Our Beliefs
Rooted firmly in a Reformed woldview, Hope in the Hills Christian Church has been shaped by historic confessions of faith such as the Heidelberg Catechism and the Belgic Confession. Reformed teachings, including the Five Solas, have fostered a deep love for Scripture and a commitment to living for God’s glory as we bear witness to the saving work of Jesus Christ—a sovereign act of grace freely given to all who believe. Historic creeds such as the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds have affirmed our belief in the Triune God, who has revealed Himself through Scripture and by His Spirit.
For the Christian, belief is more than merely intellectually agreeing to a creed. It is a life-altering loyalty (trust) in the reality of the Gospel, a loyalty which reorients a person’s worldview, self-identity, values and habits. True belief displays itself through radical obedience to Jesus’ commands. (John 3:16-18, 14:15-24; James 2:19-20)
GOD: HOLY TRINITY
We believe in one God, eternally existing in three equally divine yet distinct Persons. This is commonly known as the Holy Trinity: God the Father, Jesus God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. God is the Creator and Ruler over all things; perfect, all loving and holy, and is therefore worthy of all glory and worship. (Genesis 1:1, 26; Matthew 28:19; Revelation 4:8-11)
THE FATHER: OUR FATHER GOD
The Father is fully God, co-equal and co-eternal with the Son and the Holy Spirit. He so loved the world that He gave His son Jesus to die for our redemption. It is only through Jesus that we can come to Him. He sent forth the Holy Spirit to help us live in and for Him. We can pray to Him and He hears and answers our prayers according to His will.
JESUS: OUR SAVIOUR
Jesus Christ is the Son of God and is co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and the Spirit. Jesus, born of a virgin birth, became a man in flesh, lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of humanity by dying on a cross. He arose bodily from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death and to validate that the way of salvation is through Him alone. He ascended to heaven, where He delegated all authority and will return to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. (John 14:6; Matthew 1:22-23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5, 14:10-30; Hebrews 4:14-15; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Romans 1:3-4; 1 Timothy 6:14-15; Titus 2:13)
THE HOLY SPIRIT: OUR HELPER
The Holy Spirit is also fully God, co-equal and co-eternal with both the Father and the Son. He is present in the world to make people aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also indwells every believer from the moment of salvation, providing the Christian with power for ministry, understanding of God’s Word, comfort through trials and guidance in doing what is right. Christians believe that the Holy Spirit empowers them to live a transformed life, producing both the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, etc.) and spiritual gifts. (2 Corinthians 3:17; John 14:16-17, 16:7-13; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 2:12, 3:16; Ephesians 1:13; Titus 3:5; John 14:26; Galatians 5:22-23, 25; Revelation 21:1-5)
THE BIBLE: HOW WE KNOW GOD
The Bible is God’s Word to humanity about Himself, revealing His will, nature, character, being and grace by virtue of His saving work of love in the world. The sixty- six books of the Old and New Testaments comprise the totality of the Inspired Scripture and were penned in their original language by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit, serving as our highest written authority in this world. We believe that human beings do not have to guess or speculate about who God is or what He is like. While the Bible is for us, it is not primarily about us. Instead, we believe that all of Scripture ultimately points to and climaxes in Jesus, who is the Word become flesh. We are called to enjoy, study, and submit to the Word of God. (2 Timothy 3:16; Luke 24:27; 2 Peter 1:20-21; John 1:1,14)
HUMANITY: BEAUTIFUL AND BROKEN
We believe that God created Adam and Eve in His image and placed them in the Garden of Eden to live out their identity as His creation in loving harmony with Himself and one another. However, Adam and Eve chose to rebel against God, believing Satan’s lie that they could instead become like God. This is when sin entered the world, marring our relationship with God, one another, and ourselves. We are sinners by nature and by choice and our sin has alienated us from God, placing us rightfully under His just and Holy wrath. Incapable of regaining a right relationship with God through our own efforts, our greatest need is the undeserved love of this same God, who alone can rescue us from sin and restore the relationship between Himself and us. (Psalms 8:3-6; Genesis 1:27, 3:1-7; Romans 5:12,19; Isaiah 59:1-2;Romans 3:23; 1 John 4:10; Ephesians 2:1-3)