BELIEFS

Our Mission

Unity exists to lead our neighbors and the nations to become fully devoted disciples of Jesus.

Our Core Values

SCRIPTURE

We seek to be characterized by solid/unwavering Bible preaching and teaching from our pulpit and in our group Bible studies, realizing the Word of God is every believer’s ultimate authority for faith and life.

EXCELLENCE

We seek to honor the Lord by doing all things for His glory and to the best of our abilities.

PEOPLE

We seek to value all people, desiring to promote biblical relationships and connections across all cultures and all generations.

EVANGELISM

We seek to be consumed with sharing the gospel both locally and globally.

OUTREACH

We seek to make an impact for the kingdom by mobilizing our people for missional service.

DISCIPLESHIP

We seek to promote active spiritual growth in all believers.

GIVING

We seek to support the spread of the gospel through sacrificial giving.

WORSHIP

We seek to worship God corporately and individually through adoration and obedience.

PRAYER

We seek to communicate with our Lord about all aspects of life and ministry.

SCRIPTURAL BELIEFS

Click below to read more about the Scriptural beliefs of Unity Church and its members. The Bible itself, as the inspired and infallible Word of God that speaks with final autho rity concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind, is the sole and final source of all that we believe. For purposes of Unity Church’s faith, doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline, our pastors and deacons are Unity Church’s final interpretive authority on the Bible’s meaning and application.

We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the verbally and plenary inspired Word of God. The Scriptures are inerrant, infallible and therefore are the final authority for faith and life. The sixty-six books of the Old and New Testament are the complete and divine revelation of God to Man. The Scriptures shall be interpreted according to their normal grammatical-historical meaning, and all issues of interpretation and meaning shall be determined by the pastors and deacons. (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:20-21)

We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—each co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, coequal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections: self-existent, eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, holy, just, merciful, and immutable. (Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14; John 14:10, 26)

We believe God the Father is the Creator and omnipotent ruler of the universe (Ps. 103:19; 66:7; Dan. 4:34-35; 1 Cor. 8:6; Rev. 4:11; Gen. 1-2). We believe in God the Father’s divine sovereignty and loving providence through which He accomplishes His will (Rom. 8:28; 11:36), but not to the exclusion of human responsibility (Luke 22:22; Gen. 50:15-21), and not to include His authorship or approval of sin (Jas. 1:13). We believe that, for all eternity, God the Father has had the role of leading and directing among the persons of the Trinity, even though the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are equal in deity and attributes (Eph. 1.4). We believe God the Father saves from sin all those who come to Jesus Christ in saving faith and repentance, and He becomes, through salvific adoption, Father to all the redeemed (John 1:12; Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:5; Heb. 12:5-9). We believe God the Father took the initiative in redeeming people from sin and death. This was not an arbitrary or whimsical decision, and neither was it in response to something unforeseen. Instead, the whole plan of salvation

was something He had planned before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1.3-4; John 3:16-17).

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men. (Isa. 7:14; Luke 1:35; John 1:1-2, 14; 2 Cor. 5:19-21: Gal. 4:4-5; Phil. 2:5-8) We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ lived a sinless life and accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and, that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead. (Acts 2:18-36; Rom. 3:24-25; 1 Pet.2:24; Eph. 1:7; 1 Pet. 1:3-5) We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate. (Acts 1:9-10; Heb. 9:24; 7:25; Rom. 8:34; 1 John 2:1-2)

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and, that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption. (John 16:8-11; Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 12:12-14; 2 Cor. 3:6; Eph. 1:13- 14) We believe that He is the Divine Teacher who assists believers to understand and appropriate the Scriptures and that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the Spirit. (Eph. 1:17-18; 5:18; 1 John 2:20, 27) We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowal of spiritual gifts to every believer. God uniquely uses evangelists, pastors, and teachers to equip believers in the assembly in order that they can do the work of the ministry. (Rom. 12:3-8; 1 Cor. 12:4-11, 28; Eph. 4:7-12) We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and the gift of healing, were temporary. Speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit and that ultimate deliverance of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection, though God frequently chooses to answer the prayers of believers for physical healing. (1 Cor. 1:22; 13:8; 14:21-22)

We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam’s sin the human race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God. Man is totally depraved and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition. (Gen. 1:26-27; Rom. 3:22-23; 5:12; 6:23; Eph. 2:1-3; 4:17-19)

We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins. We believe that those who would comply with the condition of salvation (faith) constitute His elect, and that God has given to man the freedom of choice (common grace) permitting him to yield to the influence of the Holy Spirit or to resist and perish. We believe that God desires the salvation of all people everywhere. (John 1:12; Eph. 1:7; 2-810; 1 Pet. 1:18-19; Matt. 12:31-32; 1 John 1:9)

