The Bible
The Bible is the authoritative and inerrant Word of God; it is God’s revelation about Himself to man. It is historically accurate and internally consistent, telling one story of redemption pointing to Jesus Christ.
God used over 40 different authors to write the 66 books of the Bible, all being divinely directed by the Holy Spirit. The Bible is the living Word of God, applicable to all time, and is not only the measure and standard of truth, but truth itself.
Numbers 23:19 | Psalm 12:6 | Proverbs 30:5 | John 17:17 | 2 Timothy 3:16 | 1 Peter 1:20-21 | 2 Timothy 3:16 | Hebrews 4:12
Man
We are the pinnacle of God’s creation, created in the likeness of God. We have rebelled against God through sin and separated ourselves from the glory of God; we are in need of redemption and restoration to the intended likeness we were created in that has been distorted by sin.
Genesis 1:27 | Genesis 5:1-2 | Romans 3:23 | Romans 5:12 | 1 Corinthians 15:49 | Colossians 3:10
Salvation
Salvation is a gift from God that can never be earned through good works or self-improvement. Salvation is only given by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone, the redemption of our sin. Salvation is based on the work of Jesus on the cross where He sacrificially died, bearing the sin and punishment of all mankind, and paying the price required of sin for all those who believe in Him.
John 1:12 | John 3:16 | Ephesians 1:7 | Ephesians 2:8-9 | Romans 3:23-25 | Romans 5:6-9 | Romans 6:23
The Church
The church is the community of all true followers of Jesus Christ. The church is the body of Christ of which Jesus is the head, set on the mission given by Jesus to make disciples and spread the love of Christ.
All true followers of Jesus should take an active part in the body of a local church to worship God, to know God more intimately, pray, to make disciples of Jesus, serve, for encouragement, and to be nurtured in order to grow to maturity in faith.
Ephesians 5:23 | Matthew 28:18-20 | Acts 1:8 | 1 Corinthians 12:12-14 | Ephesians 1:22-23 | Hebrews 10:25 | Colossians 3:16 | Ephesians 1:12 | Ephesians 5:16-20 | Psalm 9:10 | Jeremiah 9:24 | 2 Corinthians 4:6 | Philippians 3:10 | Colossians 1:9-10 | 1 Thessalonians 5:17 | Matthew 28:19 | Matthew 20:26-28 | Luke 6:35-36 | Acts 14:21-22 | 1 Thessalonians 5:11 | Ephesians 4:12-13 | Colossians 1:28 | Hebrews 13:17
Baptism
The Bible teaches that we are saved by grace through faith. Baptism is a public confession of that faith in Jesus to God, the church, and the world.
Following our understanding of Scripture, we practice baptism by immersion; the Greek word used exclusively throughout the New Testament for baptism is “baptizo,” which means to plunge, dip, or immerse. Jesus modeled this form of baptism and commanded it, making baptism a symbolic act of obedience and faith. Baptism by immersion represents the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, symbolizing our old self dying, being buried in the water, and raised as a new creation in Christ Jesus.
Anyone who has professed faith in Jesus Christ should be baptized at his or her conversion or soon after.
Ephesians 2:8 | Matthew 10:32 | Matthew 3:13-17 | Matthew 28:19 | Romans 6:3-4 | 2 Corinthians 5:17 | Acts 2:38 | Acts 8:12 | Acts 8:36-38 | Acts 10:44-48
Eternity
Man was created for eternal existence. Jesus will return one day and on that day all will be judged. There will be just punishment and reward. For those who are in Christ Jesus there is no condemnation, and they will spend eternity in the presence of God in real places, the new Heaven and the New Earth. Those who reject Jesus will be separated from Him by their sin in a real place of eternal conscious punishment called Hell.
Matthew 24:44 | John 14:3 | Acts 1:11 | 1 Thessalonians 4:16 | Hebrews 9:28 | Revelation 22:20 | Romans 14:10-12 | Revelation 20:11-15 | Romans 2:5-8 | 2 Corinthians 5:10 | Matthew 25:34 | Romans 8:1 | 2 Peter 3:13 | Matthew 25:41 | Matthew 25:46 | Revelation 14:9-11
Sanctity of Life
We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, children who are orphaned, those who experience physical or mental challenges, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life.
Psalm 139
Marriage, Sexuality, and Gender
We believe in the historically Christian view of marriage and sexual expression; namely, that marriage is a one-flesh covenant union between two sexually different persons (male and female) from different families, and that all sexual relationships outside the marriage covenant are sin.
God has given his people two best ways to enjoy connection in family: celibate singleness for the sake of kingdom work with undivided attention, or lifelong marriage between one woman and one man.
Biological sex is an essential part of human identity.
All forms of abuse, slander, dehumanization, or oppression toward fellow humans is an affront against God’s sacred image, which has been stamped upon all people.
Genesis 2:18-25 | 1 Corinthians 6:18 | 1 Corinthians 7:2-5 | Hebrews 13:4 | Genesis 1:26-27 | Romans 1:26-27 | Matthew 19:3-5
Final Authority for Matters of Belief and Conduct
The statement of belief does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. The Bible itself, as the inspired and infallible Word of God that speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind, is the sole and final source of all that we believe. For purposes of Traders Point’s belief, doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline, our elder team is Traders Point’s final interpretive authority on the Bible’s meaning and application.