A Brief Statement of our Beliefs Based on our Confession of Faith
The Bible – We believe the Holy Bible is the inspired Word of God, the only infallible rule for faith and practice.
The Trinity – We believe there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Jesus Christ – We believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God. We affirm his virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, sacrificial death, bodily resurrection, ascension to the right hand of the Father, and his personal return in power and glory.
Salvation – We believe everyone has sinned, lost communion with God, and under condemnation. Salvation is the free gift of God to everyone who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ, who paid for our sins on the cross. Those who believe are eternally secure in Him.
The Church – We believe the church is the body of Christ and consists of everyone who has become children of God by faith. Jesus Christ is the head of the Church. Individual congregations are to be governed by elders, who serve as under shepherds.
The Sacraments - We believe there are two sacraments ordained by Christ: Baptism and the Lord's Supper.
Marriage and the Family- We believe marriage is a sacred institution ordained for the benefit of the human race. It is to be between one man and one woman, and should not be dissolved for any cause not justified by the teaching of the Word of God.
The Lord’s Day – We believe the first day of the week is the Lord’s Day, the Christian Sabbath, which is to be kept holy unto the Lord. It is a day of rest and worship of the triune God, and commemorates the resurrection of Christ.
Things to Come – We believe at the Last Day, Jesus Christ will come to judge the living and the dead. There will be a resurrection of the just and the unjust. The righteous will enter into eternal blessedness and the wicked into eternal condemnation.
THEOLOGY OF WORSHIP
The Primacy & Importance of Worship
God alone is worthy of worship and delights in His own glory, and so creates, seeks, saves, and commands His people to worship Him. Though believers’ entire lives are to be characterized by spiritual service of worship, God is present and blesses His people in a special way in corporate worship. Our greatest duty and delight is in worshiping the triune God in the beauty of holiness (1 Chron. 16:29; Ps. 29:2; 96:9).
Liturgy
"Liturgy" is the name given to one's custom of public worship; that is, how one regularly worships God. A biblical liturgy demonstrates that God’s people are His treasured possession, called and separated from the world to be assembled in His presence before the holy of holies. Our liturgy is designed to reflect historic, classical worship in the Reformed tradition. We strive for decency, order, and excellence in every part of our liturgy to reflect God’s beauty, holiness, and majesty. Though Scripture does not prescribe a specific liturgy, it reveals its content and shape, which includes reading and preaching of God’s Word; prayer; psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; confession; offerings; sacraments; and the benediction. These elements are patterned after the Covenant of Grace, in which God initiates worship, reveals His will and graciously works through His Word. God’s people accordingly respond by humbly, reverently, and boldly calling upon Him in faith, joyfully offering thanksgiving and praise, giving to God what has been received from His gracious hand. A biblical liturgy manifests God’s saving work among His people. Such a dialogical pattern is fulfilled in Christ, through Whom we have access to the Father and receive His blessings.
Reformed Worship as Word Centered
Since worship is of utmost importance, it must be protected by ordained ministers entrusted to guard the Gospel, lead worship, and train those under their care to offer acceptable worship, in spirit and truth. We adhere to the principle of Sola Scriptura (by Scripture Alone). God commands to be worshiped according to His revealed will alone, not according to personal preferences and cultural fads. The very content of God’s Word also should hold a prominent place within virtually every liturgical element. The preaching at First Cumberland Presbyterian Church is expository in nature and holds a central place in our worship services.
What Is the Gospel?
Gospel means, simply, "good news." There are numerous so-called gospels in the world proclaiming good news to those who would listen, and these gospels come in any number of forms—from the gospel of wealth and power to the gospel of health and beauty. These gospels, however, do not address the most basic problem that all men and women have—the problem of sin and guilt; that is, spiritual deadness.
Put simply, the Gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ. It is good news because, without it, we stand condemned as sinners before a holy and just God, deserving His wrath. In Isaiah's vision of the throne room of God, seraphim (angelic beings) cry out continually, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!” Isaiah, overwhelmed in the presence of God, cries out in despair: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” (Isa. 6:3, 5)
Yet, in God's perfect holiness—and this is the good news—God has, in His good pleasure, made a way for sinners to be reconciled to Himself through His Son Jesus Christ. John 3:16-17 says,
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him."
Jesus Christ lived a righteous life and then died a terrible death on a Roman cross for His people. "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Isa. 53:6). Thus, Jesus Christ satisfied the holy and just requirements of God. God then raised Him from the dead, vindicating Christ's work.
Sinners are called to repent and believe the Gospel and to trust in Christ for salvation. Sinners receive this free gift of salvation from God through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone and are thereby counted righteous before God. Romans 10:9-13 states,
"If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, "Everyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame." For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing His riches on all who call on Him. For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
Having been justified, Christians are called to walk as "living sacrifices" unto Him through the Holy Spirit because they are not their own, but were "bought with a price" (Rom. 12:1; 1 Cor. 6:20). Just as God raised Jesus Christ, so Christians await a resurrection of their own bodies, Christ being the "first fruits" of the new creation (1 Cor. 15:20). Ultimately, this is their hope—that God has begun His work of "making all things new" in the work of Jesus Christ and in the continued sanctification of His saints (Rev. 21:5). They await the new heavens and new earth in which there will be no more sin, pain, or sorrow (Rev. 21:4).
