For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,

that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have

everlasting life.

                                                                                                John 3:16 (KJV)

 

In November, 2000, the OAR leadership decided it was necessary to compile a list of the most important beliefs, the core beliefs of our church family.  This is not a 'check-list' for membership to the church family and we cling to the Bible as our only creed.  But every adult member had an opportunity to include the most precious of their personal beliefs so that this list may help identify us as a whole and help visitors know what to expect when they visit the Old Aberdeen road church of Christ.

 

*God is THE God of the universe, without beginning or end.

 

*The elders are to address the spiritual needs of the congregation and the deacons are to address the day-to-day operation of the church. However, we recognize that each member, as they mature and develop one-on-one relationships with individual members, has a responsibility for and should have a desire to minister to their fellow Christians as God calls them and provides the gift.

 

*Jesus Christ is the Son of God sent by God to die for human sin. Belief in Jesus as the Son of God brings life to humans and overcomes death brought to humans by Adam and Eve.

 

* Jesus died for the sins of all human beings and rose for our justification. Human beings should love God and believe in Jesus by walking with the yoke of Jesus on them and they will receive eternal life.

 

*Jesus has given us the Holy Spirit to guide us.

 

*Everyone who is born of water through baptism and of the Spirit in the name of Jesus is a brother or sister in Christ.

 

*God loves us unconditionally so we are to love Him, our fellow Christians, and all mankind.

 

*We are to forgive one another.

 

*The Bible is the inspired word of God and He uses the Bible to speak to us.

 

*We must be open-minded and search the scripture for ourselves because we must not rely solely on what others teach. The Bible should be used for teaching and instruction and should not be taken out of context with too much implied inference. We should pay strict attention to what the Bible says and what it doesn’t say.

 

*Jesus died for us even though we did not know Him. He loves us and forgives us when we speak or sin against Him. No matter how much we sin, He is waiting with open arms to embrace us with love and forgiveness.

 

*We are to share the good news of our salvation through Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection.

 

*We are to strive to be more Christ-like every day.

 

*We are to help the less fortunate, i.e., orphans, widows, and the poor.

*We are to participate in the communion meal to show our unity in Christ and to remember Him and his sacrifice for us.

 

*We are to keep our commitments i.e., offering, meeting together.

 

*It is God’s will for us to meet as a community of believers to worship Him with song, speak to Him in prayer, and to edify one another.

 

*Jesus Christ is our Savior and only through Him can our salvation be accomplished.

 

*Jesus lived on earth and performed miracles. He was crucified, died, and was buried. He was raised from the dead and dwells with God in heaven.

 

*Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He died for the forgiveness of our sin. He was raised and lives at the right hand of God to intercede for us. His love is everlasting and constant. It is important that we live our lives fully in God, be obedient, and trust His mercy when we fail to develop and maintain a love relationship that is personal and real.

 

*There is a heaven and a hell.

 

*Because of God’s grace and love we have salvation through baptism. Through faith that God has done all of this we are to be baptized. Because we have salvation and love Him, we are to serve him the rest of our days. We have our example in God’s word, Jesus Christ. Through study of God’s word, prayer, worship, and faith, we strive to become more Christ-like and proclaim the gospel to others. Last but not least, we are to have a personal relationship with God.

 

*We are to fear and show respect to the heavenly Father.

 

*Our focus should be on others.

 

*We are to love the Lord with all our heart and our neighbor as ourselves.

 

*We are to love our enemies.

 

*We are to be baptized by immersion for the remission of sin.