STATEMENT OF FAITH
"...Strengthening
the disciples
and encouraging them
to remain true to the faith...
Be on your guard;
stand firm in the faith;
be men of courage; be strong."
Acts 14:22a; 1 Corinthians 16:13The Word of GOD
We believe the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, is the complete and revealed Word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original writings, and that it has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct (2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21; Psalm 19:7-11; Isaiah 40:8).
The Trinity
We believe that there is only one true and living God, who eternally exists in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. These three are equal in every divine perfection and perform distinct but harmonious functions in creation, redemption, and providence ( Genesis 1:26; Isaiah 9:6, 7; Matthew 28:19, 20; John 1:1, 14; 10:30).
God The Father
We believe in God the Father, an infinite Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power, and love. We believe He is the Creator of heaven and earth, intimately involved in the affairs of mankind, that He hears and answers the prayers of His children, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ (Genesis 1:2; Deuteronomy 6:4; Psalm 19; John 1:3; 14:13, 14; Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:16; 5:7; Revelation 4:11).
Jesus Christ
We believe in Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, God's one and only Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit We believe all things were created through Him. We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, and teachings. We believe in His substitutionary, atoning death on the cross, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His children, and soon personal, visible return to earth to establish His Kingdom on earth (Matthew 24:29-31; Luke 1:31-35; John 1:1-14; Acts 1:6-11; Romans 9:5; 1 Corinthians 5:14; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:15-20; 2:9; Hebrews 1:1-10; 12:2; 4:14; Revelation 3:10, 21).
The Holy Spirit
We believe in the Holy Spirit who came from the Father and the Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and to regenerate, sanctify, and empower all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer at the time they, by faith, ask Jesus Christ to take control of their life. We believe he is the abiding helper, teacher, and seal of our salvation, the One who sanctifies and guides believers (Luke 24; John 3:3-7; 14:15-27; 16:8-14; Acts 2:38, 39; Ephesians 1:13, 14; 5:18; Romans 8:12-16, 26, 27).
Regeneration
We believe all men are sinners by nature and by choice, and are therefore under condemnation. We believe that those who repent of their sins and receive Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior are born again, renewed by the Holy Spirit, justified by faith alone, and given the right to become children of God without the fear of losing their salvation. As God's children, we have become heirs of God's Kingdom, and at death, will enter into the presence of God and live with Him forever (John 1:12, 3:16,; 10:27-29; 14:6; Romans 3:10-18, 23; 6:23; 8:35-38; Ephesians 2:8, 9; Philippians 1:6; Titus 3:3-7; 1 John 5:11-13; Jude 1:1; Revelation 3:20).
The Church
We believe in the universal Church, a living, spiritual body with Jesus Christ as the Head, composed of people who, through faith in Jesus Christ, have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit and given gifts to use for the glory of God. We believe in the local church, whose body or membership consists of the body of Christ, a company of believers in Jesus Christ, who gather together for worship to celebrated, praise, exalt, and adore the Father, His Son, and the Holy Spirit with thanksgiving; to draw near to God and hear Him speak to us personally through His Word and prayer; to offer spiritual sacrifices; to remember His great sacrifice and soon return through communion; to encourage fellow believers in their faith and life with Christ; to train up and equip believers to do the works of ministry; to evangelize and reach those who do not know Jesus Christ personally (Matthew 16:18; Acts 2:42-47; 1 Corinthians 12; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20; Ephesians 1:22, 23; 4:1-15; Colossians 1:18; 3:12-17; 2 Timothy 3:17; Hebrews 10:22-25).
The Devil or Satan
We believe in the person of Satan. We believe that he is the unholy god of this age, the father of lies, author of all the powers of darkness, and is destined to the judgment of an eternal justice in the Lake of Fire. We believe our struggle as believers is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, authorities, the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Genesis 3; Matthew 4:1-3; John 8:42-47; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 6:10-18; 1 Peter 5:7-9; Revelation 20).
Christian Conduct
We believe that a Christian should live for the glory of God by presenting his body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God as a spiritual act of worship, and to consider others more important than himself. We believe that his conduct should be blameless before the world, reflecting the character and likeness of Christ. We believe that he should be a faithful steward of his time, talent, and treasure, seeking to grow into the character and likeness of Christ. We believe all believers will give an account of their life on earth (Romans 12:1, 2; 2 Corinthians 3:18, 19; 5:6-11; Galatians 5:16; Ephesians 4:22-5:1; Colossians 3:5-10, 12-15; Philippians 2:3-11; 1 Timothy 4:13; Hebrews 10:24; 1 Peter 1:13-16).
The Ordinances
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has committed and commanded the church to observe until He returns baptism by immersion and Communion. In baptism, the believer publicly declares his new life in Christ, in Communion - The Lord's Supper - the believer is reminded of the sacrifice Christ made for our sins and the promise of His return to take us home to heaven (Matthew 3:13-17; 25:26-29; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34; Acts 8:26-39; Romans 6:3-5; Colossians 2:12).
Why Is A Statement of Faith Necessary?
The Bible is God's love letter to people. Understanding the Word of God is the key to knowing the One who gave it. to love the Word of God is a reflection of our love for its Author, God Himself. Recognizing that the Bible is the very Word of the Living God, and that God wants us to understand His Word so that we may intelligently worship and serve Him, the Elders at Camino Community Church are deeply committed to First Timothy 4:13, which says, "Until I come, devote yourselves to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching, and to teaching." This statement contains the primary doctrines of the Christian faith, and forms the heart of the theological foundation of Camino Community Church.
"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). An important characteristic of Camino Community Church is our conviction that "correctly handling the word of truth" means that when the Bible speaks clearly, we must as well. We have strong convictions concerning the essential doctrines of orthodox evangelical faith. Our desire is to be like the Bereans, of whom it is written in the book of The Acts of the Apostles, "Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness, and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true" (Acts 17:11).
It is also our firm desire not to divide God's people over non-essential theological issues. We are a non-denominational church that welcomes Christians from various backgrounds. As such, we recognize the scriptural validity of various interpretations of non-essential doctrines, and avoid excluding or favoring one perspective over another. We acknowledge that this is sometimes a difficult position to maintain, and one which requires a commitment to grace. In order to safeguard the unit of our fellowship, we discourage taking hard-line positions on any of the non-fundamental, controversial issues, in order to maintain and protect the spirit of unity and love.