We completely stand behind the doctrinal statements of our sending church, Parkside Bible Church. We believe the Gospel of Jesus is central to the health of the believer and local church and wish to reiterate our affirmation of these Biblical truths.
Please find Parkside’s Basic Beliefs below or linked at their website.
We believe the local church is the clearest reflection of the Gospel and is the greatest means through which the Gospel is proclaimed to the world. As such, believe the local church should consist of a plurality of leading pastors/elders, deacons serving, and a congregational authority. The church should be marked by prayer, word-based preaching, fellowship, discipleship, and be committed to proclamation of the Gospel to their fellow members, neighbors, city, and world.
Parkside Basic Beliefs
There is one God, the Creator of the universe and all that exists, who eternally exists in three distinct persons who are fully God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
We believe that the Triune God is the one true living God who is eternally self- existent and is unified as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We believe that God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit all exist as one being, yet distinct persons (Matthew 3:16-17; 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14). We believe that each person of the Godhead possesses one substance and are equally important (Mark 12:29). The Father is God, Jesus Christ is God, and the Holy Spirit is God (John 1:1; Acts 5:3-4). We believe that the Trinity is equal in every divine attribute and executes distinct, yet harmonious offices in the great work of creation and redemption (Colossians 1:15; Ephesians 1:3-14).
God the Father
We believe that God the Father orders all things according to His own purposes (Isaiah 14:27; 46:9-10; Malachi 3:6). We believe that God, in His eternal purpose, predestined all things before the foundations of time (Isaiah 14:26-27; Acts 2:23; Ephesians 1:11). We believe that His decree is eternal, immutable, and absolute, including the good and wicked acts of men, so-called accidental events, the means as well as the ends, the duration of a man’s life, and the place that man lives (Malachi 3:6; Lamentations 3:37-38; John 9:1-6; Acts 17:26-27). We believe that God allows sin and doesn’t always decree what He desires (James 1:13-15; 2 Peter 3:9; Deuteronomy 29:29). We believe that man is completely responsible and culpable for his actions. God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility run as two parallel tracks that must stay in tension (Acts 2:23; John 6:35-44; Isaiah 55:8- 9). We believe that God created all things out of nothing, apart from any evolutionary process (Genesis 1:1-31; Hebrews 11:3). We believe God created all things for His glory and is sovereign in creation and salvation (Psalm 19:1-6; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14). We believe that God the Father is the author of election, the commissioner of Jesus Christ, and the Father of His redeemed children (Ephesians 1:3-6; Hebrews 1:5; Romans 8:16-17).
God the Son
We believe that God’s only Son, Jesus Christ, is the Savior of the world who is at the right hand of God the Father (John 3:16-17; Acts 4:11-12, 7:55). We believe that Jesus Christ is the only way to Heaven (John 14:6). We believe that He is the creator and sustainer of the universe and the forgiver of sins (Colossians 1:15-17; Hebrews 1:1-4; Mark 2:5). We believe that he is the one mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5-6). We believe that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died in the place of all sinners, rose bodily from the grave, ascended back to Heaven, and is coming soon (Luke 1:34-35; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Acts 1:9-11; Revelation 22:12).
God the Holy Spirit
We believe that God the Holy Spirit was involved in creation, caused the virgin birth, and was the agent in giving the inspired Scriptures (Genesis 1:2; Luke 1:35; 2 Peter 1:21). We believe that the Holy Spirit is the agent of regeneration (Titus 3:5), baptizes believers into the body of Christ at the moment of salvation (1 Corinthians 12:13), permanently indwells them (Hebrews 8:9-11) and seals them as the guarantee of their inheritance (Ephesians 1:13-14). We believe the Holy Spirit equips each believer with spiritual gifts which are to be used to serve and build up the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-16; 1 Peter 4:10-11).
All Scripture is inspired by God and is inerrant, authoritative, and sufficient for all things.
We believe the Bible is the written Word of God. We believe in the revelation and inspiration of all 66 books of Scripture in which God the Holy Spirit imparted the very words of God to the Bible writers and carried them along to write God’s words without error in the original manuscripts (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20- 21). We believe that the Bible is inerrant, infallible, and its authority and sufficiency endures forever (Matthew 5:17-18; 1 Peter 1:23-25). We believe the entire Bible should be interpreted and understood in its literal, grammatical, historical, and redemptive context. We believe that illumination is the act of God the Holy Spirit in which He enables believers to understand all Scripture (1 Corinthians 2:10-14; John 14:26).
All humanity is made in the image of God and is also sinful from birth and by action. Therefore, all humanity is spiritually dead and justly remains under the wrath of God.
We believe all humanity is created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27; Psalm 8). Everyone is fearfully and wonderfully made by God (Psalm 139:13-16). We believe Adam’s special creation as the first human, apart from any evolutionary processes, and existence as a real historical person is essential to the Redemptive story. We believe he chose to sin and through him death spread to all men (Romans 5:12). We believe all humanity is sinful from conception, and therefore, spiritually dead, and totally depraved (Psalm 51:5; Ephesians 2:1-3). We believe all humanity is incapable of reaching out to God for salvation unless God first intervenes in grace (John 6:44). We believe all humanity willfully chooses to sin which flows from the heart (Mark 7:21-23; Ecclesiastes 7:20, 9:3). We believe all humanity is enslaved to sin (2 Peter 2:19; John 8:34) and no one can seek God apart from sovereign grace (Romans 3:10-11; John 6:41-44). We believe all humanity lives in unbelief and justly remains under the wrath of God because of inherited sin, imputed sin, and personal sin (John 3:16-21, 36).
