What We Believe

Crosspoint believes the Bible is God's written message to mankind. It was written a long time ago in several languages and has been carefully preserved and translated into many more modern languages. The Bible does not contain errors or omissions and is a true and accurate account of history and future events. Its central theme is God's love for people. As God's only written revelation, it is the only authority for Christian belief and behavior. When its principles are followed, it has power to transform lives and is a source of help and hope for mankind.

Crosspoint believes there is only one God. God is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. He is personal as opposed to an abstract force. He is all-knowing, all-powerful, all-present, and all-good. He has eternally existed in three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one.

Crosspoint believes Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God, is co-equal with God and has always existed. Because of His love for the world and obedience to the Father, He chose to lay aside His glory and come to earth in the form of a man. He was both wholly God and wholly man. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. Jesus lived a sinless life, taught with authority, and performed many miracles. He offered himself as a perfect sacrifice by acting as a substitute for humanity and dying on a cross in their place and for their sins. He rose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death and to secure our salvation. He ascended to heaven, was given all authority, and acts as our High Priest in Heaven. He will return again someday to his eternal rein on Earth as the King of Kings.

Crosspoint believes the Holy Spirit is co-equal with God and has always existed. He is a "Counselor" who assists us. He is present in the world to make people aware of their sin and need for Jesus Christ. To those who believe in Jesus, the Spirit brings salvation and new life. He then dwells in the life of every Christian from the moment of salvation, providing such things as assurance, power for service, understanding of spiritual truth, resistance to sin, guidance in following God, and the character of Christ.

Crosspoint believes men and women were created in the image of God. People are the supreme object of God's creation and His affection. Besides their physical dimension, they have a moral dimension allowing them to differentiate right from wrong. They also have a spiritual dimension that would allow them to commune with God. However there remains a problem. Although every person has tremendous potential for good, the human race has been marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called "sin." Because God is Holy, sin separates people from God and causes a myriad of problems. The ultimate result of sin is spiritual death and eternal separation from God. People are incapable of changing this situation alone and therefore require God's intervention.

Crosspoint believes salvation is the only solution to the sin of humanity. Jesus Christ died on a cross for the sins of all people. Jesus Christ is the only way people can come to God to receive salvation. Salvation is God's free gift to people, but they must accept the gift. People can never earn their way to God with their own efforts or make up for their sin by self-improvement or any other good work. Instead, people must place their faith in Jesus Christ. When people choose to repent of their sins and place their faith in Jesus Christ, they are converted (or "Born Again") and consequently receive salvation (from death and sin) and a new life. Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of Christians. Consequently, nothing a believer can do can cause him or her to lose the gift of salvation.

Crosspoint believes the church is a spiritual organism. The Head of the church is Jesus Christ. The body of the church is all people who have trusted Christ for salvation. The New Testament clearly teaches that local churches are to be established. A local church is a group of believers in one location who have united around a common faith in Jesus Christ, statement of belief from the Scriptures, and mission to worship God, make disciples, and serve people. Church members are to model the life of Christ and as such are to live holy lives. The two ordinances of the church are baptism and communion. The two offices of the church are pastors (sometimes called elders) and deacons (or servant-leaders). Though the church utilizes these two offices for administrative purposes, all Christians have equal access to God and are gifted to serve Him as ministers. The leaders of the church are to model the servant leadership of Jesus. The local church is an autonomous body, free to self-govern under the Headship of Jesus Christ according to biblical principals.

Crosspoint believes that God, through the Holy Spirit, is sovereign in the bestowing of spiritual gifts at conversion. It is, however, the believer's responsibility, with the help of the church, to attempt to discover and develop their spiritual gift(s). The baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs at conversion and supernaturally places 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 a deep spiritual experience. We believe that God does hear and answer the prayer of faith for the sick and afflicted, and, in accord with His own will, supernaturally heals people of illness, injury, and disease as He sees fit. We believe it is the privilege and responsibility of every believer to minister according to the gift(s) and grace of God given to him, using the gift(s) to build and encourage the body of believers.

Crosspoint Community Church | 256.686.2626 | Alabama - Decatur • Somerville