Theological Statement of Trailside Church
For any questions regarding our beliefs, please contact us below!
Holy Bible
The Holy Bible, and only the Bible, is the authoritative Word of God. It alone is the final authority in determining all doctrinal truths. In its original writing, it is inspired, infallible and inerrant. It is fully contained by the 66 books of the Old and New Testament. We fully reject any additional resources as scriptural authority. The Bible is the inerrant Word of God detailing a historical perspective of creation, God’s covenant promises, judgement, correction, and love for His people, given to us by books of History, Law, Poetry, and Prophets in the Old Testament; additionally it contains the Gospels, Letters to the Church, and writings of Disciples for instruction as well as Prophecy of Jesus’ return. It is, in whole, God’s love letter to His bride, the Church, and is good for correction, instruction, and exhortation for all of those whom He loves. (II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:20-21; Proverbs 30:5; Romans 16:25-26).
The Trinity
There is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. These three are coequal and co-eternal, of one essence, and fully divine. Commonly referred to as “the Mystery of the Faith”, the Trinity is a greater truth in It’s own infinite nature than our finite humanity can fully comprehend. As Augustine once said, “If man can define God, then it is not god they have defined.” For a greater look into the Trinity, please watch the series “God is..” from August of 2024 on our website or YouTube page. (I John 5:7; Genesis 1:26; Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19; Luke 1:35; Isaiah 9:6; Hebrews 3:7-11).
Jesus Christ, God the Son
Jesus Christ is God the Son, the second person of the Trinity. On earth, Jesus was 100% God and 100% man. He is the only man ever to have lived a sinless life. He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, performed miracles, died on the cross for mankind and thus, atoned for our sins through the shedding of His blood. He rose from the dead on the third day according to the Scriptures, ascended to the right hand of the Father, and will return again in power and glory. It is only by Him and through Him that man may be redeemed, and there is no other. (John 1:1,14, 20:28; I Timothy 3:16; Isaiah 9:6; Philippians 2:5-6; 1 Timothy 2:5).
The Virgin Birth
Jesus Christ was conceived by God the Father, through the Holy Spirit (the third person of the Trinity) in the virgin Mary’s womb; He is the Son of God. We believe that scripture teaches this is in fulfillment of the Scriptures, and through his humble birth as a human, continued to live a sinless life and brought redemption through His purposed death on the cross and resurrection from the grave. (Matthew 1:18, 25; Luke 1:35; Isaiah 7:14; Luke 1:27-35).
Redemption
Man was created good and upright, but by voluntary transgression he fell; his only hope of redemption is in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. God, knowing and loving His creation, while needing nothing, sent His Son to die a death to justify the sin of His people, and through His sacrifice, we receive His imputed righteousness so that all those who confess with their mouths that Jesus is Lord and believe in their hearts that He was raised from the grave will be saved. It is the free, unearned, and irrevocable gift that God gives His people in order that death would not bring judgement, but eternal life with Him forever. (Gen. 1:26-31, 3:1-7; John 3:16-17; Romans 5:12-21; 10:9-10).
Regeneration
For anyone to know God, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential and is birthed from God Himself before the foundations of the world. God alone hardens and softens the heart, and through the act of God alone, regeneration brings man into an acknowledgement of their own sin and need for redemption, which God alone gives through His death and resurrection. (John 6:44, 65; Matthew 19:28; Romans 8 & 9; Titus 3:5).
Salvation
We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone; His death, burial, and resurrection. Salvation is a gift from God, not a result of our good works or of any human efforts. There is nothing we can do to earn God’s favor in order to attain it, Salvation is only received by those in whom God has regenerated, called, and loved. (Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 2:16, 3:8; Titus 3:5; Romans 10:9-10; Acts 16:31; Hebrew 9:22).
Repentance
Repentance is the acknowledgment of our sinful heart and bent towards sin, which separates us from God; followed by the commitment to turn away from sin in every area of our lives and to follow Christ, which allows us to receive His redemption and to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit. Thus, through repentance we receive forgiveness of sins and appropriate salvation. Repentance, in plain terms, means to turn away from and come back to security. (Acts 2:21, 3:19; I John 1:9).
Sanctification
Sanctification is the lifelong ongoing process of yielding to God’s Word and His Spirit in order to complete the development of Christ’s character in us. It is through the present ministry of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God that the Christian is enabled to live a Godly life. The process of sanctification is never fully complete, as we cannot on earth ever become fully sinless. (I Thessalonians 4:3, 5:23; II Corinthians 3:18, 6:14-18, II Thessalonians 2:1-3, Romans 8:29, 12:1-2, Hebrews 2:11).
