Our Beliefs

Our Church

Our Beliefs

Southcrest accepts the Scriptures as its authority in matters of faith and practice
and adopts and stands firm upon the following as its interpretation of Bible Doctrine.

Scripture

Southcrest believes that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament (which consists of 66 books) are divinely inspired by God. The Church believes that the Scriptures, in their original writings, were without error. Therefore, all Scripture is true and trustworthy and without error. Accordingly, the Scriptures stand alone as Southcrest’s source for doctrine and teaching. (Matthew 5:17, 18; Proverbs 30:5, 6; 2 Timothy 3:16, 17; 2 Peter 1:20, 21; Luke 1:1–3, 16, 17; 2 Samuel 23:2; Isaiah 40:8; John 10:35; Revelation 22:18, 19)  

God

Southcrest believes there is one, and only one, living and true God (“God”). God has eternally existed as three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being. God is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal Being. He is the Creator, the Redeemer, the Preserver, and the Ruler of the universe. God is holy and perfect. God is all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-present. His perfect knowledge extends to all things past, present, and future. (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 45:5–6, 14, 18, 21–22; Mark 12:29–32; Psalms 90:1–2; Genesis 1:1; Revelation 1:4–6, 8; John 1:1–3; 6:27; 12:26; 15:26; 16:15; 20:28; Matthew 28:19; Ephesians 4:4–6; 1 Peter 1:2; Acts 2:32–36; 1 Corinthians 12:3–6; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Romans 1:7; Hebrews 1:8; Philippians 2:6) 

Christ

Southcrest believes that Jesus the Christ is God, the One and Only Begotten Son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born to the virgin, Mary. (John 1:1–14; Luke 1:26–38; Matthew 1:18–25; Isaiah 7:14) 

Trinity

Southcrest believes in God, the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, who is equal with God, the Father, and Jesus Christ, the Son. The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. The Holy Spirit indwells the Believer, and He empowers the preaching and teaching of the gospel. (Genesis 1:26; 3:22; John 3:5–8; 14:16; 15:26–27; 16:7–11, 13; 1 John 5:6–8; Matthew 28:19; 1 Corinthians 6:19; 12:13; Titus 3:5; Ephesians 1:13; 2:22; 3:16; 4:30; 5:15–21; Romans 8:4, 9, 11, 14, 26–27; 2 Corinthians 1:21, 22; Galatians 5:16, 22–25) 

Man

Southcrest believes that God created man in His image and likeness; that man fell through disobedience and willful sin and came under the condemnation of The Holy God. This sin incurred not only physical death but also spiritual death. The only way man can be forgiven from sin is by the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Genesis 1:27; 5:1; 1 Corinthians 11:7; Romans 6:23; 3:10; 8:7; Galatians 3:22) 

Salvation

Southcrest believes that Jesus Christ died as the propitiation for the sins of the world, according to the Scriptures, (i.e., as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice that appeased the justice of God). (Romans 3:25; 5:8; Hebrews 2:17; 4:15–16; 9:22: 1 John 3:5; 4:10; 2 Corinthians 5:14–21; 1 Corinthians 15:3, 22) Southcrest believes that all, who believe in and receive by faith Jesus Christ, are born again by the Holy Spirit, thereby becoming children of God and heirs of eternal life. (“Believers”) All Believers are justified on the basis of Jesus Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. Believers, once saved by the prompting of the Holy Spirit, cannot lose Christ’s promise of eternal life. Upon physical death, the Lost will live eternally separated from God. After the White Throne Judgment, the Lost will be tormented in the Lake of Fire (Hell) as described in the Scriptures. (Romans 1:8–17; 3:20–26; 4:5–8, 25; 5:1, 18–21; 6:23; 8:9, 14–17, 19–23, 33; 10:14, 17; John 1:1–13; 3:5–8, 16–21, 36; 5:24; 10:28–30; 14:1–6; 17:3; 1 John 2:2; 3:2; Galatians 2:16; 3:1–7, 11; Ephesians 2:8–10; Titus 3:5; Matthew 13:36–43; 25:31–46; James 2:17–26; 2 Peter 1:4; Ezekiel 11:19; 36:26–27; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Hebrews 5:9; 6:19–20; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18; 1 Corinthians 15:50–58; Philippians 4:3; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; Revelation 3:5; 13:8; 20:11–15; 21:8, 27) 

