These questions and answers are NOT elements of any sort of creed. We have no man-made creeds or doctrines. God's Word, the Bible, is sufficient for salvation. Any additions or subtractions from God's word are strongly condemned in the Bible. The questions and answers listed below are some that people ask. This is not an attempt by this website to completely characterize our congregation of Christians.

Please contact us if you would like to further study these or any other topics.

Is it necessary to believe that Jesus is the Christ?

 

Jesus said – Mark 16:15,16 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”

 

Paul said – Acts 16:30-31 "And he brought them out and said, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?' So they said, 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.'"

 

Is repentance absolutely necessary? 

 

Jesus said – Luke 13:3-5 “I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”

 

Paul said – Acts 17:30 "Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent..."

 

Must one confess with ones mouth that Jesus is the Christ?

 

Jesus said – Matthew 10:32 "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven."

Paul said – Romans 10:9,10 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Baptism - must one be baptized to be saved?

 

Jesus said – Mark 16:15,16 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”

 

Paul said – Acts 22:16 And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

 

Peter said – 1 Peter 3:21 There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

 

Can a person fall from grace?

 

Paul said - Galatians 5:4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.

 

Will there be a hell, an eternal punishment?

 

Jesus said - Matthew 25:45, 46 He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.

The word “non-institutional” frequently occurs on some literature. What does this mean?

 

The Elgin congregation engages in evangelism, benevolence and edification as authorized by God (Acts 13:1-3; Romans 15:25-26; Ephesians 4:11-16). Congregational support of man-made institutions can not be found in the New Testament. Others may refer to congregations abiding by this principle as non-institutional.

 

What is biblical faith?

 

Hebrews 11:4 “faith Abel offered“; vs 7 – “By faith Noah, …, moved” vs 8 – “By faith Abraham obeyed …and he went out”. vs 17 – “By faith Abraham, …, offered“; vs 27 – “By faith he (Moses) forsook Egypt…for he endured“;. vs 30 “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days.” James 2:20-23 “But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offeed Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’ And he was called the friend of God.”

 

James 2:26 “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” Biblical faith demands obedient action.