We believe God enables the redeemed to persevere in their faith, yet permits believers to maintain their freedom of will to reject His salvation, commit apostasy, and become forever lost. (John 10:27-30; Rom. 8:1; 1 Pet. 1:3-5; 2 Pet. 1:4-10, 2:20-22; John 15:6; Heb. 6:4-6; 1 Tim. 1:19-20; Rev. 22:19) We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word. However, Scripture clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion for the flesh. (Rom. 13:13-14; Gal. 5:13; Titus 2:11-15)

We believe that every believer is sanctified in Christ at conversion; that this setting apart continues during the Christian life as the believer grows in the grace and knowledge of Jesus (not to sinless perfection); and that it is completed when the believer stands in the presence of Christ, either at death or at the coming of Christ for His Church. (1 Thes. 5:23; 2 Cor. 7:1; 2 Pet. 3.18; Heb. 6:1; 1 John 1:7, 9; 3:2-3)

We believe that the local church, which is the body and the espoused bride of Christ, is solely made up of born- again persons. (1 Cor. 12:12-14; 2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 1:22-23; 5:25-27)

We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures. (Acts 14:27; 20:17, 28-32; 1 Tim. 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11)

We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any external authority or control. (Acts 13:1-4; 15:19-31; 20:28; Rom. 16:1, 4; 1 Cor. 3:9, 16; 5:4-7, 13; 1 Pet. 5:1-4)

We recognize water baptism (by immersion, for believers only), the Lord’s Supper (which is to be open to all born-again believers present), and feet washing, as the Scriptural ordinances of obedience for the church. (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; 18:18; 1 Cor. 11:23-26; John 13:3-17)

We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord. God commands His people to separate from all religious apostasy and all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices, and associations. (Rom. 12:1-2; 14:13; 2 Cor. 5:14-7:1; 2 Tim 3:1-4; 1 John 2:15-17; 2 John 9-11; 1 Cor. 6:19-20)

We believe in that “blessed hope,” the personal, imminent return of Jesus Christ. (1 Thes. 4:13-18; Titus 2:13)

We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment. (Matt. 25:46; John 5:28, 29; 11:25-26; Rev. 20:5-6, 12-13)We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where they consciously await their bodily resurrection, when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord. (Luke 23:43; 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23; 3:21; I Thes. 4:16-17; Rev. 20:4-6) We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious punishment and torment until the second resurrection, when with soul and body reunited, they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment, and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment and torment. (Matt. 25:41-46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-26; 2 Thess. 1:7-9; Jude 6-7; Rev. 20:11-15)

We believe that Satan is a person, a fallen angel, the author of sin and the cause of the Fall of Man; that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man; and that he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire. (Job 1:6-7; Isa. 14:12-17; Matt. 4:2-11; 25:41; Luke 10:18; Rev. 20:10)

We believe that God created the universe in six literal, 24-hour periods. We reject evolution, the Gap Theory, the Day-Age Theory, and Theistic Evolution as unscriptural theories of origin. God’s creation was perfect, but became marred by man’s sin. (Gen. 1-2; Ex. 20:11; Rom. 5:12)

We believe that God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: 1) the home, 2) the church, and 3) the state. Every person is subject to these authorities, but all (including the authorities themselves) are answerable to God and governed by His Word. God has given each institution specific biblical responsibilities and balanced those responsibilities with the understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the other. The home, the church, and the state are equal and sovereign in their respective biblically assigned spheres of responsibility under God. (Rom. 13:1-7; Eph. 5:22-24; Heb. 13:17; 1 Pet. 2:13-14)

We believe that marriage is ordained by God as the lifetime union of one man and one woman in a monogamous, covenant relationship (Gen 2:21-25; Mt. 19:4-6), and that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other (1 Cor 6:18; 7:2-5; Heb. 13:4). We believe that same-sex marriage is a perversion of the institution of marriage and an offense to the God who created marriage (Rom. 1:26-27).

We believe that human sexuality, including all its physical, emotional, and spiritual intricacies, was God’s invention. He gave sexuality to His human creations as a gift with two primary functions: to perpetuate the human race and to create an intimate bond between husband and wife (Gen. 1:27-28; 2:24; Mt. 19:6). We believe that any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexual/lesbian behavior, bisexual or queer conduct, bestiality, incest, sex trafficking, and use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God (Lev. 18:22; Rom. 1:26-27; Matt 15:18-20; 1 Cor 6:9-10). However, we also believe all acts of violence ormistreatment toward such individuals is unjustified, sinful, and contrary to the compassion Jesus showed to those in need (John 8:10-11; Matt. 9:36). We believe there is hope, redemption, and restoration for anyone involved in any type of sexual sin because of God’s grace and forgiveness made available through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 3:19-21; Rom. 5:20; 10:9-10; 1 Cor. 6.9-10).

We believe that God created two (and only two) genders: male and female (Gen. 1:27), and that all the modern- day speculation about numerous genders or gender fluidity is foreign to the Bible. We believe that while the Bible does not directly mention transgenderism, when it does mention other instances of gender “confusion” (e.g., homosexuality in Lev. 8:22, Rom. 1:18–32, and 1 Cor. 6:9–10, and transvestitism in Deut. 22:5), it clearly and explicitly identifies them as sin. We believe there is hope, redemption and restoration through Jesus Christ for everyone, transsexuals, transgenders, those with gender identity disorder, and transvestites included, because of God’s grace and forgiveness made available through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 3:19-21; Rom. 5:20; 10:9-10; 1 Cor. 6.9-10).

