Our Beliefs

The Bay Church is a Christ centered nondenominational Church.

Purpose

1. To proclaim the gospel of grace at home and abroad. (Acts 1:8, Matt 28:19­20)
2. Edification of Believers to provide worship, fellowship, and instruction. (Acts 2:42, I Tim. 1:3­5)

 Doctrine

Salvation is received by God's grace that you have been saved by faith.

The Holy Scripture

1. The Old and New Testaments are the foundation of the faith and practice of The Bay, A Community Church. (Matt 4:4, Deut 8:3)
2. Every word in the original writings of the Holy Scripture is inspired of God and without error. ( II Tim 3:16­17)

The Godhead

The Godhead exists eternally in three persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are one God, co­eternal in being, co­identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory and having the same attributes and perfection. (Matt 28: 19­20)

Jesus Christ, His person and His work

1. The eternal Son of God became man without ceasing to be God, was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary. (Matt 1:20­25, Phil 2:6­8)
2. He came to reveal God to men and to redeem sinful man from just condemnation. This redemption was accomplished through His death on the cross as a substitutionary sacrifice. (Rom 3:23­26, Rom 5:6­8, I John 2:1)
3. Jesus Christ rose from the dead and ascended to heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where as our high priest, He fulfills the ministry of representative intercessor and advocate. (Rom 8:34, Acts 1:9­11, Acts 2:3233, I John 2:1­2)

Salvation

Salvation is received by faith alone in Jesus Christ and by the acceptance of Jesus Christ as our personal savior. (Acts 4:12, Eph 2:8­9, John 3:16)

Assurance of Salvation

All who are born of the spirit through faith in Jesus Christ can have assurance of salvation and are eternally secure in Jesus Christ. (John 6:37,40; John 10:27­30; Rom 8:38­39)

The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead who convicts the world of sin and righteousness and of judgment, who regenerates, indwells, baptizes all the believers into the body of Jesus Christ, sealing them until the day of redemption. He is the divine teacher who guides believers into all truth, and it is the privilege of all saved to be filled with the spirit. (John 3:5­7, Rom 8:9­11, Eph 1:13­14, I Cor 6:19­20, Matt 28:19, John 16:5­ 15)

Man

Man was created in the image and likeness of God, but in Adam's sin all mankind fell, inherited a sinful nature, became alienated from God, is totally depraved and of himself utterly unable to remedy his lost condition. (Gen 1:26­27, Rom 3:23, Rom 5:12­14, Rom 6:23)

Church

The church, which is the body and bride of Jesus Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born­again persons. It began at Pentecost by the baptism of the Holy Spirit, (I Cor 12:13, Acts 2:1­4) and exists in two aspects, universal and local.  (Eph 2: 19­ 22)

Ordinances

Jesus Christ instituted the ordinances of water baptism (Matt 28:1920, Mark 16:15­16, Acts 8:12) and the Lord's Supper, (Matt 26:26­29, Luke 22:14­20) and they are observed by all believers until Jesus Christ returns.

The Second Coming of Jesus Christ

The blessed hope of the child of God is the return in person of Jesus Christ as prophesied in the scripture.(I Thes 4:13­18, Zech 14:411, Rev 19: 11­16)

Gifts of the Spirit

Gifts of the Spirit are defined in I Corinthians 12:4­11 and further qualified in I Corinthians 13 and 14.

Angels

Angels were originally created holy but now exist as unfallen and fallen including Satan. (Rev 12:9, I Tim 5:21, Jude 1:6­7)

Resurrection

1. All men will be resurrected bodily, the saved to eternal life and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment. (Matt 25:46, Jn 5:26­29, Jn 11:25­26, Rev 20:5­6, Rev 20: 11­15)
2. All souls of the redeemed are at death absent from the body and present with the Lord where they await the first resurrection when the spirit, soul, and the body are reunited to be glorified with the Lord forever. (Luke 23:43, II Cor 5:6­10, Phil 3:21, I Thes 4:16­17)
3. Souls of unbelievers remain after death in conscious misery until the second resurrection when the soul and body reunited shall appear at the great white throne of judgment and shall be cast into the lake of fire to suffer everlasting constant punishment. (Luke 16:19­21, Matt 25:45­46, II Thes 1:6­9)

Sanctification

Every believer is promised ultimate sanctification. (Heb 10:10, Jn 17:15­19, I John 3:2­3, I Cor 6:11)

I believe the Bible. It is the word of God. Every word of God is true. If what the Bible says is different from my beliefs, my behavior my actions, or attitudes, I will change by the power of God's Holy Spirit.