Beliefs and Values

Where It Begins

Your relationship with God does not depend on your ability to conform your beliefs to a certain worldview. Nor does it depend on what you do for him. That’s not where we start when it comes to your life and relationship with God. The starting point was the event of Jesus’ death on the cross and his resurrection. Because of those events, and because Jesus pointed to the Bible as the authority for those who follow him, the things we list below are what we as a Christian church hold onto as truth. (Luke 24:13-35)

About the Bible

The Bible is God’s message to us. It was written by a variety of human authors spanning about 1,500 years, but the words are from the Holy Spirit himself as he “breathed into” or inspired the writers. Therefore, it’s the ultimately authority that points to Jesus Christ as the only Savior. The Bible also gives us direction on how we can live for our Savior. The scriptures as written by the original authors are free of mistakes, errors, or contradictions. (John 20:31; Romans 10:17; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21; 2 Timothy 1:13; Psalm 119:105; Psalm 12:6; Proverbs 30:5)

About God the Father

God the Father’s special work was to create the universe in which we live. He made us along with every creature, gave us our bodies and souls, as well as our gifts and abilities. He still daily preserves us by richly and daily providing all that we need for our bodies and lives. (Genesis 1:1-2:3; Psalm 33:6-9; Job 10:10-12; Job 38:36; Psalm 36:6-7; Psalm 145:15-16)

About Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is the Son of God the Father from eternity. He became human when he was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. As both full God and full human he lived a life without sin and offered himself as a sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. He rose from the dead after three days. He ascended into heaven and will return one day to exercise judgment over all people, living and dead. (Matthew 1:22-23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5; John 14:10-30; Hebrews 4:14-15; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Romans 1:3-4; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Timothy 6:14-15; Titus 2:13)

About the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is true God. Since we cannot by our own choice receive the benefit of what Jesus did, the Holy Spirit brings us to faith through the good news of Jesus’ work. He makes us aware of our sin and the need for forgiveness. He works through baptism to give or strengthen faith in Jesus. He works through the Lord’s Supper to bring forgiveness to a person’s heart. He works through the scriptures to strengthen our reliance on Jesus and conform our lives to him. (2 Corinthians 3:17; John 16:7-13; John 14:16-17; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 2:12; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Ephesians 1:13; Galatians 5:25; Ephesians 5:18)

About Mankind

People were originally created in the image of God – holy and sinless. Ever since the fall of mankind into sin, this is no longer true. All people are now born with a sinful nature and are unable to find God or please him in any way. The sin we are born with is intertwined with the sin we commit every day. Sin earns punishment from God, and there is nothing mankind can do to avert that punishment. (Genesis 1:27; Romans 5:12-21; Psalm 51:5; Ephesians 2:1-5; Luke 15; Luke 19:10; John 3:1-21; Romans 12:1-2; 2 Corinthians 9:6-15)

About Salvation

Just as light separates itself from darkness, so God’s holiness separates itself from our sinfulness. Jesus endured the punishment of that separation on the cross so that those who believe in him do not have to suffer that separation. Jesus lived a perfect life in order to give his righteousness to us as a gift. Jesus died an innocent death to be punished for our sins in our place. Not only has God provided a way for us to be forgiven, but he also provides the faith which brings that forgiveness to us. Salvation as a whole comes to mankind by grace alone, through faith alone, by God alone. (Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 14:6; John 15:5-16; Romans 3:20-26; Acts 16:31; Romans 10:17)

Outward Focused

CrossView is growth oriented and always wants more people to become part of our church and learn about Jesus. To say it another way, we have a heart and mind for others. The desire(heart) to share Jesus dictates how we think(mind) and act when it comes to church. We strive doing things that will benefit the person or people who don’t know about Jesus.

True to the Word of God

The Bible is God’s specific message to the world that bring eternal life. Therefore, we don’t take what the Bible says about us lightly and always let the Word and its truth dictate what we believe and do. Speaking the truth communicates care and concern for one another, even when it may hurt. At CrossView we speak the truth of God’s Word which tells us that we are sick with sin but also healed through the sacrifice on the cross. We don’t want to say what people want to hear but what they need to hear.

Genuine Community

We are not shallow when it comes to relationships with each other. Beginning with genuine communication, care and concern for one another. This also means that we have candor so as to speak the truth even when it may hurt. This genuine value is found in member relationships but also in our law/gospel preaching and teaching. We strive to create environments of trust where we share and receive the truth. We don’t tell people what they want to hear but what they need to hear. Not afraid to be transparent and talk about the weaknesses that exist.  Being genuine and transparent is a significant part of the foundation for Christian’s relationships.

Impactful

We always want to do something for a good and practical reason that impacts our lives and the lives of others in a positive way. “It’s always been done this way” is not something you hear at CrossView. We strive to make our sermons, worship, Bible instruction, hit home in a practical and impactful way. God’s Word was not meant to be just head knowledge but active and alive in the heart and life of a believer. Thus, we seek to impact the world around us by making a positive difference so as to let our light shine in the darkness.

Pursuing Excellence

Because God has given us his best in sending his Son to be our Savior, we as Christians want to give our best to him. At a church level that means we strive to do our best in everything. Professionalism in every way demonstrates that we are giving our best to Jesus. We strive to be a place you are happy to invite a friend to and not embarrassed. Doing things well reflects our love for Jesus.