About North Point Church of the Keweenaw

The following statements represent a consensus concerning the foundational beliefs of North Point Church.  These statements, while not exhaustive, seek to communicate the foundational doctrines of the Christian faith that are taught in the Scriptures.  It is important that members know and understand these doctrines, however, they are not required to be able to articulate these beliefs fully.  The refutal of any of these statements may be justification for removing or preventing someone from membership, particularly if the refutal is a threat to the unity of this church.

The Holy Bible, both the Old Testament and New Testament, consisting of 66 books, is the inspired word of God and is His revelation of Himself to man.  The original Scriptures are without error and are totally true and trustworthy.  The Holy Bible is the supreme standard to know salvation and by which human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions are tried.  There is but one true interpretation of any biblical passage with different practical applications.  (Psalm 19:7-11; Psalm 119; Matthew 5:17-19; 2 Timothy 3:14-4:4; 2 Peter 1:16-21)

There is only one God, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – co-eternal in being, co-eternal in nature, co-equal in power and glory, having the same attributes and perfections.  God is self-existent and infinite in His being and His perfections – which include His holiness, sovereignty, faithfulness, and love.  It please the Triune God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – to create the universe and all things in in in six days.  As Creator, God has ownership over His creation and the right to do whatever He wishes.  Everything, especially humanity, exists for God’s glory – “for from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.  To Him be the glory forever!” *(Genesis 1; Exodus 3:1-15; Isaiah 46:9; John 10:30; Acts 5:3-4; *Romans 11:36; Ephesians 1:3-14; Colossians 1:15-17).

Man and women, as they came from the hand of God, whose image they bear, were upright and perfect, with each having different roles yet equal worth.  When Adam, the first man, voluntarily sinned, the human race fell from original perfection, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God.  All of humankind is dead in sin, and has lost all ability to will the performance of any of those works, spiritually good, that accompany salvation.  God hates sin, and will not overlook guilt or spare the guilty, and He is perfectly just in executing judgment upon sinful mankind.  (Genesis 1-3; 5:1-2; Isaiah 53:6; Romans 1-3; 5:12-21; 1 Corinthians 15:22; Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 2:1-3; 5:22-25; 1 Timothy 2:12-14).

The eternal Son of God became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin, in order that He might perfectly fulfill God’s law and redeem law-breakers.  The Lord Jesus willingly underwent the punishment which we should have bore and suffered by enduring sorrow and suffering in His body on a cross.  But the blood-shedding sacrifice of Himself on Calvary, Jesus Christ fully satisfied God’s penalty for sin.  On the third day Jesus Christ was raised from the dead with the same body in which He had suffered, only glorified; thus Jesus was proven acceptable by His Father, broke the power of death, defeated Satan, and brought everlasting life to all His people.  The Lord Jesus ascended to heaven, and now is exalted at the right hand of the Father, where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor and Advocate.  (Isaiah 53; Luke 1:26-38; John 1:1-14; 3:16; Philippians 2:5-11; 1 Corinthians 15:1-3; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Colossians 1:15-20; 3:1-4; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 4:14-16; 9:11-14; 1 Peter 2:24; 3:18; 1 John 2:1).

The Word of God is the supreme standard to know salvation through the gospel of Jesus Christ.  The gospel is the promise of eternal life on principles of righteousness that are bestowed, not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done, but solely through faith in the work of Jesus Christ as our Redeemer (see Jesus Christ above); by virtue of which faith His perfect righteousness is freely imputed to us of God and it rings us into a state of most blessed peach and favor with God.  It is the immediate duty of all people to accept the gospel of Jesus Christ by cordial, penitent, and obedient faith.  Those who believe not will be eternally condemned.  (Mark 1:15; John 3:36; Romans 1:15-17; 3:21-5:21; 10:9-17; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Ephesians 1:3-14; 2:1-10; 2 Timothy 3:15).

For the salvation of lost and sinful man regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.  There must be a miraculous work of the Holy Spirit upon the whole soul, for the producing of a new spiritual life.  By the grace of God, sinners are brought to repentance and saving faith.  Repentance that leads on to salvation is characterized by godly sorrow, and detestation of sin, and self-loathing and is accompanied by a plea for pardon and a desire to please God.  Simultaneously, the repentant person comes to saving faith, which is heartily trusting in Jesus Christ alone as the only and all sufficient Lord and Savior.  (Mark 1:15; John 3:1-8; 16:7-15; Acts 2:37-42; Ephesians 2:4-10; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 7:8-13; Titus 3:3-7; 1 Peter 1:22-25).

Those miraculously changed, or born again, are once and for all forgiven of all their sins and declared righteous by God; this righteousness accounted to them by Christ’s obedience alone.  They are adopted by God and enjoy the liberties, privileges, and discipline as children of God.  The Holy Spirit indwells godly lives in this present evil world.  Believers will continue to battle with sin in this life yet through the Spirit and the Word will progressively be sanctified.  (John 1:12; 3:3; 13:35; Romans 3:20-31; 4:5-8; 8:29; 12:10-13; 1 Corinthians 6:19; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Galatians 4:4-7; 5:16-26; 6:10; Philippians 1:6; 3:12; Hebrews 9:12; 12:3-11; 1 Peter 2:11; 1 John 4:20, 21; 5:1-5).

