Mission Statement: Glorifying God by Making Disciples of Jesus Christ
The Doctrinal Statement of Wellspring Community Church of Hudsonville, Michigan
Introduction
Seventeenth-century theologian Rupertus Meldenius wrote, “In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity.” There will always be peripheral doctrines upon which Biblically rooted and committed Christ followers disagree, and we welcome dialogue on many issues related to Christian doctrine. However, we recognize the importance of having a framework around which we grow in maturity and relate to one another as a community of believers, and we hold the following as essentials to be at the core of who we are as a community of believers.
I. The Holy Scriptures
A. We believe that the Holy Scriptures comprised of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments are the verbally inspired written word of God and are complete and without error. (2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Psalm 119:60; Psalm 12:6; Proverbs 30:5; Matthew 22:29; 1 John 5:7)
B. We believe that the Holy Scriptures reveal the will of God for the salvation of man and is the final authority for Christian faith and life. (2 Timothy 1:13; Psalm 119:105; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; John 10:30)
II. The Godhead
A. We believe that there is one true and living God who eternally exists in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. (Genesis 1:1; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Matthew 28:19; Colossians 2:9; 1 John 1:1-5)
B. We believe that these three distinct and equal divine persons, known as the Trinity, are of the same nature and are together one God. (Deuteronomy 6:4; 1 John 2:23)
C. We believe that God is a perfect spiritual being, the creator and sustainer of all things who sovereignly rules with holiness, love, mercy, power, wisdom and justice. (Genesis 1; Genesis 2; Psalm 90:2)
D. We believe that God is omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent. [He is all-knowing, present everywhere at the same time, and able to do anything in accordance to His nature]. (John 8:54-59; Romans 1:20)
III. God the Father
A. We believe that God the Father, the first person of the Trinity, is the originator of salvation and reconciles sinners to Himself through the death of Jesus Christ and the renewal of the Holy Spirit. (1 John 5:11; John 5:21; John 11:25)
B. We believe that the Father hears prayer through the intercession of his Son and the Spirit, and answers in accordance with His will. (John 6:65; Romans 8:26-27; John 14:6; Hebrews 7:25)
IV. Jesus Christ the Son of God
A. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, accomplished our redemption through His sacrificial death on the cross as our substitute and that He triumphed over sin and death by His bodily resurrection from the dead. (1 Corinthians 15:4; 1 Peter 2:24; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Matthew 28:1-6; 1 Timothy 3:16; Titus 2:13-14; John 14:10-30; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Ephesians 1:6-8; 1 John 3:4-5; Hebrews 7:26-27)
B. We believe that He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, and thus became true man as well as true God in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful Man. (Matthew 1:18-25; Isaiah 9:6; Colossians 2:9; Romans 1:3-4)
C. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to heaven and is exalted, sitting at the right hand of God where He intercedes for us as our High Priest and will return again to earth to reign as King of Kings and LORD of Lords. (Acts 1:9,11; Philippians 2:9-11; 1 Timothy 6:14-15; Hebrews 4:14)
D. We believe that the Holy Scriptures declares His sinless life and His miracles. (Hebrews 7:26; 1 Peter 2:22; John 3:4-5; Acts 2:22; Acts 10:37-38; Hebrews 4:15)
V. The Holy Spirit
A. We believe that the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, is the divine agent in redemption who calls sinners to repentance through the Gospel, and that all who respond with saving faith are born again and baptized with the Spirit into the body of Christ. (2 Corinthians 3:17; John 14:16-17; Acts 1:8; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:14-15)
B. We believe that the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by leading believers into the truth, and to produce spiritual fruit in them as they are filled with the Spirit. (John 16:7-14; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Ephesians 5:1; John 14:26; John 15:26)
C. We believe the fruits of the Spirit are evidence of a Spirit-filled life and spiritual maturity. The fruits are different manifestations of the Spirit, which we are instructed to diligently seek in the context of love in order to build up the body. (Galatians 5:22-25; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11; 1 Corinthians 14:26-33; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13)
D. We believe that the Holy Spirit sovereignly bestows gifts of ministry on believers for the purpose of building the Church. (1 Corinthians 12:1-11; Romans 12:3-8)
VI. Man
A. We believe that man, both male and female, are created by God, in His image, which bestows upon us great dignity and value. (Genesis 1:26-27; Psalm 8:3-6)
B. We believe that man’s sole purpose in life is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. (1 Peter 4:11; 1 Corinthians 10:31; Philippians 1:20; 1 Chronicles 16:29)
C. We believe that the difference between the genders was the deliberate intention of God and that these differences should be affirmed and enjoyed. We believe that men and women are gifted for ministry and leadership. However, God expects men to exercise responsibility for leadership in the home and eldership in the church. (1 Timothy 3:11-12)
D. We believe that redemption restores the image of God in man and that both soul and body are made perfect in the life to come. (Romans 3:23-26)
E. We believe man has tremendous potential for good, however he is marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called "sin." This attitude separates man from God. (Isaiah 53:6a; Isaiah 59:1-2)
F. We believe God has established marriage as a lifelong, exclusive relationship between one man and one woman and that all intimate sexual activity outside the marriage relationship, whether heterosexual, homosexual, or otherwise, is immoral and therefore sin. (Genesis 2:24-25; Exodus 20:14, 17; Exodus 22:19; Leviticus 18:22-23; Leviticus 20:13; Leviticus 15-16; Matthew 19:4-6, 9; Romans 1:18-31; I Corinthians 6:9-10, 15-20; I Timothy 1:8-11; Jude 7)
G. We believe that God created the human race male and female and that all conduct with the intent to adopt a gender other than one’s birth gender is immoral and therefore sin. (Genesis 1:27: Deuteronomy 22:5)
VII. Sin
A. We believe that sin is the moral failure to conform to the righteous demands of God and was not a part of the original creation.
