Core Beliefs

God

The one true God of the Bible is the creator and ruler of the universe, and the savior of all humankind. He has eternally existed in what Christian theologians have historically termed as three “Persons”: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (“Trinity”). This three-in-one, one-in-three community within the Godhead is a mystery, yet clearly based in the Word of God. For further study, see: Genesis 1:1, 26-27; Genesis 3:22; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 Peter 1:2.

Jesus

Jesus Christ is God in the flesh, come in person to our world, a visitation promised and yearned for throughout history. The word “Christ” is the translation of a Hebrew word meaning “King”. This is why Jesus and the Kingdom of God are intrinsically bound together; He is the King of the Kingdom. In His first-century life in the Roman territory of Palestine, He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, performed many miracles of healing (both physically and spiritually), and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people, for all time. Three days after dying on the cross, God raised Him from the dead (“Resurrection”), powerfully demonstrating that Jesus is indeed Israel’s great King, and the Savior of the world, fully God and fully man, and that through His achievement sin’s dark power has been forever broken and death itself will die. After resurrecting and appearing to His disciples, Jesus ascended to heaven. He will return again one day to reign as King of kings and Lord of lords. For further study, see: Exodus 12; Isaiah 9:6; Matthew 1:22-23; John 1:1-5, 14:10-30; Acts 1:9-11; Romans 1:3-4; 1 Corinthians 15; 1 Timothy 6:14-15; Titus 2:13-14; Hebrews 4:14-15.

Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is God, co-equal with the Father and the Son. He is present in the world to make human beings aware of their need for Jesus. He lives in every believer from the moment of salvation, and provides them with power for living, the understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. He gives every believer a spiritual gift(s) to serve in ministry. The Bible also teaches a “baptism in the Holy Spirit”, whose purpose is empowering a believer for evangelism. As Christ-followers, we seek to live under the daily loving and holy guidance of the Holy Spirit. For further study, see: John 14:17, 16:7-13; Acts 1:8, 2:1-4; 1 Corinthians 2:12, 3:16; 2 Corinthians 3:17; Ephesians 1:13, 5:18; Galatians 5:25.

Bible

The Bible is the Word of God. It was physically written by human authors at specific times and places under the supernatural inspiration (a word meaning “breathe-into”) of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of guidance for Christian belief and behavior. Read with appropriate sensitivity to its historical and linguistic context, the Old Testament and New Testament offer truth without any mixture of error. Following are several passages that support our beliefs about the Bible. Psalm 12:6, 19:7-11, 119:9-16, 105, 160; Proverbs 30:5; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; Hebrews 4:12; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21.

Humans

Human beings are the culmination of God’s creative genius, “fearfully and wonderfully made... in His image” (Psalm 139:14). Although every person has tremendous potential for good, all of us are marred by a condition of disobedience toward God called “sin”, which compromises the innocence and goodness of humans, bringing physical and spiritual death. Fundamentally a separation from God and His holiness, sin is a cause of much suffering in life, and stands in need of a divinely-initiated reconciliation and healing. For further study, see: Genesis 1:26-28; Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6, 59:1-2; Romans 3:23.

Salvation

Salvation is God’s free gift which we must receive, by simple faith, to enter into relationship with Him. We can never make up for our sin by self-improvement or religious effort. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ, Alone, as God’s offer of forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin’s penalty. Eternal life begins when a person, by repentance and faith, receives Christ as Savior and Lord. The evidence of this new relationship with Christ is an emerging lifestyle of full devotion to Him. The way we articulate this process at The Bay Church is: we belong, we believe, we behave, we become. For further study, see: Luke 22-24; John 1:12, 14:6; Romans 5:1, 6:23; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5; 1 John 5:13. Further, the Bible also teaches that divine healing from physical illness and suffering is a beautiful Biblical promise. The world we inhabit is not closed off to God’s intervention... God, the creator of the physical world, is able to intervene in our lives today. For further study, see: Genesis 1; Isaiah 53:4-5; Matthew 8:16-17; James 5:14-16.

Church

The church is the family of God, the body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, a people tasked with the great commandment and the great commission, and each Christ-follower is an integral part. There are two sacraments of the church, water baptism and communion, both of which remind us of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. God’s mission for His church, as taught in the Bible, is reflected in our purpose and values. We are forever committed to loving God and loving people. For further study, see: Matthew 22:36-40, 28:18-20; Acts 2:42-47; Ephesians 4:11-16.

Eternity

Human beings were created to exist forever. We will either exist eternally with God in the new heavens and new earth, enjoying the resurrection and transformation of our body, or eternally separated from God in hell. Additionally, the Bible indicates that several events will occur in this period of the end times: Jesus will return (or “reappear”) to reign on the earth, referred to as the second coming of Christ; the church will be raptured to welcome His return (“rapture” is a term meaning “caught up”); there will be a final judgment of both the saved and the lost, in which God restores universal peace and justice, and reigns forever afterwards with His saints. Some aspects of God’s future plans remain mysterious, as we currently “see but dimly, as in a mirror” (I Corinthians 13:12). What the Bible does allow us to see clearly assures us that God’s love and faithfulness to humanity and the earth will never end. For further study, see: John 3:16; Romans 6:23, 8:17-18; 1 Corinthians 2:7-9; 15:51-52; 2 Corinthians 5:10