BELIEFS &

DNA

WHAT WE BELIEVE IMPACTS WHO WE ARE.

BELIEFS

  •  The sole basis of our belief is the Bible, composed of the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments. We believe that Scripture in its entirety originated with God and was given by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit through chosen men. Scripture both speaks with the authority of God and reflects the backgrounds, styles, and vocabularies of the human authors. We hold that the Scriptures are infallible and inerrant in the original manuscripts. They are the unique, full, and final authority on matters of faith and practice, and there are no other writings similarly inspired by God. 

  • We believe that the one and only true God is the creator, ruler and sustainer of all things. He exists in three co-equal and co-eternal persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – each of whom possesses all the attributes of deity and the characteristics of personhood. 

  • We believe that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully human, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. He lived a life of perfect obedience to the Father and voluntarily atoned for the sins of all humanity by dying on the cross as their substitute, thus satisfying divine justice and accomplishing salvation for all who trust in Him alone. He rose bodily from the grave, was seen by many and ascended into heaven where he intercedes for his people and rules as Lord of all creation. Jesus will come again to earth, personally and visibly, to fulfill history and the eternal plan of God.

  • The result of a genuine saving relationship with Jesus Christ is a maturing life of holiness and obedience, attained by believers as they submit to the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity. He was sent into the world by the Father and the Son to apply to mankind the saving work of Christ. He enlightens the mind of sinners, awakens in them recognition of their need of a Savior and regenerates them. At the point of salvation, He indwells every believer to become the source of assurance, strength and wisdom, and uniquely empowers each believer with spiritual gifts for the strengthening of the Body. The Holy Spirit provides each Christian with power to live in a manner pleasing to God, to understand spiritual truth, and to serve as ambassadors for Christ in our world.

  • The central purpose of God’s revelation in Scriptures is to call all people into fellowship with Himself. Originally created to have fellowship with God, humanity defied God, choosing to go their independent way, and thus were alienated from God and suffered the corruption of their nature, rendering them unable to please God. The fall took place at the beginning of human history; therefore, all individuals since are sinners, are suffering these consequences and are in need of the saving grace of God. The salvation of humanity is completely a work of God’s free grace and not the result, in whole or in part, of human works or goodness, and must be personally appropriated by repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Salvation results in a person becoming a new creation and being continually transformed into the image of Christ.

  • The church is composed of all persons who, through saving faith in Jesus Christ, are united together in faith and fellowship. The church is expressed in many unique and diverse ways through local congregations as it fulfills its five primary purposes: to worship God; to experience community with each other; to engage in the process of spiritual growth; to equip each other for service; and to reach the world through mission. 

  • Created to exist forever, each person’s death consummates his or her eternal destiny. Upon Christ’s return, the dead will be raised together with those who are alive to face the judgment of God. He or she will either consciously exist in Hell—eternally separated from God by sin, or, in the new Heaven and new earth—eternally in union with God through forgiveness and salvation.

DNA

  • A disciple in Jesus’ day was a follower, someone who was committed to spending time with a respected religious leader. A disciple went where his rabbi went, fully engaged with his teaching, and did what he said to do. The goal was to become like him by submitting to him. We are passionate about discipleship; helping people live Jesus first lives. We define a disciple as a life where:

    1. Jesus is Lord

    2. Jesus is Close

    3. Jesus is Followed 

    4. Jesus is Seen

  • Here at Spokane First, we like to say, “Everything we do is formational.” Our framework for making disciples is fourfold:

    1. Knowledge - Getting the right ideas about God, ourselves, and others.

    2. Disciplines - Being doers of the Word, not just hearers.

    3. Community - Forging meaningful, close-knit, covenantal relationships.

    4. Presence - Learning to live with Jesus all day long.

  • Discipleship is where RESCUE and RENEWL happen in our lives and world. Discipleship to Jesus is where marriages are restored, conflicts are resolved, and justice flows freely through the power of the Holy Spirit. The greatest gift we could ever give the world is a fully formed follower of Jesus.