The most important thing in any church is it's beliefs about Jesus Christ and the Scriptures. Click on the links below to see what Cornerstone Bible Church believes about these things:
The Big Picture
The Gospel
Our Affirmation of Faith
The Big Picture
We believe that the Bible is the complete, inspired, inerrant Word of God, and is authoritative and sufficient for our lives today.
We believe that there is one living God and He exists in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
- God the Father - He is holy and loving; He is complete in knowledge and power.
- Jesus Christ - He is the Son of God, both fully God and fully human. He was born of a virgin and lived a perfect life on the earth. He died, rose to life, ascended to heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. In this, Jesus satisfied the wrath of God towards sin for those that would believe on Him as Lord and Savior.
- The Holy Spirit - He was sent by God to call and indwell the believer, and serves as teacher, helper, and guide to those who are children of God.
We believe in one true gospel. Christ died, was buried, rose again and ascended to heaven to provide a way for all who would believe on Him to be reconciled to God and have eternal life.
We believe that mankind is both utterly and completely unable to respond to God, He stands in opposition to God because of the original sin of Adam and Eve. This sin nature that is inherited by all humans then results in sinful action and outward rebellion against God. Man's sinful condition separates him from God because God is holy and can not tolerate sin.
We believe that salvation of sinners comes through the perfect life, sacrificial death and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God. Jesus humbled himself by taking on humanity, in loving submission to his Father, to die on the cross to provide an acceptable sacrifice for the sins of all men. Jesus then rose from the dead to provide eternal life for all who believe. Forgiveness of sin and eternal life, or salvation, is received by faith alone in Christ alone, and is granted through the unconditional grace of God. When man places his faith in Jesus, he no longer stands as unrighteous, but he is counted righteous in Jesus Christ. The forgiven sinner is then joined to God as His son or daughter.
We believe that once a person experiences true salvation, he will then desire to live a life that bears fruit for the glory of God. Since this salvation brings sinners into the family of God, and God is faithful, salvation can never be lost or broken. True believers that are sons and daughters of God will have the living Spirit of God within them to demonstrate this faith until the end.
We believe that Christ is the head of the church and that believers make up the body of the church. The church exists for the edification of the believer and for the advancement of the Gospel.
We believe that Christ will return to earth to establish His kingdom. He will execute final judgment, and man will be forever fixed in heaven or hell, based on a personal, saving relationship with Christ.
For more details, see our Affirmation of Faith below.
The Gospel
Six Biblical Truths
Did you know that God commands us to be glad?
"Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." (Psalm 37:4)
1) God created us for his glory
"Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth,... whom I created for my glory"
God made us to magnify his greatness - the way telescopes magnify stars. He created us to put his goodness and truth and beauty and wisdom and justice on display. The greatest display of God's glory comes from deep delight in all that he is. This means that God gets the praise and we get the pleasure. God created us so that he is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him. (Isaiah 43:6-7)
2) Every human should live for God's glory
"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31).
If God made us for his glory, it is clear that we should live for his glory. Our duty comes from his design. So our first obligation is to show God's value by being satisfied with all that he is for us. This is the essence of loving God (Matthew 22:37) and trusting him (1 John 5:3-4) and being thankful to him (Psalm 100:2-4) It is the root of all true obedience, especially loving others (Colossians 1:4-5).
3) All of us have failed to glorify God as we should
"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
What does it mean to "fall short of the glory of God?" It means that none of us has trusted and treasured God the way we should. We have not been satisfied with his greatness and walked in his ways. We have sought our satisfaction in other things, and treated them as more valuable than God, which is the essence of idolatry (Romans 1:21-23). Since sin came into the world we have all been deeply resistant to having God as our all-satisfying treasure (Ephesians 2:3). This is an appalling offense to the greatness of God (Jeremiah 2:12-13).
4) All of us are subject to God's just condemnation
"The wages of sin is death..." (Romans 6:23).
We have all belittled the glory of God. How? By preferring other things above him. By our ingratitude, distrust and disobedience. So God is just in shutting us out from the enjoyment of his glory forever. "They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction and exclusion from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might" (2 Thessalonians 1:9).
The word "hell" is used in the New Testament twelve times - eleven times by Jesus himself. It is not a myth created by dismal and angry preachers. It is a solemn warning from the Son of God who died to deliver sinners from its curse. We ignore it at great risk.
If the Bible stopped here in its analysis of the human condition, we would be doomed to a hopeless future. However, this is not where it stops...
5) God sent his only son Jesus to provide eternal life and joy
"Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners..." (1 Timothy 1:15)
The good news is that Christ died for sinners like us. And he rose physically from the dead to validate the saving power of his death and to open the gates of eternal life and joy (1 Corinthians 15:20). This means God can acquit guilty sinners and still be just (Romans 3:25-26). "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring us to God" (1 Peter 3:18). Coming home to God is where all deep and lasting satisfaction is found.
6) The benefits purchased by the death of Christ belong to those who repent and trust him
"Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out" (Acts 3:19). "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31).
