What We Believe
Ever look around your neighborhood and wonder why there are so many different churches?
God didn’t intend for you to have to choose what “kind” of church you should attend. He didn’t want us to wear a label like “Baptist” or “Presbyterian” or even “Catholic.” God wanted one church, based on His Word and the salvation offered through His Son.
Man is the one who made things so difficult.
Over 120 years ago, many prominent Christians decided that it was time to base their beliefs on God’s Word rather than the teachings and personal opinions of Men. They began to work towards restoring the Church to what God originally intended in the Bible.
This is an ongoing work of Christian unity that the Smyrna Church of Christ continues today.
We aren’t saying we are the only Christians, we just want to be Christians only.
What God says about…
Himself
There is One who has been here from the beginning. He is eternal. He is unchanging. He always keeps His promises.
“The Lord is king! He is robed in majesty. Indeed the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength. The world is firmly established; it cannot be shaken.” Psalm 93
There is one God, who exists in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
It is this awesome, almighty God that wants a relationship with you. That was His whole purpose for sending Jesus to earth and giving us His Word.
How wonderful it is to be loved this much!
This is an ongoing work of Christian unity that the Smyrna Church of Christ continues today.
We aren’t saying we are the only Christians, we just want to be Christians only.
His Son
Grace. Receiving that which we do not deserve. That is what God offers us in the form of His Son.
Jesus walked this earth. He endured the struggles of life just as we do. He encountered temptation every day, just as we do. He was betrayed by friends, just as we sometimes are. But He did not give in. He never once disobeyed the will of the Father. He was pure, unblemished, sinless.
It is His purity that made him the perfect solution for the mess that man started. Through Jesus’ death, we are able to escape the punishment that we deserved. Since He defeated death, we can once again enter the presence of God, just as He originally intended.
Peter recognized who Jesus was when he said “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16)
Christ set the standard for our new life.
His Spirit
One God in three persons. That is perhaps one of the most difficult things for us to understand about our Creator.
God the Father is the almighty Creator of the universe. God the Son is our Savior, who walked the earth in human form and has now returned to heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father.
Romans 8:13 tells us “…if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.”
The Holy Spirit is a gift given to Christians at the time of their baptism into the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He gives the Christian guidance and pleads before God on our behalf. (Romans 8:26)
God has provided a chance for us to live with him eternally, but it requires a change of heart and a change in lifestyle.
We can’t do this on our own, we need the guidance and direction of God’s Spirit.
His Word
Change. If one word could describe the state of our lives, that would probably be it.
Jesus said in Matthew 24:35 that “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”
The Bible is the inspired word of God. It is the authority for our lives, it is without error, and it is unchanging.
God’s Word is absolute! It is a dependable source of strength in a constantly changing world.
God has provided a chance for us to live with him eternally, but it requires a change of heart and a change in lifestyle.
We can’t do this on our own, we need the guidance and direction of God’s Spirit.
His Church
People. Tall, short, big, little, unique, imperfect, many times sinful. The Church is people.
But the Church is more than a club or a lodge. Its members are bound together by more than a man-made oath or a membership fee. The Church is made up of God’s people. People who have been cleansed by the blood of Christ and relieved of a burden that they could not bear on their own.
“You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” -Galatians 3:26-28
God’s people are united in Christ. They all have an equal inheritance in Christ’s Kingdom, regardless of race, sex, or social status. And they anxiously await His return.
How To Be Saved
We start out as innocent children. No stress, no worry, no business meetings, no taxes. Our entire life is handled for us by our parents. We are able to learn, grow, and experience life while they bear burdens that we are mentally and physically unable to handle. Life is good.
God offers us this kind of life again. He can carry the burdens of life that we are unable to handle on our own. God’s care for us continues even after this life. He knows what we have done wrong, and he offers forgiveness and a chance to live with Him forever.
So how can I have this relationship with Him?
- Hear the Word
Romans 10:17 says “…faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” - Believe
John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” - Repent
Luke 13:3 says “But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” - Confess
In Matthew 16:16 Peter said “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” - Be Baptized
1 Peter 3:21 says “…and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also – not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” - Live a Faithful Life
2 Timothy 2:15 says “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.”
Life After Death
“…For a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out – those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.” John 5:28-29
Death. The very word strikes fear in the hearts of millions. Death is the “great unknown” for those without Christ. What many do not realize is that death is only the beginning.
God desires a relationship with man, giving us His Son and preparing a place of eternal life for those who choose Him.
For those who choose to live life on their own terms, God has prepared a place of punishment. A place of eternal death.
Are you afraid of death? God offers you strength for today, and a place of reward beyond the grave.