WHAT WE BELIEVE

THE PEOPLE OF MTN CHURCH ARE SIMPLY SINNERS MADE SAINTS BY GOD’S AMAZING GRACE

 
 

THE 4 PILLARS OF MTN CHURCH

Luke tells us in Acts 2:41-42 that the church of Jesus devoted themselves to four pillars of their faith that are established on the one foundation, which is Christ - the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, sharing in meals and prayer.

 

THE APOSTLES' TEACHING

— The church devoted themselves to the teaching of the Apostles.

— At MTN CHURCH, we are also devoted to the teaching of the Word of God.

— We meet on Sundays and throughout the week to meditate on and allow the living Word of God to effect change in our lives and conform us into the image of Jesus Christ, which looks like love.

FELLOWSHIP

— The church devoted themselves to fellowship.

— No disciple can live the life of a disciple successfully on their own — we are made for community — it is God's design.

— We meet regularly in Community Groups in our homes for a time of community and fellowship — a time where we get to know one another, pray for each other, meet the needs of our community and bear one another's burdens.

SHARING IN MEALS

— The church devoted themselves to sharing meals together.

— We meet regularly in Community Groups in our homes and have a meal together — this meal time is a time of laughter and family where we celebrate Jesus and learn to love.

— This meal is not only a time of Communion with one another but also a time when we celebrate the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and give him thanks for what he has done to redeem us, and to also give thanks for who He is.

— Jesus commissioned us to remember him by instituting Communion in John 13. We have Communion together at each service on Sundays.

PRAYER

— The church devoted themselves to prayer.

— This is the steam that drives the train.

— Prayer is a part of every rhythm of gathering at MTN.

— We pray continuously and all throughout the week.

 
 

STATEMENT OF BELIEFS

We reach out to all people, no matter who they are, what they've done or where they've been. Rather than run from culture, we've chosen to engage it to connect with people and show them God's timeless truths. Although our approach is anything but traditional, we believe in and maintain a conservative theological position.

  • We believe Scripture (the Bible) is the Word of God written to man. The Scripture consists of the 66 books of Genesis to Revelation. God inspired human authors who, using their own unique gifts, passions, and communication style, wrote His Word (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20–21). The Scriptures are inerrant in everything they address, including matters of faith, science, and history (Proverbs 30:5). The Scriptures are infallible and achieve the ends for which God intended them (Isaiah 55:11). The Scriptures are clear, “making wise the simple” (Psalm 19:7). The Scriptures are sufficient for faith and practice, and “are useful for teaching, correcting, rebuking, and training in righteousness, that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

  • We believe God is the eternal, uncreated Creator and Sustainer of all things (Genesis 1:1; Colossians 1:16–17). He is the First and the Last, and beside Him there is no god (Isaiah 44:6). This one God exists in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Genesis 1:2; Deuteronomy 6:4–5; Matthew 3:16–17) and each member of the Trinity is fully God. God is holy (Isaiah 6:3), unchanging (Malachi 3:6), omniscient (Isaiah 46:10), omnipresent (Psalm 139:7–8), omnipotent (Job 42:2; Luke 1:37), just (Deuteronomy 32:4), gracious (Exodus 33:19), and loving (1 John 4:8).

    - God, the Father

    We believe God the Father is the infinite personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power, and love. We believe that He perfectly ordains all that comes to pass, that He concerns Himself mercifully with the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all that come to him through faith in Jesus Christ (Matthew 23:9; Luke 10:21–22; John 3:16; John 6:27; Romans 1:7; 1 Timothy 1:1–2; 1 Timothy 2:5–6; 1 Peter 1:3; Revelation 1:6).

    - God, the Son

    We believe Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, that He came in the flesh and was born of a virgin, and lived a sinless, miraculous life (John 8:46, 18:38, 19:4, 21:25). He was in very nature God, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant (Philippians 2:4–5). He taught that He alone was the means by which man would be reconciled to God. He believed and proved that He was equal to God, provoking the anger of His enemies according to the predestined purpose of God. (John 5:18, 10:30–33, 14:6; Acts 4:28) He was tempted in every way, just as we are, and yet never sinned (Hebrews 4:15). According to the Father’s perfect plan laid out in eternity past, He gave himself up freely as a ransom for our sins (Mark 10:45; John 10:18; Acts 4:28; Ephesians 1:3–6; Revelation 13:8). He was crucified by sinful men (Acts 2:36), and rose from the dead on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:4). Today, He sits at the right hand of the Father until His second coming, when He will return as King of Kings to judge the living and the dead (Acts 1:9–11; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; 2 Thessalonians 1:9–10; Revelation 1:7, 19).

    - God, the Holy Spirit

    We believe the Holy Spirit is fully God (Genesis 1:2; Acts 5:3–5). He is given as our Helper (John 14:26) and is the Deposit who guarantees the inheritance of every believer (Ephesians 1:13–14). He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:7–11). He is the leading agent in the planting and building up of the church, since His job is to testify of Jesus and to the truthfulness of the Gospel (Acts 1:8; John 15:26). The Holy Spirit gives gifts to each believer for the edification of the church and the proclamation of the Gospel (1 Corinthians 12:7, 14:22). While every believer is told to earnestly desire spiritual gifts, the Holy Spirit alone decides which spiritual gifts each believer receives (1 Corinthians 12:4–7, 11).