Jesus Christ, eternally God the Son, was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, and is both fully God and fully human.
We believe that Jesus Christ has eternally existed as God’s Son (Micah 5:2; John 1:1). We believe in the incarnation of Jesus Christ, whereby, He took on a sinless human nature without ceasing to be God, therefore, remaining unblemished deity while also possessing true, sinless humanity in one person forever (Isaiah 9:6; Matthew 1:23). We believe He was born of a virgin by a supernatural act of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35). We believe Jesus Christ was tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15; 1 John 3:5). While on earth He developed as all men do (Luke 2:52); He grew tired, wept, felt compassion, experienced grief, hunger, thirst, and suffered pain (John 4:6, 11:35; Matthew 9:36, 4:2; John 19:1-30). We believe Jesus Christ is the God-man.
Jesus Christ died in the place of sinful humanity on the cross to pay the penalty of sin and satisfy the wrath of God. He rose bodily from the grace, ascended into Heaven, and will one day return bodily to earth.
We believe Jesus Christ died for the sins of the whole world and satisfied God’s wrath (John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 5:15; 1 John 2:2). We also believe that Jesus specifically paid the penalty for the sins of believers as He stood in their place on the cross (1 Timothy 4:10; Galatians 3:13; John 10:11; 2 Corinthians 5:21). We believe Jesus was resurrected bodily and proved this by displaying human characteristics while with His disciples (Luke 24:36-49; John 20:26-29, 21:4-14). We believe Jesus ascended into Heaven and will return in the same way (Acts 1:6-11).
Only through repentance and trust in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ can one be reconciled to God and enter Heaven.
We believe repenting from sin and turning to Jesus is the required response to the message of the Gospel (Mark 1:14-15, Acts 26:19-20; Romans 10:9). We believe that true Biblical repentance directly and necessarily results from trusting in the person and work of Jesus Christ as the only way to salvation, reconciliation with God, and entrance to Heaven (1 John 3:9-10; Acts 4:12; Ephesians 2:14-16; John 14:6). We believe that God’s holiness demands a perfect atoning sacrifice for sin (Leviticus 11:44-45; 1 Peter 1:14-16). As the only perfect man, Jesus Christ, the God-man, is the only person capable of providing salvation (1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 4:15).
Salvation is all an act of God’s grace according to His sovereign purposes and eternal plans and can never be revoked or lost. Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone for the glory of God alone.
We believe salvation is received solely by God’s grace, through faith in Jesus Christ, apart from any works done by man (Romans 3:28; Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:1-9). We believe faith itself is a gift from God, not something produced by man (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 8:7-8; 1 Corinthians 2:7-15; John 3:19-20). We believe the ultimate goal of salvation is to bring glory to God by accomplishing His sovereign purposes and eternal plans (Ephesians 1:5-14). We believe that God, in eternity past, lovingly chose some to salvation (Ephesians 1:3-14; 1 Peter 1:2-5; John 6:41-51). We believe this reality in no way diminishes man’s culpability for sin, responsibility to repent, or the call to preach the Gospel to all nations (Luke 13:1-5; Acts 17:30; Matthew 28:19-20). We believe that whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved (John 6:35-37; Romans 10:13; 1 Timothy 2:4). We believe that genuine faith will produce a changed life and will lead to holy living (Romans 6:1-14; 1 Peter 1:14-16; James 2:17). We believe that when a person truly comes to Christ, their salvation can never be revoked by God, nor can it be lost or given back by man because it is a free gift of God’s grace and a commitment He chooses to keep (John 10:27-29; Romans 8:31-39).
Jesus will return bodily to Earth at any moment. There will be a future bodily resurrection of the dead. Those who repent and trust in Jesus Christ will be raised to eternal life. Those who do not repent and trust in Jesus Christ will be raised to eternal punishment.
We believe Jesus will return at any moment for His redeemed and will subsequently establish His millennial kingdom. (Matthew 24:29-31, 36-44; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; Revelation 20:1-6). We believe there is a literal future for Israel (Jeremiah 31:33-34; Romans 11:26-29; Acts 1:6). We believe all humans who have died will one day be raised bodily for the final judgment (Revelation 20:11-15, Romans 2:5-11, Matthew 25:31-46). We believe those who have repented of sin and placed their trust solely in the person and work of Jesus Christ will be raised to eternal life with God to live on a New Earth (John 5:24, Romans 8:1, Revelation 21:1-4). We believe those who have not repented of their sin and have not placed their trust solely in the person and work of Jesus Christ will be raised to eternal condemnation in Hell, a physical place of separation from the presence of God, eternal fire, torment, anguish, and pain (Mark 9:43-48, Luke 16:19-31, Revelation 14:11).