At First Light Church, it is important to define the faith essentials in which we grow as followers of Christ. While there are a diverse range of ideas and beliefs within our Faith Family, these are the essentials we hold fast. 

Salvation

The sinless life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ provide the only basis for the salvation of all who believe. Only those who receive Jesus Christ as Lord, exercising repentance and faith, are children of God. We believe all true believers elect of God, once saved, are kept secure in Christ forever.

1 Corinthians 15:3-6; John 14:6; Acts 4:12; John 1:12; Romans 8:1, 29-30, 38-39; John 10:27-30

The Bible

We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and that it has supreme and final authority in all matters of faith and life. 
2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20, 21; Mark 13:31; John 8:31, 32; John 20:31; Acts 20:32

The Trinity

We believe that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons; that these are equal in every divine perfection, and that they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence, and redemption. 

Genesis 1:1, 26; John 1:1, 3; Matthew 28:19; Romans 1:19, 20; Ephesians 4:5,6

God The Father

We believe in God the Father, an infinite, personal spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power, and love. We believe that He infallibly foreknows all that shall come to pass, that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and spiritual death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ. 

Luke 10:21, 22; Matthew 23:9; John 3:16; 6:27; Romans 1:7; 1 Timothy 1:1, 2; 2:5, 6; 1 Peter 1:3; Revelation 1:6

The Holy Spirit

Spiritual life given by the Holy Spirit is absolutely necessary for the salvation of a person. The Holy Spirit's ministry includes indwelling the believer and enabling the believer to live a godly life.

John 3:5-7, Romans 8:9-11, 1 Corinthians 6:19

Jesus Christ

We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, eternally existing, conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, and teachings. We believe in His substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people, and personal visible return to earth.

Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38; John 1:1; 20:28; Romans 8:1-3, 34; 9:5; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:21-23; John 20:30, 31; Matthew 20:28; Ephesians 1:4; Acts 1:11; Romans 5:6-10; Hebrews 7:25; 9:28; 1 Timothy 3:16

Humankind

We believe God created all things in heaven and earth and that they exist by His power. We believe humankind was created innocent and in the image and likeness of God but that it sinned, bringing both physical and spiritual death to humanity and its posterity. We believe humankind inherited a sinful nature, is alienated from God, can do nothing to merit God’s favor, and is, therefore, in need of salvation.

We believe that God created humanity in His image: male (man) and female (woman), sexually and biologically different, but with equal personal dignity. It is inconsistent with God’s design for a follower of Christ to in any way practically live or physically seek to change, alter, or disagree with their obvious biological sex which has been assigned by God.

Genesis 1:1, 1:26-28, 2:17; Romans 6:23, 5:12-14, 3:23, 3:10; Colossians 1:16-17

Baptism & Communion

Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer's faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Savior, the believer's death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. It is a testimony to the believer's faith in the final resurrection of the dead. Being a church ordinance, it is prerequisite to the privileges of church membership. 

Communion is a symbolic act of obedience whereby members of the church, through partaking of the bread and the fruit of the vine, memorialize the death of the Redeemer and anticipate His second coming.

Matthew 3:13-17, 26:26-30, 28:19-20; Mark 1:9-11, 14:22-26; Luke 3:21-22, 22:19-20; John 3:23; Acts 2:41-42, 8:35-39, 16:30-33, 20:7; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians 10:16,21, 11:23-29; Colossians 2:12.

Marriage

We believe that marriage is a union ordained by God and intended as a lifelong commitment between one man and one woman. In keeping with the Bible’s clear teaching on marriage as a union between one man and one woman, we will not conduct nor host wedding ceremonies inconsistent with Scripture.

Genesis 2:24; Leviticus 18:1-30; Romans 1:26-29; 1 Corinthians 5:1, 6:9-10; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8; Hebrews 13:4; Matthew 19:4-9; Ephesians 5:31-33

Our Future

Jesus will return bodily to the earth to complete our salvation and establish His kingdom. All the dead will experience a bodily resurrection, the believer to eternal life with the Lord and the unbeliever to judgment and eternal punishment.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 John 3:2; Daniel 12:2; Revelation 7:14

For a broader statement of our theology, see the Baptist Faith & Message (2000)