The Cell Church affirms historic Christian orthodoxy as expressed in the ecumenical creeds: the Apostle's Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Chalcedonian Creed. More specifically, we affirm the following beliefs:

 

Doctrine of Revelation

 

We believe that God, who is holy and infinite, cannot be truly known by human beings apart from His initiative to disclose Himself.[1] God desires to make Himself known, and has clearly and accurately revealed Himself to us. God’s revelation is of two kinds: general and special. General revelation comes through the creation, world history, and the human conscience.[2] It is sufficient for knowing God’s existence and nature, and renders all people responsible to respond appropriately to the God who is revealed.[3] Special revelation is God’s direct self-disclosure through prophets, through the Scriptures, and supremely and finally through Jesus Christ.[4] It is sufficient for knowing all things necessary for salvation, and renders those who hear it responsible to respond appropriately to the gospel of Christ.[5]

 

We believe that the Scriptures, consisting of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, are the very word of God.[6] They are infallible, inspired by God in every part,[7] and without error in the original manuscripts.[8] They contain all things necessary for faith and godliness,[9] and are the ultimate authority and standard of truth and practice in every area of life.[10] Through the process of inspiration the Holy Spirit superintended the writing of Scripture in such a manner as to ensure the selection of the very words written, yet not so as to nullify the characteristic personality and style of the human authors. Because of our sin and rebellion against God, our ability to accurately perceive, understand, and respond to His revelation has been corrupted. Therefore, regeneration and illumination by the Holy Spirit are necessary for us to truly receive and respond to God’s self-revelation.[11]

 

Doctrine of God

 

We believe in one God who is living, self-existent, personal spirit; infinite and eternal, perfect and unchangeable in His holiness, righteousness, truth, knowledge, wisdom, love, and goodness.[12] This one God exists eternally in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.[13] Each Person is distinct from the others and each is fully and equally divine, yet the divine essence is not divided, but remains one. An eternal order exists among the divine Persons, whereby the Father is the original and source, the Son begotten – not made – of the Father, and the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son; yet this order in no way detracts from the full divinity of the Son or the Spirit.[14]

 

We believe that this Triune God, immediately by the word of His power, created all other things that exist, whether visible or invisible, out of nothing.[15] The creation is entirely distinct from God, and yet is ever dependent upon Him for its continued existence, order, and movement.[16] God created all things good, and for His own glory.[17] God continually preserves and governs His creation in every detail.[18] He has chosen to work through the actions and choices of His rational creatures in such a way that He, as the first and ultimate cause, concurs and cooperates with the operation of second causes to infallibly accomplish His holy and perfect will in all things, for His own glory.[19]

 

Doctrine of Humanity

 

We believe that humanity was created directly and immediately by God, male and female, in His image.[20] Human nature is a unity with both physical and spiritual aspects. The relationship between man and woman, particularly their complementary roles within marriage, was designed by God to serve as an image of His relationship with His people.[21] All of humanity descended from the literal first pair, Adam and Eve, who functioned as the representative of the entire human race. As the bearers of His image, God delegated to them the responsibility of ruling over and caring for the rest of His creation.[22] Human beings were created by God in a state of innocence, righteousness, and fellowship with Him; through Adam’s act of sin and rebellion against God he fell from this state, and subjected himself and all his descendants to bondage to sin, death, and separation from God.[23]

 

Doctrine of Sin

 

We believe that sin is fundamentally rebellion against God. When Adam sinned he became sinful by nature, and passed that condition on to all humanity, which is naturally united to him.[24] Every person since Adam has inherited a sinful nature, which includes inseparably both guilt and corruption. The sinful human heart is naturally inclined toward rebellion against God, and all people therefore have sinful desires which inevitably manifest in sinful thoughts and actions. Of ourselves we are completely unable and unwilling to change this condition.[25] Since all are sinners, all are subject to the just punishment for sin. That punishment is death, in all its physical, spiritual, and eternal forms, which ultimately culminates in everlasting separation from God.[26]

 

Doctrine of the Person of Christ

 

We believe that Jesus Christ is fully human and fully God, God the Son incarnate, the eternally divine second Person of the Trinity.[27] He is one person possessing a perfect union of two complete natures, human and divine, which are neither mixed nor divided, but rather permanently joined in the single unified person of Christ. Jesus came from God in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy; He is the Prophet, the Davidic King, the Son of Man, the Second Adam, the Messiah, and the fulfillment of God’s promises to Abraham.[28] He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, and was made in every way like us, but without sin.[29]

 

Doctrine of the Work of Christ

 

