Wawasee Community Bible Chruch Statement of Faith

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Statement of Faith & Teachings

Statement of FaithConcerning the Holy Scriptures 2Concerning God 2 the Father 2 the Son (Jesus Christ) 2 the Holy Spirit 3Concerning Man 3Concerning Salvation 3Concerning the Church 5Concerning Last Things 7

Statement of TeachingsHow to Become a Christian 8

Our Purpose: To transform people into fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.

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Statement of Faith & Teachings

2 Wawasee Community Bible Church

Statement of FaithI. Concerning the Holy Scriptures

• We believe that the Bible is the written revelation of God, verbally inspired in every word, absolutely without error in the original documents.

• We believe that the Bible alone is constitutes infallible and final authority in faith and life.

Matthew 24:35 // John 17:17 // Galatians 1:11-12 // 1 Thessalonians 2:13 // 2 Timothy 3:16-17// 2 Peter 1:20-21

II. Concerning God• We believe that there is but one living and true God, who is all-knowing, ever-

present, and all-powerful. He exists eternally as one in essence, but in three separate persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Deuteronomy 6:4 // Psalm 139:8 // Isaiah 45:5-7 // Matthew 28:19 // Acts 17:24-29 // Colossians 1:16-17 // 1 John 5:7 // Revelation 1:8

A. God the Father• We believe God the Father, the first person of the Trinity, orders and disposes

all things according to His own purpose and grade. He has decreed for His own glory all things that come to pass, and continually upholds, directs, and governs all creatures and events. He saves from sin all who come to Him in repentance through Jesus Christ, and He relates Himself to His own as their Father.

1 Chronicles 29:11 // 1 Corinthians 8:6 // Ephesians 1:3-6

B. God the Son (Jesus Christ)• We believe Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, is true God and true

man having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.

• We believe that as the god-man, Jesus Christ led a uniquely sinless life and as such accomplished our redemption through His voluntary and substitutionary death on the cross of Calvary.

• We believe Jesus Christ was bodily resurrected from the grave and hold firm that His bodily resurrection guarantees our future resurrection unto eternal life with Him.

• We believe that Jesus Christ is the divine prophet, priest, and king. As our prophet, He teaches that he is the way, the truth, and the life. As our high priest, He offered Himself as the one sacrifice for sin forever and intercedes for us with God the Father on high. As our king, He will establish His eternal kingdom for all the redeemed on earth.

3 Statement of Faith & Teachings

• We teach that Jesus Christ will return to receive the church, which is His body, unto Himself at the rapture, and returning with His church in glory, will establish His kingdom in its millennial reign.

Isaiah 7:14, 9:6 // Micah 5 // Matthew 1:18-25, 28:6 // Luke 1:26-35, 24:36-43 // John 1:14, 1:29, 5:28-29, 10:27, 10:30, 14:9 // Acts 2:30-31 // Romans 1:4, 3:25, 4:25, 5:8, 6:5-10 // 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 // Philippians 2:5-8 // Colossians 2:9 // Hebrews 1:1-8, 4:14-16, 7:25-26, 9:24 // 1 Peter 1:19, 2:22, 2:24 // 1 John 5:20

C. God the Holy Spirit• We believe that the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, is a divine person

and that He is coequal with the Father and the Son.

• We believe that His divine ministry is to glorify Jesus Christ by convicting the world of sin, regenerating the believing sinner, and sanctifying, comforting, teaching, and empowering believers by His indwelling fullness.

• We believe that every believer possesses the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit but that it is the duty of all those who are born of the Spirit to be filled with the Spirit.

John 7:38-39, 14:16-17, 16:7-9, 16:13-14 // Acts 1:5, 1:8 // Romans 8:9 // 1 Corinthians 12:12 // 2 Corinthians 3:6 // Galatians 5:22-23 // Ephesians 1:13, 2:22, 3:16, 5:18 // Hebrews 10:15-17 // 1 John 2:20, 2:27

III. Concerning Man• We believe that man was directly and instantly created by God in His own image

and likeness. Man was originally created free of sin with a nature consisting of intellect, emotion, and free will.

• We believe that Adam’s sin of disobedience in the Garden of Eden brought sin into the world. As representative of the entire human race, Adam’s sin was transmitted (imputed) to all mankind. Therefore, all men are born sinners and are thus separated from God.

