Core Beliefs
WHAT WE BELIEVE
Spirit and Truth Church, Odessa is a Bible-based church.
That means we seek to believe
and practice what is explicitly taught in the Bible.
Based on the Bible, we believe the following:
About the Bible
The Bible is the inspired Word of God. It is true in all that it teaches.
As the flawless Word of God, it is our only authority for
what we believe and how we live (2 Tim 3:15-17).
About God and Jesus Christ
There is only one God. The One God has revealed Himself to us as our Father,
in His Son Jesus Christ, and through the Holy Spirit.Jesus Christ is the Son of God,
that is, the One God manifested in and through an authentic human life.
To see Jesus is to see God. (Deut 6:4; John 14:9; Eph 4:4-6; Col 2:9; 1 Tim 3:16).
About Sin and Salvation
Everyone has sinned and needs salvation. Salvation comes by grace through
faith based on the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ (Rom 3:23-25; 6:23; Eph 2:8-9).
About the Gospel and Conversion
The Gospel is the good news that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose again.
We express our belief in the Gospel through our obedient devotion to our God.
We humble ourselves through the Gospel and apply it to our lives by repenting of our sins (death to sin),
being baptized in water in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins (burial)
and receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit (resurrection).
This threefold experience is the consistent pattern of conversion in the early church
(1 Cor 15:1-4; 2 Thes. 1:8; 1 Pet 4:17; Mark 1:15; Acts 15:7; Rom 6:3-4; Acts 2:4, 37-39; 8:9-17; 10:1-48; 19:1-7).
About Christian Living
As Christians we are to love God and love others.
We are to worship God joyfully and seek to live a life that is pleasing to Him
both inwardly and outwardly—in our thoughts, words, and actions.
We are empowered to live a life pleasing to God through the Holy Spirit.
As Christians we believe the Holy Spirit resides in the heart of all who have faith in Jesus
(Mark 12:28-31; 1 Cor 12:8-10; 2 Cor 7.1; Rom 8:13-14; Gal 5:19-26; Heb. 12:14).
Spirit and Truth Church, Odessa is a Bible-based church.
That means we seek to believe
and practice what is explicitly taught in the Bible.
Based on the Bible, we believe the following:
About the Bible
The Bible is the inspired Word of God. It is true in all that it teaches.
As the flawless Word of God, it is our only authority for
what we believe and how we live (2 Tim 3:15-17).
About God and Jesus Christ
There is only one God. The One God has revealed Himself to us as our Father,
in His Son Jesus Christ, and through the Holy Spirit.Jesus Christ is the Son of God,
that is, the One God manifested in and through an authentic human life.
To see Jesus is to see God. (Deut 6:4; John 14:9; Eph 4:4-6; Col 2:9; 1 Tim 3:16).
About Sin and Salvation
Everyone has sinned and needs salvation. Salvation comes by grace through
faith based on the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ (Rom 3:23-25; 6:23; Eph 2:8-9).
About the Gospel and Conversion
The Gospel is the good news that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose again.
We express our belief in the Gospel through our obedient devotion to our God.
We humble ourselves through the Gospel and apply it to our lives by repenting of our sins (death to sin),
being baptized in water in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins (burial)
and receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit (resurrection).
This threefold experience is the consistent pattern of conversion in the early church
(1 Cor 15:1-4; 2 Thes. 1:8; 1 Pet 4:17; Mark 1:15; Acts 15:7; Rom 6:3-4; Acts 2:4, 37-39; 8:9-17; 10:1-48; 19:1-7).
About Christian Living
As Christians we are to love God and love others.
We are to worship God joyfully and seek to live a life that is pleasing to Him
both inwardly and outwardly—in our thoughts, words, and actions.
We are empowered to live a life pleasing to God through the Holy Spirit.
As Christians we believe the Holy Spirit resides in the heart of all who have faith in Jesus
(Mark 12:28-31; 1 Cor 12:8-10; 2 Cor 7.1; Rom 8:13-14; Gal 5:19-26; Heb. 12:14).
The following are the core beliefs of Spirit and Truth Church Odessa 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.
God
There is one eternally existing God who has three distinct persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. He is the creator of all that exists, both visible and invisible, and is therefore worthy of all glory and praise. God is perfect in love, power, holiness, goodness, knowledge, wisdom, justice, and mercy. He is unchangeable and therefore is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
Revelation
God has revealed himself to us through his son, Jesus Christ, who is the visible image of the invisible God, the holy scriptures, and through all of creation itself.
Mankind
Humans, both male and female, were created in God's image for His glory. The first humans, Adam and Eve, were created without sin and appointed as caretakers of the rest of God's creations.
The Fall
When Adam and Eve chose not to obey God, they ceased to be what they were made to be and became distorted images of God. This caused them to fall out of fellowship with God, and fractured all of creation ever since that time.
Salvation
Jesus Christ came to reconcile us with God. He lived a life without sin and willingly died on the cross to pay the penalty for our transgressions. God raised him from the dead and now, by grace, offers as a free gift eternal life to all who follow Christ, by faith, as their Lord and Savior. That is why salvation can be found in Christ alone.
The Church
The Church is meant to be the visible body of Christ, sent into the world to glorify God and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Resurrection
Jesus Christ is returning one day to judge both the living and the dead and to restore full fellowship with God the Father for all eternity.