CCBC Doctrinal Statement
The Holy Scriptures
We believe that all Scripture, as is found in the 66 Books of the Old and New Testament, is inspired by God or God-breathed, and is God's written revelation to man. We believe in the verbal plenary inspiration of Scripture, that is that the Holy Spirit's superintendence of the human authors was such that using their own individual personalities, they composed and recorded without error God's revelation to man. Hence the Scriptures are verbally inspired in very word, absolutely inerrant and infallible in the original autographs. We believe the Bible is authoritative and objectively true in all it asserts. It is the standard by which all other truths, morals and worldviews should be tested. Its authority is all encompassing providing one authoritative completely sufficient God breathed revelation dealing with all matters pertaining to life and godliness.
God
We believe that there is only one Living and true God (Deuteronomy6:4; Isaiah 45:5-7; 1 Corinthians 8:4). A perfectly infinite, all knowing Spirit (Psalm 147:5, John 4:24). He is perfect in holiness, and in all of His attributes. He knows all things past, present and future, including the future decisions of free moral agents. He is one in essence, immutable (Psalm 102:26-27) and indivisible (Deuteronomy 6:4), eternally existing (Psalm 90:2) in three persons Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14) each equally deserving of our worship, obedience and reverence. God is the Creator, Sustainer and Ruler of all things (Col. 1:16) who is completely sovereign over all the affairs of men (Psalm 103:19), working all things after the counsel of His own will (Eph 1:11), to the praise of His glorious grace. God is infinitely holy in His righteousness and justice (Exodus 15:11), hating all sin (Psalm 5:4), and sinners (Psalm 10:5), being too holy to even look upon iniquity (Hab. 1:13), who will execute the most dreadful wrath against the impenitent (Matthew 25:41), whom He will by no means pardon. Yet God is abounding in love, grace, and mercy (Nahum 1:3). He is long suffering and has given His own Son as a propitiation for the sins of all who believe (1 John 2:2).
THE HOLY SPIRIT
Man
CREATION
We believe that for the manifestation of God's eternal power, wisdom and goodness, in the beginning He created the heaven's and the earth (Genesis 1:1). He created all things ex-nihilo, that is out of nothing, in the span of six literal days (Genesis 1:1-31), and all being very good.
After God created all other creatures, He created man, in His own image (Genesis 1:27), with an eternal soul (Ecclesiastes 12:7), endowed with knowledge, and true holiness. Man was created without sin, yet with the possibility of becoming a lawbreaker, being made with the liberty of his own free will, which was subject to change. The creature (man) was created subject to his creator (Genesis 2:15-25), having the law of God written on his heart (Romans 2:15), and being verbally commanded by God not to partake of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16-17). Man was created to glorify God (Isaiah 43:7), and to enjoy God's fellowship. Prior to the fall Adam and Eve enjoyed this perfect communion with God.
FALL OF MAN
Through the crafty temptation of Satan our first parents were seduced and ate of the forbidden fruit, causing them to fall from their original state of holiness and communion with God. They immediately spiritually died, and became wholly defiled in all parts of both body and soul. They being our first parents passed down this sinful nature to all of their posterity through natural procreation, plunging all of humanity into the bondage of sin. Man has since been born totally depraved (Isaiah 1:6; Romans 7:18); conceived in sin, shapen in iniquity (Psalm 51:5), from birth they go astray (Psalm 58:3), by nature they are children of wrath (Ephesians 2:3).
This totally depraved man is unable to understand or accept the things of God (1 Cor. 1:18; 2:14), his mind is depraved (Rom 1:21, 28; 3:11) and defiled (Titus 1:15), and his understanding is darkened (Eph 4:17-18). The heart of man is deceitful above all things (Jer. 17:9), and is evil continually and exclusively (Gen 6:5; Eccl 9:3), he is an enemy of God and a lover of wickedness (John 3:19-20; Rom 5:10; 8:7; Col 1:21), and his intent is to carry out the desires of Satan himself (john 8:44). The unbeliever finds himself enslaved to sin and its various lusts (Rom 6:17, 20; John 8:34; Titus 3:3) and unable to please God or do that which is truly good in His sight (Rom 3:12). He seeks not after God on his own (Rom 3:11) and therefore has no hope of doing anything to bring about his own salvation.
The Mediator
HIS NATURE
Man being wholly unable to rectify his fallen condition, God according to His eternal counsel which He foreordained before the creation of the world, appointed Jesus Christ to be man's mediator (1 Peter 1:20). Jesus is the second person of the Trinity, being very and eternally God (John 1:1). He possesses all the divine perfections (Hebrews 1:3), and is coequal, consubstantial, and coeternal with the Father (John 10:30; 14:9). When the fullness of time had come God sent forth His Son (Galatians 4:4); conceived of the Holy Spirit in the womb of the virgin Mary (Matthew 1:23). In the incarnation (God becoming man) Christ took upon Himself human flesh, along with all of infirmities of humanity, yet was without sin (Hebrews 4:15). Though in the incarnation Christ added the nature of humanity (Philippians 2:6-8), His deity was by no means diminished. Both natures became perfectly united concurring in one person, inconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably.
REGENERATION
Regeneration is a supernatural work wrought by the Holy Spirit in which divine life is imparted to those who are spiritually dead in trespasses and sin (Ephesians 2:1-5; Colossians 2:13). Regeneration is spiritual birth, being born of God (John 1:13), or born again (John 3:3-8). The once totally depraved man becomes a new creation in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17). The mind is enlightened spiritually so that it is able to understand and receive the Word of God; and the entire nature is renewed, so that the individual now loves to practice true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:24). It is an instantaneous work accomplished solely by the power of the Holy Spirit (John 5:24).
Repentance
Repentance is an evangelical grace, whereby the Holy Spirit reveals to an individual not only the danger of sin but the filthiness and offensiveness of transgressions against a Holy God. This sight of self humbles the individual and leads to godly sorrow. The penitent will have a fierce hatred for sin and unfailingly turn from all known wickedness by any means necessary, so that they might be pleasing to God in all things. Though repentance is not effectual towards the remission of sins, yet it is so essential that none may expect forgiveness without it.
ELECTION
Election is the sovereign choice of God, from before the foundation of the world, of whom He would predestine, call, justify and glorify. This choice was not based upon any foreknown goodness in the individual, but based exclusively upon His purposes, according to the counsel of His own will.
JUSTIFICATION
Justification is the forensic declaration of the full acquittal of sinners who place their faith in Christ Jesus. This declaration has no basis upon the works of men, but is grounded solely on the perfect righteousness of Christ which is freely imputed to those who believe.
Perseverance of the Saints
Those whom God has regenerated by His Spirit, will finally persevere to the end (Phillipians 1:6). They will certainly not fall away from grace, but will be kept by the power of God until the very end.