Resurrection of Jesus

Southcrest believes that Jesus Christ’s physical, crucified body was resurrected from the dead after three days. After His resurrection and forty-day ministry on earth, He ascended into Heaven. He is presently acting as the High Priest, representing Believers before God. He is presently the advocate for Believers.  We believe Jesus is the Name above every name and that every knee will bow before Him, and every tongue will confess Him to be King of kings and Lord of lords. (Luke 24:23–40; Romans 10:9; 14:11; 1 Corinthians 15:12-23, 35-37; Acts 1:1-11; 1 Peter 3:22; Philippians 2: 9-11; 1 Timothy 6:15; John 14:18; Hebrews 4:14-15; 5:1-10; 13:5; 7:25; 8:1–2; 9:11–15, 24; 1 John 2:1; Isaiah 53:5–6) 

2nd Coming of Jesus

Southcrest believes that Jesus Christ will return to the earth in glorified form and reign a thousand years. (Titus 2:13; Romans 8:18–25; 1 Peter 1:7, 13; 4:13; 2 Thessalonians 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:7; Acts 1:11; Mark 13:33–37; Matthew 24:27, 30, 44; Luke 21:27; 2 Peter 3:11; Matthew 24:42–51; Revelation 20:4) Southcrest believes in the bodily resurrection of all people, the Lost and the Believers, the everlasting, conscious suffering of the Lost in the Lake of Fire, and the eternal fellowship of Believers in Heaven. (Revelation 3:5; 13:8; 20:11–15; 21:8, 27; Matthew 13:36–43; 25:3–46; Philippians 4:3; John 14:1–6; Hebrews 6:19–20; 2 Thessalonians 1:9) 

Satan

Southcrest believes in the existence of the devil, also known as Satan. Satan is a liar, seeking to deceive men and turn them from God. Satan, his angelic hosts, and the Lost (those who have not received Christ as their Lord and Savior) will be eternally separated from God and tormented in the Lake of Fire. (Isaiah 14:12–15; John 8:42–47; Revelation 20:1–3, 10, 14–15; 19:20) 

The Church

Southcrest believes that all Believers comprise the “Church.” The Church’s mission is to preach, teach, declare, and make known the Scriptures to all the world, proclaiming that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me (Jesus Christ), through the formal proclamation of the Scriptures, and the Believer’s complete, transformed, and consistent lifestyle. (Ephesians 1:15–23; 3:8–10; 4:15, 16; 5:23–32; Matthew 18:20; 28:18–20; John 14:6; Colossians 1:10–28; 2:19; 3:15; Romans 15:16) Southcrest believes each Believer is commanded by God to exercise care and consideration with regard to all the time, all the possessions, and all the wealth which God has entrusted to each Believer. To Him, all people owe the highest love, reverence, and obedience. (Matthew 20:8; Galatians 4:2; Luke 16:2, 3; 1 Corinthians 4:1, 2; 16:2; Titus 1:7; 1 Peter 4:10; 1 Corinthians 9:17; Ephesians 3:2; Colossians 1:25; 16:2; 2 Corinthians 8:2; 9; Philippians 4:10, 14–19; Acts 5:4, 9) 

Baptism and The Lord’s Supper

Southcrest believes in two ordinances of the Church, given by Jesus Christ: (1) Baptism and (2) the Lord’s Supper. The Church believes that baptism by immersion is commanded of all Believers as an act of obedience. It signifies the Believer’s death, burial, and resurrection ‘in Christ’; however, the baptismal water does not impart salvation. Likewise, Southcrest believes that the Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act of obedience by which Believers memorialize the death of Jesus Christ until He returns. (Romans 6:3–5; 1 Peter 3:21; Matthew 28:19, 20; Acts 2:38–42; 8:12–13, 35–39; 16:30–33; 18:8; 20:7; Mark 14:22–25; John 3:23; Luke 3:21–22; 22:19–20; Colossians 2:12; Matthew 26:26–29; 1 Corinthians 10:16, 21; 11:23–29).