B. We believe that the sin of Adam was a voluntary act of the will. Through the disobedience of Adam and Eve death came upon all of mankind. (Genesis 3:6; Genesis 2:17; Romans 3:23; Romans 5:12-19)
C. We believe that the supreme personal manifestation of sin is found in the one known as Satan who is opposed to all that is of God. Though his activity is to be taken seriously, he is a defeated foe through the cross of Jesus Christ. (1 John 3:8; John 8:44; Ephesians 6:12; John 12:31)
D. We believe that first sin had several repercussions. Man was kicked out of the Garden of Eden, a curse was pronounced, the process of physical death began, and man died spiritually. Sin separated humanity from God and left humanity in a fallen, or sinful, condition. (Genesis 3:23; Genesis 3:14-19; Romans 5:12-19: Romans 3:23; Genesis 2:17; Ephesians 2:11-18)
VIII. Salvation
A. We believe that salvation is a work of God (not by self effort of man) that He bestows by grace upon sinners who respond with faith to the Lord Jesus Christ whose blood was shed on Calvary for our justification and the forgiveness of our sins. (Ephesians 2:11-18; Acts 4:12; John 14:6; 1 Peter 2:24; Philippians 3:20-21; John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8; Romans 6:23; John 14:6; John 1:12; Titus 3:5; Galatians 3:26; Romans 5:1-2)
B. We believe that God works in believers to deliver them from the power of sin, even while our struggle with sin remains. (2 Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 1:13-14)
C. We believe placing our faith in Christ triggers a spiritual chain reaction. We become the temple of the Holy Spirit, our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, we become citizens of Heaven, and we are given eternal life. We are born again. God takes ownership of us and we receive an eternal inheritance. The evidence of salvation is two-fold. The internal evidence is the direct witness of the Holy Spirit. The external evidence is the fruit of the Spirit. We become a new creation and we are transformed into the image of Christ. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Revelation 3:5; Ephesians 1:13-14; 1 Peter 1:3-5; Romans 8:16; Galatians 5:22-23; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Philippians 3:20-21)
IX. The Church
A. We believe The Church is the body of Christ and has a four-fold purpose (1 Corinthians 12:12-27):
i. to glorify God (Colossians 3:16-17; Ephesians 1:12; Ephesians 5:16-19)
ii. to make disciples of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19-20; 2 Timothy 2:2)
iii. to make Him known to a lost world (Acts 1:8)
iv. to meet human need (Luke 6:35-36; Acts 11:29; 1 John 3:16-18; James 1:27)
B. We believe that the Lord's Supper is a symbolic sharing in the body and blood of Christ to be received with gratitude as a remembrance and celebration of His death and resurrection on our behalf. (Matthew 26:26-30; Mark 14:22-26; Luke 22: 19-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-29)
C. We believe Baptism by immersion symbolizes the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus and is one's public declaration that he or she has accepted Jesus Christ as his or her personal Savior. (Matthew 28:19-20; Colossians 2:12; Romans 6:4)
D. We believe that Baptism does not save a person, but shows the world that one has already been saved. And while baptism is not required for salvation, it is a biblical command and demonstrates one's love and obedience to Christ. (Romans 6:4; Acts 2:41; Ephesians 2:8-9; Acts 2:38)
Periodically, we will include baptism as a part of our worship services. For more information on baptism at Wellspring, click here.
Unity in the body is critical as a church seeks to stay on mission, specifically in making disciples for Jesus Christ. To learn more about how Wellspring can maintain unity, read our brief brochure here.
X. Eternal Security
A. We believe God gives man eternal life through Jesus Christ, and the believer is secure in salvation for eternity. (John 10:29; 2 Timothy 1:12; 1 Peter 1:3-5)
B. Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the Christian. (John 10:29; Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 10:10, Hebrews 10:14)
XI. Final judgment
A. We believe there will be a final judgment in which the dead will be resurrected and judged according to their works. (Matthew 25:31-46; Romans 2:1-9)
B. We believe God will judge His creation according to the character that has been revealed to man through His word—with justice and mercy. (Romans 2:1-16; Psalm 96:13)
C. We believe those who have found salvation through Jesus Christ will enjoy His presence forever; those who have not will be consigned to eternal punishment. (Matthew 25:31-46; John 3:36)
D. We believe that everyone whose name is not found written in the Book of Life will be separated from the presence of God for eternity, along with the devil and his angels. (Revelation 20:11-15)
E. We believe those whose names are written in the Book of Life will be resurrected and stand at the judgment seat of Christ to receive their rewards. (1 Corinthians 4:5)
XII. Eternity
A. We believe Man was created to exist forever, either eternally separated from God by sin or in union with God through forgiveness and salvation. (Matthew 25:31-46; Romans 6:23; 1 John 2:15)
B. We believe to be eternally separated from God is Hell. (Revelation 20:15)
C. We believe to be eternally in union with God is Heaven. (John 3:16; 1 John 2:25; 1 John 5:11-13; Romans 6:23)
D. We believe that Heaven and Hell are literal places of eternal existence. (Revelation 20:15)