STATEMENT OF BELIEFS

The following are the core beliefs of Highland Country Fellowship based on the foundational truths taught in the Bible. All of our teaching and ministry is rooted in and flows out of these biblical doctrines.

The Bible

We believe that the Bible, consisting of the sixty-six books of Old and New Testaments, is the inspired revelation of God. We believe the very words of the Bible were written by human authors under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

We believe the Bible is without error in the original manuscripts and is the final authority in all matters about which it speaks. We believe the Bible includes all that God requires for us to believe and do and is to be obeyed as God’s instruction for all of life.
(Psalm 19:7-11; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21)

The Triune God

We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three have the same nature and attributes, work harmoniously together in their activity, and are worthy of the same obedience and worship.
(Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:18-19; 2 Corinthians 13:14)

The Person and Work of God the Father

God the Father exists as a personal, loving, spirit being who graciously and mercifully concerns himself with the affairs of humans. For His glory and by His Word, He created the world out of nothing and continues to uphold, sustain, and govern
all things in order to magnify His glory and to bring about His good, pleasing, and perfect will.

He is all-powerful, all-loving, and all-wise. He hears and answers prayer and saves from sin and death all those who come to Him through Christ Jesus.
(Genesis 1:1-31; Psalm 33:6-11, 13-15; Proverbs 16:9; Isaiah 40:26; 1 Peter 1:3)

The Person and Work of Jesus Christ

We believe that the eternal Son of God was sent to the earth by the Father and became fully man in Jesus Christ. Remaining fully God, He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He was crucified and buried as a substitutionary, atoning sacrifice for the sins of all who believe in Him.

He was raised from the dead bodily and following his resurrection He ascended into heaven at the Father’s right hand where He serves as intercessor and advocate for His people.

At the end of the age Jesus will return bodily to this earth to judge the world. Those who trust in Jesus Christ alone will be raised to eternal reward. Those who have not trusted in Jesus Christ will be raised to eternal punishment.
(Matthew 1:18-25; John 1:1-3, 14; Romans 3:24-26, 4:25; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Hebrews 1:1-3, 9:27-28; 1 John 2:1; Revelation 20:11-15)

The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son in order to bring glory to the Father and the Son and to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He regenerates all believers, baptizing and sealing them in Jesus at the moment of salvation, and indwells them permanently.

We believe that the Holy Spirit guides believers in Jesus in the understanding and application of the Scriptures, gives them spiritual gifts for building up the local body of believers, and empowers them to live a Christ-like life.

We believe that some gifts of the Holy Spirit such as speaking in tongues and miraculous healings were used in the early church primarily to validate the message of Jesus Christ and His disciples. While not normative in the church today, we believe that God can and may use these gifts in His people as He purposes.
(John 3:5-7, 14:16-17, 16:7-11; Romans 8:9-13, 12:4-8; Ephesians 1:13-14;
Hebrews 2:4)

The Fall and Consequence of Sin

Despite God’s noble creation of humanity, man – through the deception and temptation of Satan – sinned and experienced a separation from God. The consequences of this sin affected the entire human race, bringing about spiritual death and, ultimately, physical death. All human beings are now born with a sinful nature and reveal this nature by committing acts of sin.

As a result of our birth into sin and our sinful actions since that time, we have no spiritual standing before God and are in need of salvation.
(Genesis 1:26-27, 2:15-17, 3:1-19; Psalm 51:5; Romans 3:23, 5:12, 6:23;
Ephesians 2:1-3)

Salvation

We believe that God the Father sent His Son, Jesus Christ to offer salvation as a gift to all mankind. By faith, a person is saved by placing their trust in Jesus Christ alone, who died in their place, paying the penalty for their sin. We believe that salvation is wholly a work of God’s grace and is not the result of any human effort or merit.

Without detracting from God’s ultimate sovereignty, however, human beings are responsible for choosing whether or not to believe and trust Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. This faith is evidenced by genuine repentance, which is seen when a person, having been convicted by the Holy Spirit of his sin, forsakes it, humbles himself and endeavors to walk in obedience and service to the Lord.
(John 1:12-13; Acts 4:10-12; Romans 3:28; 2 Corinthians 7:10; Ephesians 2:8-10)

Creation

We believe that God created the universe out of nothing by the power of His spoken Word for the purpose of His own glory. The one, triune God is the Creator, Sustainer, and Ruler of all things. In addition to creating the heavens and the earth and all living creatures, we believe that God created man and woman in His image as the culmination of His creation.

Men and women were created for a loving relationship with God and to bring Him glory. As such, all humanity, without exception, has great value in God's sight and is worthy of respect and Christian love.
(Genesis 1:1, 1:26-27; Colossians 1:15-17)

Angels: Fallen and Unfallen

We believe that angels are powerful spirit beings created by God as sinless creatures who are distinct from human beings. We believe that Satan is a fallen angel, having chosen to sin against God and causing other angels to fall with him.

We believe that Satan is the enemy of both God and man and is the originator of sin. Unfallen angels carry out the purposes of God while fallen angels serve Satan, whom the Bible calls, “the god of this age.”
(Psalm 8:4-5; 2 Corinthians 4:4, 11:14; Hebrews 1:14; 2 Peter 2:11)

The Church

We believe that the universal Church is one body made up of all who place their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ alone and are baptized into Him by the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the ultimate head of the Church which is His body and bride.

We believe that the local church is an assembly of professing believers who have joined together to glorify God through worship, study of the Word of God, observance of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, fellowship, building up every member of the body, and making Christ known to the whole world.
(Acts 2:42-47; 1 Corinthians 1:1-2; Ephesians 4:11-13; Colossians 1:18)

Sanctification

We believe that all those who have placed their faith in Christ are sanctified, or eternally set apart to God, as His children. However, since believers still encounter indwelling sin in this life, the need for progressive sanctification remains.

This process of sanctification is a divinely empowered progressive transformation into the image and likeness of Jesus throughout one’s life. While this process remains imperfect and incomplete in this life, it is evidence of the reality of conversion and will result in a continual war with sin and a life of good works.
(1 Corinthians 6:11; 2 Corinthians 3:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 10:10, 14)

Eternal Security

We believe that all true believers are kept eternally secure through the indwelling and sealing of the Holy Spirit and the intercession of Christ.

Though they may stumble and incur discipline from God the Father in this life, they shall be renewed again unto repentance and can never finally fall away from their salvation by the grace and power of God.
(John 10:27-30; Romans 8:1, 38-39; Ephesians 1:13-14)

The Eternal State

We believe that upon death, the souls of believers in Jesus Christ pass immediately into His presence and the souls of unbelievers to conscious suffering. We believe in the bodily resurrection and judgment of all men.

Believers are resurrected to enjoy eternal life with God and unbelievers are resurrected to experience eternal suffering apart from God.
(Matthew 25:31-46; Luke 23:43; John 5:28-29; Acts 24:15)