Highland Brethren Church is proudly affiliated with The Brethren Church Denomination. To explore more about The Brethren Church Denomination, visit their official website at www.brethrenchurch.org.
What We Believe:
Scripture:
We hold the belief that the Bible is the Word of God, inspired and God-breathed in its original form. Therefore, the Bible is infallible, inerrant, and serves as our sole guide for faith and practice.
(II Tim. 3:16; II Pet. 1:21; Mat. 5:18; John 10:35; Rev. 22:18-19)
Holy Trinity:
We believe in one God, who is the Creator and Sustainer of all things, eternally existing in three equal persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They work in harmony with distinct roles in creation, providence, and redemption.
(Deut. 6:4; Ps. 90:2; Mat. 28:19; II Cor. 13:14; I Cor. 8:6)
God the Father:
God is eternal, immutable, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. He is the sovereign ruler of the universe, holy, righteous, just, and loving. He desires fellowship with humanity and extended His grace and mercy by sending His Son to die for them.
(Ps. 65:2; 139:1-24; I Chr. 29:11; John 1:12; 3:16; Eph. 1:3-9; Rom. 11:36)
Jesus Christ:
Jesus is the Son of God, fully divine and fully human. He existed with the Father from eternity, was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on the cross for humanity's sins, rose from the dead on the third day, ascended to the Father, and will return as Judge and King.
(John 1:1-3, 18; 5:22-23; 20:28; Rom. 9:5; Heb. 1:3, 6, 8; 9:24; Phil. 2:6- 11; Col. 1:15-20; II Cor. 5:21; Mat. 25:31; Rev. 19:11-20:6; I John 2:2)
Holy Spirit:
The Holy Spirit is a divine person, proceeding from the Father and the Son. He is fully God, involved in creation, inspiration of the Scriptures, calling people to salvation, and dwelling in the hearts of believers.
(Mat. 28:19; John 16:7-14; Tit. 3:5; Eph. 1:13; 5:18; Rom. 8:9-16, 26)
Creation:
We believe in the Genesis account of creation as a historical record of God's direct acts, without any involvement of an evolutionary process.
(Gen. 1-2; John 1:3-10; Col. 1:16; Heb. 11:3)
Mankind:
Man was created in the image of God and in innocence. Sin entered the world through Adam's disobedience, resulting in a broken relationship with God and death. All are sinners by nature and by choice, deserving eternal punishment in hell. God established marriage as a lifelong covenant between one man and one woman, and human life is sacred from conception to death.
(Gen. 1:26-31; 2:7, 22; 5:1-2; 9:6; Psalm 100:3; 119:73; Isaiah 45:12; Acts 17:26-28; Psalm 51:5; Psalm 139:13-16; Jer. 1:5; Mat. 1:18; Luke 1:31, 34-36, 41, 44; Gen. 2:23,24; Mat. 19:4-6; I Tim. 3:2)
Salvation:
Salvation is a multifaceted journey: it begins as a divine gift received through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, symbolized by water baptism via triune immersion. God, faithful to His promises, adopts believers as His forgiven children, indwelling them with His Holy Spirit. Believers demonstrate their faith through obedience to Christ and emulation of His life. Salvation encompasses various aspects but culminates in conforming to Christ's likeness through the work of the Holy Spirit, with believers sustained by God's power through their faith.
(Phil. 1:6; Col. 2:6; Rom. 6:23; Eph. 2:8-9; Acts 2:38; Rom. 10:9-10; Rom. 6:4; Col. 2:12; John 1:12; Gal. 4:4-5; Acts 2:38; Matt. 22:34-40; Eph. 4:17-24; 1 John 2:4-6; Rom. 8:28-29; Eph. 4:11-16; 1 Pet. 1:5)
Regeneration:
When an individual responds in faith to the Gospel, repents of sin and turns to Christ for salvation, the Holy Spirit causes a spiritual change that frees them from guilt and grants them Christ's righteousness, resulting in being born again into God's family.
(John 3:3-7, 16; 1:12; II Cor. 5:17; Eph. 2:8-9; Rom. 3:22-28; I Pet. 1:23; Tit. 3:5; Acts 2:38; 17:30)
Justification: God declares the sinner righteous in His sight, based on Christ's work, not imputing sin but instead imputing Christ's righteousness. (Rom. 3:22-28; 4:1-8; 5:1-2; Gal. 2:16)
Sanctification: God gradually transforms the believer into the image of Christ through a continuing process of sanctification that culminates in perfection in heaven. (John 17:17; II Cor. 3:18; Eph. 5:26; I John 3:2; Acts 20:32)
Preservation: Salvation is based solely on God's grace, and everyone who truly accepts Christ as Savior is eternally secure in their salvation and kept by God's power. However, Scripture warns against those who profess faith but continue to live in sin. (John 6:37, 39; 10:27-30; Rom. 8:38-39; I Pet. 1:5; II Pet. 1:10; I John 3:7- 10; James 2:14-26)
The Church:
The universal church is composed of all who have trusted Christ since Pentecost, with Christ as the Head. The local church is an organized assembly of baptized believers who voluntarily associate together to exalt the Lord, evangelize the lost, and edify the saints. The local church has the right of self-government and should be free from interference.
(Mat. 16:18; Eph. 1:23)
Ordinances:
Christ instructed the church to observe two ordinances: baptism by immersion as a symbol of the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord, and the Lord's Supper/Communion as a memorial service.
Baptism: As an outward symbol of the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord, triune immersion in water should be administered to all who profess faith in Jesus Christ. (Mat. 28:19; Rom. 6:3-4)
Communion: The Communion is a service of remembrance in which:
Footwashing symbolizes our present condition, reminding us to obey Jesus' command in John 13:14. This act represents the ongoing opportunity for God's children to seek forgiveness and restore fellowship with Him. The practice of foot washing as a means of approaching God can be traced back to Exodus 30:17-21. (John 13:1-17, 33-35 & I John 1:9)
The Lord's Supper symbolizes our future with Christ. This meal represents our anticipation of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and the joyous feasting that will take place in Christ's kingdom. More than just a meal, the Lord's Supper provides a unique opportunity for us to serve and wait upon one another. (I Cor. 11:17-22, 29-34 & Rev. 19:5-9)
The Eucharist represents Christ's past sacrifice for us. The bread symbolizes Christ's broken body which fulfilled the old covenant (the law), while the wine symbolizes His shed blood which purchased a new and better covenant for us (grace through faith). This symbol serves as a living memorial for Christ, enabling us to express our gratitude and thankfulness – after all, "eucharist" means "thanksgiving"! (Luke 22:15-20 & I Cor. 10:16-17, 11:23-30)
Separation:
We hold the belief that God’s people are commanded by Scripture to remain pure and separated from all contaminating influences, including sin, disobedient brethren, and false teachers.
Personal: Since individual believers are the temple of the Holy Spirit, they must remain free from sin. They should not form unequal partnerships with unbelievers, nor befriend the world. (II Cor. 6:14-7:1; I John 2:15-17; James 4:4)
Ecclesiastical: The church, as a whole, must separate from those who teach false doctrine and attempt to subvert the saints. (Rom. 16:17; II Thes. 3:6-15; II John 9-11; II Cor. 6:14-18)
The End Times:
We affirm the belief in the personal, bodily return of Jesus Christ, followed by His physical reign on earth for a thousand years. Additionally, we believe in eternal punishment for unbelievers in hell and eternal blessings for believers in heaven.
(Dan. 9:25-27; Mat. 25:1-13; I Thes. 4:14-18; I Cor. 15:24-28; Rev. 19:11-20:15; 21-22)
Brethren Positions on Social Issues