New City Church

OUR BELIEFS

The following are the core beliefs of New City Church, based on the foundational truths taught in the Bible. We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity. Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with the doctrines of the church. Anyone seeking God and wanting to learn more about the teachings of Christ is welcome and will not be excluded from attending New City Church.

We welcome all people.

1

God

God, as the Creator and Ruler, reigns over all that is visible and invisible, spanning across the past, present, and future. Eternally existing in three persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—these entities are co-equal, co-eternal, and unified as one God.

(Genesis 1:1,26; John 1:14; John 14:9; Matthew 3:16,17; John 10:30; John 14: 16-20)

2

Eternity

Mankind was created to exist forever. We were intended to have fellowship with God. However, through Adam's disobedience, sin separated us from God, who is our source of life. After death, we will either exist eternally separated from God by sin or in union with Him through forgiveness and salvation

(John 3:3-5,16, I John 2:25; 5:11-13, Romans 6:23, Revelation 20:15; II Corinthians 5:17; Matthew 25:41; Acts 4:12; Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 19:20; Isaiah 59:2; Romans 3:23; Roman 5:12)

3

Jesus

Jesus is the Son of God, the Christ, the Anointed One of God, the Messiah, and the Savior of the world. He is co-equal with the Father. Jesus was born fully human and fully divine. He came to earth as God in the midst of mankind and was conceived by the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary. Living a sinless human life, He suffered greatly and was crucified for one single purpose: to pay the price for the sin of all who accept Him as Lord and Savior. After His death, He was buried, resurrected in bodily form on the third day, and ascended into Heaven, where He took His seat at the right hand of the Father. His present ministry is in Heaven, where He prays and intercedes for all believers.

The future ministry of Jesus will begin when He fulfills His promise to come again to this earth. Upon His return, He will raise the dead, judge all humanity, and then rule forever as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords

(Philippians 2:7,8; John 1:14; Romans 5:15-17; Colossians 2:9; 1 John 1:1; Matthew 1:18; Luke 1:26-38; 1 John 3:8; Galatians 3:13; Colossians 2:14,15; Luke 23:44-24:8; John 20:24-29; I Corinthians 15:3-8; Luke 22:69; Acts 1:1-9; Colossians 3:1; Matthew 24:36-42; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:10-11, 10:39-42; I Peter 4:5; I Thessalonians 4:16,17)

4

Salvation

Salvation is a gift from God. We can never erase our sin through self-improvement or good works. Salvation and forgiveness of sins are only received by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God's offer of forgiveness can we be saved from the penalty of sin.

(Matthew 26:28; Romans 5:17; Ephesians 2:8,9; I Peter 1:18,19; I John 1:7-9)

5

The holy spirit

The Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and the Son as God and is our Helper. Present in the world, the Holy Spirit makes mankind aware of their need for Jesus Christ and guides, comforts, teaches, and empowers believers. He helps unbelievers see the truth of the Gospel clearly. When unbelievers respond to the Holy Spirit and receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, they receive eternal life and are filled with a new nature—God's.

(John 15:26; John 16:5-15; I Corinthians 3:16, 12:13; II Timothy 1:14; Acts 1:7-8; Romans 8:26-27; Ephesians 4:29; Galatians 5)

6

water baptism

Water Baptism is a symbolic washing in water, representing the work of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s heart and identifying with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When we are saved, we are spiritually 'buried' with Christ and 'rise' to newness of life; our sins are 'washed away,' and we are cleansed. Water baptism serves as our outward expression of the salvation experience that has occurred in our hearts.

(1 Peter 3:21; Acts 22:16; Colossians 2:12; Luke 3:21-22; Mark 1:45; Matthew 28:19-20)

7

Baptism in the
holy spirit

Baptism in the Holy Spirit is a gift that the Holy Spirit makes available to each believer, as Jesus told us to expect. The primary purpose of this baptism is to empower us for witnessing and praying beyond our natural abilities. The sign of this baptism is the gift of tongues, which serves as our heavenly prayer language. The book of Romans tells us that 'We do not always know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

(Matthew 28:19; Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8; 2; 19:6; John 4:23; 14:16; Romans 8:26,27)

8

the Church

The Church of Jesus Christ is the final instrument that God is using to extend His Kingdom before the second coming of Christ. We believe that every believer should be associated with the local expression of the church to fulfill his or her divine purpose.

(Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 1:20; 3:10; 4:16)

9

the bible

The Bible is God's Word, written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It serves as the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living.

The Holy Scriptures are from God and about God, revealing Himself to mankind. From Genesis to Revelation, God unveils His truth, character, attributes, and divine plan for the redemption of mankind, made in His own image.

The Scriptures are not merely human wisdom or insights; they are God's truth, His Word in His own words. The Apostle Peter emphasizes that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, as they were inspired by the Holy Spirit, not by human will.

(II Timothy 3:16-17, II Peter 1:20-21, Psalm 119:89,105,160, Psalm 12:6, Proverbs 30:5; Romans 3:2)

10

marriage

We believe that the term 'marriage' has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture. We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other. We also believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of marriage between a man and a woman.

(Genesis 2:18-25, 1 Corinthians 6:18; 7:2-5, Hebrews 13:4)

11

gender

We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. Rejection of one's biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person.

(Genesis 1:26-27)

12

sexuality

We believe that sexual relations outside of marriage (whether involving individuals of the same or opposite sex) are inconsistent with God’s design for our holiness and human flourishing. Marriage also serves as the foundational unit of a stable society and provides the best chance for children to grow up in the same home with both their mom and dad.

(1 Corinthians 7:2, Matthew 15:18-20,
1 Corinthians 6:9-10)

13

Sanctity Of life

We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image from the moment of conception. Human life holds immeasurable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. Therefore, we are called to defend, protect, and value human life.

(Psalm 139)