"Repent" means to turn from all the deceitful promises of sin. "Faith" means being satisfied with all that God promises to be for us in Jesus. "He who believes in me," Jesus says, "shall never thirst" (John 6:35). We do not earn our salvation. We cannot merit it (Romans 4:4-5). It is by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). It is a free gift (Romans 3:24). We will have it if we cherish it above all things (Matthew 13:44). When we do that, God's aim in creation is accomplished: He is glorified in us and we are satisfied in him - forever.
Does this make sense to you?
Do you desire the kind of gladness that comes from being satisfied with all that God is for you in Jesus? If so, then God is at work in your life.
What should you do?
Turn from the deceitful promises of sin. Call upon Jesus to save you from the guilt and punishment and bondage. "All who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved" (Romans 10:13). Start banking your hope on all that God is for you in Jesus. Break the power of sin's promises by faith in the superior satisfaction of God's promises. Begin reading the Bible to find his precious and very great promises, which can set you free (2 Peter 1:3-4). Find a Bible-believing church and begin to worship and grow together with other people who treasure Christ above all things (Philippians 3:7).
The best news in the world is that there is no necessary conflict between our happiness and God's holiness. Being satisfied with all that God is for us in Jesus magnifies him as a great Treasure. "You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." (Psalm 16:11)
By John Piper. ©Desiring God. Website: www.desiringGod.org. Email: mail@desiringGod.org. Toll Free: 888.346.4700.
Our Affirmation of Faith
We believe that the Bible, consisting of a total of sixty-six books in the Old and New Testaments, is the Word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and that it has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:20,21; Mark 13:31; John 8:31,32; John 20:31; Acts 20:32
2. The Trinity
We believe that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons; that these are equal in every divine perfection, and that they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence and redemption.
Genesis 1:1,26; John 1:1,3; Matthew 28:19; John 4:24; Romans 1:19,20; Ephesians 4:5,6
3. God the Father
We believe in God the Father, an infinite, personal spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. We believe that He infallibly foreknows all that shall come to pass, that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.
Luke 10:21,22; Matthew 23:9; John 3:16; 6:27; Romans 1:7; I Timothy 1:1,2; 2:5,6; I Peter 1:3; Revelation 1:6
4. Jesus Christ
We believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, and teachings. We believe in His substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people, and personal visible return to earth.
Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38; John 1:1; 20:28; Romans 9:5; 8:46; II Corinthians 5:21; I Peter 2:21-23; John 20:30, 31; Matthew 20:28; Ephesians 1:4; Acts 1:11; Romans 5:6-8; 6:9,10; Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 9:28; I Timothy 3:16
5. The Holy Spirit
We believe in the Holy Spirit who came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and to regenerate, sanctify, and empower all who believe in Jesus Christ. We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Christ, and that He is an abiding helper, teacher and guide.
John 14:16,17,26; 15:26,27; John 16:9-14; Romans 8:9; I Corinthians 3:16; 6:19; Galatians 5:22-26
6. Salvation
We believe that salvation is wholly of God by grace on the basis of the redemption of Jesus Christ, the merit of His shed blood, and not on the basis of human merit or works. We believe that regeneration is a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit by which the divine nature and divine life are given. Genuine regeneration is manifested by fruits worthy of repentance as demonstrated in righteous attitudes and conduct. Good works are the proper evidence and fruit of regeneration and will be experienced to the extent that the believer submits to the control of the Holy Spirit in his life through faithful obedience to the Word of God. This obedience causes the believer to be increasingly conformed to the image of our Lord Jesus Christ. Such a conformity is climaxed in the believer’s glorification at Christ’s coming.
John 1:12;3:3-7; Romans 8:17; I Corinthians 6:19-20; II Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 1:7;2:4-10;5:17-21; Philippians 2:12; Colossians 3:16; Titus 3:5; 2 Peter 1:4-10,18-19; 1 John 3:2-3
7. Election
We believe that election is the act of God by which, before the foundation of the world, He chose in Christ those whom He graciously regenerates, saves, and sanctifies. We believe that sovereign election does not contradict or negate the responsibility of man to repent and trust Christ as Savior and Lord. All whom the Father calls to Himself will come in faith, and all who come in faith the Father will receive. We believe that the unmerited favor that God grants to totally depraved sinners is not related to any initiative of their own part or to God’s anticipation of what they might do by their own will, but is solely of His sovereign grace and mercy.
