Our Beliefs
What is the Bible?
The Bible shares the story of who God is, and how God is making things right with human beings through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus. The Bible tells the stories of the people of God in many times and places and how God used their stories as a part of His story. The Bible is the authority on who God is and how He would have us live. (Mark 12:36; John 14:26; 16:12-15; Acts 1:16; 1 Corinthians 2:12-13; 2 Timothy 3:14-16; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Isaiah 40:8; Psalm 119:11, 105; Matthew 5:18; 24:35; Romans 15:4)
Who is God?
As hard as many people find it to grasp, God has always existed as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He is the foundational relationship of all creation. God is perfect in His unity and diversity, co-existing in perfect community and harmony. (John 14:9-20; I Peter 1:2; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 John 5:1-12)
Who is the Father?
God represents Himself to us as our good and perfect Father. He is all knowing, all powerful and exists eternally. He created all things, holds all things together, and is in the process of making all things right. He loves us and longs for us to be in relationship with Him. He sent His Son Jesus to restore our relationship with Him and His Holy Spirit to help us live obedient lives. (Genesis 1:1; Matthew 5:16, 45; 6:1,4,8,9; Acts 17:24-28; Hebrews 11:3; James 1:17)
Who is the Son?
Jesus is 100% God and 100% man, the only Son of God, born of the virgin Mary. He is the only person to live a sinless life. He died a real death, rose from the dead, and is now fully alive. Only in Jesus can we be saved and made free from the curse of sin and death. Those who truly love Jesus, obey Him and take on the easy burden of His lordship and leadership in their lives. (John 1:1, 14, 29; 3:16; Philippians 2:9-11; Colossians 1:15-19; John 4:9; Luke 1:26-35; Colossians 2:19; Hebrews 4:15; Romans 5:15-17; Luke 22:47-24:53; John 20:24-29; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Acts 1:9; Colossians 3:11; Revelation 1:7-8; 11:15)
Who is the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit has been sent from God the Father to help humans understand their sin. He lives inside those who claim Jesus as their Lord. The Spirit is our helper as we seek to live lives obedient to the Father and to become more and more like Jesus. The Spirit especially transforms us when we live in community with other Spirit-filled people. (John 16:8; 1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19; 2 Timothy 1:14; Romans 8:26; Galatians 5:22-23)
Who are Humans?
Humans have been created in the image of God and are precious in His sight. However, all (except Jesus) have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God and so must rely on God’s grace and forgiveness. Our sin has separated us from our Holy God. Only through faith in Jesus, and His work on the cross can we be right with God. (Genesis 1:26-27; 2:7, 21-22; Psalms 139:13-18, Genesis 2:23-25; Matthew 19:4-6, 9; Romans 1:18-31; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, 15-20; 1 Timothy 1:8-11)
How are We Saved?
We place our faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior. We demonstrate our faith in Jesus through baptism. In salvation, we are mysteriously united with the Holy Spirit and sealed as a child of God for the day of Jesus’ return. Our baptism marks the beginning of our mission all the days or our life. Immersion is a picture of our death to sin and resurrection to life through a watery grave. (Isaiah 53:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 3:23; Matthew 26:28; Romans 5:9; Ephesians 2:8-9; 1 Peter 1:18-19; 1 John1:7; Romans 5:1-2; 10:9; Acts 2:38; 3:19; Galatians 3:27; Colossians 2:12; 1 Peter 3:21)
What is the Church?
The Church is the collection of all God’s people everywhere as expressed in local gatherings of believers in Jesus Christ. The Church is God’s chosen vessel for spreading the knowledge of His Son throughout the world. As the church we are one with God through faith in Jesus. Jesus is the head of the church and the Holy Spirit is present in those who believe. The Spirit especially transforms us when we live in community with other Spirit-filled people. (Matthew 16:13-18; Acts 2;14-47; Hebrews 10:24-25; Acts 2:42; Hebrews 10:25; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; Romans 12; 1 Peter 4:10; Galatians 5:13; 1 Corinthians 12:7; John 13:34-35; John 15:17; 1 John 4:7; Romans 13:8; Ephesians 4:2, 32; Colossians 3:14; Romans 15:7 Romans 12:16,18; 1 Thessalonians 5:13; Philippians 2:2; 2 Corinthians 13:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:11; Galatians 6:2; James 5:16; Hebrews 10:24; Hebrews 13:17; 2 Corinthians 8:7; Malachi 3:10; 1 Timothy 5:17-18; 2 Corinthians 7:1; 1 Thessalonians 4:7; 1 Peter 1:15; Matthew 28:18-20)
What is our mission?
Every believer is called to a mission. Our mission is our acknowledgement that we are a part of God’s family because of those who came before us and helped us find Jesus. Now our mission is to help other people find God. God has made us partners in His effort to save the world. (2 Corinthians 5:11-21; Ephesians 2:10; Matthew 28:15-20; John 20:21; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 20:11-15)
What is communion?
Each week we gather to remember the price Jesus paid to save us from our sins. We consider how he was unjustly accused, beaten, and executed on a cross to free us from sin and death. Only in Jesus do we find grace, mercy and the ability to live both now and forever in close relationship with God Himself. (1 Corinthians 11:17-34; Acts 20:7)
What is the Restoration Movement?
About 200 years ago a movement to foster unity of God’s people around God’s Word arose on the American frontier. Monroe Street is an independent Christian Church from this movement. We aim for unity in matters of faith. We hold out the Word of God as our primary means of achieving unity and purity of teaching. We have no creed but Christ. We pattern our lives after the faith and practices of Jesus. We simply call ourselves Christians in order to point others to Christ. (Matthew 12:25; John 17:23; Acts 2:42; 2 Timothy 3:16; John 17:17; Psalms 119:105; John 1:1; Hebrews 1:2; John 14:6; Acts 9:2, 24:14; 1 Corinthians 3:3-4, 21-23)