What We Believe

At Hillcrest, we believe the message of the Bible is good news and that there is life in Jesus. The God who made us has not left us alone in our sin, but has come to rescue us through His Son, Jesus Christ. Everything we do as a church flows from that conviction.

What follows is a summary of the biblical truths we stand on as a church family. If you have questions about any of it, we'd love to talk. 

God

There is one true and living God, who is Creator of all things and reveals Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is holy and perfect in all His ways, and He is worthy of our worship, love, and obedience.

(Genesis 1:1; Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19)

Scripture

The Bible is God's Holy Word: divinely inspired, completely without error, and the sole authority for what we believe and how we live.

(Psalm 119:105; 2 Timothy 3:16–17; 2 Peter 1:20–21)

God the Father

God the Father reigns with sovereign wisdom, perfect justice, and unfailing love over all creation and history. He is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Father of all who become His children through faith in Jesus.

(1 Chronicles 29:10; John 3:16; Romans 8:14–15)

God the Son

Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. He lived a sinless life as fully God and fully man, died on the cross for our sins, was buried, rose bodily from the grave on the third day, and ascended into heaven. He reigns at the right hand of the Father and will return one day to judge the world and complete His redemptive mission. He is Savior and Lord to all who put their faith in Him.

(Matthew 1:18–23; John 1:1–18; Philippians 2:5–11)

God the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God who inspired the writing of Scripture and helps us understand it. He convicts people of sin, draws them to the Savior, and makes them new creations in Christ. He fills believers with His presence, comforts them, gives spiritual gifts to build up the church, and empowers all believers to be witnesses of Jesus throughout the world.

(John 14:16–17; John 16:7–14; Acts 1:8)

Sin and Man

God created man in His own image, both male and female. God and man enjoyed perfect fellowship until Satan tempted man, and man chose to disobey and rebel against God. That rebellion is sin, and all of us are sinful by nature. Sin separates us from fellowship with our holy God, and the just punishment for sin is death. We cannot fix this on our own — but God, in His love, has made a way.

(Genesis 1:26–27; Genesis 3; Psalm 99:9; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23)

Salvation and Eternal Security

Salvation is the gift of God, received by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus died on the cross for our sins, and His shed blood is the only payment for sin. A personal faith in Jesus is the only way to salvation and eternal life with God. Apart from Him, we remain separated from God forever. Those who truly trust Christ are securely and eternally held in His hand.

(John 3:16; John 10:27–29; John 14:6; Romans 10:9–10; 1 Peter 1:3–5)

The Church, Evangelism, and Missions

The church is made up of all believers who have been saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, gathering together locally as bodies of baptized believers under the lordship of Jesus. The local church exists to exalt the Lord, edify the saints, and evangelize the lost. We worship together, encourage and disciple one another, care for those in need, and carry the gospel to our neighbors and the nations.

(Acts 2:41–47; 1 Corinthians 12:12–13; Ephesians 1:22–23; Matthew 28:18–20)

Baptism and the Lord's Supper

Jesus gave His church two ordinances: Baptism and the Lord's Supper.

Baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience that pictures the believer's faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Savior, death to the old life and resurrection to new life in Christ. It is the prerequisite to the privileges of church membership.

The Lord's Supper is a symbolic act of obedience in which members of the church, through the bread and the cup, remember the death of the Lord Jesus, God's perfect sacrificial Lamb, and look forward to His return.

(Matthew 26:26–30; Matthew 28:19–20; Romans 6:3–5; 1 Corinthians 11:23–29)

Marriage and Family

Marriage is the first institution God created and ordained in human society. God's plan for marriage is a holy union of one biological man and one biological woman in an exclusive, lifelong covenant of love. Marriage reflects the relationship between Jesus Christ and His Church. Children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord.

(Genesis 2:15–25; Psalm 127:3–5; Ephesians 5:21–6:4)

Last Things

God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring the world to its appropriate end. Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly. The dead will be raised, and Christ will judge all people in righteousness. The unsaved will be eternally separated from God in hell; the saved, raised in glorified bodies, will receive their reward and dwell with the Lord forever.

(1 Thessalonians 4:16–17; Revelation 20:11–15; Revelation 21:1–4)

For a deeper dive in our core beliefs, we would encourage you to check out the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 here: https://bfm.sbc.net/bfm2000/