About Us

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MARANATHA CHURCH CORTLAND Statement of Faith

To set forth in order a declaration of those things what are most surely believed among us, we place on record the Confession of Faith to which we as the church fully subscribe.

OF THE SCRIPTURES 

We believe that the Holy Bible was written by men supernaturally inspired; that it has truth without any admixture of error for its matter; and therefore is, and shall remain to the end of the age, the only complete and final revelation of the will of God to man; the true center of Christian union and the supreme standard and authority by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions should be tried.

• By "The Holy Bible" we mean that collection of sixty-six books, from Genesis to Revelation, which, as originally written, does not only contain and convey the Word of God but IS the very Word of God.
• By "Inspiration" we mean that the books of the Bible were written by holy men of old, as they were moved by the Holy Spirit, in such a definite way that their writings were supernaturally and verbally inspired and free from error, as no other writings have ever been or ever will be inspired.

OF THE TRUE GOD

We believe that there is one, and only one, living and true God, an infinite intelligent Spirit, the Maker and Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth; inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy of all possible honor, confidence and love; that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, equal in every divine perfection, and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption.                                                         

OF THE PERSON OF CHRIST 

The Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, equal with God the Father and God the Spirit and of the same nature. In His incarnation He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. Jesus perfectly revealed and did the will of the Father, taking upon Himself human nature with its demands and necessities and identifying Himself completely with mankind yet without sin. He honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and in His substitutionary death on the cross He made provision for the redemption of all mankind from sin. He was literally and physically raised from the dead with a glorified body and appeared to His disciples as the Person who was with them before His crucifixion. He ascended into heaven and is exalted at the right hand of God the Father where He is our Advocate and High Priest, the One Mediator, fully God, fully man, in whose Person is effected the reconciliation between God and man. He will return in power and glory to judge the world which he created, consummate His mission, and assume His rightful throne. He now dwells in all believers as the living and ever present Lord.

OF THE HOLY SPIRIT 

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine Person; equal with God the Father and God the Son and of the same nature; that He was active in the creation; that in His relation to the unbelieving world He restrains the Evil One until God's purpose is fulfilled; that He convicts the world of sin and the believer of righteousness and of judgment; that He bears witness to the truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony; that He is the Agent in the New Birth; that He seals, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies, and helps the believer. 

OF THE DEVIL OR SATAN

We believe that Satan was once holy and enjoyed heavenly honors; but, through pride and ambition to be as the Almighty, fell and drew after him a host of angels; and that he is now the malignant prince of the power of the air, and the unholy god of this world. We hold him to be man's great tempter, the enemy of God and His Christ, the accuser of the saints, the author of all false religion, the chief power behind the present apostasy, the lord of the antichrist, and the author of all powers of darkness-destined, however, to final defeat at the hands of God's own Son, and the judgment of an eternal justice in hell, a place prepared for him and his angels.

OF THE CREATION 

We believe in the Genesis account of creation; that it is to be accepted literally, and not allegorically or figuratively; that man was created directly in God's own image and after His own likeness; that man's creation was not a matter of evolution or evolutionary change of species, or developments through interminable periods of time from lower to higher forms; that all animals and vegetable life were made directly; and that God's established law was that they should bring forth only "after their kind."

• Special creation of the existing space-time universe and all its basic systems and kinds of organisms in the six literal days of the creation week.
• The full historicity and perspicuity of the biblical record of primeval history, including the literal existence of Adam and Eve as the progenitors of all people, the literal fall and resultant divine curse on the creation, the worldwide cataclysmic deluge and the origin of nations and languages at the tower of Babel.
• Since God created mankind into genders distinctly male and female we believe that the only legitimate marriage is that between a biological man and a biological woman.  God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of marriage.  We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex.  We believe that God rejects any attempt to alter one’s gender by surgery or appearance.

OF THE FALL OF MAN 

We believe that man was created in innocence under the law of his Maker, but by voluntary transgression fell from his sinless and happy state. In consequence of which, all men are now sinners, not by constraint, but by choice, and therefore under just condemnation without defense or excuse.

OF THE VIRGIN BIRTH 

We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten of the Holy Ghost in a miraculous manner, born of Mary, a virgin, as no other man was ever born or can ever be born of a woman, and He is both the Son of God, and God the Son.

OF THE ATONEMENT FOR SIN 

We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace through the mediatorial offices of the Son of God, who by the appointment of the Father, freely took upon Him our nature, yet without sin, honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and by His death made a full and vicarious atonement for our sins; that His atonement consisted not in setting us an example by His death as a martyr, but was the voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner's place, the Just dying for the unjust, Christ the Lord, bearing our sins in His own body on the tree; and that, having risen from the dead, He is now enthroned in heaven and uniting in His wonderful person the tenderest sympathies with divine perfection. He is in every way qualified to be a suitable, compassionate, and an all-sufficient Savior.

