Jesus Christ is the eternal second person of the Trinity who was united forever with a true human nature by a miraculous conception and virgin birth. He lived a life of perfect obedience to the Father and voluntarily atoned for the sins of all by dying on the cross as their substitute, satisfying divine justice and accomplishing salvation for all who trust in Him alone. He rose from the dead in the same body, though glorified, in which He lived and died. He ascended into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of the Father, where He, the only Mediator between God and man, continually makes intercession for His own. He shall come again to earth, personally and visibly, to consummate history and the eternal plan of God.

We believe that there is one true, Holy God, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – each of Whom possesses equally all the attributes of deity and the characteristics of personality. In the beginning, God created out of nothing the world and all the things therein, revealing the glory of His power, wisdom, and goodness. By His sovereign power, He continues to sustain His creation. Through His Spirit, He is operating throughout history to fulfill His redemptive purposes.

The sole basis of our belief is the Bible, composed of the 66 books of the Old and New Testament. We believe that Scripture in its entirety originated with God and that it was given through inspiration to chosen men. Scripture at one and the same time speaks with the authority of God and reflects the backgrounds, styles, and vocabularies of the human authors. We hold that the Scriptures are infallible and inerrant in the original manuscripts. They are the unique, full, and final authority on all matters of faith and practice, and there are no other writings similarly inspired by God.

The principle of relationship with Jesus Christ is that all believers become members of His body, the Church. There is one true Church universal, comprised of all those who acknowledge Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. The Scripture commands believers to gather together to devote themselves to worship, prayer, the teaching of the Word, the observance of baptism and Communion as the sacraments established by Jesus Christ, fellowship, service to the body through the development and use of talents and gifts, and outreach to the world. Where God’s people meet regularly in obedience to this command, there is the local expression of the church. Under the watch-care of elders and other supportive leadership, its members are to work together in love and unity, intent on the one ultimate purpose of glorifying Christ.

Scripture is the final authority in all matters of faith and practice. This church recognizes that it cannot bind the conscience of individual members in areas where Scripture is silent. Rather, each believer is to be led in those areas by the Lord, to whom he or she alone is ultimately responsible. However, this body will discipline its members according to Matthew 18 if they disregard clear biblical teaching in the way they live their lives. All members shall agree to the doctrine which is outlined in this statement so that Christ’s body here at Shelbyville Community Church may be built up in unity and love.

The central purpose of God's revelation in Scripture is to call all people into fellowship with Himself. Originally created to have fellowship with God, man defied God, choosing to go his independent way, and was alienated from God and suffered the corruption of his nature, making him unable to please God. The fall took place at the beginning of human history, and all individuals since have suffered these consequences and are in need of the saving grace of God. The salvation of mankind is, then, wholly a work of God’s free grace, not the result, in whole or in part of human works or goodness, and must be personally appropriated by repentance and faith. When God has begun a saving work in the heart of any person, He gives assurance in His Word that He will continue performing it until the day of its full completion.

The essential evidence of a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ is a life of obedience, attained by believers as they submit to the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity. At salvation, He seals and indwells every believer to become a source of assurance of salvation and of strength and guidance in living the Christian life. He is the source and power of all acceptable worship and service of our God. He uniquely provides each believer with gifts for the building of the church, and guides them in understanding and applying the Scripture to their lives. He guides in prayer and makes it possible through His power for the believer to lead a life of Christ-like character and devotion to God.

We believe that God intentionally created humanity both male and female; each in the image of God and equal in value, while also having distinct but complementary roles in marriage, family life, church leadership, and elsewhere roles in God’s overall plan for human good and human flourishing.

We believe that one male and one female entering into a lifelong, procreative, and covenantal union (marriage) is specifically designed to reflect the covenantal love between Christ and his bride The Church.

Death seals the eternal destiny of each person. For all mankind, there will be a resurrection of the body into the spiritual world and a judgment that will determine the fate of each individual. Unbelievers will be separated from God into condemnation. Believers will be received into eternal fellowship with God and will be rewarded for their faithfulness.



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