WHAT DO We believe

Coastal Oaks will cultivate deeply rooted missionaries... "That will be called righteous oaks, planted by the lord, that he may be glorified."

THE SCRIPTURES

We believe the Bible is God's Word to us, written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit.  It is the supreme source of truth for Christian living and belief.  Because it is inspired by God it is accurate, authoritative, and applicable to our everyday lives.


- 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20, 21; 2 Timothy 1:13; Psalm 119:105, 160



GOD (THE TRINITY)

We believe in one eternal God who is the Creator of all things, and He exists in three co-equal Persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. 


- Genesis 1:1, 26, 27; 3:22; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; 2 Peter 1:2, 2 Corinthians 13:14



THE FATHER

God as Father reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, and the flow of the stream of human history according to the purposes of His grace.  He is all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving, and all-wise.  God is Father in truth to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ.


- 1 Chronicles 29:10; Matthew 6:9-13; Mark 1:9-11; John 4:24; 14:6-13; Romans 8:14-15; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Ephesians 4:6; 1 Timothy 1:17



JESUS CHRIST

Jesus Christ is the Son of God.  He is co-equal with the Father.  Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross.  He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death.  He ascended to Heaven's glory and will return again someday to Earth to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.


- Matthew 1:22, 23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5, 14:10-30; Hebrews 4:14, 15; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Romans 1:3, 4; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Timothy 6:14,15; Titus 2:13



THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son of God.  He is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ.  He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation.  He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right.  He gives every believer a spiritual gift when they are saved, and as Christians we seek to live under His control daily.


- 2 Corinthians 3:17; John 16:7-13, 14:16, 17; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 2:12, 3:16



HUMANITY

All people are made in the spiritual image of God, to be like Him in character, and mankind is the supreme object of God's creation.  Although every person has tremendous potential for good, all of us are marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called "sin."  This attitude separates people from God and causes many problems in life.


- Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6a; Romans 3:23; Isaiah 59:1-2



ETERNITY

People were created to exist forever. We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation.  To be eternally separated from God is Hell.  To be eternally in union with Him is eternal life.  Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal existence.


- John 3:16; John 2:25; John 5:11-13; Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:15; Matthew 1:8, 2:44,46



ETERNAL SECURITY

Because God gives us eternal life through Jesus Christ, the true believer is secure in that salvation for eternity.  Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by self-effort.  It is the grace and keeping power of God that gives us this security.


- John 10:28, 29; 2 Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 7:25; 10:10, 14; 1 Peter 1:3-5



MARRIAGE & FAMILY

God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society.  Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime.  It is God's unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His church and to provide for the man and the woman in marriage the framework for intimate companionship, the channel of sexual expression according to biblical standards, and the means for procreation of the human race.  The husband and wife are of equal worth before God, since both are created in God's image.


- Genesis 1:26-28; 2:15-25; 3:1-20; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Joshua 24:15; Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; 9:9; Malachi 2:14-16; Matthew 5:31-32; 18:2-5; 19:3-9; Mark 10:6-12; Romans 1:18-32; 1 Corinthians 7:1-16; Ephesians 5:21-33; 6:1-4; Colossians 3:18-21; 1 Timothy 5:8,14; 2 Timothy 1:3-5; Titus 2:3-5; Hebrews 13:4; 1 Peter 3:1-7



BAPTISM

Baptism in water by immersion is a direct commandment of Jesus and is for believers only.  Baptism is an ordinance symbolic of the Christian’s identification with Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection.


- Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38; Mark 16:16; Acts 8:12, 36-38; 10:47-48, Colossians 2:12



THE CHURCH

We believe in the power and significance of the Church in the world at large and the necessity of believers to meet regularly together for fellowship, prayer, and the "breaking of bread."  We believe the Church is the global collection of God's people saved by faith in Jesus Christ, who willingly pursue the characteristics of a disciple of Jesus, living out the Gospel in ways that bring others to be saved by faith in Christ.


- Matthew 16:18-19, 18:15-20; Acts 2:41-47, 5:11-14, 13:1-3, 14:23, 16:5, 20:28; 1 Corinthians 7:17; Ephesians 1:22-23, 2:19-22, 3:10-12, 5:22-32; Colossians 1:18, 3:15; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Revelation 21:2-3


*Adapted from the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message