The eternal security of believers depends on no free will of their own, but on factors such as God’s unchanging love, the merit of intercession of Jesus Christ and the saints’ union with Hum, the promise of God and the terms of the covenant of grace, and the sealing of the Holy Spirit.  The assurance of salvation enjoyed by the saints is based upon faith in the promises of God, the inward testimony of the Holy Spirit and the responsive keeping of their hearts pleasing unto God.  (John 10:1-30; Romans 8:16, 28-39; Ephesians 1:13; 1 Peter 1:3-5; 1 John 5:13-21).

At death, the souls of the righteous are received into heaven, where they are with Christ, looking upon the face of God in light and glory, and waiting for the full redemption of their bodies.  At the last day, all souls of saints will be united with their selfsame bodies which are glorified like Christ’s. (2 Corinthians 5:1-10; Philippians 1:20-24; 3:20-21; 1 John 3:2).

The church, which is the body and bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all regenerated persons.  A local congregation of believers is a visible expression of the universal church.  A local church demonstrates and declares, both by its confession of Christ and its manner of life, that it obeys Christ’s call.  The congregating believers, operating autonomously – meaning, ruled only by the Headship of Christ, willingly consent to hold fellowship together according to Christ’s instructions, giving themselves to the Lord and to one another as God wills, and yielding full assent to the requirements of the gospel.  The regular officers of a local church are pastors/elders and deacons, whose qualifications, claims, and duties are defined in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus.  (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:41-47; 1 Corinthians 12-14; 2 Corinthians 5:18-6:1; 1 Timothy 3; Titus 1).  North Point Church of the Keweenaw is to be a congregation-led church.  The Pastor, Assistant Pastor, Elders, and Deacons guide, teach, and serve the church under prayerful guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Ordinance means decree or command.  Christ commanded His church to observe only two ordinances – baptism and the Lord’s Supper, neither of which is essential to salvation but both of which are an evidence of obedience and fellowship with the Lord.  In neither of them has the unbeliever any part.  (Romans 3:21-5:21).

Water baptism is a sacred first act of obedience by a believer in Jesus Christ, and therefore shall be administered only to those who indicate faith in Him.  Baptism is not to be regarded as optional for a believer, but neither is it to be regarded as essential for a believer.  To say baptism is not optional is to affirm the biblical expectation that a new believer in Christ will publicly declare his personal faith through water baptism.  To say baptism is not essential is to affirm the biblical emphasis on salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.  Therefore, water baptism is not essentially needed to make justification effectual.  Immersion into the water is the mode that best portrays the believer’s death, burial, and resurrection with Christ.  (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 1:4-11; Acts 2:41; 8:12, 35-38; 9:18; 10:44-48; 16:14, 15, 32, 33; Romans 6:3-5).

The Lord’s Supper is served in commemoration of Jesus’ redeeming sacrifice of Himself on the cross in our stead, for our forgiveness.  The elements are emblems of His body torn for us and His blood poured out for us, and to partake of them is to remember Him and proclaim the merits of His sacrifice for sin until He returns.  Partaking of the Lord’s Supper together is also a pledge of our communion with Christ and with one another.  (Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:14-20; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34).

God is sovereign in the bestowing of spiritual gifts.  It is, however, the responsibility of believers to attempt to develop their spiritual gift(s) and to minister according to them.  Particular spiritual gift(s), such as tongues, are neither essential, nor prove the presence of the Holy Spirit, nor are an indication of dep spiritual experience.  In the same manner, the baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs at conversion and is the placing of the believer into the Body of Christ.  Concerning healing, God does hear and answer the prayer of faith, in accordance with His own will, for the sick and afflicted.  (Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12-14; James 5:13-20).

God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring the world to its appropriate end.  It is clear in Scripture that God has appointed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness by the visible and personal return to Jesus Christ.  In that day, those who do not obey the gospel of Jesus Christ will be relegated to a final state of everlasting torments in Hell; but those who are made righteous by the redemption of Jesus Christ will inherit everlasting life.  (Matthew 25:31-46; Luke 16:19-31; John 3:14-21; Revelation 20:11-21:8).

We believe the Holy Spirit, as the third person of the triune God, is the active agent in our sanctification and seeks to produce His fruit in us as our minds are renewed and we are conformed to the image of Christ.  Though sin remains a reality, as Christians are led by the Spirit, we grow in the knowledge of the Lord and endeavor to keep His commands.  We believe that a Christian is called to do everything to the glory of God, to make disciples of all nations, to pursue love and do good to everyone, to be a faithful steward of all that God has entrusted to him/her, and to obey the Word of God in all matters of faith and life.  (1 Corinthians 10:31; Titus 2:11-12; 1 Peter 4:11-12; 1 John 2:3-6; Romans 12:1-3).

We believe that God has ordained marriage to be the union of one man and one woman in a life-long covenant, as they submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.  Husbands are called to love and lead their wives as Christ loved the Church.  Wives are called to respect and submit to their husbands as the Church submits to Jesus.  Children, from the moment of conception, are blessing from God and parents bear the primary responsibility of training them to the discipline and instruction of the Lord.  (Genesis 2:24; Deuteronomy 6:7; Psalm 139:13-16; Proverbs 22:6; Ephesians 5:21-25)