The Christian Chain, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization located in Phoenix, Arizona with 501(c)(3) Public Charity status from the IRS. Below is our Statement of Faith.
Statement of Faith
We believe that we are to continually grow in our knowledge of God and the Scriptures, which means that doctrines held one day may be slightly altered the next. That being said, it is also important to note that everything that God desires us to know is stated clearly through Scripture if we do not allow our bias to get in the way and that it is important to not allow beliefs of this world to change how we understand the truths from Scripture.
We also believe that there are some things in Scripture that may be hard for our finite minds to comprehend as they deal with an infinite God; this is the Divinum Mysterium, or the Divine Mystery. It is often these topics that tend to divide rather than unify God’s Church. These topics should not be considered salvation issues, but more semantics of faith and should be studied, discussed and even debated in an effort to grow in our understanding of God.
For this reason, the statements listed below are general in one sense as many common topics are excluded from our list. Just because they are not listed does not necessarily mean that we do not hold to them or view them as important topics of faith.
The statements below are specific in another sense as they specifically state what we believe to be core salvation based beliefs. We believe that there are some core tenets to the Christian faith that must be upheld if someone is to consider themselves a follower of Christ.
- We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons and one essence: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
- We believe in God the Father, sovereign Lord, eternally existent.
- We believe in Jesus Christ (God the Son): the only Son of God the Father, begotten of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary and is true God and true man.
- We believe in The Holy Spirit: sent by the Father as promised by the Son to convict the world of sin, to glorify Jesus and to transform the lives of believers into the likeness of Christ.
- We believe in the Holy Scriptures and their transformational work in the lives of those who choose to put their faith in God.
- We believe that humanity is sinful and thereby incurs not only physical death but also spiritual death which is separation from God; and that all human beings are born separated from God with a sinful nature.
- We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice, and that all who believe in Him are redeemed and justified on the ground of His shed blood.
- We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord, His ascension into heaven, and His present life for us as High Priest and Advocate.
- We believe that all who receive by faith the Lord Jesus Christ are born of the Holy Spirit and thereby become children of God.
- We believe that the Church is a spiritual organism made up of all believers in Christ throughout history and from a multitude of ethnicities and cultures.