Our Faith

As historical followers of Christ, we hold the Orthodox, Evangelical, Apostolic faith which has been passed down from the beginning of the church and is set forth by the Scripture. Our beliefs are reflected in the classic creeds of the Christian faith such as the Apostles Creed, the Creed of Nicaea and the Definition of Chalcedon. In unison with these historic creeds, the following statement of faith reflects those beliefs we hold.

"In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, but in all things love.” ~ Augustine of Hippo

The Bible is God's Word
The Bible in its entirety is God’s inspired Word written for everyone (2 Tim 3:16). The 39 books of the Hebrew Bible that make up our Old Testament and the 27 books of the Greek New Testament are the only God inspired books in the universe. Because the Bible is fully inspired by God, it is true, plain, and completely reliable in all that it affirms (Jn 17:17). It is our final authority for what we believe and how we live.

There is One True God
God is one (Deut 6:4). Yet the one true God has mysteriously revealed Himself as a Trinity; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each an uncreated person, equal in power and glory (Is 43:11, Matt 28:19; 2 Cor 13:14). The true God is infinite, holy, and self-existent. As the eternal Creator and Ruler of the universe (Ps 90:2), He is completely other—holy and unique, yet knowable (Is 45:5-6; Jn 17:3).

Jesus is God
Jesus Christ is fully God and at the same time fully man (Jn 1:1-3, 14). He is the eternal God, co-equal with the Father, the second person of the Trinity. He is the prophesied Messiah of the Old Testament (Is 53). He became a man to live among us and is now and forever both God and man. Jesus was born of Mary while she was still a virgin and had no earthly father (Matt 1:16, 18-25; Lk 1:34). He lived a sinless life on earth and willingly paid the penalty for our sin by dying on the cross as our substitute (Heb 7:23-27; 1 Pet 2:22-24). Jesus rose bodily from the dead and is the only legitimate mediator between us and God (1 Cor 15:3-8; 1 Tim 2:5-6). He will physically come again to establish His kingdom on earth (Matt 24:30).

The Holy Spirit is God
The Holy Spirit is a divine Person (Ac 5:2-4). He actively guides and lives in the church (believers) (Rom 8:14; 1 Cor 3:16-17). Since the Holy Spirit indwells believers, we do not have to sin (Rom 6:1-14; 8:9-14). The true Christian seeks to live under His control daily (Gal 5:16-26). The Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts to all believers. He never departs from the Church at large or from the weakest believer (Eph 1:13-14; Heb 13:5). While we at Steamtown Church acknowledge God's freedom to work in miraculous and unexpected ways, we do not corporately practice the sign gifts.

Man, God and Salvation
Created by God in His image, man was originally God's friend. Yet man rebelled against God and is now His enemy and under condemnation (Gen 1:26-3:19; Rom 5:12). As a consequence, all men are sinners by nature and choice, deserving of God’s wrath (Rom 1:18, 3:10-12, 23). Jesus' path of suffering, crucifixion, burial, and resurrection releases us from sin’s curse and guarantees us eternity with God. Jesus Christ’s death on the cross is the atonement for our sin. His victorious resurrection is also our victory over death (1 Cor 15:20-22). The only way to receive this salvation and eternal life is by placing our faith in Christ alone and what he did for us on the cross. No amount of good works can bring us back into a right relationship with God (Eph 2:8-9). Placing our faith in Christ is the only way to guarantee an eternity with Jesus and avoid an eternity in hell (Rom 5:6, 8-10; Gal 3:13; 1 Pet 2:24).

God's Church
The Church in both its universal and local expressions is the living body of Christ of which He is the head (1 Corinthians 12; Romans 12). It is not a building or just an institution. It is a living community of believers. The church exists to make followers who worship and pray corporately and privately, who spread the Good News of Jesus Christ, who baptize believers, and who conduct themselves in a manner becoming of our Lord (Matt 28:18-20). The church is to be elder led and deacon served (1 Tim 3). At Steamtown, we only baptize professing believers. Christ has committed two ordinances to the church: baptism by immersion and communion (Acts 2:41-42). These ordinances are symbolic memorials and not to be viewed as a means of salvation.

Christ’s Return
Jesus is coming back at any time to receive his bride, the church, and to set up a physical kingdom on the earth in which He will reign as king (I Thess 4:13-18; Zech 14). He is coming physically, not just symbolically or spiritually (Acts 1:11). God will judge believers and non-believers, living and dead. He will make everything right. He will create a new heaven and a new earth in which believers will spend eternity (Rev 20-21).