Basics of the Christian Faith

• We believe the Bible to be the inspired, infallible, authoritative Word of God.
• We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
• We believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, His sinless life, His miracles, His atoning death, His bodily resurrection, His ascension to heaven, and in His personal return in power and glory.
• We believe that for salvation, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.
• We believe in the present ministry of the indwelling Holy Spirit who empowers the Christian to live a godly life.
• We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation. We believe that the souls of men and women are immortal and will spend eternity in heaven or hell.
•  We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in Jesus Christ.

The Pathways Statement of Faith

Our statement of faith is an adaptation of the Baptist Faith and Message, generally accepted by churches in our denomination.  It is based on the Bible and not tradition.  Christians from a variety of backgrounds will be familiar with these beliefs and feel comfortable with them.  If you have questions about what you read here, we ask you to do two things:   

First— look up the references listed under each topic.  These are not exhaustive, so you may also want to do some personal Bible study.

Second— we invite you to ask somebody about what Pathways believes.  One of our Pastors, the Small Group leaders, and others are willing to help answer your questions.

About God...God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe.  He has eternally existed in three personalities:  the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit.  These three are co-equal and are one God.   Genesis 1:1,  26,27,  3:22,  Psalms 90:2 , Matthew 28:19,  I Peter 1:2,  II Corinthians 13:1

About People...We are made in the spiritual image of God, to be like Him in character—the supreme object of God’s creation.  Although all people have tremendous potential for good, they are marred by the attitude of disobedience toward God called sin.  This attitude separates us from God. Genesis 1:27,  Psalm 8:3-6, Isaiah 53:6a, Romans 3:23, Isaiah 59:1,2

About Eternity...God created us to exist forever.  We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or in union with God through forgiveness and salvation.  To be eternally separated from God is Hell.  To be eternally in union with him is eternal life.  Heaven and Hell are places of eternal existence.   John 3:16,  John 2:25,  John 5:11-13,  Romans 6:23, Revelation 20:15, Matthew 18:8,  Matthew 25:44, 46

About Jesus Christ...Jesus Christ is the Son of God.  He is co-equal with God, the Father.  Jesus lived a sinless life and offered himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all men by dying on a cross.  He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death.  He ascended to Heaven’s glory and will return again to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.   Matthew 1:22,23,  Isaiah 9:6,  John 1:1-5, 12:10-30,  Hebrews 4:14-15,  I Corinthians 15:3,4,  Acts 1:9-11, I Timothy 6:14, 15, Titus 2:13

About Salvation...Salvation is a gift from God to man.  People can never make up for their sins by self improvement or good works.  Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God’s offer of forgiveness can man be saved from sin’s penalty.  Eternal life begins the moment a person receives Jesus Christ into his life by faith.   Romans 6:23,  Ephesians 2:8-9,  John 14:6, 1-12,  Titus 3:5,  Galatians 3:26,  Romans 5:1

About Eternal Security...Because God gives eternal life through Jesus Christ, the believer is secure in the salvation for eternity.  Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self effort of the Christian.  It is the grace and keeping power of God that gives this security.   John 10:29,  II Timothy 1:12, Hebrews 7:25, 10:10,14,  I Peter 1:3-5

About the Holy Spirit...The Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and the Son as God.  He is present in the world to make people aware of their need for Jesus Christ.  He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation.  He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding and spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right.  The Christian seeks to live under His control daily.   II Corinthians 3:17,  John 16:7-13, 14:16-17,  Acts 1:8, I Corinthians 2:12, 3:16, Galatians 5:18, 5:25, Ephesians 1:13

About the Bible...The Bible is God’s Word to all men.  It was written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit.  It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living.  Because it is inspired by God, it is truth without any mixture of error.  II Timothy 3:16,  II Peter 1:20,21,  Psalm 199:105, 12:6, Proverbs 30:5

Baptism

We practice believer’s baptism by immersion. We dedicate babies, and then baptize children and adults who are taking a step of obedience after committing their lives to Christ. While baptism is not required for salvation, we do consider baptism a requirement for membership. We have several baptisms at weekend services each year, and also schedule an annual baptism at the beach.

The Lord’s Supper

As we take the Lord’s Supper we are participating in a simple act that helps us to remember what Christ has done for us on the cross. 1 Corinthians 11:24 says, “Do this in remembrance of me.”  We believe the Bible teaches very clearly that only Christ-Followers are to take the Lord’s Supper. Because we often have many guests who are not Christ-Followers, we reserve the Lord’s Supper for only a few special worship services during the course of the year.  Small groups and retreats occasionally observe the supper as well.