THE BIBLE
We teach that the sixty-six books of the Bible are God's written revelation to humanity. These books were written by human authors under the perfect guidance of the Holy Spirit, so that the Bible is the very Word of God supernaturally inspired in every word and absolutely free from error in the original documents. God's Word is the final authority in all that it says. Therefore, it must be believed in all that it teaches, obeyed in all that it requires, and trusted in all that it promises.
THE TRIUNE GOD
We teach that the one true God eternally exists as three distinct persons-the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three persons of the Trinity are fully equal in divine nature, and they fulfill different yet complementary roles. The triune God is perfect, beautiful, and glorious in all of His attributes. These attributes include, but are not limited to: holiness, sovereignty, power, justice, wisdom, truth, faithfulness, mercy, goodness, and love. Because of God's infinite worth, nothing should be honored or treasured more than God Himself.
GOD THE FATHER
God as Father reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, and the flow of the stream of human history according to the purposes of His grace. He is all powerful, all knowing, all loving, and all wise. God is Father in truth to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. He is fatherly in His attitude toward all men.
JESUS CHRIST
We teach that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God and the promised Savior of mankind. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, and lived a perfect life free from sin and guilt. As the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ was crucified on a cross, and His death provided the all-sufficient atonement for sin. Jesus was bodily resurrected on the third day, He ascended into heaven, and now reigns over all things as the righteous Judge, the head of the church, and the supreme Lord.
THE HOLY SPIRIT
We teach that the Holy Spirit is the great Sanctifier and Helper of the church. The Holy Spirit regenerates sinful people, unites them with Christ, and seals them forever into God's family. He comforts, assures, instructs, and empowers Christians for godly living and fruitful service. The Holy Spirit inspired the Scriptures, brings unity to the church, and gives spiritual gifts to the members of Christ's body. Through His abiding presence, believers experience the enduring hope, peace, and joy that God gives to all of His children.
SALVATION
We teach that all people have sinned against God, and therefore all stand under His just condemnation without defense or excuse. While this judgment will ultimately result in everlasting, conscious separation from God's blessed presence, salvation is possible because of Jesus Christ's redemptive work on the cross. Through His substitutionary atonement, Jesus paid the divine penalty for sin so that people might have their sins forgiven and be restored to a right relationship with their Creator. Salvation is freely given when individuals, through the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit, receive the gift of faith, repent of their sins, and believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Believers are immediately made spiritually alive and receive the gift of eternal life. They are forever adopted into God's family, and as such, display evidence of God's sanctifying work throughout their lives.
THE CHURCH
We teach that the church consists of all people who have a genuine faith in Jesus Christ. As members of Christ's body, those in the church should regularly: devote themselves to the teaching, study, and application of God's Word; seek the Lord in earnest prayer; experience the power of authentic, life-changing fellowship; and engage their community and the world with God's truth through acts of compassion and witness. The church also practices two ordinances instituted by Christ: baptism and the Lord's Supper. In all these things, the church pursues its ultimate purpose, to exalt Christ by spreading His glory and proclaiming His gospel.
THE CHRISTIAN AND SOCIETY
All Christians are under obligation to see God’s Kingdom come on Earth as it is in heaven. Means and methods used for the improvement of society and the establishment of righteousness can be truly and permanently helpful only when they are rooted in the Gospel. In the spirit of Christ, Christians should oppose racism, every form of greed, selfishness, and vice, and all forms of sexual immorality, including adultery, homosexuality, and pornography. We should work to provide for the orphaned, the needy, the abused, the aged, the helpless, and the sick. We should speak on behalf of the unborn and contend for the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death. Every Christian should seek to bring industry, government, and society as a whole under the sway of the principles of righteousness, truth, and brotherly love. In order to promote these ends Christians should be ready to work with all people of good will in any good cause, always being careful to act in the spirit of love without compromising their loyalty to Christ and His truth.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
God alone is Lord of the conscience, and He has left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are contrary to His Word or not contained in it. Church and state should be separate. The state owes to every church protection and full freedom in the pursuit of its spiritual ends. In providing for such freedom no ecclesiastical group or denomination should be favored by the state more than others. Civil government being ordained of God, it is the duty of Christians to render loyal obedience thereto in all things not contrary to the revealed will of God. The church should not resort to the civil power to carry on its work. The gospel of Christ contemplates spiritual means alone for the pursuit of its ends. The state has no right to impose penalties for religious opinions of any kind. The state has no right to impose taxes for the support of any form of religion. A free church in a free state is the Christian ideal, and this implies the right of free and unhindered access to God on the part of all men, and the right to form and propagate opinions in the sphere of religion without interference by the civil power.
THE FAMILY
God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. It is composed of persons 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. It is God's unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His church and to provide for the man and the woman in marriage the framework for intimate companionship, the channel of sexual expression according to biblical standards, and the means for procreation of the human race. The husband and wife are of equal worth before God, since both are created in God's image. The marriage relationship models the way God relates to His people. A husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church. He has the God-given responsibility to provide for, to protect, and to lead his family. A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ. She, being in the image of God as is her husband and thus equal to him, has the God-given responsibility to respect her husband and to serve as his helper in managing the household and nurturing the next generation.
Children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord. Parents are to demonstrate to their children God's pattern for marriage. Parents are to teach their children spiritual and moral values and to lead them, through consistent lifestyle example and loving discipline, to make choices based on biblical truth. Children are to honor and obey their parents.
MARRIAGE, GENDER, SEXUALITY
We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male and female. These two distinct, complementary biological sexes together reflect the image and nature of God. Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person. We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture. We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other. We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, and use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God. We believe that in order to preserve the function and integrity of Bridge42 Church as the local Body of Christ, and to provide a biblical role model to the Bridge42 Church members and the community, it is imperative that all persons employed by Bridge42 Church in any capacity, or who serve as volunteers, agree to and abide by this Statement on Marriage, Gender and Sexuality. We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and Dignity. Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture nor the doctrines of Bridge42 Church.
THE FUTURE
We teach that all of human history is moving toward one climactic event: the certain return and final revelation of Jesus Christ. At Christ's return all those opposed to God will be subject to His wrath, but the redeemed will receive eternal rewards and enter into an everlasting state of glory with Christ. God will end redemptive history by creating a new heaven and a new earth. There His people will finally experience unhindered worship of Him and enjoy everlasting fellowship with Christ and with one another. This certain hope should fill believers with great confidence and joy as they anticipate their blessed and eternal future.