Our Beliefs & History
What We Believe
The faith community of Liberty Corner joins Christians around the world and across the ages to declare the core of our faith. These beliefs guide us and unite us as a community.
About God:
God, the Creator of heaven and earth is Sovereign Lord of the universe. God is One, and is known in three Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. God has revealed himself through nature and through the written Word- the Bible. The full revelation of God came in Jesus the Christ. God is righteous and loving in all his ways. (Genesis 1:1, Deuteronomy 6:4, Matthew 28:19)
About Jesus:
Jesus is the Son of God, the full expression of God's love, the One come to save humanity from their sin. He is Lord of all and Savior of the world. Jesus is fully God and fully man. His life teaches us how to live. His death paid the price for our sin. His resurrection won the victory over death so that we may live forgiven with Jesus. (John 1:1-18, 3:16-17)
About the Holy Spirit:
The Holy Spirit fills those who follow Jesus with the presence and power of God. This Presence convicts us of our sin, draws us into repentance and confirms God's forgiving love in our lives. The Holy Spirit gives believers spiritual gifts to empower our life of service to others.(Acts 1:4-8, Galatians 5:22-23)
About Humanity:
Humanity is created in the image of God to be like God in character. As God's creation humanity is loved by God, yet humanity brings brokenness into this relationship through sin. Only God can heal us to allow a restored relationship between the believer and God. (Romans 3:19-23, 6:23)
About Salvation:
All humanity has sinned, and that sin brings brokenness into our relationship with God. Healing does not come through our good works, or our effort to do things right this time. God's forgiveness alone can heal us and restore us to whole relationship with one another and with God. God's forgiveness is never earned, but is an undeserved gift of grace through Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:8, John 20:30-31)
About Grace:
Grace is the unmerited, undeserved gift of God. God's love, God's forgiveness, God's Presence in our lives, God's invitation to share in his purposes are all gifts from God that we cannot earn and will never truly deserve. Rather, God gives us what we do not deserve, but desperately need. Grace is the full expression of God's love that seeks us out to give us life in him. (Ephesians 2:4-10)
About the Bible:
The Bible is the inspired and authoritative Word of God, the only rule for faith and practice. (II Timothy 3:16-17)
About the Sacraments:
A sacrament is the outward sign of God's inward grace. We celebrate two sacraments: baptism and the Lord's Supper.
In baptism, the outward sign of water demonstrates God's choice to draw us into his family. Water acts as a sign of God's cleansing. Water also acts as a sign of dying to our old life and being given new life in Jesus Christ. Believers and their children are welcome into the household of God through baptism. (Matthew 28:18-20)
The Lord's Supper is the joyful feast of the people of God, celebrating Jesus' life, death, resurrection, and his coming again. In the gifts of bread and cup believers are filled with the very presence of Jesus. All who confess Jesus as Lord and Savior are welcome to the table. ((Matthew 26:17-30, I Corinthians 11:23-26)
About the Mission of the Church:
The Church is called to be "light and salt", bringing the love, healing and justice of Jesus Christ to a hurting world. We bear witness to the truth of Jesus Christ as God's Son in word and action with the hope that all will come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. We are called and gifted by the Holy Spirit to work for justice in this world and to love our neighbor with the mercy of Christ. (Matthew 5:13-16, 26:31-40)