The following are the core beliefs of Thomaston Road Church of Christ based on the foundational truths taught in the Bible. All of our teaching and ministry is rooted in and flows out of these biblical doctrines.
Bible
We believe the Bible to be the only inspired, infallible, and authoritative Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter1:21; 1 Corinthians 2:13; Mark 12:26,36; 13:11; Acts 1:16; 2:4).
God
Jesus
We believe that there is one God, who eternally exists in three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; and that all three are worthy of all worship and obedience (Mark 12:29; John 1:1-4; Matthew 28:19,20; Acts 5:3,4; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Hebrews 1:1-3; Revelation 1:4-6).
We believe in the deity of Jesus Christ; in His virgin birth; in His sinless humanity; in His miracles; in His perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people through the shedding of His blood and death on the cross; in His bodily resurrection; in His ascension to the right hand of the Father; and in His return in power and glory (Matthew 1:18-25; John 1:14, 8:40,58, 11:33; Acts 1:9-11; Romans 5:8-10; Colossians 1:15-17; Hebrews 1:8).
Humanity
Salvation
We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God. Then came the fall of man through our infallibilities. The sin of man has alienated us from God. We all fall short of God’s glory and are incapable of attaining salvation by our own effort. So, we rely upon God for His grace and mercy (Genesis 1:26; Romans 3, 5:12-19; Ephesians 2:1-10, 4:18-19).
We believe that salvation is a free gift of God offered to all humanity by grace and received through personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and obedience to His Word. This faith is expressed in works pleasing to God (John 3:16, 14:6; Romans 3:28, 8:31-39; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 3:26-27; Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:2; 1 Peter 3:21; Ephesians 2:8-9; 1 Timothy 2:5-6).
Resurrection
Church
We believe in the physical resurrection of both the saved and the lost: those who are saved unto the resurrection of life, and those who are lost unto the resurrection of damnation (Rom 8:23; I Corinthians 15, Psalm 90:3-4; Revelation 20:12-15; Matthew 25:31-46).
We believe in the church which is the body and bride of Christ, that we are a spiritual family united by the Holy Spirit, and, thus being members one of another, we are responsible to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, loving one another with a pure heart. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Head over all the church, commanded His people to hold to water baptism and the regular taking of Communion.
What is Baptism?
In what is commonly called the Great Commission, Jesus declared these words, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” ” (Matthew 28:18-20) Here we have the command for baptism. Baptism is a participatory act of joining with and in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus (Romans 6:3-4ff). With this act, we become followers of Jesus. (See Colossians 2:9-14)
How Should I be Baptized?
We are given through scripture that immersion is the biblical model by which baptism is to be administered, for as Paul writes in Romans 6:3-4, “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. ” Immersion is clearly a picture of our participation in the death and resurrection of Jesus.
The greatest question one can ask is “What must I do to be saved? (Acts 16:30). Thankfully this question is answered plainly in the scriptures. Salvation comes through Jesus Christ and “salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
God made Him who had no sin, to be sin for us so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. So what do we do to receive this life?
God made Him who had no sin, to be sin for us so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. So what do we do to receive this life?
Believe
Repent
Jesus wants everyone to not only hear the gospel, but to believe the gospel (Mark 16:16). The gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation for all people who believe (Romans 1:16).
All who have heard the gospel of Christ and believe it are called to repent and turn to God (2 Peter 3:9). Repentance is simply to “change your mind, and change your actions”. It is only through God’s grace that we are able to turn to Him and receive the cleansing that is guaranteed through Christ.
Confess
Baptism
The greatest confession a person can make is that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. If we confess Christ publicly, he will confess us before our Heavenly Father (Matthew 10:32).
1 Peter 3:21 says, “Baptism now saves you.” The New Testament reveals that immersion in water is necessary for salvation (Acts 2:38). This action is referred to as baptism. Those who are “buried” with Christ in baptism are resurrected to a new life in service to God (Romans 6:4).
Surrender
Obey
Recognize that all you are and have now belongs to your Savior. See Galatians 2:20
Jesus says all who love Him will obey His commandments (John 14:21).
Embrace the teachings of Jesus and the Scriptures.
Faith
Love
Walk by faith and not by sight. Faith is an active obedience to God's Word. We are taught to live by faith with every part of our being every day.
Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself all the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-40