What We Believe
Triune God
There is one God, who is perfect and sovereign and is the creator of all things seen and unseen. God exists eternally in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit who are equal and coexisting eternally. The three are distinctly different, while divine, making up of the one true God. (Gen.1:1, Deut. 6:4; Matt.28:19; John 4:24, 10:30; 2Cor. 13:14)The Scriptures - The Bible, all 66 books (39 OT and 27 NT), is the written Word of God. The Bible is inspired by God, written by men led by the Holy Spirit. It is God-breathed and it is without any error. The Scriptures, OT and NT, is the foundation and authoritative rule of the Christian faith and ours at Hill City Church. The Bible is the guide of the Christian life, referring back to the Scriptures for doctrinal foundation and life in general. (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21; John 16:12-13)Jesus -Jesus Christ, the only eternal begotten Son of God, always existing became flesh (incarnation). He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. Jesus is fully God, while being fully man. Jesus Is God!!! Jesus lived his life on earth as a perfect man in all aspects of his nature. He is the image of the invisible God. He us the only Savior for the sins of the world, by the shedding of his blood and his physical death on the cross at Calvary. He rose bodily and spiritually from the grave on the third day defeating death. Jesus is the ONLY way for salvation. (John 1:1-14,18, 5:18; Col. 1:15-23; Heb. 1:1-9; 1Tim. 2:5; 1Cor. 15:1-5; 1 John 5:20)
Creation of Humanity
We believe that God created humankind in his image, both male and female. (Gen. 1-2) Being made in his image means to display the character of God to the world by functioning as God does, in cultivating, caring for, and governing creation. (Gen. 1:26-31) Humans were created to live in joyful relationship with God, and our purpose has always been to glorify him through this. (Psalm 16, Isaiah 43:6-7) Humanity was originally made without sin, and thus lived in perfect relationship with God and the rest of creation. (Gen. 1:31, 2:25)
Sin/Death
Sin is rebellion against God and His holy standards. The first glimpse of this rebellion was when Satan rebelled against God in Heaven (Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:12-19) which led to him being banished from Heaven and being cast down to earth (Revelation 12:9). Adam and Eve, the first people created by God, would also go on to rebel against God’s standards for them (Genesis 2:16-17; 3:6). As a result of that, the Bible says their consequence was death (Genesis 2:17). Mankind would not only face physical death from this point on but spiritual death as well. The Bible says that after Adam and Eve, all mankind would be born in sin (Romans 5:12, 19; Psalm 51:5). Fortunately for us, the story doesn’t end there. There is a remedy for that curse of sin and death. It came in the form of a perfect, sinless life (Jesus Christ) who would take on the wages of our sin and death and overcome it forever more.
Salvation
Salvation is God's free gift to us, but we must accept it. We can never make up for our sin by self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God's offer of forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin's penalty. The Bible clearly states that Jesus Christ is the only path to salvation (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). The conditions for salvation are repentance (Acts 17:30; 2 Corinthians 7:10; Mark 1:15), faith (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9), and acceptance (Colossians 2:6; Romans 10:13; John 1:12; Acts 2:21). Salvation produces a new life (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:10) which is no longer a slave to sin (Romans 6:14). In its broadest sense salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. Eternal life begins the moment someone receives Jesus Christ into their life by faith. True believers, once saved, are kept secure in Christ forever and cannot lose their salvation (Romans 8:1; John 10:27-29).
New Creation in Christ
In Christ, we have a restored life free from the eternal effects of sin. When Christ inaugurated His rule and reign at His resurrection He has made all of the redeemed in Christ new. To be specific He has made us a new creation and our old self has literally passed away (1 Cor 5:17). We are no longer slaves to sin having to obey our former master (Romans 6:15-19). Brokenness, sin and death was swallowed up in victory (1 Cor 15:55). Now we are the restored man leading communities and families in righteousness (Romans 6:4). We are the restored woman ambassadors for God and leading in virtue (Proverbs 31). We are the restored nuclear family where a man shall leave his mother and father; hold fast to his wife to his the two becoming one flesh with the Children that are blessed (Mark 10:1-9). We are the restored community where we are no longer divided by ethnicity, gender or economic class but united, accepted and fellow citizens in Christ (Galatians 3:23-29). Even all of Creation is waiting for and eagerly longing for full restoration and the revealing of the sons of God (Rom 8:19-25)
Spiritual Gifts
The Bible is clear that when a person is Justified and declared righteous and holy because of Jesus he or she is given the Holy Spirit, power and spiritual gifts as promised by Jesus (Eph 1:13; 2 Cor 1:22; Acts 1:8). Each family member has been given the manifestation of the Spirit for the purpose of blessing, encouraging and correcting the whole family (1 Cor 12:7). In 1 Corinthians 12, the New Testament paints a picture that the “Church” the “Ecclesia” is like a human body. Christ Jesus is the head of this body and every other part of this body, like our natural bodies, has a practical function as a joint, bone and ligament for the rest of the body to function properly as God intended. Likewise… for the Church to function properly each family member is needed to use their gifts supplying the spiritual gifts to build up the body as each part does its share (Eph 4:16). Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? The answer is no, But earnestly desire the higher gifts and the most excellent way is to love our neighbor. All of these gifts are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as He wills.
Second Coming of Christ
When Jesus was alive He told His disciples that after His death and resurrection He would come back to gather His redeemed both dead and alive (Matthew 24:30-31; 25:34; John 14:3). This is commonly referred to as the rapture. The Bible says that the redeemed will be caught up with Christ in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17) and return to heaven with Him. This is followed by great tribulation on earth and will culminate in the visible and bodily return of Jesus Christ to the earth, commonly called the Second Coming. Jesus Christ will then rule the nations and establish His millennial kingdom (Zechariah 14:9-11; Revelation 21:10-27).
Eternity
And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent (John 17:3). Eternal life has more to do with the person of Jesus Christ more than it has to do with a location. Eternal life is the dwelling place of God is with man. The day when He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:3-4)