OF THE GRACE IN THE NEW CREATION 

We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be born again, that the new birth is a new creation in Jesus Christ; that it is instantaneous and not a process; that in the new birth the one dead in trespasses and in sins is made a partaker of the divine nature and receives eternal life, the free gift of God; that the new creation is brought about in a manner above our comprehension, not by culture, not by character, nor by the will of man, but wholly and solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with divine truth, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the Gospel; that its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance and faith and newness of life.

OF FREENESS OF SALVATION 

We believe in God's electing grace; that the blessings of salvation are made free to all by the Gospel; that it is the immediate duty of all to accept them by a cordial, penitent, and obedient faith; and that nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner on earth but his own inherent depravity and voluntary rejection of the Gospel; which rejection involves him in an aggravated condemnation. We believe the Savior, by His atoning work and through His Gospel, gave hope to every member of the human family. 

OF JUSTIFICATION 

We believe that the great Gospel blessing which Christ secures to such as believe in Him is justification; that justification includes the pardon of sin and the gift of eternal life on principles of righteousness; that it is bestowed not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done; but solely through faith in the Redeemer's blood. His righteousness is imputed unto us.

OF REPENTANCE AND FAITH 

We believe that repentance and faith are solemn obligations, and also inseparable graces, wrought in our souls by the quickening Spirit of God. Thereby, being deeply convicted of our guilt, danger, and helplessness, and of the way of salvation by Christ, we turn to God with unfeigned contrition, confession, and supplication for mercy, at the same time heartily receiving the Lord Jesus Christ and openly confessing Him as our only and all-sufficient Savior.

OF THE CHURCH 

We believe that the true Christian church is a congregation of baptized believers associated by a covenant of faith and fellowship of the Gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws; and exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word; that its officers of ordination are pastors or elders, whose qualifications, claims, and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures. We believe the true mission of the church is found in the Great Commission: first, to make individual disciples; second, to build up the church; third, to teach and instruct as He commanded. We do not believe in the reversal of the order. We hold that the local church has the absolute right of self-government, free from interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations; that the one and only Superintendent is Christ through the Holy Spirit; that it is scriptural for true churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the Gospel; that every church is the sole and only judge of the measure and method of its cooperation; and that on all matters of membership, policy, government, discipline, or benevolence, the will of the local church is final.

OF BAPTISM AND THE LORD’S SUPPER 

We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion in water of a believer, in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, with authority of the local church, to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior, with its effect in our death to sin and resurrection to a new life, that it is prerequisite to the privileges of a church relation and the Lord's Supper; in which the members of the church by the sacred use of bread and wine are to commemorate together the dying love of Christ; preceded always by solemn self-examination.

OF GENUINE SAVING FAITH AND ETERNAL SECURITY 

We believe that such only are real believers as have placed saving faith in Christ; that a special Providence watches over their welfare; that they are kept by the power of God through faith unto eternal salvation; and that the grand mark which distinguishes them from superficial professors is spiritual fruit produced as they abide in Christ.

OF THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE WICKED 

We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that such only as through faith are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and sanctified by the Spirit of God, are truly righteous in His esteem; while all such as continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight wicked, and under the curse, and this distinction holds among men both in and after death, in the everlasting felicity of the saved and the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost.

OF CIVIL GOVERNMENT 

We believe that civil government is of divine appointment for the interest and good order of human society; that magistrates are to be prayed for and conscientiously honored and obeyed except only in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the only Lord of the conscience and the coming Prince of the kings of the earth.

OF THE RESURRECTION AND RETURN OF CHRIST AND RELATED EVENTS 

We commit ourselves to the historical grammatical interpretation of the Scriptures that verify the literal, bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave. We also affirm that He ascended "to the right hand of the throne of God;" that He alone is our "merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God." (Luke 24:36-42; John 20:24-29). We believe that the Bible is clear that the next event on the prophetic timetable is the Rapture of the saved (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). This is the “Blessed Hope”. We believe the Lord's coming to be imminent. (I Corinthians 15:51-58; John 14:1-4; Titus 2:11-14). We believe in a pre-tribulation Rapture of believers, and a premillennialism return of Christ to the earth to establish His Kingdom.

This Statement of Faith is not intended to be an exhaustive expression of the fullness of our Biblical beliefs, but it sets forth the core beliefs that the ministry of this church is based on.