We are glad that you’ve come to Vintage21. That is something that you should know from the start. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you’re from, how many times you’ve been to church, or even whether you believe in God. You’re not required to recite the Ten Commandments or the Lord’s Prayer to stay. We do, however, want to be clear as to who we are as a church and what we believe. In the following section, you will see some of the basics theological tenets that Vintage21 has been built upon. Take a look and if you have any questions, by all means – ask.

The Apostles Creed

(This creed is called the Apostle's Creed not because it was produced by the apostles themselves but because it contains a brief summary of their teachings. In its present form it is dated no later than the fourth century. More than any other Christian creed, it may justly be called an ecumenical symbol of faith. This translation of the Latin text was approved by the CRC Synod of 1988.)

We believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. We believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified and buried; he descended into Hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian church of all times and all places, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

The Scriptures

We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the verbally inspired word of God, the final authority for faith and life, inerrant in the original writings, infallible and God-breathed. (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Matthew 5:18; John 16:12-13) For more information on the topic of scripture, listen to this sermon by Pastor Tyler Jones, taken from our October 2007 Owners Night.

The Godhead

We believe in one triune God, eternally existing in three persons-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit-co-eternal in being, co-eternal in nature, co-equal in power and glory, having the same attributes and perfections. (Deuteronomy 6:4; 2 Corinthians 13:14)

The Person and Work of Christ

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God who became man without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, in order that he might reveal God and redeem sinful man. (John 1:1-2, 14; Luke 1:35)

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through his death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice and that our justification is made sure by his literal, physical resurrection from the dead. (Romans 3:24; 1 Peter 2:24; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:3-5)

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended into 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. (Acts 1:9-10; Hebrews 7:25, 9:24; Romans 8:34; 1 John 2:1-2)

The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment and that he is the supernatural agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption. (John 16:8-11; 2 Corinthians 3:6; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 5:18)

The Depravity of Humanity

We believe that humanity was created in the image and likeness of God, but that through Adam's sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God and that man is totally depraved, and of himself utterly unable to remedy his lost condition. (Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 3:22-23, 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3, 12)

Salvation

We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on the cross at Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins. (Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:12; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:18-19)

Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers

We believe that those who are truly redeemed are kept by God's power and are thus secure in Christ forever. We don't believe in "once saved, always saved" we believe in "if saved, always saved." (John 6:37-40, 10:27-30; Romans 8:1, 38-39; 1 Corinthians 1:4-8; 1 Peter 1:5)

We believe it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God's word which clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh. (Romans 13:13-14; Galatians 5:13; Titus 2:11-15)

Spiritual Gifts

We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowing of spiritual gifts. It is, however, the believer's responsibility to attempt to develop their sovereignly given spiritual gift(s). The baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs at conversion and is the placing of the believer into the body of Christ. We also believe that particular spiritual gift(s) are neither essential (proving the presence of the Holy Spirit), nor an indication of deep spiritual experience. (1 Corinthians 12:7, 11, & 13; Ephesians 4:7-8)

We believe that God does hear and answer the prayer of faith, in accord with his own will, for the sick and afflicted. (John 15:7; 1 John 5:14-15)

We believe it is the privilege and responsibility of all believers to minister according to the gift(s) and grace of God given to them. (Romans 12:1-8; 1 Corinthians 13; 1 Peter 4:10-11)

The Church

We believe that the church, which is the body and espoused bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born-again persons of this present age. (Ephesians 1:22-23, 5:25-27; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; 2 Corinthians 11:2)

We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament scriptures. (Acts 14:27, 18:22, & 20:17; 1 Timothy 3:1-3; Titus 1:5-11)

We believe in the autonomy of the local church, free of any external authority and control. (Acts 13:1-4, 15:19-31, & 20:28; Romans 16:1,4; 1 Corinthians 3:9,16, & 5:4-7,13; 1 Peter 5:1-4)

We recognize a believer's baptism and the Lord's supper as scriptural means of testimony for the church in this age. (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; Acts 18:8; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26)