We believe that Christ lived an earthly life of perfect holiness and obedience to God, and revealed God to the world through His person, ministry, teaching, and miracles.[30] He suffered and died on the cross as a substitute and sacrifice for sinners, bore the just punishment and paid the debt for sin, purchased freedom by His blood from bondage to sin and death, destroyed the works of the devil, and reconciled sinners to God.[31] The sacrifice of Christ can never be repeated, because it is perfect, complete, and sufficient for the salvation of all those who come to God by Him.[32] Jesus was buried, and on the third day after His death He rose bodily from the grave and appeared to many alive.[33] He ascended into heaven where He is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God; there He intercedes for His people and builds His church.[34] One day He will return, physically and visibly, in power and great glory, to completely abolish sin, evil, and death and to set up His eternal kingdom.[35]

 

Doctrine of the Holy Spirit

 

We believe that the Holy Spirit is the eternally divine third Person of the Trinity, co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and the Son.[36] The Holy Spirit has been at work in the world since the beginning, and was active in creation, the Old Testament prophets, the inspiration of Scripture, and the incarnation and ministry of Christ.[37] The fullness of the redemptive work of the Holy Spirit began at Pentecost, when He was sent from the Father and the Son, in accordance with Christ’s promise, to build and indwell the church.[38] The primary ministry of the Spirit is to glorify Christ.[39] He does this by applying to believers all the blessings obtained through the redemption Christ accomplished. The Spirit convicts of sin, righteousness, and judgment; regenerates and baptizes all believers into the body of Christ; and indwells, fills, instructs, enlightens, sanctifies, guides, empowers, assures, and seals Christ’s people unto the day of redemption.[40] The Holy Spirit sovereignly bestows spiritual gifts on believers, in accordance with His own will, for the work of the ministry and building up the body of Christ.[41]

 

Doctrine of Salvation

 

We believe that everything necessary for the salvation of God’s people from sin, judgment, and wrath has been purchased by Christ through His perfect life, atoning death, and bodily resurrection.[42] This salvation is received by grace through faith in Christ alone, apart from any human merit or good works.[43] Salvation is grounded in the eternal, sovereign, unconditional choice of God to set His love on certain individuals and make them His own.[44] It is applied by the Holy Spirit, who through the word of God effectually calls and regenerates the elect, imparting a new nature and infallibly eliciting the willing response of repentance and faith.[45] Saving faith unites the believer to Christ in such a way that the believer’s sin and guilt are imputed to Christ, and Christ’s perfect righteousness is imputed to the believer.[46] Since Christ’s atoning death absorbed the judgment and wrath of God due to his sin, the believer is forgiven and justified – that is, declared righteous in the sight of God.[47] Although good works are never the ground of salvation, they are the necessary fruit of regeneration and are always present in the true believer.[48] The justified believer is sanctified (or set apart) to God, adopted into the family of God, and preserved by God’s power so that he will neither fully nor finally fall away, but will endure in faith until the end.[49] Salvation is already accomplished but not yet completed in believers; God’s people await the last day, when we will reach the goal of our salvation – full conformity to the image of Christ (glorification).[50] The believer’s glorification involves the final declaration of God’s verdict of righteousness, the full elimination of remaining sin, and the resurrection and perfection of the body.[51]

 

Doctrine of Christian Living

 

We believe that the life of every true Christian is characterized by increasing sanctification (or holiness) and conformity to the will of God, by the power and leading of the Holy Spirit.[52] Although growth in holiness is not constant, and true believers may backslide for a time, the overall quality of the Christian life is one of increasing holiness and obedience as a disciple of Christ.[53] The goal of sanctification is the perfect conformity of the believer to the character of Jesus.[54] Complete sanctification is never achieved in this life; all believers continue to struggle with indwelling sin in the flesh, but through the Spirit believers can and should live in increasing victory over sin.[55]

 

Doctrine of the Church

 

We believe that the universal church is made up of all the people of God who are united to Jesus Christ by faith.[56] The church is distinct from Israel, but related to Israel as fulfillment to type.[57] The church is the bride and body of Christ, who is its head; and the temple of the Holy Spirit, who baptizes believers into the church and indwells all its members.[58] The church was instituted by Christ during His earthly ministry, and inaugurated at Pentecost by the coming of the Holy Spirit.[59] It is the outpost of God’s kingdom in the present age, and the locus of Christ’s current activity in the world. The mission of the church is to go into all parts of the world as a witness to the gospel of Christ, making disciples of all nations.[60]

 

