God's revelation. Please accept this in the light of a group of men who desire to be honest with God's word and lead this people toward unity and greater service to Him.

What we believe about God

We believe that the sovereign Lord created all things according to His own wisdom and for His own glory by the power of His Word.[a-e] God is one eternal Being: Father, Son, and Spirit. He has revealed Himself to all mankind both through nature and through His holy, inspired and infallible word so that all men can come to knowledge of Him.[f-h]

What we believe about People

God alone is the standard for the behavior of mankind, and all men sin and fall short of His righteous demands.[i] Therefore, all men are condemned by His holy justice and have no hope of salvation except for the grace of God.

What we believe about Forgiveness

Because of His love for us, God has provided His Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins to satisfy His holy justice.[j-k] This sacrifice is effective for those who are united with Christ through faith.[l] Therefore, salvation is a gift of grace by a loving God and is received only through faith in Christ.[m-p]

What we believe about Salvation

Men come to faith through the preaching of the gospel.[q-r] The gospel is God's genuine and sincere offer of salvation to all, and all those who come to Him in repentant faith will be accepted.[s-t] That saving relationship is both symbolized and sealed in baptism.[u]

What we believe about Christian Living

The reality of saving faith is demonstrated by a holy lifestyle.[v-w] God's purpose for us is to be a people eager to serve Him.[x-y] The child of God is shaped into the image of Christ by the transforming of the Holy Spirit.[z-aa] Perseverance in holiness and righteousness is the responsibility of the child of God. We are preserved by the Holy Spirit until that day when we will be called home to live eternally with Him.[bb]

We realize that there are many, many Biblical truths not covered in this brief statement, but these are the core of the gospel. That does not mean that the other truths are insignificant or unworthy of study. On the contrary, maturing Christians will continue to search God's word for a deeper understanding and relationship with Him. That deeper relationship is meant to bring God glory and is never intended to separate brothers and sisters in Christ. May God give us the grace to approach His word with sincerity and love as we try to serve and honor Him.

Scriptures referenced

a. Jn 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning^{. 3} Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

b. Prov 16:4 The LORD works out everything for his own ends-- even the wicked for a day of disaster.

c. Rev 4:11 "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."

d. Rom 11:36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen

e. Eph 1:5 He predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will

f. I Tim 2:4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

g. Rom 1:18-21 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, ¹⁹ since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. ²⁰ For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-- his eternal power and divine nature-- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse ²¹ For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.

h. II Tim 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness

i. Rom 3:10-12 As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; ¹¹there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.¹² All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one….²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

j. Eph 2:4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-- it is by grace you have been saved.

k. Rom 3:26 He did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

l. II Cor 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

m. Gal 3:5-9 Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard? ⁶Consider Abraham: "He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." ⁷Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. ⁸The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed through you." ⁹So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

n. Rom 3:21-26 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify ²² This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. ²⁵ God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—²⁶ he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

o. Rom 4:5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness

p. Acts 4:12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

q. Rom 10:17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.

r. I Thess 1:4-5 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, ⁵ because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake.

s. Matt 11:28-29 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls

t. Jn 6:37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.

u. Rom 6:1-14 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?² By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? ³ Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ 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. ⁵ If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.⁶ For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—⁷ because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. ⁸ Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. ⁹ For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. ¹⁰ The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. ¹¹ In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. ¹² Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. ¹³ Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. ¹⁴ For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

v. Acts 26:20 First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.

w. James 2:14-17 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?¹⁵Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶ If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? ¹⁷In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

x. Eph 2:10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

y. Titus 2:14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good

z. Rom 12:1-2 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-- this is your spiritual act of worship. ² Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-- his good, pleasing and perfect will.

aa. Rom 8:5-9 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires ⁶ The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; ⁷ the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. ⁸ Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. 9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.

bb. Rom 8:35-39 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.