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The Bible

We believe the Bible, comprised of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, is the eternal (Isaiah 40:8; 1 Peter 1:23-25;) complete and sufficient revelation of God. It was verbally inspired by God, and is without error as originally written (Psalm 119:97-104; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Psalm 119:160; Matthew 5:18; John 5:46-47; John 10:35; 2 Timothy 3:15-16; Revelation 22:18-19). The Bible is our final authority for life, faith, and the total well being of mankind (Psalm 119:14-17; 2 Timothy 3:16; Psalm 19:7-11).

God

We believe in the One true God (John 17:3). He created all things (Revelation 4:11) and upholds all things by the word of His power (Hebrews 1:3). In Him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28). He is a God of truth and is without iniquity. He is holy, sovereign, just and right (Deuteronomy 32:4), and He shall judge the world at His appointed time (Psalm 9:8; Acts 17:30-31).

God eternally exists in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19-20). These three are one God having precisely the same nature, attributes, and perfections and are worthy of the same allegiance, confidence, and obedience (Mark 12:29; John 1:1-4; Matthew 28:19-20).

Jesus Christ

We believe in the essential total deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. He eternally existed with the Father in pre-incarnate glory, and He was the manifestation of God in the flesh. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life, (1 John 3:5) and He was fully God and fully man. He died on a cross, was buried, rose from death, appeared to many, ascended into Heaven, and now sits at the right hand of The Father as our High Priest and Advocate. He will return again to this earth in power and glory. (John 1:1; 1:14; 1:18; John 14:8-9; 1 Timothy 3:16).

Holy Spirit

We believe in the essential total deity and personality of the Holy Spirit, and that He glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ (John 16:14). We believe the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, of God's righteousness, of the coming judgment (John 16:8-11) and is a restraining power on the sinfulness of this world. (Genesis 6:3; 2 Thessalonians 2:7). He regenerates the sinner upon belief in Christ, baptizing the believer into one body of which Jesus Christ is the head. The Holy Spirit indwells, guides, instructs, fills, empowers, comforts, and sanctifies the believer for godly living. (Mark 13:11; John14:26; Romans 5:5; 1 Corinthians: 3:16)

The Scriptures do not teach that certain sign gifts have ceased, however do indicate that the use of these gifts varies according to the need that each gift meets. Courtland, Bible Fellowship does not encourage the use of the "sign gifts." We seek to emphasize the more excellent way of love as well as zeal for the more edifying gifts. (John 16:8; 13:15; Titus 3:5; Ephesians 1:22; 4:11-12; Romans 8:9-17; 12:4-8; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 12:4-5; 12:11-13; 12:19; Galatians 5:25; 2 Corinthians 12:12; Acts 2:1-13)

Man

We believe that man was divinely created in the image of God, (Genesis 1:26-27) but by an act of his will transgressed God's command and fell from his sinless happy state. (Genesis 3:17-24) Consequently, all mankind is inherently and voluntarily sinful before God, (Romans 3:23) is totally depraved, (Jeremiah 17:9) and is under God's just condemnation without defense or excuse. Therefore, everyone without exception needs to be saved from the penalty of sin, (Gen 3:1-6; Romans 3:9-10; 1:18; 1:32;Romans 5:12) which is spiritual death. (Romans 6:23).

Salvation

We believe that salvation is individual and personal, and is the result of God's sovereignty, love and grace, and does not depend on human effort or good works. (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5). Jesus Christ died for our sins (Romans 5:8) according to the scriptures. His obedient, substitutionary, sacrificial death on the cross where His blood was shed, satisfied God's demand of a payment for sin. His resurrection from death revealed His victory over sin. God offers forgiveness of sin and salvation as a free gift (Ephesians 2:8) to be accepted by faith. One who accepts Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord, is justified before God, is born again and eternally saved. (Romans 10:9-10; John 10:28). The Holy Spirit immediately unites each believing person into the body of Christ and empowers him to live a godly life. (Romans 8:37-39; 2 Corinthians 5:17, 21; 1 Corinthians 12:13)

The Return of Christ and Future Things

We believe in the "blessed hope", the personal, bodily, glorious, pre-millenial return of our Lord Jesus Christ, (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) and the bodily resurrection of the saved and the lost. The saved are raised to eternal, conscious bliss in heaven. (Matthew 25:2-3; John 14:2-3; 2 Corinthians 5:1; Revelation 2:7) The lost are condemned to eternal conscious torment in hell, separated from God. (Matthew 8:11; Matthew 10: 28; Matthew 13:49-50; Mark 9:47-48; Luke 12:5; Revelation21:8)

The Church

We believe that upon accepting Jesus Christ as Savior, a believer becomes part of His body, which is the universal church. There is one universal church which is composed of all those throughout the world who have accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. A local church is an independent assembly of believers. Scriptures command that believers gather together for worship, prayer, teaching of God's Word, fellowship, and observance of the two ordinances (communion & baptism). Believers render service to the body through development of spiritual gifts and talents, and outreach to the world in fulfillment of Christ's command to make disciples of all believers. (Ephesians 5:23; Romans 12:1; Acts 2:42-46; 1 Corinthians 14:26; Matthew28:19-20) Scriptures teach that local churches are to be under the oversight of male pastor elders and deacons. (1 Timothy 3:1-13)

Members of a local church are to minister to those with physical, emotional and spiritual needs, and work together in love and unity, intent on the ultimate purpose of glorifying Christ. (Ephesians 4:16)

Ordinances

We believe there are only two ordinances to be observed in local New Testament churches.

1. Communion, known as The Lord's Supper, is a memorial where believers regularly share in two elements, bread and wine, which symbolize the Lord's broken body and shed blood, proclaiming His death till He comes again. This memorial is to be pre-ceded by a time of self- examination and confession of sin. (Luke 22:15-21; Romans 6:3-6; 1 Corinthians 11:20-29).

2. Baptism is immersion of a believer in water as a one time act of his obedience to Christ's command. (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:38) It is a public identification with Jesus Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection to newness of life, and it is a testimony that the believer is a new creation in Christ. (Colossians 2:12; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 6:1-4) Baptism does not bring salvation or enhance it

Creation, Evolution and God's Sovereignty

We believe that before the universe was created, nothing existed except God who is eternal. God created the universe by the power of His Word in six 24-hour days. (Gen 1:1; Exodus 31:17; Psalm 33:6-9; Acts 17:24; Hebrews 11:3; Colossians 1:16)

God chose to create the universe and all that is in it to reveal His glory, divine nature, eternal power, infinite wisdom and supreme authority. (Isaiah 43:7; Psalm 19:1-2; Jeremiah 10:12; Romans 1:20; Revelation 4:11) We deny the theory of evolution, which states that non-living substances gave rise to the first living material, which then
reproduced and evolved to produce all living creatures.

Civil Government

We believe that civil government is of divine appointment for the interest and good of society, that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honoured and obeyed, except in the case of things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Isaiah 40:22-24: Daniel 4:17: Romans 13:1-7: 1 Timothy2:1-4)