The universal church is expressed through local bodies of professing believers who gather regularly for worship, fellowship, teaching of Scripture, and prayer.[61] Although no specific form of church government is mandated in Scripture, each local church is to appoint elders and deacons who meet biblical qualifications.[62] Autonomous local churches, free from external human authority or control, best align with the New Testament model.[63] The local church is called to observe the two ordinances commanded by Jesus – the Lord’s Supper as a commemoration and proclamation of the Lord’s death until He comes, and baptism by immersion as a public testimony of the believer’s union with Christ in His death and resurrection – and to exercise biblical church discipline.[64]

 

Doctrine of Christian Hope

 

We believe that at physical death the soul is separated from the body; the souls of believers enter consciously into the blessed presence of Christ, while those of unbelievers are reserved in conscious torment, awaiting final judgment.[65] On the day which God has appointed, Christ will return physically and visibly, in great glory with His holy angels, to receive His church to Himself.[66] Those believers who are alive when Christ returns will be immediately transformed to a glorified state, and there will be a bodily resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked dead.[67] Christ will finally and decisively defeat Satan and his demons; He will judge all people, and consign wicked humans and angels to hell where they will be eternally, consciously, and justly punished and separated from God.[68] God will renew all of creation, and redeemed humanity will reside and reign in perfect joy and blessedness forever in the immediate presence of God and Christ in a new heavens and a new earth.[69]

 

While Christians should study and strive to understand biblical teaching regarding the events of the end times,[70] believers of good faith may legitimately disagree over the precise nature and order of these events. Millennial positions should therefore not, in our view, be made a basis for disrupting Christian fellowship.

 

[1] Deut. 29:29; Isa. 33:5; 57:15; Matt. 11:27; John 1:18; 1 Cor. 1:21; 2:11-14; 2 Cor. 4:3-4.

 

[2] Ps. 19:1-6; 104; John 1:9; Acts 14:17; Rom. 1:18-21; 2:14-15; Eph. 4:6.

 

[3] Job 12:7-9; Ps. 8:1-3; Isa. 40:12-14, 26; Acts 14:15-17; Rom. 1:18-21; 2:14-15.

 

[4] Ex. 7:1; Deut. 18:18; Ps. 19:8; Luke 2:32; John 1:18; 14:9; Rom. 16:25; 1 Cor. 12:6; Heb. 1:1-2.

 

[5] Matt. 11:27; John 14:6; 17:3; Acts 4:2; 2 Tim. 3:15.

 

[6] Prov. 22:19-21; Isa. 8:19-20; Matt. 4:4, 7, 10; Luke 1:3-4; Rom. 15:4; 1 Cor. 14:37; 2 Cor. 13:3; 2 Pet. 3:2.

 

[7] Matt. 5:17; Luke 16:17, 29, 31; John 10:35; Acts 1:16; Rom. 15:4; 2 Tim. 3:16; 1 Pet. 1:10-12; 2 Pet.1:19-21.

 

[8] Num. 23:19; Ps. 12:6; 119:89, 96; Prov. 30:5; Matt. 5:18; 24:35; John 10:35; 2 Tim. 3:15-17.

 

[9] Ps. 19:7; 119:130; 2 Tim. 3:15; 2 Pet. 1:19.

 

[10] 2 Sam. 7:28; Ps. 119:160; John 17:17.

 

[11] Deut. 29:4; Isa. 6:10; Ezek. 12:2; Matt. 13:14-15; John 3:3; 12:38-40; 14:26; 16:12-15; Acts 28:26-27; Rom. 11:8-10; 1 Cor. 2:14; 3:14-16; 4:3-4, 6; Heb. 5:14; Jam. 1:5-6; 2 Pet. 3:5.

 

[12] Ex. 3:14; 34:6; Deut. 6:4; 32:4; Job 9:4; 36:26; 37:16; Ps. 18:30; 90:2; 99:9; 102:25-27; 139:7-10; Isa. 6:3; Jer. 10:10-11; 23:23-24; Mal. 3:6; Matt. 5:48; 19:26; Luke 18:19; Ps. 34:8; John 5:24; 17:3 Rom. 16:27; 2 Cor. 6:18; Jam. 1:17; 1 John 3:20; 4:8; 5:20.

 

[13] Gen. 1:26; Ps. 45:6-7; Isa. 63:10; Hos. 1:7; Matt. 3:16-17; 28:19; John 1:1-2; 1 Cor. 12:4-6; 2 Cor. 13:14; 1 Pet. 1:2; Heb. 1:8; 11:3 Jude 20-21.

 

[14] John 1:14, 18; 14:26; 16:7.

 

[15] Gen. 1:1; Ps. 33:6, 9; John 1:3; Acts 17:24; 1 Cor. 8:6; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2; 11:3.

 

[16] Job 34: 14-15; Ps. 104:29; Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3.