• We believe that the only way to gain acceptance before our Holy God is by salvation through faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

Genesis 2:15-25, 3:1-19 // Jeremiah 17:9 // John 3:36 // Romans 3:9-18, 3:23, 5:10-12, 6:23 // Ephesians 2:1-3 // 1 Timothy 2:13-14 // 1 John 1:8

IV. Concerning Salvation• We believe that salvation is purely by grace (undeserved favor in the sight of God)

through faith, not of works. All who repent (turn from sin to God) and receive by faith Jesus Christ, as personal Lord and Savior, are born again of the Holy Spirit, thereby becoming children of God.

John 1:12, 3:16 // Acts 20:20-21 // Ephesians 1:7, 2:8-10 // 1 John 5:11-12


A. Repentance• We believe that repentance involves both a change of mind about sin, and a

change of heart attitude towards sin. It is a turning from sin to God. Repentance is always joined with faith. Where there is true faith, there will always be true repentance, and where there is not true repentance, there can never be true faith. Fruit of the Spirit is proper evidence of a repentant heart. Man becomes spiritually born again the moment he comes to God by faith with a repentant heart.

Matthew 3:1-2, 3:8, 3:11, 4:17 // Luke 13:3, 13:5, 24:46-47 // John 3:3-7, 5:24 // Acts 2:38, 17:30 // Romans 10:9 // 1 Corinthians 12:13 // 1 Peter 1:23

B. Justification• We believe that justification before God is an act of Christ. This righteousness

is set 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.”

Romans 3:20, 3:26, 4:3-6, 5:1, 8:33 // 1 Corinthians 1:30 // 2 Corinthians 5:21 // Colossians 2:14 // 1 Peter 3:18

C. Sanctification• We believe that every believer is sanctified (set apart) unto God by the death of

the Lord Jesus Christ. Every believer is therefore holy and is claimed as one of God’s own.

• We believe that every saved person is involved in a conflict. The believer will struggle against the flesh. All claims of living a sinless life in the flesh are unscriptural. This was accomplished only in the person of Jesus Christ! The Holy Spirit does provide victory over sin when the believer yields to His power.

John 17:17, 17:19 // Acts 20:32 // Romans 6:1-22 // 1 Corinthians 1:2 // 2 Corinthians 3:18 // Galatians 5:16-25 // Ephesians 4:22-24 // Colossians 3:9-10 // 2 Thessalonians 2:13 // Hebrews 2:11, 3:1, 10:10, 10:14, 13:12 // 1 Peter 1:2, 1:14-16 // 1 john 3:5-9

D. Security• We believe that Jesus Christ offered Himself as one sacrifice for sin forever

and is now seated at the right hand of the Father making intercession for His redeemed as our High Priest.

• 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, 6:37-50, 10:27-30 // Romans 5:9-10, 6:15-22, 8:1 // Romans 8:31-39 // 1 Corinthians 1:4-8 // Ephesians 1:13-14, 4:30 // Hebrews 7:25, 13:5 // 1 Peter 1:5 // Jude 24

• We recognize that the doctrine of the believer’s security in Jesus Christ has long been debated among God’s redeemed. Our teaching is that salvation is a present possession of every born again believer and that we need not fear separation as we live our life of service to our Savior.

• We believe furthermore that both the power and the promise of God, as revealed in the Holy Scripture, clearly support this view. This position rests upon the power of God, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and the ongoing intercession of Jesus Christ with the Father in the believer’s behalf. While this is our teaching, we recognize that some Godly individuals conclude after studying the Bible that it is possible for one to lose their salvation.

• The critical point is to have salvation. Both views share this. To those who say that it is possible to lose one’s salvation, we say stay close to God so that it won’t be lost. To those who enjoy security in Jesus Christ, we say to be busy winning souls for the kingdom so that others can enjoy your security.

E. Separation• We believe that the doctrine of separation from sin is clearly evident

throughout the Old and New Testaments.

• We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring shame upon our Savior and Lord.

• We believe that believers should be separated unto the Lord Jesus Christ.