Ezekiel 18:23,32;33:11; Matthew 11:25-28; John 3:18-19,36;5:40;6:37-40,44; Acts 13:48; Romans 8:28-30;9:11-16,22-23; Ephesians 1:4-11; II Thessalonians 2:10-13; II Timothy 1:9;2:10; Titus 3:4-7; James 4:8; I Peter 1:1-2; Revelation 22:17
8. Justification
We believe that justification before God is an act of God by which He declares righteous those who, through faith in Christ, repent of their sins and confess Him as Lord. This righteousness is apart from any virtue or work of man and involves the imputation of our sins to Christ and the imputation of Christ’s righteousness to us. By this means God is enabled to “be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”
Isaiah 55:6-7; Luke 13:3; Acts 2:38; 3:19; 11:18; Romans 2:4;3:20,26;4:6;8:33;10:9-10; I Corinthians 1:30;12:3; II Corinthians 4:5;5:21;7:10; Philippians 2:11; Colossians 2:14; I Peter 2:24
9. Sanctification
We believe that every believer is sanctified (set apart) unto God by justification and is therefore declared to be holy and is therefore identified as a saint. This sanctification is positional and instantaneous and should not be confused with progressive sanctification. This sanctification has to do with the believer’s standing, not his present walk or condition.
We believe that there is also, by the work of the Holy Spirit, a progressive sanctification by which the state of the believer is brought closer to the standing the believer positionally enjoys through justification. Through obedience to the Word of God and the empowering of the Holy Spirit, the believer is able to live a life of increasing holiness in conformity to the will of God, becoming more and more like our Lord Jesus Christ.
John 17:17,19; Acts 20:32; Romans 6:1-22; I Corinthians 1:2,30;6:11; II Corinthians 3:18; I Thessalonians 2:13;4:3-4;5:23; Hebrews 2:11;3:1;10:10,14;13:12; I Peter 1:2
10. Security
We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever. We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word, which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion for sinful living and carnality.
John 5:24;6:37-40;10:27-30; Romans 5:9-10;6:15-22;8:1,31-39;13:13-14; I Corinthians 1:4-8; Galatians 5:13,25-26; Ephesians 4:30; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 7:25; 13:5; 1 Peter 1:5; Jude 24
11. Separation
We believe that separation from sin is clearly called for throughout the Old and New Testaments, and that the Scriptures clearly indicate that in the last days apostasy and worldliness will increase. We believe that, out of deep gratitude for the undeserved grace of God granted to us, and because our glorious God is so worthy of our total consecration, all the saved should live in such a manner as to demonstrate our adoring love to God and so as not to bring reproach upon our Lord and Savior. We also believe that separation from all religious apostasy and worldly and sinful practices is commanded of us by God. We believe that a Christian should live for the glory of God and the well-being of his fellow men; that his conduct should be blameless before the world; that he should be a faithful steward of his possessions; and that he should seek to realize for himself and others the full stature of maturity in Christ.
John 14:15,23-24; Romans 12:1-3; I Corinthians 4:2;5:9-13;10:31; II Corinthians 6:114-7:1;9:6-9; Colossians 1:9-10; II Timothy 3:1-5; Hebrews 12:1-2; I John 2:3-6,15-17; II John 9-11
12. The Church
We believe in the universal Church, a living spiritual body of which Christ is the head and all regenerated persons are members. We believe in the local Church, consisting of a company of believers in Jesus Christ, baptized on a credible profession of faith, and associated for worship, work, and fellowship. We believe that God has laid upon the members of the local Church the primary task of giving the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world.
Ephesians 2:19-22; Acts 1:8; Ephesians 5:19-21; Acts 2:42; Hebrews 10:23-25
13. Christian Conduct
We believe that a Christian should live for the glory of God and the well-being of his fellow men; that his conduct should be blameless before the world; that he should be a faithful steward of his possessions; and that he should seek to realize for himself and others the full stature of maturity in Christ.
I Corinthians 10:31; Romans 12:1-3; Hebrews 12:1-2; John 14:15,23-24; I John 2:3-6; II Corinthians 9:6-9; I Corinthians 4:2; Col. 1:9-10
14. The Ordinances
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to the local Church, baptism and the Lord's Supper. We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of the believer in water into the name of the triune God. We believe that the Lord's Supper was instituted by Christ for the commemoration and proclamation of His death. We believe that these two ordinances should be observed and administered until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Matthew 28:18-20; I Corinthians 11:23-26
15. Religious Liberty
We believe that every human being has direct relations with God, and is responsible to God alone in all matters of faith; that each Church is independent and must be free from interference by any ecclesiastical or political authority; that therefore Church and State must be kept separate as having different functions, each fulfilling its duties free from dictation or patronage of the other. However, we believe that the Church is to pray for, honor and obey civil authorities except where to do so would violate plain commands and principles of the Word of God.
I Timothy 2:5; Romans 14:7-9,12; Titus 3:1; Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13,14
16. The Last Things
We believe in the blessed hope: the personal, premillennial return of the Lord Jesus Christ to establish His kingdom. His return has a vital bearing on the personal life and service of the believer. We believe in the bodily resurrection of both the saved and the lost. The saved are raised to eternal, conscious bliss in heaven. The lost are raised to eternal torment in hell in conscious separation from God.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Matthew 25:34; John 14:2; 2 Corinthians 5:1; Revelation 2:7; Matthew 8:12; Matthew 10:28; Matthew 13:49-50; Mark 9:47-48; Luke 12:5; Revelation 21:8
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