Sunrise Church East

Statement of Faith
The Word of God

We believe that the Bible is the verbally inspired Word of God, in its entirety, both the Old and New Testaments, and without error in the original manuscripts, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and that it has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct. (John 17:17; Romans 15:4; II Timothy 3:16-27; II Peter 1:19-21)
The Trinity

We believe there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three person - God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit; that they are equal in every divine perfection; and that they execute distinct, but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence and redemption. (Matthew 28:19; John 1:1-4; II Corinthians 13:14; Hebrews 9:14; Genesis 1:26)
God the Father

We believe in God, the Father, an infinite personal spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. We believe that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayer, that He saves from sin and spiritual death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ. (John 3:16-17; John 4:24; John 17:5)
Jesus Christ

We believe in Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles and teaching. We believe in His substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people, future return for His Church, and personal visible return to earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. (Isaiah 7:14; John 1:14; Philippians 2:5-11; Hebrews 1:2-3; I John 1:7; I Thessalonians 4:16-17; Revelation 19:11-16)
The Holy Spirit

We believe in the Holy Spirit who came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment; and to regenerate, sanctify, and empower all who believe in Jesus Christ. We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Christ, and that He is an abiding helper, teacher, and guide. (John 14:25; 16:7-15; Romans 8:14-17; Ephesians 1:13,14)
Salvation

We believe that all men are sinners by nature and by choice and are, therefore, under condemnation. We believe that those who repent of their sins and trust in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord are saved from the penalty of sin, born again unto eternal life by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit, and brought into personal fellowship with God. We believe that this salvation is a free gift from God, effected upon the basis of the shed blood of Jesus Christ alone, that it is given by grace and received by faith, and that apart from Jesus Christ, salvation is impossible. (John 1:12,13; John 3:3; John 3:16,17; Acts 4:12; 20:21; Ephesians 2:1-9; Titus 3:5)
The Church

We believe that the universal church is composed of all born again believers, beginning at the day of Pentecost and continuing on through the end of this present age, and that the universal church will in heaven be the "Bride of Christ"; that the local church is composed of born again believers who have voluntarily united together for the purposes of worshipping God, ministering to the saints (fellow believers), evangelizing the world, and discipling new believers. (Matthew 16:16-18; Acts 2:38-41; Ephesians 2:19-22, 5:25-27; Matthew 28:18-20)
The Ordinances

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to the local church, Baptism and the Lord's Supper. We believe that Christian Baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the Name of the triune God. We believe that the Lord's Supper was instituted by Christ for commemoration of His death. We believe that the two ordinances should be observed and administered until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:41; 8:38,39; Romans 6:3-5; I Corinthians 11:23-32)
Religious Liberty

We believe that every human being is created to have direct communication with God, and is responsible to God alone in all matters of faith; that each local church is independent and must be free from interference by an ecclesiastical or political authority; that, therefore, church and state must be kept separate as having different functions, each fulfilling its duties free from dictation or patronage of the other. (Matthew 22:21-22; Acts 4:19, 29; Romans 13:7; I Peter 2:9)
Future Events

We believe in the personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth and the establishment of His kingdom. We believe in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, the eternal blessedness of the saved, and the endless suffering of the lost. (Matthew 25:31-46; John 5:28-29; II Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 20:1-15)
Christian Conduct

We believe that Christians should live by faith, yielded to and empowered by the Holy Spirit, for the glory of God and the well being of their fellow man, that their conduct should be righteous in the world, that they should be faithful stewards of their time, talents and possessions, and that they should seek to develop for themselves and others the full stature of maturity in Christ. (Matthew 5:16; II Corinthians 9:6-8; Ephesians 4:11-16; Philippians 2:14-16; Colossians 3:17-23; I Thessalonians 5:17-18)