Be Known at Oregon's Christian University

2012-2013 Academic Catalog and Handbook

Seminary Statement of Faith

Statement of Faith

The Trinity

We believe in one eternal God, the source and goal of life, who exists as three persons in the Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In love and joy, God creates and sustains the universe, including humanity, male and female, who are made in God's image.

God the Father

We believe in God the Father Almighty, whose love is the foundation of salvation and righteous judgment, and who calls us into covenant relationship with God and with one another.

God the Son

We believe in Jesus Christ, the Word, who is fully God and fully human. He came to show us God and perfect humanity, and, through his life, death, and resurrection, to reconcile us to God. He is now actively present with us as Savior, Teacher, Lord, Healer, and Friend.

God the Holy Spirit

We believe in the Holy Spirit, who breathed God's message into the prophets and apostles, opens our eyes to God's Truth in Jesus Christ, empowers us for holy living, and carries on in us the work of salvation.

Salvation
We believe that salvation comes through Jesus Christ alone, to whom we must respond with repentance, faith, and obedience. Through Christ we come into a right relationship with God, our sins are forgiven, and we receive eternal life.
The Bible

We believe that God inspired the Bible and has given it to us as the uniquely authoritative, written guide for Christian living and thinking. As illumined by the Holy Spirit, the Scriptures are true and reliable. They point us to God, guide our lives, and nurture us toward spiritual maturity.

The Christian Life

We believe that God has called us to be and to make disciples of Jesus Christ and to be God's agents of love and reconciliation in the world. In keeping with the teaching of Jesus, we work to oppose violence and war, and we seek peace and justice in human relationships and social structures.

The Church

We believe in the church as the people of God, composed of all who believe in Jesus Christ, who support and equip each other through worship, teaching, and accountability, who model God's loving community, and who proclaim the gospel to the world.

Christian Worship

We believe Christ is present as we gather in his name, seeking to worship in spirit and in truth. All believers are joined in the one body of Christ, are baptized by the Spirit, and live in Christ's abiding presence. Christian baptism and communion are spiritual realities, and, as Christians from many faith traditions, we celebrate these in different ways.

The Future

We believe in the personal return of Jesus Christ, in the resurrection of the dead, in God's judgment of all persons with perfect justice and mercy, and in eternal reward and punishment. Ultimately, Christ's kingdom will be victorious over all evil, and the faithful will reign with him in eternal life.

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