 

[17] Gen. 1-2; Isa. 43:7; Eph. 1:11-12; Rev. 4:11.

 

[18] Eph. 1:11; Prov. 16:33.

 

[19] Eph. 1:3-14.

 

[20] Gen. 1:27; 2:7, 21-22.

 

[21] Eph. 5:25-33.

 

[22] Gen. 1:26-28; 2:15.

 

[23] Gen. 2:16-17; 3:1-24; Rom.5:12-21.

 

[24] Rom. 5:12-21.

 

[25] John 8:34; Rom. 1:21-32; 6:16-22; Eph. 2:1-3.

 

[26] Gen. 2:17; Matt. 22:13; Rom. 6:23; Rev. 20:12-15.

 

[27] Matt. 1:23; John 1:1-4; 8:58; 10:30; 17:24; 20:28; Rom. 9:5; Tit. 2:13; Heb. 1:8; 2:14; 2 Pet. 1:1.

 

[28] Ps. 110:1; Luke 24:44; 2 Cor. 1:20.

 

[29] Matt. 1:18, 23; Luke 1:35; John 8:46; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 2:17-18; 4:15.

 

[30] John 1:14-18; 12:45; 14:9-11; 15:24; Col. 1:15; Heb. 1:3.

 

[31] Isa. 53:6, 12; Mark 10:45; John 1:29; Rom. 3:25; 5:18-19; 6:11, 14; 2 Cor. 5:18-21; Gal. 3:13; 1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 1:3; 2:14-17; 9:25-28; 1 Pet. 1:18-19; 2:24; 1 John 2:2; 4:10; Rev. 1:5.

 

[32] Heb. 7:22-28; 9:11 – 10:14.

 

[33] Matt. 27-28; Mark 15-16; Luke 23-24; 1 Cor. 15.

 

[34] Matt. 16:18; Acts 1:9; Rom. 8:34; Eph. 1:20; Col. 3:1; Heb. 7:25; 9:24.

 

[35] Matt. 16:18; 24; 26:64; Mark 16:19; John 14:2-3; Acts 1:11; Rom. 8:34; 1 Cor. 15:25-28; Heb. 1:3; 7:25; 9:24; Rev. 1:7; 19-22.

 

[36] Ps. 139:7-10; Is. 40:13-14; Jer. 31:31-34; Matt. 28:19; Acts 5:3-4; 28:25-26; 1 Cor. 2:10-13; 12:4-11; 2 Cor. 13:14; Rom. 15:13; Heb. 9:14; 10:15-17; Rev. 1:4-6.

 

[37] Gen. 1:2; 1 Sam. 10:6; Ps. 33:6; 104:30; Is. 61:1-3; Mic. 3:8; Matt. 1:18; 3:16; 4:1; 12:28 22:43; John 3:5-7, 34; 2 Pet. 1:20-21.

 

[38] Jer. 31:31-34; Joel 2:28-32; Mark 1:8; Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5; 2:1-4, 33; John 1:33; 14:16-17; 15:26; 1 Cor. 12:13.

 

[39] John 16:7-15; Rom. 8:15-17; Gal. 4:6.

 

[40] John 14:16-17, 26; 15:26-27; 16:7-14; Acts 1:5; 2:4; Rom. 8:9, 29; 1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19; 12:12-14; 2 Cor. 3:6, 18; Gal. 5:16-26; Eph. 2:22; 5:18; 2 Pet. 1:19-21; 1 John 2:20, 27.

 

[41] Rom. 12:4-8; 1 Cor. 12:1-11; Eph. 4:7-12; Heb. 2:1-4.

 

[42] Rom. 4:24-25; 8:29-30; 2 Cor. 1:19-20; 2 Pet. 1:2-4.

 

[43] John 1:12-13; Rom. 3:20-28; 4:1-12; Eph. 1:7; 2:8-10; 2 Tim. 1:9; Tit. 3:5; 1 Pet. 1:18-19.

 

[44] Rom. 8:29-30; Eph. 1:3-14; 2 Tim. 2:10; Tit. 3:4-7; 1 Pet. 1:1-2.

 

[45] John 3:3-7; 5:24; 6:37-40; Acts 13:48; 16:14; Rom. 6:16-18; 8:30; 11:7; Eph. 1:10-11; 1 Cor. 1:20-31; 2 Cor. 3:3-6; 5:17; 2 Thess. 2:13-14; Tit. 3:5; 1 Pet. 1:3.

 

[46] Rom. 5:12-21; 10:10; 1 Cor. 1:30; 2 Cor. 5:21; Col. 2:14; 1 Pet. 2:24.

