What We Believe

The gospel is the good news of God’s grace invading the darkness of this world. It is the grand narrative of creation, fall, redemption and consummation ordained by God and orchestrated through the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. Christ’s crucifixion is the heart of the gospel. His resurrection is the power of the gospel. His ascension is the glory of the gospel.

God exists eternally in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The three have distinct personalities and yet are of the same substance, one God. (Gen. 1:1; John 10:30; John 4:24; Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14)

The eternal Son of God became incarnate in the Lord Jesus Christ, being born of  the virgin Mary, and is true God and true man. He died physically on the cross and was bodily resurrected three days later, and thereafter bodily ascended to heaven. (John 1:1, 14, 18; 5:18; Heb. 1:1-9; 5:8; 1 John 5:20; 1 Tim. 2:5; 1 Cor. 15:1-5 )

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. He regenerates, indwells, baptizes, and seals all believers in Christ at the point of faith in Christ, and empowers those yielded to God. (Matt. 28:19; John 3:3-7; Titus 3:5; 1 Cor. 6:19; Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 2:12; 12:13;  Eph. 4:30; Col. 3:14)

Every word in the original writings is inspired by God and is without error. It is accurate in all matters to which it speaks, spiritual, historical, and scientific. The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the foundation of  the faith and practice of The Brook.
(2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:21).

Man is created in the image and likeness of God. In Adam, all mankind fell into sin with the result that all men are sinners. Men are justly condemned to  eternal judgment and can do nothing to merit salvation. (Rom. 2:2,3,5; Eph.  2:8,9; Gen. 1:27, 9:6; Rom. 3:23; 5:12; Eph. 2:1)

Salvation is given to those men chosen by God and drawn to Christ by the Holy Spirit. The only means to their salvation is belief in Christ’s substitutionary death and resurrection. (Acts 4:12; 13:38,39; I Cor. 15:1-4; Rom. 4:4,5; 5:1; John  3:16; Eph. 2:8,9; Acts 16:31; Eph. 1:4,5; Rom. 8:29,30)

Every believer is promised positional, progressive, and ultimate sanctification. (Heb. 10:10,14; John 17:15-17; Eph. 5:26-27; 1 Thess. 4:3,4; 1 John 3:2; 1 Cor.  6:11)

All who are born through faith in Christ can have assurance of salvation and are eternally secure in Christ. (Romans 5:1, 1 John 5:13, John 10:27-29; 17-12, 2 Timothy 1:12, Ephesians 4:30, John 6:37)

The church is composed of all believers. It is the body and bride of Christ, formed by the baptism of the Holy Spirit and existing in two aspects, universal  and local. The universal church is an elect company of believers, baptized by  the Holy Spirit into one body. Its mission is to witness to its Head, Jesus Christ, preaching the gospel among all nations.  It will be caught up to meet the Lord, after which He will return to set up His Kingdom. The local church is a group of believers voluntarily joined together in love to worship God with praise and thanksgiving, and to glorify Jesus Christ through an aggressive effort to disciple others by the preaching of the gospel, and the exercise of spiritual gifts.

Spiritual gifts are God-given abilities for service, i.e., “for the equipping of  the saints for the work of service to the building up of the body of Christ.” Ephesians 4:1-16; I Corinthians 12:7,11; 1 Peter 4:10; Romans 12:1-6

Christians are called to a holy life of service and testimony in the power of the Holy Spirit, which service includes the propagation of the gospel message to the whole world.  There is promised reward in heaven for their faithfulness in such service. (1 Peter 1:15, 16; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 3:12-17; John 14:1-3)

The Bible sets forth two ordinances, the Lord’s Supper and water baptism. The Lord’s Supper is to be celebrated regularly in remembrance of Christ’s death on the cross, and in expectation of His return. Water baptism is an outward testimony of a person’s belief in Christ. Immersion is the ideal means set forth in Scripture. (Matt. 28:19,20; Mark 16:15,16; Acts 8:12,36-38; 9:18; 10:47; 1 Cor. 11:23-26).