We believe in one God as He is revealed in the pages of the Old and New Testament. There is no one else like Him (Isaiah 45:18) and there is no other God besides Him (Isaiah 45:6). Scripture reveals Him in so many ways; Creator, Father, Lord, King, Redeemer, Savior, and Judge. He is Almighty; omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent (Psalm 139:1-16). He is righteous (John 17:23) and faithful (1 Corinthians 10:13; 2 Timothy 1:13; 1 John 1:9), full of grace and mercy (Ephesians 2:4; Hebrews 4:16; 1 Peter 1:3). He cannot lie and is the source of all truth (Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:1). He is love (1 John 7-8). His name, Yahweh, means “I am, I am” and demonstrates the eternal quality of His being; He always is, always has been and always will be “I am.” (Exodus 3:13-14; Matthew 22:32)
We believe Jesus is the Son of God (Mark 1:1). We believe He is God in the flesh (John 1:1, 14). We believe He came to earth through the miraculous birth to a virgin (Luke 1:26-38). We believe He lived a sinless life (Hebrews 4:15) performing miraculous signs too many to list (John 20:30-31) but including healing, exorcism, raising the dead, and mighty deeds such as walking on water, turning water into wine and multiplying food to feed thousands. We believe He preached the Kingdom of God and the Gospel (good news) of salvation (Mark 1:14-15). In all these things He showed us the glory of the Father (John 1:14 & 14:7-15). We believe and proclaim through our preaching, sharing in the Lord’s Supper, and the transformation of the way we live that Jesus “died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Jesus did not die for His own sin, but for ours (1 Peter 2:24). He shed His blood to wash away our sin (Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:18-19; 1 John 1:7). His death defeated death (Hebrews 2:9-18). It was impossible for death to hold onto Him and three days later He rose from the dead (Luke 24:5; Acts 2:24-32). Forty days later He returned to Heaven and took His rightful place of honor and power at God’s Right Hand far above all power and authority (Acts 1:9-11; 2:33-35; Ephesians 1:20-21; Philippians 2:9-11). We believe that one day He is coming again to take His people home with Him (John 14:1-6; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18), but of that day and hour no one on earth knows (Matthew 24:35-51; 2 Peter 3:3-13; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11). Therefore, get ready and be ready!
We believe the Holy Spirit is God’s Spirit and, therefore, is Himself God (yes, we believe in what is commonly called the Trinity of God). Scripture is filled with the various works and ministry He has accomplished. He was there at creation (Genesis 1:2), anointed Jesus at His baptism empowering Him to do good (Matthew 3:16; Acts 10:38), raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 1:4, 8:11). The apostles were baptized in Him to christen the arrival of the last days and the birth of the church (Acts 2:1ff). He is the One who inspires the writing of Scripture (2 Peter 1:20-21; 1 Corinthians 2;6-13; 2 Timothy 3:16). We believe He is received as a gift at baptism, raising the saved to walk in newness of life, and continues to dwell within the child of God (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:4 & 8:9-16; Galatians 5:16-26). Christians should live by the Spirit, walk by the Spirit, be led by the Spirit, putting to death the deeds of the flesh and being filled with the fruit of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
We believe the Bible (also called Scripture) is inspired by God (literally, God-breathed; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21). It is not the word of men, but the Word of God (which is only like the difference between night and day—1 Thess. 2:13; 2 Peter 1:16-19). “The Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) The Word of God is everlasting (Matthew 24:35; 1 Peter 1:23, 25). The Bible is the bread of our souls (Matthew 4:4). The message of God’s Word saves the soul (James 1:21ff; 2 Timothy 4:16). Faith can only be found through hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17).
We believe all men who have sinned need saving (Matthew 1:21) and this includes all men and women (Romans 3:23). We do not believe we are born sinful or that we inherit sin from our fathers and forefathers (Ezekiel 18:2ff). This doctrine, common in the religious world, since it teaches we are held accountable because of someone else’s sin is an affront to God’s righteous, just, and fair character. We believe Adam and Eve brought sin into the world, as the Scriptures teach (Romans 5:12) and that all men and women (at some point in their lives) will of their own will and volition choose to sin (like Adam and Eve).
Sinners need saving because they are dead (Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:1). Sin is dangerous and deadly and separates us from God (Isaiah 59:3; John 8:23-24). We believe Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Luke 17:10) and that He gave His life as a ransom because of our sin (Mark 10:45). Jesus came and took our place, bore our sin, and died our death (2 Corinthians 5:21; Isaiah 53; 1 Peter 2:21-25). This is a gift from God and an act of His grace (Romans 3:21-26; 5:6-8; 7:21-8:8; Ephesians 2:4-10; 1 Thessalonians 5:8-9; 1 Timothy 1:12-17; Titus 2:11-14; 3:3-7 Hebrews 2:9).
Salvation is only possible because of what God and Jesus have done and this is what the Bible calls grace. This was an act of love (1 John 4:7-14) and an act of His kind intention of His Will (Ephesians 1:3-5, 9). We could never merit or earn or deserve all that God has done. It is His grace (His good favor) that saves us. But this does not mean there is nothing for us to do to receive that grace.
In Acts 2:37, the first one who heard this gospel of grace asked, “Brethren, what shall we do?” The answer was not, “Nothing, God has done it all.” The Bible says you must hear the Word of Christ (Romans 10:17; John 5:24). Of course, this hearing must lead to faith (John 3:16; Acts 16:30-31). But it does not stop there, there is more to do.
Remember the believing ones up above in Acts 2:37? I told what the Holy Spirit didn’t tell them, but what did He tell them, “And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38).
Repentance and baptism are also necessary steps everyone must take to be saved. Only the name of Jesus saves. Only the blood of Jesus saves. Therefore, Acts 22:16 recounts Ananias’ words to Paul, “Now, why do you delay? Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on His name.”
We cannot be saved without the death of Jesus and Romans 6:3 teaches that we are “baptized into Christ and into His death." In Romans 6:4 it is only when a person is raised from the water of baptism that the begin to “walk in newness of life.” Baptism is what Jesus meant in John 3:3-5 when he talked to Nicodemus about being born again. Following baptism a person must live “faithful until death” (Revelation 2:10; 2 Timothy 4:7-8).
The Bible teaches, again in Acts 2:41, 47 that everyone who was baptized and saved was then added by God to His church. We are baptized into His body, the church (1 Corinthians 12-13; Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:18-19). We believe each congregation should be led and served by elders (also called bishops and pastors) and deacons (1 Timothy 3:1-16; Titus 1:5-14; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Acts 20:28; Philippians 1:1). The church is the administration of the Gospel message and designed to make know the “manifold wisdom of God (Ephesians 3:9-10). Christ died for the church (Acts 20:28) and as His body, “the fullness of Him who fills all in all”, no one can have Christ without also having His church.
10:00 AM
Sunday Bible Classes
Sunday Morning Worship
Balls Bluff Elementary School
821 Battlefield Parkway NE Leesburg, VA
