What we Believe

At IC3, we endeavor to be genuine disciples whose lives are centered on Christ, glorifying him in all we do. We seek to agree on the "major" things and allow for differing opinions in the "minor" things. We understand that the marks of the true Christian Church are unity and love (John 17:21-22)

We are made up of many people from many different backgrounds, but we seek to come together as one (Colossians 3:15). While we are committed to preserving, and teaching the truth of Scripture without compromise, we are also committed to glorifying God instead of arguing over petty issues.

The Bible

The Bible is God’s Word to us. It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme and only source of truth for Christian beliefs and living.
Psalm 12:6, 119: 105,160; Proverbs 30:5; 2 Timothy 1:13, 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21

God

God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed in three persons: The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. These three are coequal and are one God.
Genesis 1:1,26-27, 3:22; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19;2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 Peter 1:2

Jesus

Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is coequal with the Father. Thus, He was God in human form or “God with us.” Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on the 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 someday as the conqueror and supreme judge to claim His own and take them to Heaven.
Isaiah 9:6; Matthew 1:22-23; John 1:1-5, 14:10-30; Acts 1:9-11; Romans 1:3-4; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 1 Timothy 6:14-15; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 4:14-15

Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is coequal with the Father and the Son of God. He is present in the world to convict people of sin and make them aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every genuine Christian working to provide power for becoming like Christ in attitude and action. He provides the Christian with understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. As Christians, we seek to submit ourselves daily to the influence of the Holy Spirit.
John 14:16-17, John 16:7-13; Acts 1:8; Romans 5:5; 1 Corinthians 2:12, 3:16; 2 Corinthians 3:17; Galatians 5:25; Ephesians 1:13, 5:18

Salvation

Salvation – the forgiveness of sins–cannot be earned, but is given to us only by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ. (Matthew 26:28; Romans 5:1-11; 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-10; Hebrews 10:19-22; 1 Peter 1:18, 19; 1 John 1:7).
The New Testament directs everyone to respond to God by admitting their sin and their need for God’s grace (Romans 3:23; Titus 3:3-7), believing and confessing the truth about Jesus (Matthew 10:32; Romans 10:9, 10) pointing their lives away from sin (“repenting” – Luke 24:45-47; Acts 3:19;17:30), trusting Jesus as Savior and LORD (Romans 10:11-13; Philippians 2:11), and being baptized (immersed in water) into Christ (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:1-4).

People

People are made in the image of God, to be like Him in character. 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; 59:1-2; Romans 3:23

Eternity

People will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or exist eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is eternal death in Hell. To be eternally in union with Him is eternal life in Heaven.
John 3:16, 14:17; Romans 6:23; 8:17-18; 1 Corinthians 2:7-9; Revelation 20:15

Communion

Communion at IC3 is defined as Scripture defines it. Communion is a memorial, a new covenant, and a proclamation. It is a sacred event for those who have a vital, biblical relationship with Jesus.
1 Corinthians 11:23-30.
We take communion every week in our services.

Marriage

Marriage has been ordained by God and is a sacrament of the Church. This defines "marriage" as the exclusive covenantal union of one man and one woman.
Genesis 1:27, 2:24; Matthew 19:4-6; Hebrews 13:4; Ephesians 5:25-32

Spiritual Gifts

We believe that the exact interpretation of how the Holy Spirit works is not a salvation issue. However, we do maintain that God has designed the local church like a physical body, with Jesus Christ as the head. Every Christian is gifted and serves a unique purpose in the body of Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:17-30; 1 Corinthians 14:4-28; Romans 12:6-8; 1 John 4:1

Eternal Security

This has been a long-standing argument between scholars on this subject. One extreme believes that salvation can be lost at any moment if we sin or turn our backs on Christ. The other believes we can never lose our salvation no matter what we do. We believe and maintain that an individual's stance on this topic is not a salvation issue.
Hebrews 3:14.

End Times

We believe there will be a literal return of Christ and a judgment day. We also believe there will be a literal rapture (a catching up of the saints). We believe the details are in God’s hands and this is not a salvation issue.
Matthew 12:36; John 5:22, 16:8; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 2 Peter 3:7; Jude 6