What We Believe

We believe that the great purpose toward which each human life is drawn is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.  We glorify God by recognizing and receiving His authoritative self-revelation, both in the infallible Scriptures of the Old and New Testament and also in the incarnation of Jesus Christ, God the Son.  With Christians everywhere, we worship the only true God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—who is both one essence and three persons.  We affirm, with Christians everywhere, that Jesus Christ is both truly God and truly human.  We further believe that we are able to confess Jesus Christ as Lord and God only through the work of the His Spirit, God the Holy Spirit. 

 

The present disordered state of the world, in which we and all things are subject to misery and to evil, is not God’s doing, but is rather a result of humanity’s free, sinful rebellion against God’s will.  No part of human life is untouched by sin.  Our desires are no longer trustworthy guides to goodness, and what seems natural to us no longer corresponds to God’s design.

 

Jesus Christ is the only Way and the sole path by which sinners can be set free from sin and become children of God.  In union with Christ through the power of the Spirit we are brought into right relation with the Father, who receives us as His adopted children.  This union with Christ is not something that we do or something we can achieve on our own.  We believe God in His grace redeemed us while we were yet sinners.  We respond to His grace and love by repenting of our sinfulness and requesting forgiveness.  In His love He receives and accepts us and adopts us.

 

The Spirit gathers us into a community that is built up and equipped to be light, salt and yeast in the world.  Christ sends us into the world to make disciples of all nations. In this community/family we find our new identity as brothers and sisters of one another, since we now share one Father.  This church family is called to serve those outside the church by seeking the welfare of city in which we live.  In the context of the church, God’s grace is extended through the preaching of the Word and the administration of the Sacraments.


How We Believe

The statement above is what we believe, but we also want to state how we believe it.  We understand God to a loving and gracious God.  One who is generous with us in ways that go far beyond what we deserve.  Therefore, we seek to live out our beliefs with grace, love and generosity.  Incredibly, Jesus was a humble God.  He became a servant to us, a rebellious humanity.  Therefore, we seek to live out our beliefs in humility, while serving those both inside and outside the church.  We understand the church to be God’s family (of which Sierra Vista is just a small part) who is to be salt and light to the world.  Therefore, we seek to work with all  individuals and churches by hopefully demonstrating, showing and teaching the love of God.