Dayspring Neighborhood Church

5. We believe that man was created in the image of God, but fell into sin and after the fall of Adam and Eve, all people are by nature separated from God, incurred both physical and spiritual death and is therefore lost and incapable of remedying his sinful condition by his own means (good works, religious works, etc.), but that salvation, redemption, and forgiveness are offered as a free gift by the Lord Jesus Christ to all based on His grace alone. When a person repents (had a change of mind), now believe (trust, rely on, put his/her faith in) Jesus Christ alone as personal Savior and Almighty Lord, trusting Him alone to save, that person is immediately born again (born spiritually) and sealed by the Holy Spirit, all his/her sins are forgiven, and that person becomes a child of God, destined to spend eternity with the Lord. (Genesis 1:26; Romans 5:12; 3:10, 23; Ephesians 2:2, 5, 8, 9; John 1:12; John 3)

6. We believe that the shed blood of Jesus Christ and His resurrection provide the only ground for justification and salvation for all who, through no merit of their own, trust (put his/her faith on) the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior are miraculously born again of the Holy Spirit and become partakers of His divine nature and of eternal life. (Romans 3:24-25; Hebrews 9:22; John 1:12, 13; 1Peter 1:3).

7. We believe that the Lord has given the church two ordinances, neither of which is essential to salvation but are to be observed continually by the church during the present age, in obedience to the Lord by all believers until He return: adult baptism by immersion and Holy Communion or the Lord's Supper. Water baptism cannot remove sins, but is a picture of the salvation already received by the believer (Matthew 3: 13-17; 28:19-20; 1Corinthians 11:23-26)

8. We believe that the True Church is composed of all persons, who through saving faith in Jesus Christ, have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit and are united together in the body of Christ of which He is the Head. The church has the responsibility to worship the Lord and share the good news of Christ’s death and resurrection to the world, making disciples, baptizing believers, and teaching them to observe sound doctrine and live a morally pure life. We believe that only those who are members of the True Church shall be eligible for membership in the local church. (1Corinthians 12:13; Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 1:22,23; John 17:21; Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:41,47).

9. We believe that Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church and every local church has the right under Christ to decide and govern its own affairs. We believe church government should be simple rather than complex bureaucracy, with the utmost dependence upon the Holy Spirit to lead, rather than on fleshly promotion or worldly wisdom. (Acts 14:23; Acts 11:27-30).

10. We believe as we await the bodily resurrection of the redeemed at the imminent rapture of the church, when the soul and spirits of those believers who have died will be reunited with their bodies, now immortal, and that believers who are alive at that time, their bodies likewise transformed into immortality, will be caught up together with them to meet Christ in the air, ever to be with Him; and we believe the imminent return of Christ to earth which will be physical, personal, visible, pre-millennial. This is our “blessed hope” which motivates us to godly living, heartfelt worship, committed service, diligent study of God’s Word, evangelism and regular fellowship. (Titus 2:13; 1Thessalonians 4:16; Revelation 20:6; Matthew 24:42, 44; 1Corinthians 15:18).

11. We believe in the bodily resurrection of the dead; of the believer to everlasting blessedness and joy with the Lord; of the unbeliever to judgment and everlasting conscious punishment. (1Thessalonians 4:16-18; Acts 24:15; 1Corinthians 15:52, 53; Revelation 20:6, 14, 15, 21).