We believe, as did the majority of the early Christian church during its first four hundred years after Christ, that the essence of God's character is love. The demonstration of His love is that He has provided a plan of salvation and reconciliation for all humanity through the death on the cross of His son Jesus Christ. We believe that He will ultimately achieve His desire of reconciliation with all creation. In our journey, our understanding of God has and will continue to evolve, not because God ever changes, but because in this journey both as individuals and together as a church body we can only understand Him as He reveals Himself to each of us in the context of our lives. We know that we are limited in our understanding of God and are aware of our individual shortcomings. Therefore, we cherish the liberty granted to us by God and honor the ability of each and every person to hear what God is speaking to him or her as an individual, affirming both our liberty in Christ and our accountability to each other in accordance with the Word of God.
Mount Pisgah isn't for everyone. If you want the Bible to be a "book of rules," if you think there is something unspiritual about laughter and dangerous about freedom and if you define faithfulness as conformity to Christian stereotypes, then Mount Pisgah probably isn't for you.
However, if you're interested in an honest, non-manipulative and thoughtful presentation of Biblical truth presented in the context of Christ's unconditional love, Mount Pisgah may be for you. If you need to hear the hopeful truth that God isn't mad at you, Mount Pisgah is for you.
Here at Mount Pisgah we are committed to the teaching of Biblical life principles--the whole counsel of God--to those who want to live an authentic, relevant and balanced Christian life.
There are a number of basic beliefs that we hold to as foundational. They are noted below.
God
There is one and only one living and true God. He is a loving, intelligent, spiritual, and personal Being, the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe. He is infinite love, and from that love comes all of His characteristics including the resolve of His judgment, the justice of His total restoration, the jealous passion of his wounded love, mercy, holiness, righteousness and all other characteristics. God's love will never fail. He reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. [1 Corinthians 13:8]
God the Father
out of His love, God as Father powerfully and carefully covers and protects His creation. He values all people as a loving parent values a child. The universe and all it contains is in the palm of His hand. All of human history is fitted together according to His purposes. He is passionate in his determined will to restore to fellowship all creation through His son, Jesus Christ. [1 Timothy 2:4]
God the Son
Christ is the Son of God. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born as a man upon the earth of the virgin Mary and was named Jesus. Jesus was fully divine, and fully human. In His humanity, He completely identified with mankind in its sin and yet in His divinity was without sin. He took upon himself the sins of all men through His crucifixion and death upon the cross, providing for the redemption of all men from sin. He was raised from the dead and appeared to His disciples as the person who was with them before His crucifixion. He ascended into heaven and now sits at the right hand of God the Father. Upon the completion of His redemptive mission, He will return in power and glory to judge the world, returning all creation complete to God the Father so that God may be all in all. [1 Corinthians 15:28]
God the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. He enables men to hear the voice of God. He exalts Christ. He convicts of sin and draws people to the Savior, effecting their regeneration. At the moment of salvation He baptizes every believer into the Body of Christ and cultivates Christian character, comforting and renewing us. He bestows the spiritual gifts by which we serve God throughout our lives.
Humanity
Each person, individually, was created by God in God's own image. We are the crowning work of God's creation. In the beginning man was created without sin. Adam, the first man, sinned against God through mistrust and unbelief and brought sin into the human race. Through this transgression, Adam fell from his original innocence and became separated from God. His descendents inherit his nature inclined toward sin and remain separated from God as a result of that transgression. Paul, a New Testament writer referred to Christ as the second Adam. By this he meant that, just as Adam brought sin into the world to all people, Christ, in His ministry as the second Adam and through his one act of righteousness upon the cross, guarantees justification of all men and their reconciliation back to God. Only, but surely, by the grace of God through the work of Christ will God bring man again back into unbroken fellowship with God Himself. Just as in Adam all died, so in Christ all will live. [Rom 5:18; 1 Cor 15:22]
Salvation
God has provided the provision whereby He shall restore man to the perfect state of relationship with God that existed prior to the fall of man in Adam. It is offered to all and is effectual in men as they come to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, who by His blood took upon himself the penalty for the sins of all men and sealed their eternal redemption, a ransom for all to be testified in due time. Salvation includes regeneration, sanctification, and glorification thereby providing for the total reconciliation of man to a perfect and redeemed state. It is a primary mission of the church to encourage all people to participate in this glorious salvation during their lifetimes. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone. [2 Cor. 6:2; 1 Tim 2:4; 1 Tim 4:10; 1 Tim 2:6]
Biblical Scripture
The Scripture was recorded by men both before and shortly after the time of Christ. It is divinely inspired and serves as the record of God's revelation of Himself to humanity. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It was authored by God to reveal His plan for the salvation and reconciliation of all creation to Himself. It is true and inerrant as interpreted through the person and work of Jesus Christ who Himself is the revealed Word of God.
The Church
A New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is a local body of believers who are associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel. This church is an autonomous body, operating under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. In such a congregation, members are equally positioned to hear God's Word. The local church body is but a small expression of the larger church. The church has been given the ministry of God. The church is the firstborn or first fruits of the family of God. They have died with Christ and accepted Him as Lord during their lifetime. As joint heirs with Christ the church will rule in mercy and ministry as priests with Christ to aid in bringing unredeemed humanity to its intended destiny of restoration.
Baptism and the Lord's Supper
Christian baptism is an act of identification symbolizing the believer's faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Savior, the believer's death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ. It is a testimony to his faith in the final resurrection of the dead. The Lord's Supper is a symbolic act of faith. Through partaking of the bread representing his broken body and the fruit of the vine that represents His spilled blood. Through this act, we celebrate His great love for us as expressed in His death upon the cross and accept afresh His loving work being accomplished in our lives.
Christian Living
Christ came that we might have life and have it abundantly. He came to free us from the impossibly heavy weight of performing the law and the responsibility of achieving righteousness through our own will and human effort. The Christian life is the process of yielding to the gentle work of Christ, which brings rest and peace and joy to our lives. [Galatians 5:1; Romans 8:2; Philippians 2:13; Galations 3:3; John 15:10-11; Colossians 3:15; Matthew 11:28]
Last Things
God, when the times have reached their fulfillment, will bring all things in heaven and earth together under one head, even Christ. According to His promise, Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth; the dead will be raised; Christ will reign until the very last enemy, which is death itself, is defeated and subject to Him, whereupon the redemptive mission of His reign will be complete and all will be delivered back to God the Father. Satan had stolen all of humanity and creation from God. Now the justice of God has finally been completed for He has reconciled and restored all things back to Himself. [Ephesians 1:10; 1 Corinthians 15:28; John 10:10; Colossians 1:20; Acts 3:21]
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