Doctrine

REVELATION (2 Timothy 3:16–17, 2 Peter 1:20–21, John 8:31–32)
-God has revealed himself through his creation, through Jesus, and through the Scriptures.
-To disbelieve or disobey any word of Scripture is to disbelieve or disobey God.
-The Bible is inerrant and the ultimate authority in all things.
-We should joyfully read, study and apply God’s word to our lives. 

THE TRI-UNE GOD (Deuteronomy 6:4, Matthew 3:16–17, Matthew 28:19)
-God eternally exists as three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
-Each of the three persons is fully God.
-There is one God.
-God sovereignly rules and reigns over all things.
-We should submit to, adore, and glorify God.

CREATION OF HUMANITY (Genesis 1:27-31, Genesis 2:18-25, Ephesians 5:22-33, 1 Corinthians 11:3)
-Men and women are created / dependent beings.
-Men and women are made in God’s image to be God’s agents.
-God’s image remains present, yet marred by sin, in all humankind.
-Men and women are equal as image-bearers of God and accessibility to God.
-Men and women are created to compliment one another by assuming distinctive roles in the family and church
-God has called men to function as leaders, accountable to God, in the home and church

THE FALL (Genesis 3:1-7, Romans 3:10-12, Romans 5:12,19)
-We are sinners by nature and by choice.
-Sin corrupts every aspect of out lives.
-The just penalty for our sin is death.
-We should earnestly seek to rid our lives of sin.

THE PLAN OF GOD (Ephesians 1:3-10, Revelation 5:9-10, Romans 8:29-30, Acts 17:30-31)
-God’s people were unconditionally chosen to experience His grace before the foundation of the world.
-God does the work of saving and cleansing those who put their hope in Jesus.
-All people are called to repent and believe.

THE GOSPEL (1 Corinthians 2:1-5, 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, 1 John 1:1-4, Romans 10:9-13)
-The Gospel is news, not advice.
-The Gospel is the historically true story of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.
-God uses the Gospel to transform us.

THE REDEMPTION OF CHRIST (John 1:14, Matthew 1:18, 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Timothy 2:5, Matthew 28:18, Romans 3:21-27, John 14:1-3, 1 Corinthians 1:20-31)
-Jesus is the promised Messiah of the Scriptures
-Jesus is fully God and fully man.
-Jesus lived a life of perfect, sinless obedience to God’s will
-Jesus died as a substitute for us and paid the penalty for our sin.
-Jesus physically rose from the grave, breaking the power of Satan, sin, and death.
-Jesus is the only way to salvation.
-Jesus is King over all creation.

THE JUSTIFICATION OF SINNERS (Romans 3:21-31, Titus 2:11-14, Titus 3:3-8)
-Jesus’ death on the cross is the credited to all who trust in him as full payment for their sins.
-Jesus’ obedience in his sinless life is credited to all who trust in him as their righteousness and acceptance with God.
-Justification is a free gift.
-The gift of justification rightly motivates us towards obedience.

THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (Ezekiel 36:25-27, Ephesians 1:13-14, John 14:16-17, John 14:26, John 15:26, John 16:8-14, Romans 8:9, 1 Corinthians 3:16, Ephesians 4:30, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11)
-The Holy Spirit is actively working before, during and after salvation.
-The Holy Spirit is with and in all followers of Jesus Christ, serving as a ‘down payment’ of our inheritance and guiding us in sanctification.
-The Holy Spirit often works through the gifts he gives his people.

THE KINGDOM OF GOD (Mark 1:14-15, Matthew 5:13-16, Matthew 22:36-40, Galatians 6:10, Colossians 1:15-19, Revelation 21:1-15)
-The Kingdom of God is the exercise of God’s sovereignty in the world.
-The Kingdom of God is already present but not fully realized.
-The Kingdom of God was initiated by Jesus and will be completed in the new heaven and new earth.
-The Kingdom of God continues through Jesus’ people actively demonstrating and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom.

GOD’S NEW PEOPLE (Ephesians 1:16-23, Ephesians 5:25, Matthew 28:18-20, John 13:34, Ephesians 2:14-16, 19-22)
-God has chosen to continue his work on earth through the church.
-Each local church is to be a sign and an agent of God’s kingdom.
-Jesus died not just to reconcile us to God, but to reconcile us with each other.

BAPTISM AND THE LORD’S SUPPER (Matthew 28:18-20, Romans 6:3-5, Matthew 26:26-28, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26)
-Baptism is the sign of initiation into God’s family.
-The Lord’s Supper (Communion) is the sign of covenant renewal for followers of Jesus Christ.
-At August Gate Church we practice “Believers Baptism” by full submersion.

THE RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS (Revelation 19:11-16, 1 Corinthians 15:20-26, Revelation 21:1-5)
-There will be a physical resurrection of both the saved and the condemned.
-Those who die in their sins will experience eternal conscious punishment in hell.
-God will renew creation and his people will joyfully live forever in the new heaven and the new earth.

For a more complete look at our doctrine, click here.