Doctrine and Mission
“Doctrine” has a bad reputation with a lot of people. They see it as a set of cold and sterile facts that don’t have anything to do with real life and mostly cause arguments and division. Others think being specific about doctrine gets in the way of building a successful church so the details of truth get set aside in favor of pragmatism. Many today think that truth is shaped by culture so any doctrinal truth statement must submit itself to cultural values. For us, doctrine helps to define and root our faith and unite us as a missionary church. At Core Life Church we hold the historic essentials of the Christian faith firmly.
Scripture
We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the verbally inspired word of God, the final authority for faith and life, infallible and God-breathed (II Timothy 3:16, 17; II Peter 1:20,21; Matthew. 5:18; John 16:12,13).
Why is this important?
The Bible says that the truth of God can be known by all men through creation. Unfortunately, everyone twists the truth they see and create a false conception of the Divine. (Romans 1). So left to ourselves we have no hope of ever knowing God truly or finding redemption. The Scriptures are God's unique self description. He tells us who he is, what he's like and how we can meet and know him. God invites us into the Scriptures to find assurance, hope and transformation.
The Godhead
We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit-co-eternal in being, co-eternal in nature, co-equal in power and glory, having the same attributes and perfections (Deuteronomy 6:4; II Corinthians 13:14).
Why is this important?
God has declared to the world that there is only one of him! But people have created idols – false concepts of God - and have rested their eternal hope on that falsehood. The religions and spiritual philosophies of the world aren't describing "the same God, just with different details." Scripture proclaims one true God. This truth motivates us to tell the world by witness and example who the true living God is.
Jesus Christ
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God became man without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary, in order that He would reveal God and redeem sinful man (John 1:1,2,14; Luke 1:35). We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead (Romans 3:24; I Peter 2:24; Ephesians 1:7; I Peter 1:3-5). We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where, as our High Priest, fulfilling the ministry of representative, intercessor, and advocate (Acts 1:9, 10; Hebrews 7:25, 9:24; Romans 8:34; I John 2:1-2).
Why is this important?
In Jesus, we have the perfect revelation of God and the perfect redeemer of man who invites all men to come to God through him. Jesus initiates our salvation by calling us to the Gospel and assures us of our hope by his resurrection. Jesus came to seek and save those who are lost and he shares that mission with the church.
The Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a member of the godhead and a person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and that He is the Supernatural agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling them and sealing them unto the day of redemption (John 16:8-11; II Corinthians 3:6; I Corinthians 12:12-14; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 5:18).
Why is this important?
Jesus sent the Spirit to be the personal presence and power of God in our lives both for salvation and transformation. Ultimately we are guaranteed our eternal hope because God dwells with us through the Spirit. Also, as we live God's mission in the world we neither do it alone or in our own strength. God is with us empowering us through his Spirit. God invites us to deeper dependence on him and his power to accomplish his purposes in the world.
Humanity
We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that through Adam's sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God. Man has a radical pervasiveness to sin, and of himself is utterly unable to remedy his lost condition (Genesis 1:26, 27; Romans 3:22, 23, 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3, 12). We also believe that humanity is created in the image of God and because of that has intrinsic value. This is seen in the reality of Jesus Christ's incarnation, becoming a man, and his willingness to die for humanity.
Why is this important?
The glory of God is seen in his mercy and grace given to sinful people who are hopeless apart from his sovereign initiative to save. Though people are sinful, God loves them and we seek to model that love in the world. Like Jesus, we love and serve sinful people inviting to experience the transforming love of God through us.
Salvation
We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins (Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:12; Eph 1:7; I Peter 1:18-19).
Why is this important?
Salvation is entirely the gift of God in his grace. He initiates, accomplishes and sustains our salvation. Because God has acted on our behalf we are united with him and with others who believe. So we are humbled and he receives all glory. As we experience the blessing of salvation, God commissions us to share those blessings with others and invite them to humbly receive God's grace as well.