We believe that men and women are spiritually equal in position before God but that God has ordained distinct and separate spiritual functions for men and women in the home and the church. The husband is to be the leader of the home and men are to be the leaders (pastors and deacons) of the church. Accordingly, only men are eligible for licensure and ordination by the church. (Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:18; 1 Tim. 2:8-15; 3:4-5, 12) We believe that God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. The husband is

to love his wife as Christ loves the church. The wife is to submit herself to the Scriptural leadership of her husband as the church submits to the headship of Christ. Children are a heritage from the Lord. Parents are responsible for teaching their children spiritual and moral values and leading them, through consistent lifestyle example and appropriate discipline, including Scriptural corporal correction. (Gen. 1:26-28; Ex. 20:12; Deut. 6:4- 9; Ps. 127:3-5; Prov. 19:18; 22:15; 23:13-14; Mk. 10:6-12; I Cor. 7:1-16; Eph. 5:21-33; 6:1-4, Col. 3:18-21; Heb. 13:4; I Pet. 3:1-7)

We believe that, while God hates and disapproves of divorce and intends marriage to last until one of the spouses dies, He does make allowances for its potentiality in the cases of adultery, abandonment, and abuse. We do believe divorce is forgivable and that divorced and remarried persons or divorced persons can be greatly used of God for Christian service. (Mal. 2:14-17; Matt. 19:3-12; Rom. 7:1-3)

We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life is of inestimable worth in all of its dimensions, including babies at conception, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life. (Job 3:16; Ps. 51:5; 139:14-16; Isa. 44:24; 49: 1, 5; Jer. 1:4; 20:15-18; Luke 1:44)

We believe that we should demonstrate love for others, not only toward fellow believers, but also toward both those who are not believers and those who oppose us. We are to deal with those who oppose us graciously, gently, patiently, and humbly. God forbids the stirring up of strife, the taking of revenge, or the threat or use of violence as a means of resolving personal conflict or obtaining personal justice. Although God commands us to abhor sinful actions, we are to love and pray for any person who engages in such sinful actions. (Lev. 19:18; Matt. 5:44-48; Luke 6:31; John 13:34-35; Rom. 12:9-10; 17-21; 13:8-10; Phil. 2:2-4; 2 Tim. 2:24-26; Titus 3:2; 1 John 3:17-18)

Lawsuits between believers, or threats of lawsuits between believers, are a matter of grave concern for the church, are contrary to biblical and church teaching, and mediation is an effort to resolve disputes in a biblical fashion (1 Cor. 6:1-7). Therefore, we believe that Christians are prohibited from bringing civil lawsuits against other Christians or the church to resolve personal disputes. We do believe, however, that a Christian may seek compensation for injuries from another Christian’s insurance company as long as the claim is pursued without malice or slander. (1 Cor. 6:1-8; Eph. 4:31-32) Otherwise, members of Unity church agree to submit any legal dispute with the church or another believer for mediation. The confidentiality of the mediation process will be protected and these matters will not be discussed with people who do not have a necessary interest in them. If settlement can be agreed upon, the conciliators may, at their discretion, issue an advisory opinion. Neither the opinion, or any communications exchanged in the mediation process, will be admissible for any purpose in any subsequent legal proceeding.

We believe that God has given the church a great commission to proclaim the Gospel to all peoples so that there might be a great multitude from every nation, tribe, ethnic group, and language group who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. As ambassadors of Christ, we must use all available means to reach our local, regional, national, and global communities with the gospel. (Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; 2 Cor. 5:20)

We believe that all Christians, as stewards of that portion of God’s wealth entrusted to them, are obligated to support their local church financially. We believe that every Christian should give sacrificially and cheerfully to the support of the church, the relief of those in need, and the spread of the Gospel. We believe that a person relinquishes all rights to direct the use of the offering once the gift has been made. (Prov. 3:9-10; Matt. 22:21; Luke 6:38; 1 Cor. 16:2; 2 Cor. 8:1-5; 9:6-7; Gal. 6:6; Eph. 4:28; 1 Tim. 5:17-18; 1 John 3:17)

The Statement of Faith does not exhaust the extent of our faith. A fuller presentation of our doctrine is presented in A Treatise of the Faith and Practices of the National Association of Free Will Baptists, Inc. The Bible itself is the sole and final source of all that we believe. We do believe, however, that the foregoing Statement of Faith accurately represents the teaching of the Bible, and therefore, is to be accepted and honored for membership. All preaching and teaching of this church ministry shall be in agreement with the Statement of Faith.

SERVICE TIMES

Sundays at 9 and 10:30 am

UNITY CHURCH

4301 Charles Blvd., Greenville NC 27858

(252) 756-6485 • info@unityfwb.org