Articles of Faith

We believe that God is the creator of heaven and earth against whom we have all sinned. Christ reconciles Himself to all who believe in Him, not counting their sins against them, but forgiving them through Christ’s redemption calls for obedience to Christ as Lord under the authority of His Word in the Holy Scriptures. Where Christ is truly preached, there is the gospel; and where the gospel is truly believed, there is the church.

1.   The Holy Bible is the inspired Word of God, without error, all-sufficient in authority in matters of faith, doctrine, and Christian living.

2.  God is one - who eternally exists in three Persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

3.  Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary and is true God and man. He died on thecross for our sins. He rose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven where He sits at the right hand of God the Father, and will come again to earth.

4.  Salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ alone and no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)

5.  Man was created in the image of God but fell into sin and was condemned. Only through regeneration by the work of the Holy Spirit can man's justification and spiritual life be obtained.  (John 3:3-8)

6.  Eternal salvation is the free gift of God, entirely apart from man's works, and is possessed by any and all who have faith in and receive Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. (Rom 10:13 - whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall besaved.)

7.   Christ lived and died for the sake of all people, not just people like us or just for people in our church and no sin has put man beyond salvation because; a) The Holy Spirit is the enabling power (2 Tim 1:7

- God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.) and b) (Hebrews 7:25 – he (Jesus) is able to save completely those who come to God through Jesus Christ.)

8.   Salvation is available to all people who understand their need for Jesus Christ and, oftheir own free will, accept and profess Him as their personal Lord and Savior.

9.   We believe that the church is the spiritual body of which Christ is the head. Thetrue church is composed of all persons who through saving faith in Jesus Christ havebeen reborn by the Holy Spirit. This body expresses itself in local assemblies whosemembers have been baptized upon a credible confession of faith and have associated themselves for worship, instruction, evangelism, and service. We believe the sacraments of the local church are baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We also believe in the interdependence of local churches and the mutual submission of believers to each other in love. (Mt. 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; 2:41-47; Eph. 5:21; Col. 1:18; Heb. 10:24-25)

10.   Baptism and the Lord's Supper are sacraments to His suffering and death on thecross. These are sacraments to be observed by the church in the present age.

11.   Baptism is a sacrament sanctioned by God for all believers that profess Jesus as their Savior, regardless of age. Infants may be dedicated or baptized by sprinkling. Children,teens and adults may choose to be sprinkled, poured or immersed.

12.   Jesus Christ will; personally, bodily, and gloriously return to earth. This “Second Coming” inspires christians to live morally and love one another as we wait for His return.  (1 Thess 4:1-17)

13.   When Christ returns there will be a bodily resurrection of the dead and a final judgmentof both the living and the dead resulting in everlasting blessedness of the saved inheaven and everlasting separation from God of the unsaved. (Rev 19:11-16)

14.   Marriage is between one man and one woman as biologically designated by God according to Matthew 19:4-6 – (Jesus) said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,’  and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? All weddings and/or “covenant ceremonies” performed in or on the United in Faith of Galveston property or by United in Faith of Galveston pastors shall observe this precept .

15.   Leadership within the church is open to any individual that feels called to serve in this manner. (Gal 3:28)

16.   We believe that the local church is self-governing in function and must be free from interference by any external (outside of the church) or political authority. We further believe that every human being is directly responsible to God in matters of faith and life, and that each should be free to worship God according to the dictates of his conscience.(Mt. 22:21; Rom. 13:1; 1 Tim. 2:1-6).