What we teach
Doctrinal Position
Article III, Doctrinal Position – From the time of the apostles and the early church fathers, Christians have defined doctrinal truth to clarify belief, promote unity and guard from error. It is the doctrinal position of SMCC that:
A. The Bible, consisting of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, is the inerrant and complete Word of God, the final authority in all matters of faith and practice (2 Pet 1:19-21; 2 Tim 3:16-17).
B. There is one God (Deut 6:4), eternally existing in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matt 28:19; Luke 3:21-22).
C. The Lord Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, and is true God and true man (John 1:14; 3:16; Luke 1:30-35; Phil 2:5-11).
D. Man was created in the image of God; he sinned and thereby incurred not only physical death, but also spiritual death, which is separation from God; and, as a consequence, all mankind is declared by God to be totally depraved, having inherited a sinful nature and having become sinners in thought, word, and deed (Gen 1:26-27; 2:16-17; 3:6-19; Rom 3:10-23; 6:23; 7:18).
E. The Lord Jesus Christ died as a substitutionary and complete sacrifice for sinners, and only those who believe in Him are saved, and this on the basis of His shed blood (Rom 3:22-26; 5:6-10; 1 Tim 2:5-6; 1 John 2:1-2).
F. The Lord Jesus Christ arose from the dead in the same body, though glorified, in which He was crucified; He ascended into Heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of the Father as Head of the Church (John 20:1-29; Acts 1:9-11; Eph 1:20-23; Heb 1:3).
G. The Lord Jesus Christ will come again personally and bodily; He will establish His earthly Kingdom and rule eternally and universally. (1 Cor 15:51-58; 2 Pet 3:1-13; Rev 20:1-6)
H. Both the believer and the unbeliever will be resurrected bodily in their own order; the saved unto everlasting bliss, the lost unto everlasting and conscious punishment (1 Cor 15:1-50; 1 Thes 4:13-18; Rev 20:11-15).
I. On the sole condition of personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ men are born again by the Holy Spirit: At regeneration, all believers in this age are also indwelt by the Holy Spirit, baptized by the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ, and sealed by the Holy Spirit unto the day of redemption (Rom 3:24-28; 8:9-11; 1 Cor 12:13; Eph 4:30).
J. Sanctification, which is separation unto God, is threefold: positionally, the believer was sanctified at his conversion by virtue of his union with Christ; progressively, he is continually being sanctified through the Word as he walks in the Spirit, thereby overcoming the lusts of the flesh and producing the fruit of the Spirit; ultimately, he will be completely conformed to the image of Christ when he sees his Savior face to face. (John 17:17; Col 3:1-4; Heb 10:14; 1 John 3:1-3)
K. The Church is the Body of Christ, composed of all who are born again during this age of grace; this church universal is to gather together as local churches or assemblies after the pattern of New Testament doctrine and practice, including the observation of the ordinances of water baptism and the Lord’s Supper; and God performs the ministry of His church through its members to whom He had given gifts for the purpose of edifying the Body of Christ (Acts 2:1-47; Rom 12:1-8; 1 Cor 12:1-31; Eph 1:22-23).
L. The Great Commission was given to the Church and this task of world evangelism and discipleship is the responsibility of the Church today (Matt 28:18-20; Rom 10:9-17).
A. The Bible, consisting of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, is the inerrant and complete Word of God, the final authority in all matters of faith and practice (2 Pet 1:19-21; 2 Tim 3:16-17).
B. There is one God (Deut 6:4), eternally existing in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matt 28:19; Luke 3:21-22).
C. The Lord Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, and is true God and true man (John 1:14; 3:16; Luke 1:30-35; Phil 2:5-11).
D. Man was created in the image of God; he sinned and thereby incurred not only physical death, but also spiritual death, which is separation from God; and, as a consequence, all mankind is declared by God to be totally depraved, having inherited a sinful nature and having become sinners in thought, word, and deed (Gen 1:26-27; 2:16-17; 3:6-19; Rom 3:10-23; 6:23; 7:18).
E. The Lord Jesus Christ died as a substitutionary and complete sacrifice for sinners, and only those who believe in Him are saved, and this on the basis of His shed blood (Rom 3:22-26; 5:6-10; 1 Tim 2:5-6; 1 John 2:1-2).
F. The Lord Jesus Christ arose from the dead in the same body, though glorified, in which He was crucified; He ascended into Heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of the Father as Head of the Church (John 20:1-29; Acts 1:9-11; Eph 1:20-23; Heb 1:3).
G. The Lord Jesus Christ will come again personally and bodily; He will establish His earthly Kingdom and rule eternally and universally. (1 Cor 15:51-58; 2 Pet 3:1-13; Rev 20:1-6)
H. Both the believer and the unbeliever will be resurrected bodily in their own order; the saved unto everlasting bliss, the lost unto everlasting and conscious punishment (1 Cor 15:1-50; 1 Thes 4:13-18; Rev 20:11-15).
I. On the sole condition of personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ men are born again by the Holy Spirit: At regeneration, all believers in this age are also indwelt by the Holy Spirit, baptized by the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ, and sealed by the Holy Spirit unto the day of redemption (Rom 3:24-28; 8:9-11; 1 Cor 12:13; Eph 4:30).
J. Sanctification, which is separation unto God, is threefold: positionally, the believer was sanctified at his conversion by virtue of his union with Christ; progressively, he is continually being sanctified through the Word as he walks in the Spirit, thereby overcoming the lusts of the flesh and producing the fruit of the Spirit; ultimately, he will be completely conformed to the image of Christ when he sees his Savior face to face. (John 17:17; Col 3:1-4; Heb 10:14; 1 John 3:1-3)
K. The Church is the Body of Christ, composed of all who are born again during this age of grace; this church universal is to gather together as local churches or assemblies after the pattern of New Testament doctrine and practice, including the observation of the ordinances of water baptism and the Lord’s Supper; and God performs the ministry of His church through its members to whom He had given gifts for the purpose of edifying the Body of Christ (Acts 2:1-47; Rom 12:1-8; 1 Cor 12:1-31; Eph 1:22-23).
L. The Great Commission was given to the Church and this task of world evangelism and discipleship is the responsibility of the Church today (Matt 28:18-20; Rom 10:9-17).