Jesus' Blood
The Blood that Jesus Christ shed on the Cross of Calvary was sinless and is 100% sufficient to cleanse mankind of the penalty of our sin. Jesus allowed Himself to be punished for both our sinfulness and our sins, enabling all those who believe to be free from the penalty of sin, which is death. It is by His blood we are saved. We regularly partake of the Lord’s Supper, instituted by Christ Himself just before His death, as a sign of remembrance of His sacrifice. (I John 1:7; Revelation 1:5, 5:9; Colossians 1:20; Romans 3:10-12, 23, 5:9; John 1:29).
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is manifested through a variety of spiritual gifts to build and sanctify the church, demonstrate the validity of the resurrection, and confirm the power of the Gospel. The Bible lists of these gifts are not necessarily exhaustive, and the gifts may occur in various combinations. All believers are commanded to earnestly desire spiritual gifts in their lives. These gifts always operate in harmony with the Scriptures and should never be used in violation of Biblical parameters. We do not adhere to a second baptism commonly referred to as “Baptism of the Spirit” that is typically viewed as a secondary event after salvation, and we do not believe that spiritual gifting such as tongues and ‘prayer languages’ are evidence of the Holy Spirit’s active example in a believer’s life. (Hebrews 2:4; Romans 1:11, 12 :4-8; Ephesians 4:16; I Timothy 4:14; II Timothy 1:6-7; I Corinthians 12:1-31, 14:1-40; I Peter 4:10).
The Church
The church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of Jesus’ Great Commission. Every person who is a reborn follower of Jesus is an integral part of the church as a member of the body of believers. There is a spiritual unity of all believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, protected by the church Elders and Pastors. The Church is the Bride of Christ, whose He gave Himself up for the redemption of, eternally. (Ephesians 1:22, 2:19-22; Hebrews 12:23; John 17:11, 20-23).
Sacraments
Water Baptism: Following faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the new convert is commanded by the Word of God to be baptized in water in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. We practice a full immersion baptism of new believers, and believe in one baptism demonstrating the forgiveness of sin, as a public statement of one’s faith. (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38; Mark 16:16; Acts 8:12, 36-38; 10:47-48).
The Lord’s Supper: A unique time of communion in the presence of God when the elements of bread and juice (the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ) are taken in remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross, instituted and instructed by Christ Himself at the conclusion of the Last Supper. We celebrate this monthly as a congregation as a remembrance of His death and resurrection. (Matthew 26:26-29; I Corinthians 10:16, 11:23-25).
Resurrection
Jesus Christ was physically resurrected from the dead in a glorified body three days after His death on the cross. In addition, both the saved and the lost will be resurrected; they that are saved to the resurrection of life and they that are lost to the resurrection of eternal damnation. As the apostle Paul stated, if there was no resurrection, we are to be pitied by all. Because Jesus indeed rose from the grave, we too shall partake in eternity with Him being found worthy by His sacrifice. (Luke 24:16, 36, 39; John 2:19-21, 20:26-28, 21:4; Acts 24:15; I Corinthians 15:42, 44; Philippians 1:21-23, 3:21).
Heaven and Hell (Eternity)
Heaven is the eternal dwelling place for all believers in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, where there is and will be no sin, weeping, brokenness, and fear. It is a place where we will dwell with Christ forever, in a redemptive and fully restored perfect relationship, forever. (Matthew 5:3, 12, 20, 6:20, 19:21, 25:34; John 17:24; II Corinthians 5:1; Hebrews 11:16; I Peter 1:4).
After living one life on earth, the unbelievers will be judged by God and sent to Hell where they will be eternally tormented with the Devil and the Fallen Angels (Matthew 25:41; Mark 9:43-48; Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 14:9-11, 20:12-15, 21:8).
Second Coming
Jesus Christ will physically and visibly return to earth for the second time to establish His Kingdom. This will occur at a date undisclosed by the Scriptures, known only by God himself. We do not hold to the extra biblical theological belief of a ‘rapture event’, only that Jesus will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead. (Matthew 24:30, 26:63-64; Acts 1:9-11; I Thessalonians 4:15-17; II Thessalonians 1:7-8; Revelation 1:7)