Eternal Security and Believer's Assurance
We believe all the redeemed are kept by God's power and are thus secure in Christ forever (John 6:37-40, 10:27-30; Romans 8:1, 38, 39; I Corinthians 1:4-8; I Peter 1:5). We believe it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God's Word, which clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an opportunity for sin (Romans 13:13, 14; Galatians 5:13; Titus 2:11-15). We believe that the saved person will be in a process of being conformed more and more to the image of Christ and will bear fruit throughout their life for the glory of God.
Why is this important?
Two things come from assurance: perseverance and proclamation. We persevere in faith and service not in hopes of attaining God's favor but because we experience it and are assured of experiencing it eternally. So we are able to trust and minister with joy. We do not proclaim a wish or ideal but a promise that those who believe will be saved and changed by the hope found in Christ. So we proclaim boldly, assured of the faithfulness of God and his promise.
Ministry and Spiritual Gifts
We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowing of spiritual gifts. It is, however, the believer's responsibility to attempt to develop their spiritual gift(s). The baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs at conversion and is the means by which the believer is included in the body of Christ. We also believe that particular spiritual gift(s) are neither essential (proving the presence of the Holy Spirit), nor an indication of a deep spiritual experience (I Corinthians 12:7, 11, 13 and Ephesians 4:7-8). We believe that God does hear and answer the prayer of faith, in accordance with His own will, for the sick and afflicted (John 15:7; I John 5: 14, 15). We believe it is the privilege and responsibility of every believer to minister according to the gift(s) and grace of God given to him (Romans 12:1-8; I Corinthians 13; I Peter 4:10-11).
Why is this important?
The world sees Jesus through his body, the church. And the church reflects the glory of Christ most clearly when we function interdependently with one another. Each person contributes the service that God designed them for so that others will benefit and the body will be a beautiful and strong witness to the greatness and wisdom of God. So we seek to discover our gifts and share them joyfully with each other.
The Church
We believe that the church, which is the body and promised bride of Christ, is a spiritual body made up of all born-again persons of this present age (Ephesians 1:22,23; 5:25-27; I Corinthians 12:12-14; II Corinthians 11:2). We believe that the planting and growth of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament scriptures (Acts 14:27, 18:22, 20:17, I Timothy 3:1-3 and Titus1:5-11). We believe in the autonomy of the local churches, that they are to be free of any external authority and control (Acts 13:1-4, 15:19-31, 20:28; Romans 16:1,4; I Corinthians 3:9, 16; 5: 4-7, 13; I Peter 5:1-4). We recognize believer's baptism and the Lord's Supper as scriptural means of testimony for the church in this age (Matthew 28:19, 20; Acts 2:41, 42; Acts 18:8; I Corinthians 11:23-26).
Why is this important?
Core Life Church is one expression of God's universal church. So we seek to be a unified, God-glorifying part of his eternal community. We are free to do as God leads us and seek to assist the local and global church in God's kingdom mission. God, in his wisdom, created the church as the body of Christ. We are to be faithful stewards of his body.
The Second Advent of Christ
We believe in the "blessed hope", the personal, imminent, coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for His redeemed ones. (I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Zechariah 14:4-11; Revelation 19:11-16, 20:1-6; I Thessalonians 1:10, 5:9; Revelation 3:10).
Why is this important?
We hope and wait in faithful service and worship for the deliverance God will bring to us in the return of Christ. We want to be found as faithful servants doing Jesus' business for his glory when he returns.
Core Life Church Unity
At Core Life Church we take the opening words of Ephesians chapter four very seriously:
Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:1-3).
Toward this end, we make a big effort to hold the major historic doctrines of the faith firmly while allowing for differing interpretation on minor ones. This means that the primary doctrines of the church are not up for debate or re-thinking. It also means we don’t allow the convictions of some on minor doctrinal or practical issues to become a cause for division. Our aim is that loving unity would characterize our church in all things for the glory of God.