We are sinners saved by grace, beloved children of God, and a priesthood called by God. We firmly believe and uphold the following:

 

The Scriptures: We believe that "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God”, by which we understand the whole Bible is inspired in the sense that holy men of God “were moved by the Holy Spirit” to write the very words of Scripture. We believe that this divine inspiration extends equally and fully to all parts of the writings—historical, poetical, doctrinal, and prophetic—as appeared in the original manuscripts. We believe that the whole Bible in the originals is therefore without error. We believe that all Scripture centers around the Lord Jesus Christ, in His person and work, in His first and second coming, and hence that no portion, even of the Old Testament, is properly read, or understood, until it leads to Him. We also believe that all the Scriptures were designed for our practical instruction and therefore the Bible is the ultimate authority and guiding principle for our Christian faith and living.

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The Trinity: We believe that the Godhead eternally exists in three Persons —the Holy Father, the Holy Son, and the Holy Spirit—and that these three are one God, having precisely the same nature, attributes, and perfections, and worthy of precisely the same homage, confidence, and obedience.

 

The Holy Father: We believe that the Holy Father, Almighty God, is the beginning and the end of all creation; all is of Him, by Him, and for Him.

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The Holy Son: We believe that the Holy Son Jesus Christ is both true God and true Man. He was born by the Holy Spirit through the virgin Mary; He obeyed the will of the Father God and died on the cross as an atonement for sinners, the righteous substituted for the unrighteous so that because of His precious blood all who believe in Him may be justified. According to the Scriptures, Christ rose from the dead on the third day, thus defeating the devil who held the power of death; The Holy Son Jesus Christ ascended on high, and is now seated at the right hand of God the Father. Christ is the sole Mediator between God and man, and only through Him may believers enter the presence of the Father. He will come again to establish His Kingdom of glory.

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The Holy Spirit: We believe that after His ascension, Jesus Christ sent the Holy Spirit, as promised by the Father, to the world. The Holy Spirit is fully God and reproves the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; all who believe in Jesus Christ receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and are baptized by the Spirit into the Body of Christ; the Holy Spirit is the Comforter for believers, who leads believers into the truth, and gives all spiritual gifts to build up the Church.

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The Church: We believe that Christ is the head of the Church, and the Church is the Body of Christ, the full-ness of Him that fills all in all. We believe that all who acknowledge Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord are united with Him as members of His body, the one true Church. Scripture commands believers to gather for worship, prayer, fellowship, and the teaching of the Word; to observe Baptism and Communion as established by Jesus Christ; to offer service to the body through development and use of talents and gifts and outreach to the world. The local expression of the church is wherever God’s people meet regularly in obedience to this command. Cared for and led by the leadership of SVCA, believers are to work together in love and unity for the ultimate purpose of glorifying Christ. We also believe that each believer at SVCA needs to obey and submit to the leadership of the Board of Directors of SVCA regarding matters concerning SVCA.

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Marriage and Sexuality: We, according to the Bible, believe that God has established marriage as a lifelong, exclusive relationship between one biological man at birth and one biological woman at birth, which can only be separated by death or adultery, and that all sexual activity outside of the marriage relationship is sin. We believe that God created the human race male and female in His image and that any and all conduct with the intent to adopt a gender other than one’s birth gender is sin.

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Salvation: The central purpose of God’s revelation in Scripture is to call people into fellowship with Him. Originally created to be in relationship with God, humans defied Him by going their own independent way (sin), resulting in alienation from Him and the innate inability to please God. This fall took place at the beginning of human history; since then all people have suffered these consequences and are in need of the saving grace of God. The salvation of humanity is completely a work of God’s free grace; it is not in any way the result of human works or goodness. Each person can receive salvation by repentance to God and accepting Jesus Christ as Savior.

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The Christian Life: We believe that people in a saving relationship with Jesus Christ are to live in holiness and obedience as we submit to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit renews and indwells each believer upon salvation, becoming our source of assurance, strength, wisdom, and gifting for building up the Church. The Holy Spirit guides believers in understanding and applying the Bible. Appropriated by faith, His power and control empower believers to live a life of Christlike character and bear fruit for the Father’s glory.