Monterey Bible Chapel Statement of Faith

It is the desire of the Christians who meet at Monterey Chapel to express, in summary form, some of the basic doctrines of the Christian faith as we understand them to be taught in the Word of God.  We trust that this will be informative and encouraging to any who read it and that, in part, it represents the expression of all believers who, individually, should be ready to give a reason for the hope that is in them (1 Peter 3:15).

The Bible teaches that there is one God (Deut. 6:4; 1 Cor. 8:6; Eph. 4:4-6), who created everything (Gen. 1:1; Eph. 3:9; Col. 1:16; John 1:1-3; Heb. 1:2), and that He exists in three persons:  Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matt. 16:16; John 10:30; 15:26; 1 Cor. 2:11; 2 Cor. 3:17-18; Gal. 4:6).

The Bible teaches the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ; that He is fully God and fully man (John 1:1, 14; Philip. 2:6; Col. 1:15; 1 Tim. 3:16), conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin (Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:20-25), and completely sinless in his life (Heb. 4:15; 1 John 3:5).

The Bible teaches that God took the initiative in revealing Himself to mankind (2 Peter 1:21, Heb. 1:1-2).  The written record of that revelation, the Bible, is the divinely inspired, inerrant Word of God, which is the believer's infallible and authoritative guide for salvation and for the Christian life (2 Tim. 3:16, Matt. 5:18, Luke 21:33, John 14:26).

The Bible teaches the total depravity of humankind.  Sin entered the human race through the disobedience of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:6-8, Rom. 5:12).   The human nature is sinful and entirely separated from a most holy God (Gen. 6:5, Jer. 17:9, Rom. 6:23).  People are sinners and none are able to save themselves from eternal punishment by their position or works (Isa. 64:6; John 8:34, Rom. 3:23; Eph. 2:7-8).

The Bible teaches that Satan, the enemy of God and of humankind (1 Peter 5:8), exists as a real being who is constantly deceiving and opposing the work and person of God and of Jesus Christ (John 8:44; 2 Cor. 11:14).  Satan, who sinned from the beginning (1 John 3:8), has been defeated by the Lord Jesus Christ (Heb. 2:14), and is limited by the power and authority of God (Job 1:12; 2:6; Jude 6; Rev. 20:1-2 & 10).

The Bible teaches that salvation, which provides the forgiveness of sins (John 3:17-18; Eph. 1:7), access into the eternal grace of God (Rom. 5:1-2, 6:23), and deliverance from eternal punishment and separation from God (Rom. 5:8-9; Rev. 20:15) is immediately available to any person who believes on Jesus Christ and, by faith, rests in His finished work for that forgiveness (John 3:16, 5:24; Acts 4:12; Rom. 10:9; Eph. 2:8-9).

The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ completely finished the work of salvation by dying and shedding His blood on the cross in full harmony with the will of the Father (John 19:30, 8:29; Eph. 2:13; Col. 1:20).  Jesus Christ was then raised from the dead (1 Cor. 15:4; Rom. 6:9; Eph. 2:6), ascended to the Father (Luke 24:50-51; Acts 1:9), and is now seated at God's right hand where He is our High Priest (Rom. 8:34; Col. 3:1; Heb. 10:12) and Advocate (1 John 2:1-2).

The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of God's promises to come (2 Cor. 1:22; 5:5; Eph. 1:13-14), indwells each believer.  The Holy Spirit sanctifies the believer (2 Thess. 2:13; 1 Peter 1:2) and convicts the world of sin, and righteousness and judgment (John 16:8).

The Bible teaches the imminent return of Jesus Christ for his church (1 Cor. 15:51-52; 1 Thess. 4:13-18). The Bible also teaches the bodily resurrection of all persons (Daniel 12:2; John 11:25-26;1 Cor. 15:21).  For those who are believers the resurrection is to life.  Believers will be with the Lord forever (John 6:40; 2 Cor. 4:14 and cf. 1 Cor. 15) and will return with Christ at His second coming (Col. 3:4).  For those who are unbelievers the resurrection leads to judgment at the Great White Throne (Rev. 20:11-15) and consignment to eternal punishment in the lake of fire (Matt. 25:46; Rev. 20:14-15).

The Bible teaches that there are two ordinances of the Church:  baptism and the Lord's supper.  Baptism, the immersion of the believer in water, is a sign of one's new life in Christ (Matt. 28:19; Rom. 6:4).  The Lord's supper, a time of worship for believers, is to remember the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Luke 22:19-20; 1 Cor. 11:23-26).