What We Believe

We are not a “denomination” that you join. You are added to the body or church of Christ when you decide to become God’s possession by understanding and obeying the Gospel.

The Gospel, also known as the Good News of Jesus Christ, “saves us” (Gal. 3:26-27). It describes the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (I Cor. 15:1-4).

Becoming part of the Southside church family means your circle has been extended—with mentors to guide you, teachers to help you grow, and family that supports you in your daily walk.

The Fall of Man Scripture God Jesus Holy Spirit Salvation The Church Sanctification

The Fall of Man

Our need for redemption

Man was originally created good and upright in the image of God. However, man by voluntary transgression, sinned by disobeying God. Thus he alienated himself from God and experienced not only physical death but also spiritual death. That historic fall brought all men under divine condemnation. Therefore, all men are born into a sin filled world with a sinful nature, totally unable to please God without regeneration, redemption, and renewal (Genesis 1:26, 27; 2:17; 3:6; Romans 3:23; 5:12-19).

The Inspiration of Scripture

God’s written Word

The sole basis of all our beliefs is the Bible, God’s infallible inerrant written revelation of His Word. We believe that the scriptures, both the Old and the New Testament, are uniquely and fully inspired by the Holy Spirit and serve as the supreme and final authority in all matters in which it speaks (II Timothy 3:15-17; I Thessalonians 2:13; II Peter 1:21).

The One True God

Father, Son & Spirit

There is one true and living God, the Creator of heaven and earth, eternally self-existent as three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – each of whom possesses equally all the attributes of deity and characteristics of personality (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 43:10, 11; Matthew 28:19, 20; Luke 3:22).

Jesus Christ

God with us

Jesus Christ is God incarnate, the Living Word (John 1:1-14), virgin born through the miraculous conception of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:23; Luke 1:31, 35). He lived a sinless life on earth (Hebrews 7:26; I Peter 2:22), and performed many undeniable miracles through the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:22; 10:38).

He voluntarily atoned for the sins of men by dying on the cross as their substitute, thus satisfying divine justice, reconciling men back unto God, and accomplishing salvation for all who trust in Him alone (Romans 5:8-11; I Corinthians 15:3; II Corinthians 5:21).

He rose from the dead in the same body, though glorified, in which He lived and died (Matthew 28:6; Luke 24:39; I Corinthians 15:4). He was exalted and ascended bodily into heaven to sit at the right hand of God the Father, where He alone is the only mediator between God and man, continually making intercession for those who believe in Him (Acts 1:9, 11; 2:33; Philippians 2:9-11; Hebrews 1:3).

Jesus Christ will come again to the earth, personally, visibly, and bodily to establish His Kingdom. At this time, the dead in Christ shall be resurrected, the believer to eternal joy with the Lord, and the unbeliever to condemnation and eternal suffering (Acts 1:11; I Corinthians 15:51; Hebrews 9:28; I Thessalonians 4:16; Revelation 19:20; 20:11-15; 22:6-16; Matthew 25:46; Mark 9:43-48).

The Holy Spirit

God’s presence in us

The Holy Spirit has come into the world to reveal and glorify Jesus Christ and to apply the saving work of Christ to men. He convicts and draws sinners to Christ, imparts new life unto them, seals them until the day of redemption, leads and aids them in a life of holiness unto God, and equips them for service and work in God’s Kingdom, bearing spiritual fruit unto the glory of God.

Every believer is called to live under the power of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and should ardently expect and earnestly seek the promise of the Father, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, according to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-8; I Corinthians 12:1-31).

With the baptism of the Holy Spirit comes an overflowing fullness of the Spirit (John 7:37-39; Acts 4:8), a deepened reverence for God (Acts 2:43; Hebrews 12:28), an intensified consecration to God and dedication to His works (Acts 2:42), and a manifestation of the fruit and gifts of the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-26; Romans 12:3-9; I Corinthians 12:1-31).

The Salvation of Man

Responding to the Gospel

We believe that salvation is the free gift of God’s grace. We believe that becoming a Christian begins with an absolute faith in Jesus Christ as God’s only Son and our substitutionary sacrifice for our sins. We believe that such strong faith motivates one to confess his or her faith, repent of sins, and be baptized for the remission of sins (John 3:16; Romans 10:9-10; Acts 3:19; Acts 2:38; Mark 16:16).

The Church

Christ’s body

The church is the body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Holy Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of her mission to win the world for Christ. Jesus Christ is the head of the church, which is composed of all men, living and dead, who have been joined to Him through saving faith (Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 1:22, 23; 2:22; Hebrews 12:23). According to the Scriptures the church exists to magnify and exalt God in worship, to train and instruct believers in their discipleship, to minister to the needs of its members and the world, to encourage and develop the Christian fellowship of its members, and to equip its members to evangelize the world and spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:41-47).

Sanctification

Growing in holiness

Sanctification is an act of separation from that which is evil, and of dedication to God (Romans 12:1, 2; I Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 13:12). The Scriptures teach that the goal of believers is to pursue a life of “holiness without which no one can see God” (Hebrews 12:14).

Through the power of the Holy Spirit we are able to be obedient to God’s command: “Be ye holy, for I am holy” (I Peter 1:15, 16).

Sanctification is the process whereby we are saved from the power of sin in our lives through a commitment to the spiritual disciplines of prayer, daily devotions and worship, the study of God’s Word, and the fellowship of believers (Romans 6:1-13; Romans 8:1, 2, 13; Galatians 2:20; Philippians 2:12; I Peter 1:5).