Why all the different denominations?
What difference does it make?
Is it possible to follow the Bible alone without man-made creeds?
We believe .. .
--Jesus Christ is the only Son of God who died for our sins and then arose from the dead. (1 Corinthians 15:1-8; John 3:16)
--The Bible is the true and inspired Word of God given to all people to reveal His love. (2 Timothy 3:16; Psalm 19:105)
--Every person has worth as a creation of God, but each one has sinned and has not lived up to God's expectations. (Romans 3:23)
--Forgiveness of sins and the promise of eternal life are available to those who trust Christ as their personal Savor and Lord of their lives. (Colossians 1:21-22)
--Those who accept Christ must repent of their past sins, confess their faith before others, and be baptized into Him. (Romans 10:9, Acts 2:38)
--The Church represents Christ on earth, and is empowered by the Holy Spirit to reach out to others, sharing God's love with all who will listen. (Ephesians :1-16)
--Those who believe in Jesus Christ will live forever with God in Heaven. (John 3:16)
In essentials ~ unity
In matters of opinion ~ liberty
In all things ~ love
We are not the only Christians;
but we desire to be Christians only.
Statement on Marriage, Gender,
and Sexuality:
- We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. (Genesis 1:26-27.) Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person.
- We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture. (Genesis 2:18-25.) We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other. (1 Corinthians 6:18; 7:2-5; Hebrews 13:4.) We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman.
- We believe that any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, and use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God. (Matthew 15:18-20; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10.)
- We believe that in order to preserve the function and integrity of Gethsemane Church of Christ as the local Body of Christ, and to provide a biblical role model to the members and the community, it is imperative that all persons employed by Gethsemane Church of Christ in any capacity, or who serve as volunteers, agree to and abide by this Statement on Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality. (Matthew 5:16; Philippians 2:14-16; 1 Thessalonians 5:22.)
- We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. (Acts 3:19-21; Romans 10:9-10; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11.)
- We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity. (Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31.) Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture nor the doctrines of Gethsemane Church of Christ.
Statement on the Sanctity of Human 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, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, 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.)
