Our Faith Summary
Arlington Church of Christ
In essential beliefs—we have unity.
“There is one body and one Spirit...there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God
and Father of us all…”
Ephesians 4:4-6
In non-essential beliefs—we have liberty.
“Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters...Who are you
to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls...So then each of us will
give an account of himself to God...So whatever you believe about these things keep between
yourself and God.”
Romans 14:1,4,12,22
In all our beliefs—we show charity.
“...If I hold in my mind not only all human knowledge but also the very secrets of God, and if I
have the faith that can move mountains—but have not love,
I amount to nothing at all.”
I Corinthians 13:2
Biblical Essentials
About God
“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not
live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything,
because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made
very nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth, and he determined the times set for
them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and
perhaps reach out to him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. ’For in him we
live and move and have our being.’” Acts 17:24-28
God is the Creator and the Ruler of the universe. He has existed eternally in three personalities:
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are all God, yet one God.
See also: Genesis 1:1-2; Psalm 19:1-14; 104:1-35; 239;1-24; Romans 1:18-32.
About Jesus Christ
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was
with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that
has been made. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his
glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
John 1:1-3,14
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the
perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on the 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 someday to take His children to Heaven.
See also: Matthew 1:18-25; John 14:5-31; Acts 2:22-41; Romans 1:2,4; I Corinthians 15:3-8; I
Timothy 6:14,15; Hebrews 4:14-16.
About the Holy Spirit
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray
for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.”
Romans 8:26
The Holy Spirit is present in the world to make us aware of our need for Jesus Christ. He lives in
every Christian, providing the power for righteous living, understanding of spiritual truth, and
transformation into the image of Christ. We seek to live under his control daily.
See also: John 14:16-17; 16:5-15; Acts 1:6-8; I Corinthians 2:10-12; 3:16-17; Galatians 5:16-26;
Ephesians 1:13.
About the Bible
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in
righteousness, so that the man of god may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
2 Timothy 3:16-17
The Bible is God’s Word to us. 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 the truth without any mixture of error.
See also: 2 Peter 1:19-21; I Timothy 4:1-13.
About Human Beings
“This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no
difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his
grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
Romans 3:22-23
People are made in the spiritual image of God, to be like Him in character. People are the
supreme object of God’s creation. Although every person has tremendous potential for good, all
of us are marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called “sin.” This attitude separates
people from God and causes many problems in life.
See also: Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-8; Isaiah 53:6; 59:1-3; 1John 1:8-10
About Salvation
“You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ
has clothed yourselves with Christ.”
Galatians 3:26-27
Salvation is God’s free gift to us but we must accept it. We can never make up for our sin by selfimprovement
or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God’s offer of forgiveness can
anyone be saved from sin’s destruction. When we turn from our self-ruled life to Jesus in faith,
and are united with Christ in baptism, we begin a new relationship with God in Christ.
See also: John 14:6; Romans 5:1; 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-10; Titus 3:5.
About Baptism
“Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his
death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ
was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”
Romans 6:3-4
To baptize means “to wash.” Just as Christ died, was buried, and then rose from the dead, in
baptism we die to the old life of sin and self-rule, are buried in water to wash away our sins, and
rise to live a new life. In baptism, a person is united with Christ as a new child of God and
receives the gift of the Holy Spirit. Baptism is accepting the salvation He offers. It is not our work
but the work of God.
See also: Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 16:14-16; John 3:1-5; Acts 2:36-41; 8:34-39; 10:44-48; 16:29-
34; Galatians 3:26-29; Titus 3:3-8; I Peter
About Eternal Security
“If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the
truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the
blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”
1 John 1:6-7
Because God gives us eternal life through Jesus Christ, the believer is secure in that salvation.
No outside force can take it away. Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by
the self-effort of the Christian. However, God allows us the free will to reject Him, and has
warned that many religious people are following a path that will not lead to salvation.
See also: John 10:28-30; Romans 8:35-39; 2 Timothy 1:11-13; Hebrews 7:25; 10:19-31; I
Peter 1:3-5.
About Eternity
“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the
archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we
who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord
in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these
words.”
I Thessalonians 4:16-18
People were created to exist forever. We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or
eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation. Heaven and Hell are real states of eternal
existence.
See also: Matthew 25:31-46; Romans 6:23; 2 Peter 3:3-10; Revelation 20:11-15.
About Unity and Relationships
“After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every
nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb...And they
cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’”
Revelation 7:9-10
God loves every person. His church should reflect that same kind of love as we spread the good
news of Jesus. We are a family, a community, that is to love and care for one another.
See also: Luke 19:1-10; John 4; Acts 10:1-48; James 2:1-9; I John 3:11-24.
About Holy Living
“Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see
the Lord.”
Hebrews 12:14
To be holy means to be “set apart.” We have been set apart from sin to God. Because of who
God is and the salvation He has given us through Jesus Christ, we must dedicate ourselves fully
to Him. We should strive for moral purity based on God’s moral perfection.
See also: Leviticus 11:44; Hebrews 10:10; I Peter 1:16; I Timothy 2:2.
About Worship
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices,
holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.”
Romans 12:1
The church assembles together each Sunday for a time of uplifting worship and praise to our
God. But our worship is not confined to a building or something that only takes place at a certain
time. Each moment of our life should be a sacrifice of praise.
See also: John 4:20-24; Acts 2:42-47; Hebrews 13:15-16; Acts 20:7.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the minister or elders.