  • - Man

    We believe God created man on the 6th day in His own image and likeness (Genesis 1:26–27). He created man morally perfect with a free will to choose good or evil (Ecclesiastes 7:29; Genesis 2:16–17). Our first parents, Adam and Eve, were able to choose to obey God and live under blessing or to disobey God and die under a curse. They chose to disobey God, and they died spiritually. Every part of man was affected by this original sin. All the areas of man’s self – his will, desires, mind, body, and conscience – were affected by the Fall (Jeremiah 17:9). God cursed man with immediate spiritual death (separation from God) and eventual physical death (Genesis 3:19). Because of their choice, their posterity is given a sinful nature at conception and is held equally responsible for Adam and Eve’s disobedience (Psalm 51:5). Every person also chooses of his own free will to disobey God as revealed in Scripture (Galatians 3:10; James 2:10); therefore, every person is a sinner by nature and by choice (Psalm 14:1–3). As a result, every person is an enemy of God (Job 15:14, 25:4), under His righteous wrath, and without excuse (Romans 1:18–32). Man is dead in trespasses and sins, and apart from the grace of God cannot and will not seek after God (Jeremiah 13:23; John 6:44; Romans 3:10–18, 8:5–8; 1 Corinthians 2:14; Ephesians 2:1–3; Colossians 2:13).

    - The Good News

    We believe that because every person has sinned against God by refusing to honor Him as God and obey His Law, God is under no obligation to save anyone from His wrath. In fact, all men deserve eternal punishment (Romans 1:16–32). The Gospel is the Good News that God has chosen to save undeserving sinners from His righteous wrath for His own glory (Ephesians 2:5–7; Titus 3:4–7). He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to do what man could not do and would not do, which is to live a sinless life and submit perfectly to God. Jesus gave Himself up in our place and on our behalf (Romans 3:25; 1 John 2:2). He then rose from the dead on the third day, victorious over sin and death (1 Corinthians 15:3–4, 17).

  • We believe salvation involves the redemption of the whole man, and is offered freely to all who receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, who by His death and resurrection obtained eternal redemption for the believer. In its broadest sense, salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification (John 3:16, 6:44; Acts 2:37–38, 4:12, 11:18, 17:30; Romans 4:1–5; 2 Corinthians 7:10–11; 2 Timothy 2:25).

  • We believe regeneration is a change of heart given by the Holy Spirit who gives life to those dead in trespasses and sins. In regeneration, the Holy Spirit grants the ability to understand the Word of God, to exercise saving faith in Jesus Christ, and to love and practice holiness (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:1–6; Titus 3:5; 1 John 5:1).

  • We believe repentance and faith are required by God for salvation. While two distinct principles, they are not two separate acts. A regenerate person turns from sin (repentance) and turns to Christ (faith) as a result of his new nature given at regeneration (John 6:44; Acts 2:37–38, 11:18, 17:30; Romans 4:1–5; 2 Corinthians 7:10–11; 2 Timothy 2:25). God has promised to save any who repent of their sins and trust in the finished work of Christ alone for forgiveness and reconciliation with God (John 3:16, 6:37; Acts 4:12).

  • We believe God chooses to justify, or declare both not guilty and righteous, every person who repents of sin and believes the Gospel. Though no person is righteous, God counts a believer’s faith in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection as righteousness (Romans 4:1–5). Through faith, the righteousness of Christ is credited to the believer, and the believer’s guilt through sin is credited to Christ. No believer is justified by works of the Law, but each believer displays evidence of justification by doing good works (Galatians 2:15–16; James 2:20–24). Salvation is the work of God from start to finish, not a work of man, so that no man may boast (Romans 9:11; Ephesians 2:8–9) or despair (John 10:28–30). Those God has predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified He also glorified (Romans 8:30).

  • We believe sanctification is the lifelong process of becoming like Christ. Those who have been justified are also sanctified by God’s Word and Spirit dwelling in them. God chose us to obey Him and be holy (Titus 2:11–14; 1 Peter 1:2). In becoming like Him, we know Him more intimately and display His glory. The process of sanctification will culminate in the resurrection of our physical bodies when we will be without sin (John 17:19; Romans 8:29–30; 1 Peter 1:23; Revelation 21:1–8, 22–27).

  • We believe glorification is the culmination of salvation and is the final blessed and abiding state of the believer (Romans 8:29–39; Revelation 21:1–22:5).

  • We believe every person who repents of sin and believes the Gospel is a member of the Universal Church, which consists of all believers who have lived, are living, and will ever live (Colossians 1:24). The Universal Church is the only institution that will not and cannot be defeated (Matthew 16:18). Christ died for His Bride, the Church, and will sanctify the Church to present her to Himself without spot or blemish (Ephesians 5:25–27).

    - Baptism

    We believe Jesus commanded every believer to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:18–20). Baptism serves as a symbol of being buried with Christ and being raised to walk in new life and as such is to be performed only with professing believers (Romans 6:4–6). Baptism is a matter of obedience, not salvation. It does not confer favor from God beyond the blessings that come from obedience to God. (Luke 23:43; 1 Corinthians 1:13–17).

    - Communion

    We believe Communion was instituted by Christ on the night He was betrayed (1 Corinthians 11:23). Communion consists of bread and wine, which represent His body that was broken for believers and His blood that was shed for believers (1 Corinthians 11:24–25). Communion serves as a reminder to both believers and non-believers that Jesus has died, is risen, and is coming again (1 Corinthians 11:26). We will share Communion with any believer of like-faith and practice (1 Corinthians 11:27–30).