our beliefs

ABOUT THE SCRIPTURE
We believe the Bible is God’s Word to all of humanity. It was written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is our source for authority and beliefs. We believe the entire Word of God is truth without error. (II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:20-21; I Peter 1:25; Psalm 19:7-11; Psalm 119:11, 105, 160; Exodus 24:4; Matthew 5:17-18.)

ABOUT GOD
We believe in one God who created and sustains the universe. He has existed for all eternity in three distinct persons; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are coequal and are one. He is personal, all-knowing, all-powerful, all-present, and all-good. He is both holy and love. Jesus refers to God as Father. (Genesis 1:1, 1:26-27, 3:22; Exodus 3:14; Psalm 90:2; Jeremiah 10:10; Leviticus 22:2; Matthew 28:19; I Peter 1:2; II Corinthians 13:14; Deuteronomy 6:4, 32:6)

ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe the Holy Spirit is coequal with God and has always existed. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. He is present in the lives of those who have been spiritually born again. He brings salvation and new life. The Holy Spirit dwells in every believer from the moment of salvation. He provides assurance, power, directions, guidance, conviction, and service. The Holy Spirit imparts spiritual gifts to believers to equip them to serve one another. Christians should desire to live under the daily leadership of the Holy Spirit. (Genesis 1:2; Judges 14:6; II Corinthians 3:17; John 16:7-13; John 14:16-17, 26; Acts 1:8; I Corinthians 2:12, 3:16; Ephesians 1:13; Galatians 5:25; Ephesians 5:18)

ABOUT MANKIND
We believe men and women are created in the image of God to have fellowship with Him. Humanity is the supreme and crowning work of God’s creation. However, humanity has turned from God toward sin. This sinful disobedience separates us from God and causes problems with other people. The final result of sin is spiritual death and eternal separation from God. (Genesis 1:26-30, 2:5; Isaiah 6:5; Psalm 32:1-5; Jeremiah 17:5; Matthew 16:26; Acts 17:26-31; Romans 1:19-32, 3:10-18, 23; 8:14-18; I Corinthians 1:21-31; Ephesians 2:1-22; Colossians 1:21-22, 3:9-11)

ABOUT SALVATION
We believe that salvation only comes through the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross. Christ died on the cross for all sins and for all people. Jesus Christ is the only way people can restore their broken relationship with God and receive salvation. If there were another way to obtain salvation, then Jesus Christ would not have come to earth to die on the cross. Salvation is a free gift from God; though it is free, we must receive it. We cannot earn or merit our salvation. When a person repents (turns from sin) and believes (turns to God) in Jesus Christ, they are converted and receive salvation and a new life. Salvation restores our relationship with God (justification), moves us to become like Christ (sanctification), and finalizes its purpose when we are made like Christ at death or His Second Coming (glorification). Salvation is received only by faith through the grace and power of God, not by our efforts as Christians. Therefore, we can never lose the gift of salvation. (Romans 3:23, 5:8, 6:23, 10:9-10, 13; Romans 5:1; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 14:6; Galatians 3:26; John 10:29; Hebrews 7:25, 10:10-14; I Peter 1:3-5; II Timothy 1:12; Titus 3:5)

ABOUT THE CHURCH
We believe that the Head of the church is Jesus Christ. The church is both universal and local. It is universal in the sense that it is composed of “positional members”. Scripture is full of references to the once-and-for-all relationship we have with Christ, which happens the instant we give our life to Christ and decide to follow Him. At that moment, we become a “positional member” in the Body of Christ. “Positional Membership” is eternal and unchanging. The church is local in the sense that it is composed of “participating members”. The Bible urges “positional members” to continue in their spiritual growth journey by becoming “participating members” in a specific local church. During the course of a lifetime, a person may be a “participating member” of several different local churches while maintaining a permanent “positional membership” in the Body of Christ. We cannot see the invisible bond of “positional membership” in the Body of Christ, but we can identify those who are the “participating members” here at Keystone North Church. Church members are to model the life of Christ. The two ordinances of the church are baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The leaders of the church are to model the servant leadership of Christ. We believe the local church is autonomous and independent from any external authority or control. The purpose of the church is to glorify God by loving Him and by making Him known to a lost world. (Matthew 16:15-19; Acts 2:41-47; Acts 5:11-14; 14:23; 14:27, 15:1-30; Romans 1:7; I Corinthians 1:2; 3:16; 5:4-5; Ephesians 1:22-23, 3:8-11; I Timothy 3:1-15; I Peter 5:1-4)

ABOUT GENDER
We believe that God intentionally and unchangeably creates each person as biologically male or female, with these two distinct and complementary sexes together reflecting His divine image and nature. (Job 10:8a; 31:4; Psalm 139:15-16; Ecclesiastes 11:5; Matthew 10:30)

ABOUT MARRIAGE
We believe that marriage, as ordained by God, is a sacred, lifelong, and exclusive union between one adult male and one adult female. Any intimate sexual activity outside of this divinely established covenant is immoral and therefore sin. (Genesis 2:24-25; Exodus 20:14, 17; 22:19; Leviticus 18:18, 22-23; 20:13, 15-16; Matthew 19:4-6, 9; Romans 1:18-31; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, 15-20; 1 Timothy 1:8-11; Jude 7)

ABOUT THE RIGHT TO LIFE
We believe that all human life is valuable and sacred, and that human life and full personhood begins at conception and continues until death. As stewards of life, we are endowed by God with the responsibility to protect the worth and dignity of human beings from the moment of conception until the moment of death. (Genesis 1:26-27; Job 31:15; Psalm 22:10, 127:3-5, 139:13-16; Jeremiah 1:5; Acts 17:25)