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What we believe as a church is commonly known as church doctrine. Our doctrine is the foundation by which we serve God. Our doctrinal statement has been organized into categories to assist you in understanding what we believe and teach through our various ministries.
Every word in the original writings is inspired by God and is without error. It is accurate in all matters to which it speaks, spiritual, historical, and scientific. The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the foundation of the faith and practice of Metro Bible Church (2 Tim 3:16; 2 Pet 1:21)
God exists eternally in 3 persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The three have distinct personalities and yet are of the same substance, one God. (Gen 1:1; Jn 4:24; 10:30; Deut 6:4; Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor 13:14)
Man is created in the image and likeness of God. In Adam, all mankind fell into sin with the result that all men are sinners. Men are justly condemned to eternal judgment and can do nothing to merit salvation. (Rom 2:2-5; Eph 2:8-9; Gen 1:27, 9:6; Rom 5:12; 3:23; Eph. 2:1)
The eternal Son of God became incarnate in the Lord Jesus Christ, being born of the virgin Mary, and is true God and true man. He died physically on the cross and was bodily resurrected three days later. (Jn 1:1,14,18; 5:18; Heb 1:1-9; 5:8; 1 Jn 5:20; 1 Tim 2:5; 1 Cor 15:1-5)
Salvation is given to those men chosen by God and drawn to Christ by the Holy Spirit. The only means to their salvation is belief in Christ’s substitutionary death and resurrection. It is not a result of works. We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone. The gospel calls us to repent of our sins and place our faith and trust in Jesus Christ. (Acts 4:12; 13:38-39; 1 Cor 15:1-4; Rom 4:4-5; 5:1; Jn 3:16; Eph 2:8-9; Acts 16:31; Eph 1:4-5; Rom 8:29-30)
The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. He regenerates, indwells, baptizes, and seals all believers in Christ and empowers those yielded to God. (Matt 28:19; Jn 3:3-7; Ti 3:5; 1 Cor 6:19; Rom 8:9; 1 Cor 2:12; 12:13; Eph 4:30; 5:18; Col 3:14)
Every believer is promised positional, progressive, and ultimate sanctification. (Heb 10:10,14; Jn 17:15-17; Eph 5:26-27; 1 Thess 4:3,4; 1 Jn 3:2; 1 Cor 6:11)
Christians are called to a holy life of service and testimony in the power of the Holy Spirit. This service includes the propagation of the gospel message to the whole world. All believers are promised rewards in heaven for their faithfulness in service. (1 Pet 1:15, 16; Acts 1:8; 1 Cor. 3:12-17; 2 Cor 5:10; Jn 14:1-3)
All who are born of the Spirit through faith in Christ can have assurance of salvation and are eternally secure in Christ. (Rom 5:1; 1 Jn 5:13; Jn 10:27-29; 17:12; 2 Tim 1:12; Eph 4:30; Jn 6:37)
The church is composed of all believers. It is the body and bride of Christ, formed by the baptism of the Holy Spirit and existing in two aspects, universal and local. The universal church is an elect company of believers, baptized by the Holy Spirit into one body. Its mission is to preach the gospel among all nations. The local church is a group of believers voluntarily joined together in love to worship God with praise and thanksgiving, and to follow Christ and His Great Commission. (Eph 1:22-23; 5:24-30; 1 Cor 12:4-13, 27; Matt 28:18-20)
The Bible sets forth two ordinances, the Lord’s Supper and water baptism. The Lord’s Supper is to be celebrated regularly in remembrance of Christ’s death on the cross, and in expectation of His return. Water baptism is an outward testimony of a person’s belief in Christ. Immersion is the ideal means set forth in Scripture. (Matt 28:19, 20; Mk 16:15, 16; Acts 8:12, 36-38; 9:18; 10:47; 1 Cor 11:23-26)
Spiritual gifts are God-given abilities for service, i.e., “for the equipping of the saints for the work of service to the building up of the body of Christ.” (Eph 4:1-16; 1 Cor 12:7-11; 1 Pet 4:10; Rom 12:1-6)
God created man and woman. God intended men and women to be, what he created them to be. We do not believe gender is to be transformed, and we believe we are called to defend human life from conception though natural death. (Gen 1:27, Ps 139)
God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of society. Families are composed of people related to one another by marriage, blood, or adoption. Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. Man and woman are both made in image of God and have equal value before God, while at the same time possessing distinct gender roles within marriage. The husband is to gently lead and sacrificially love his wife as Christ loved the church, and the wife is to graciously submit herself to her husband as the church willingly submits to Christ. (Gen 2:15-25, 3:1-20, Prov 31:10-31; Mal 2:14-16, Matt 5:31-32, 19:3-9, Mk 10:6-12, Rom 1:18-32, 1 Cor 7:1-6, Eph 5:22-33; 1 Tim 5:8; Ti 2:3-5; Heb 13:4; 1 Pet 3:1-7)
Children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing and inheritance from the Lord. Parents are to patiently lead their children in the ways of Christ by intentional instruction, gracious discipline, and consistent example based on biblical truth. Children are to honor and obey their parents for the glory of God and their ultimate good. (Ex 20:12; Deut 6:4-9; Josh 24:15; Ps 51:5; 127; 128; 139:13-16; Prov 1:8; 5:15-20; 13:24; 22:6, 15; 23:13-14; 29:15, 17; Eph 6:1-4)
Angels were originally created holy, but now because of Satan’s rebellion, there is also an unholy angelic kingdom. (Col 1:16; Job 38:6-7; Ps 148:2-5; Jude 6; Matt 25:41; Eph 6:11-12; 1 Tim 5:21; Rev 12:9)
The blessed hope of the church is the imminent return of Christ. We are called to “be ready” for “the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (Matt 25:13, Mk 13:22-23, Lk 12:40). Looking forward to the coming of Christ will impact how we live in the here and now. We believe in the eternal state of punishment for the unsaved and the eternal state of blessing for the saved. (Ti 2:13; 1 Thess 1:10; 4:13-18; 5:4-10; Jn 14:1-3; Matt 24:21, 29, 30; 25:31-46; Rev 3:10)
The statement of faith does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. The Bible itself, as the inspired and infallible Word of God that speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind, is the sole and final source of all that we believe. For purposes of Metro Bible Church’s faith, doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline, our elder board is the final interpretive authority on the Bible’s meaning and application. (Acts 20:28; 1 Thess 5:12-13; 1 Tim 1:5; 3:1-7; 5:17-22; Ti 1:5-9; Heb 13:7, 17; Jas 5:14-15; 1 Pet 1:21, 5:1-5)