 

[47] Rom. 3:21-26; 5:1-11; 8:30; 1 Cor. 6:11; Gal. 2:16; Tit. 3:7.

 

[48] Matt. 7:15-23; John 15:1-8; 1 Cor. 6:19-20; Gal. 5:6, 22-23; Eph. 2:10; Jam. 2:14-26.

 

[49] John 5:24; 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Acts 20:32; Rom. 5:9-10; 8:1, 15, 31-39; 1 Cor. 1:2-8, 30; 6:11; Gal. 4:5; Eph. 1:5; 4:30; 2 Thess. 2:13; Heb. 2:11; 3:1; 7:25; 10:10, 14; 13:5-12; 1 Pet. 1:2-5; Jude 24.

 

[50] Rom. 8:29-30; 1 Cor. 15:20-23; 2 Cor. 5:1-5.

 

[51] Rom. 8:23-25; 1 Cor. 13:12; 15:20-55; 2 Tim. 4:8; Rev. 22:3-4.

 

[52] John 17:17-19; Acts 20:32; 26:18; Rom. 15:16; 1 Cor. 1:2, 30; 6:11; 2 Cor. 7:1; Gal. 5:16-25; Eph. 5:26; 1 Thess. 4:3-4; 2 Thess. 2:13; 1 Pet. 1:2; Heb. 2:11; 10:10-14.

 

[53] Matt. 7:24-27; 28:19-20; Luke 11:28; John 13:17; Tit. 2:11-14; Jam. 1:22-25; 1 John 2:3-6; 3:5-9.

 

[54] Matt. 5:48; Rom. 8:29-30; 13:10; 2 Cor. 3:18; Eph. 5:2; Phil. 2:5-11; 1 Thess. 5:23; 1 Pet. 2:21; 1 John 3:2-3.

 

[55] Rom. 6:1-23; 7:14-25; 8:1-14; 12:1-2; Gal. 5:16-25; Eph. 4:22-24; Phil. 3:12; Col. 3:5-10; Heb. 12:14; 1 Pet. 1:14-16.

 

[56] 1 Cor. 12:12-13; Eph. 2:11; 3:6.

 

[57] Rom. 11:1-32; 1 Cor. 10:32; Eph. 3:1-6; 5:32.

 

[58] 1 Cor. 3:16-17; 6:19; 12:12-27; 2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 1:22; 2:19-22; 4:15; 5:23-32; Col. 1:18; 1 Pet. 2:4-10; Rev. 19:7-8.

 

[59] Matt. 16:18; Acts 2:1-21, 38-47.

 

[60] Matt. 5:13-16; 28:19-20; Acts 1:8; 2:42; 13:47; Rev. 5:9.

 

[61] Acts 2:42-47; 14:27; 1 Cor. 11:18-20; Gal. 1:2; 1 Thess. 1:1; 2 Thess. 1:1; 2 Tim. 2:2, 15; 3:16-17; Heb. 10:25; 1 John 1:3.

 

[62] Acts 14:23; 20:17, 28; Eph. 4:11; Phil. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:1-13; 5:17; Tit. 1:5-9.

 

[63] Tit. 1:5.

 

[64] Matt. 18:15-22; 26:26-29; 28:19-20; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:14-20; Acts 2:38-41; 5:1-11; 8:12, 36-39; 10:48; Rom. 6:1-11; 1 Cor. 5:1-13; 11:18-34; 2 Thess. 3:6-15; 1 Tim. 1:19-20; Tit. 1:10-16.

 

[65] Luke 16:19-26; 23:43; Phil. 1:21-24; 2 Cor. 5:8; Rev. 6:9-11; 20:13-15.

 

[66] Matt. 16:27; 24:27-31; Mark 14:62; Luke 23:43; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:11; Phil. 1:19-26; 2 Cor. 5:1-10; Tit. 2:13; Rev. 6:9-11.

 

[67] Phil. 3:20-21; 1 Cor. 15:35-54; John 5:25-29; 6:39; Rom. 8:10-11, 19-23; 2 Cor. 4:14; 1 Thess. 4:13-17; Dan. 12:2; Rev. 20:13-15.

 

[68] Rev. 20:7-15; Matt. 10:28; 13:37-42; 25:31-46; John 5:22; Dan. 12:2; 1 Cor. 4:5; 2 Thess. 1:3-12; 2 Tim. 4:1; 2 Pet. 2:4-22.

 

[69] Is. 65:17-25; 66:22-24; Matt. 13:43; John 17:3; Rom. 8:18-25; 1 Cor. 15:24-28; Eph. 5:5; 2 Pet. 3:10; Rev. 20:11-15; 21:1 – 22:5.

 

[70] Rev. 1:3.