There are a lot of different churches, we get that. While the doctrines expressed in the “What we Believe” section are recognized to be universal and primary within the Church, there are a number of secondary beliefs that we are really passionate about at Crossroads, so we want to give you an idea of what you can expect to hear.
Not all Christians hold these beliefs, but they are nonetheless important and true as we understand the Scriptures. Complete agreement is not required for the sake of membership, but it should be known that we will preach, teach and counsel in accordance with these convictions.
Divine Sovereignty
God is sovereign over all things such that there is no aspect of reality outside of His ultimate control. Though God’s rule extends to all things, it is particularly His sovereignty over the work of salvation that is a theological distinctive. We believe that it is exceedingly good and glorious news that salvation is not dependent on the desires and deeds of man, but is grounded instead in God’s eternal decree of election. Though man is responsible for his sin, God is ultimately and entirely responsible for drawing those He would save unto Himself and overcoming their natural resistance to the gospel (Psalm 115:3, 135:6; Ephesians 1:3-14, 2:1-4, Romans 8:26- 9:23).
The Complementary Role of Men and Women
Men and women are absolutely equal in essence, dignity and value but are different by divine design. As part of God’s good created order, men and women are to have different yet complementary roles and responsibilities in the home and church. This doesn’t mean that we arbitrarily place women into stereo-typical roles… not at all. Instead we allow God to dictate what manhood and womanhood looks like. These role distinctions are God’s grace to man and woman and are to be protected, preserved and practiced for His glory and our joy (1 Corinthians 11:2-16, 14:33-35; Ephesians 5:22-33; 1 Timothy 2:8-15; 1 Peter 3:1-7).
Believer’s Baptism by Immersion
Baptism is intended only for those who have professed faith in Jesus Christ and can give sufficient testimony to the basics of Christian beliefs. Baptism doesn’t add anything to our salvation, instead it is an outward picture of what God has done in our hearts. We also baptize by immersion because it is the original meaning of the word and best symbolizes the reality to which baptism points: our death and resurrection in Christ (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:38; Romans 6:1-11).
The Relationship of God’s Glory to Man’s Joy
Because we believe that God created everything, he alone knows the purposes for which he created us and the world. That means that if we want to truly know what we exist, what our purpose is and what we should do with our lives we must go to God’s word for that direction. We believe that man’s greatest joy is found only in faithful obedience to God and that our enjoyment of Him is one of the chief means by which He is glorified (Psalm 16:11, 37:4; Matthew 13:44; John 15:11; Philippians 3:8, Hebrews 11:6).
Optimistic Eschatology
We believe that the Great Commission was given to followers of Jesus that it might be fulfilled. We are less concerned with particular timing or certain prophetic interpretations as we are with faith in the power and potency of the gospel. We believe, with Jesus, that it is the workers that are few, though the harvest is bountiful (Matt. 9:37). We expect, based on our understanding of scripture, that many will be saved through the power of the spirit and the proclamation of Gods word. (Matt. 13; John 3:16-17; 1 John 4:14)