Leviticus 19:2 // Romans 12:1-2 // 1 Corinthians 5:9-13 // 2 Corinthians 6:14, 6:17 // Galatians 5:16 // 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12 // 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 // 2 Timothy 3:1-5 // Hebrews 12:1-2 // 1 john 2:15-17 // 2 John 9:11

V. Concerning the Church• We believe that all who by faith receive Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and

Savior are immediately baptized by the Holy Spirit into one united spiritual body, the church. Jesus Christ is the head and all born again believers make up the body. As such, the church is not an organization; it is a spiritual organism. It is the espoused Bride of Jesus Christ.

• We believe that the church is distinct from Israel, a mystery not revealed until this present age.

• The church began on the day of Pentecost an d will end with the coming of Jesus Christ to receive His own in the Rapture.

• We teach that the establishment of local churches is clearly taught and directed in the New Testament Scriptures. The members of this one spiritual body are directed to associate themselves together in local assemblies.


Matthew 16:18 // Acts 2:1-21, 38-47, 14:23, 14:27, 20:17, 20:28 // 1 Corinthians 10:32, 12:12-13 // 2 Corinthians 11:2 // Ephesians 1:22-23, 2:11, 3:6, 4:11-16, 5:23-32 // 2 Thessalonians 1:1 // Hebrews 10:25

A. Leadership• We believe that the one, supreme authority for the church is Jesus Christ.

Order, discipline, and worship are appointed according to His sovereignty and through the instruction of His Holy Word.

• We believe that the Bible designates officers to serve under Christ and over the local church. The two categories are elders (also called bishops, pastors, and pastor-teachers) and deacons. Both offices are to be filled only by those who meet clear biblical qualifications.

Acts 20:28 // 1 Corinthians 11:3 // Ephesians 1:22, 4:11 // Colossians 1:18 // 1 Timothy 3:1-13, 5:17-22 // Titus 1:5-9 // Hebrews 13:7, 13:17 // 1 Peter 5:1-15

B. Discipline• We believe the disciplining of sinning members of the congregation in accord

with the standards of Scripture. (Refer to the Position Paper.)

Matthew 18:15-22 // Acts 5:1-42 // 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 // 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15 // 1 Timothy 1:19-20 // Titus 1:10-16

C. Autonomy (Independence)• We believe it is Scriptural for true churches to cooperate with each other for the

presentation and propagation of the faith. Each local church through its Elder Board and their prayerful interpretation of the Scriptures is the sole judge of the measure and method of its cooperation.

Acts 15:19-31, 20:28 // 1 Corinthians 5:4 // Titus 1:5

D. Purpose• We believe the purpose of the church is to glorify God by building itself up in

the faith, by instruction of the Word, by fellowship, by keeping the ordinances, by advancing and communicating the Gospel to the entire world and by edifying the body to exercise the fruit of the Spirit in righteous and holy living.

Matthew 28:19 // Acts 1:8, 2:38-42 // Ephesians 3:21, 4:13-16 // 2 Timothy 2:2, 2:15, 3:16-17 // 1 John 1:3

E. Ordinances• We believe that two ordinances have been committed to the local church. We

hold that both ordinances should be present in the obedient believer’s life, but neither are a requirement for salvation (a means of grace):


1) Baptism• Christian Baptism (by immersion) is the testimony of a believer

demonstrating forth their faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior, and his union with Him in death to sin and resurrection to a new life. It is also a sign of fellowship and identification with the visible body of Christ.

Acts 2:38-42, 8:36-39 // Romans 6:3-5

2) Lord’s Supper (Communion)• We believe that the Lord’s Supper is in remembrance of His death and

should always be preceded by solemn self-examination.

• We believe, also, that while Christ’s flesh and blood is not actually present in the cup and the bread, the Lord’s Supper is an actual communion with the risen Christ, who is present in a unique way, fellowshipping with His redeemed.

Matthew 26:26-29 // Mark 14:22-25 // Luke 22:19-20 // 1 Corinthians 10:16, 11:23-32

VI. Concerning Last Things

A. Death• We believe that upon physical death there is a separation of soul and body. The

soul of the redeemed passes immediately into the presence of Christ. The souls of the unsaved at death descend immediately into Hades to await the Great White throne judgement.

• We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life in Heaven, and the unsaved to everlasting punishment in Hell.

Daniel 12:2 // Matthew 25:41-46 // Luke 16:19-26 // John 5:28-29 // Romans 8:10-11 // 1 Corinthians 4:14, 15:35-44 // 2 Corinthians 5:8 // Philippians 3:20-21 // 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 // Revelation 6:9-11, 20:6, 20:11-15

B. Rapture of the Church• We believe in the personal, bodily return of the Lord Jesus Christ to receive His

redeemed from this earth immediately prior to the tribulation period (Daniel’s 70th week).

