Southwest Core Theological Beliefs
There are all kinds of beliefs, viewpoints, and assumptions in our culture. We’ve found beliefs are best discovered in relationship. Regardless of where you are, you’re welcome to explore with us what it looks like to follow Jesus in real life. The following core theological beliefs are rooted in scripture and motivated by our desire to be obedient to God’s Word.
There is only one true God. He is the Creator of all life and the Supreme Ruler of the universe. He has always been (He is eternal) and co-exists equally in three Persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. We learn about God through His creation, His Word, and His Son. He rules over creation in Love, Justice and Wisdom.
(Genesis 1:26-27; Deuteronomy 6:4; Job 38:1-41:34; Matthew 3:13-17; John 3:16; Romans 1:19-20; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 4:6)
Jesus Christ is the one and only Son of God. He is co-equal with God the Father and God the Spirit, He came to Earth and became man. He is completely God and became a complete human being. He revealed to us who God is. His miraculous acts, sinless life, and life-changing teachings all confirm the fact that He is God’s Son. His purpose for coming to Earth was to show God’s love by dying on a cross, thus taking the sins of all mankind upon Himself, and paying the penalty that our sins deserve. His bodily resurrection from the grave and His promise to return someday are testimonies to the fact that He is the King of kings and Lord of lords.
(Matthew 1:22-23; John 1:1,14,18; Acts 10:37-43; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:15-21; Hebrews 1:1-3)
The Holy Spirit is co-equal with God the Father and God the Son. He dwells in each member of God’s family as a Helper and Guide. It is through the work of the Holy Spirit that a person comes to salvation. At the point of salvation, the Holy Spirit comes to live in our physical bodies as His home and He begins the work of sanctification in us. The Spirit teaches, gives gifts, and transforms us back into God’s image.
(John 14:16-17; John 16:7-13; Acts 2:38; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Ephesians 3:16-20; Ephesians 5:18; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Galatians 5:19-25; Romans 8:13,14)
The Bible is God’s written Word. The process that God used to give us His Word is called inspiration, which means God-breathed. The Word of God is without error and is truth. It tells us who God is, why He loves us, and what His plans are for us. We hold the Bible to be the authority and standard for living our lives according to God’s will for us.
(Psalm 19:7-11; Psalm 119:105, 160; John 17:17; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21)
We need salvation because we have sinned. Sin separates us from God, Who desires a relationship with us. It is impossible for any person to restore that broken relationship with God by any amount of personal goodness, religious deeds, or by belonging to a church. Salvation is by God’s grace, through Christ’s cross, and a result of the Spirit’s active work. It is received through faith. It is sealed in confession and baptism. It is demonstrated in a life of discipleship to the Lordship of Jesus.
(Isaiah 59:2; John 3:16; John 14:6; Acts 2:37-39; Romans 3:10, 11, 23)
The Church is God’s spiritual family. It is made up of all those who have chosen to place their trust and faith in Jesus and who are His followers (disciples). The Bible uses the analogy that Jesus is the Head of the Church, which is His body. God’s will is for the Church to gather regularly to worship its Head, Jesus, to use its various gifts and abilities to serve its Head, to love and encourage those who are in the body, and to work diligently to maintain the unity of the body. As the members of His Church love one another and maintain unity of purpose and relationship, the world around us will recognize that we belong to Jesus. The Church or body is to seek to do the will of God, which includes making disciples for Jesus.
(Matthew 16:15-18; John 17:20-23; John 13:34-35; Acts 2:42-47; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Ephesians 1:22-23; Ephesians 2:19-22; 1 Peter 2:4-10)
We are created in the spiritual likeness or image of God. God gave us free will; we have the ability to choose to love as God loves, to choose to do right in the likeness of God’s righteousness, and to choose to value what God values. God created us because He wants a family who will love Him because we want to love Him, and not because we have to love Him. The first man, Adam, chose to sin, and now every person lives in a marred creation with a marred spiritual nature. As a result, every person will eventually choose to sin and subsequently become separated from God.
(Genesis 1:27; Genesis 3:1-24; Psalm 8:3-6; John 4:24; Ephesians 1:4-6; Romans 3:23)
The Southwest Church believes that God created mankind in His image. Male and female – sexually and biologically different but with equal value and access to God through faith in Jesus Christ. Adam and Eve were created to complement each other in a one-flesh union we call marriage. We also believe in the value of each individual. Singleness is an equally holy pursuit and expression for followers of Jesus. For those who decide to marry, we believe God ordained marriage to be between one man and one woman. It is only within this covenantal relationship God has given the gift of sex, and he declares it good! This marriage relationship can serve as an example of the love Christ has for the church.
(Genesis 1:27-31, Genesis 2:21-24, Ephesians 5:31-32)
When God created you and me, He created us with a soul which will never cease to exist. Those who choose to follow Jesus as Lord, and have a growing relationship with Him, will spend eternity with God in Heaven. Those who reject Jesus by refusing to follow Him will spend eternity in Hell. Heaven, like salvation and grace, is a gift of God. Hell is the due consequence for those who have not accepted God’s offer of forgiveness. Heaven and Hell are real places.
(Ezekiel 18:20; Matthew 7:21-23; Matthew 10:28; Matthew 25:31-46; Luke 16:19-31; John 14:1-6; Romans 6:23; Philippians 3:17-21; Revelation 20:15)
As followers of Jesus, we decide to follow His example and to do the things He asks of us. Jesus was baptized and calls for believers to enter into a life with Him through the act of baptism. Throughout Scripture, we see that belief in the divine nature of Christ, and submission to His Lordship is expressed through immersive baptism. This baptism symbolically re-enacts our participation in the life-giving death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. We do not believe our salvation comes from any exterior physical act, but rather from our inward belief and faith in Jesus. Baptism is to be viewed as an outward declaration of that inward belief and conviction.
(Matthew 3:13-17, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-16)
Who We Are:
Beliefs are more than a set of statements that collect dust. They shape how we live, love, and serve others. And they’re based on Jesus Christ and His Word.
Here are four themes you’ll discover at Southwest.