WHAT WE BELIEVE

United Christian Church
Eastern shore of virginia

what we believe

This page represents a simplified, more comprehensible version of our "Tenets of Faith".
For a more detailed version, see our Articles of Faith, Article IX: Tenets of Faith.

The Trinity

The Trinity is one God that exists in three equal persons, each with distinct, but harmonious roles. In the unity of the Godhead, there are the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.

god the father

Jehovah is the one and only living and true God. He is an infinite, intelligent being. He is all powerful, all knowing, ever present, unchanging and Holy. He is the maker and supreme ruler of Heaven and Earth. He is our Father. He is loving & compassionate. He is faithful to fulfill everything He has promised in His Word and is worthy of all possible honor, confidence and love.

god the son

Jesus is God, born of the Virgin Mary into human form. He is both completely human and completely God. He lived a sinless life, died in our place as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind, was buried, arose from the grave, ascended into Heaven, and took His place at the right hand of God the Father. He will return to Earth to judge all mankind and to reign. Jesus is the only Savior of mankind. Only through Him can we make Heaven. He is the Way, the Truth & the Light.
See: How Can I Be Saved?

god the holy ghost

The Holy Ghost (AKA The Holy Spirit) is God inside us. He comforts us. He guides us into all truth, shows us things to come and fills us with His power. After we are Saved, we are Sanctified by the Holy Ghost and made part of His holiness. The Holy Ghost convicts us of our sins and gives us spiritual gifts.
See: How Can I Be Saved?

god's love, mercy & grace

God is love. He created us. He loves us, and He wants us to spend eternity with Him. In our sin, we are not worthy. But God, in His mercy, sent us Jesus. Now, through His grace, we can be saved. In turn, we can best live the law of God and the teachings of Jesus by living a life of love.

"Master, which is the greatest commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" ~Matthew 22:36-40

"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." ~John 13:34-35
See: How Can I Be Saved?

God's Word

The Bible is the Word of God, with God for its author as it was written by divinely inspired men. It contains the truth without errors in the original text. It is a perfect treasure of Heavenly instruction. It is the sole authority for life and faith, being the supreme standard for conduct, creeds and opinions. Also, it reveals the principles by which God will judge us and has salvation for it's end.
See: How Can I Be Saved?

the fall of man

Man is a special, unequaled, creation of God, created in holiness and in the image of God. However, through the voluntary sin of Adam & Eve, mankind fell from their holy state. Man is now born into sin, seperate from God, and remain sinners by choice. Man is created to exist forever. However, man is void of holiness and inclined to evil. Therefore, man is justly condemned to an eternity in Hell and must seek Salvation to be reunited eternally with God in Heaven.
See: How Can I Be Saved?

salvation

Salvation is a gift from God, received through belief, faith and repentance. By God's grace, we are saved through the blood of Jesus Christ and the full atonement He made for our sins. Salvation is free for all to accept. Nothing prevents a sinner from being saved and born again as a child of God except their own voluntary rejection of Salvation. Born Again believers have direct access to God through prayer in the name of Jesus and direct access to Sanctification through the Holy Ghost.
See: How Can I Be Saved?

baptism

When we are saved, we are "Born Again" into the Kingdom of God. Christian Baptism through immersion in water, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, is an act of obedience to the command of Jesus Christ. It represents the crucifiction, burial and resurrection of our Savior and our own death to sin and rebirth in Christ. Taking the Ordinances of Baptism is an "outward expression of an inward possession". It is a way to express our "new birth" to our community. Baptism is a prerequisite for church membership and communion.

justification

We are Justified by the Salvation secured for us by Christ. We are pardoned of our sins and guaranteed eternal life, not in consideration of any works of righteousness we have done, but solely through the blood of Jesus and His righteousness, granted by God's grace, received through belief, faith and repentance. This brings us into favor with God and secures His blessings. As a result of our Salvation, we have good works. True believers with a persevering attachment to Christ endure to the end and are secure in their Salvation for eternity. Special Providence watches over them and they are kept by the power of God through faith.
See: How Can I Be Saved?

church

A church of Christ is a congregation of baptized believers associated by a covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel, observing the ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws and exercising the gifts, rights and privileges invested in them by His Word. Christ is the Head of the church and the congregation is the Body, called to worship God and spread the good news of Salvation.
See: How Can I Be Saved?

The day of the lord

The first day of the week, Sunday, is the Lord's Day and it is to be kept sacred to religious purposes by abstaining from all secular labor and sinful recreations by the devout observance of all the means of grace both private and public and by rest.

god & government

Civil government is of divine appointment for the interests and good order of human society. The magistrates are to be prayed for, honored and obeyed except in things opposed to the will of God. The law of God is the eternal and unchangeable rule of His moral government. Christians are the salt of the earth and bring light to all the world. Therefore, Christians should be actively involved in the political process and support leaders that uphold the law of God.

marriage

Marriage is between natural born man and woman. Any other unions, legal or not, are not in keeping with Scripture or our Articles of Faith and are therefore not recognized nor officiated by this church, its pastors or representatives.

the resurrection

"For this we say unto you by the Word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." ~1 Thessalonians 4:15-17