John 14:1-3 // 1 Corinthians 3:11-15, 15:51-53 // 2 Corinthians 5:10 // 1 Thessalonians 4:15-5:11 // Titus 2:11-13


Statement of TeachingsHow to Become a Christian

1) Believe that God Loves YouThe first step in becoming a Christian is understanding that the Almighty God of

the Universe, the One who created everything and holds all things together, is in fact a personal god who loves and treasures you deeply and longs to be in relationship with you.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16 (NLT)

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. – Romans 5:8 (NLT)

I command you to love each other in the same way that I love you. And here is how to measure it—the greatest love is shown when people lay down their lives for their friends. – John 15:12-13 (NLT)

This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. – 1 John 4:10 (NLT)

2) Believe that Sin Separates All Mankind from GodThe next step is to understand that while God infinitely loves us, it is in spite

of the fact that we are all sinners and therefore separated from God. We’re separated because God is holy. In other words, he is set apart from all of mankind as he is the essence of perfection and entirely without sin. Due to his holiness, he cannot even tolerate to be in the presence of sin! Since all of mankind has sinned (failed to obey God’s commands and chose to love and treasure other things in place of him), we all deserve death—eternal separation from God in torment in Hell.

This is the message he has given us to announce to you: God is light and there is no darkness in him at all. – 1John 1:5 (NLT)

And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, for there is no sin in him. – 1John 3:5 (NLT)

We are all infected and impure with sin. When we proudly display our righteous deeds, we find they are but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall. And our sins, like the wind, sweep us away. – Isaiah 64:6 (NLT)

As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; – Romans 3:10 (NIV)

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, – Romans 3:23 (NIV)

For the wages of sin is death, – Romans 6:23a (NIV)


3) Believe that Jesus Christ Died for Your SinThankfully, because of God’s great love for us, he provided a way by which we

could still have a relationship with him and spend eternity with him in heaven. Because the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23), a price must be paid for our sin. God has offered to pay that price for us through his son, Jesus Christ—who, though he is himself God, chose to humble himself and become a man. Jesus Christ was the only person in all of history to live a life completely devoid of sin. Because he never sinned, the wage of death was never owed or deserved of him. Yet because of his love for us—for you—he gladly laid down his life on the cross and in doing so paid the price that each of us deservedly ought to pay. Not only did he pay the price, he also conquered death and defeated sin by his bodily resurrection three days later! It is because of his power over sin and the grave that he can offer us eternal life

And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” – Matthew 1:21 (NLT)

For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many.” – Matthew 20:28 (NLT)

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 6:23 (NLT)

I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me—that Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, as the Scriptures said. – 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (NLT)

But our High Priest offered himself to God as one sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down at the place of highest honor at God’s right hand. – Hebrews 10:12 (NLT)

4) Believe that You May be Saved NowWhile Jesus did in fact die in place of you and pay the price for your sin on the

cross, there’s one catch: His sacrifice is a gift that you must receive in faith. As is the nature of a gift, it is of no use to the person it’s offered to unless they accept and receive it! The same applies to God’s gift of eternal life that he offers to you through the death and resurrection of his son, Jesus Christ. To become a Christian, you must accept and receive this gift! So how do you receive it? Here’s the process: 1) You must be convinced that you are a helpless sinner in God’s sight. You must believe that your sin separates you from God andt hat you need a Savior to bridge the gap. 2) You must believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose again to be the very Savior which you have just admitted needing. 3) You must personally turn to God (repent) and confess your sinfulness through prayer to Jesus Christ, asking him for forgiveness that he would come into your life as your personal Lord and Savior.

“Look! Here I stand at the door and knock. If you hear me calling and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal as friends. – Revelation 3:20 (NLT)


Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light.” – Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT)

For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. –Romans 10:9 (NLT)

But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. – John 1:12 (NLT)

God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. – Ephesians 2:8 (NLT)

“I assure you, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life. –John 5:24 (NLT)

Becoming a Christian is a personal decision between you and God. We would covet the joy of praying with you and assisting you in this eternally important matter if you would so desire. Simply contact one of our pators or elders if you have questions, need assistance, or have made this decision.

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