Doctrinal Integrity
As the spirit of the age becomes more pluralistic, the existence of truth is denied, and religion is evaluated in terms of personal benefit, Christians are facing increasing pressure to dilute or distort truth to make it more appealling to "consumers."

MountainView is committed to scriptural integrity and doctrinal purity as expressed in our Doctrinal Statement. We seek to hold these beliefs in the spirit of love and humility.

Though we seek to fellowship with like-minded, Bible-teaching churches, MountainView is not part of a larger group or denomination of churches. We hold to the historic fundamentals of the faith and to the distincitves of what people generally recognize as the beliefs of Baptist churches.

Our Beliefs
The Scriptures - We believe in the verbal (each word) and plenary (complete) inspiration of the Bible (God-breathed), both the Old and the New Testaments, consisting of 66 books, inerrant in the original manuscripts, the complete, unalterable, alive and powerful special revelation of God, and our final authority in all matters of faith and life.

We believe that God, through His Holy Spirit, superintended human authors so that, using their own vocabulary and personalities, they communicated God's revelation without error. We believe in the normal literal, grammatical, historical, contextual and consistent interpretation of the Scriptures. Proverbs 30:5-6, Matthew 5:18; John 16:12-13; II Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21, Revelation 22:18-19.

The Godhead - We believe the Scriptures teach that there is one, and only one, living, true and self-existent God, an infinite Spirit, the Maker and Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth, inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy of all possible honour, praise, confidence and love; that He eternally exists in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections, though different functions. Exodus 20:2-3, Deuteronomy 6:4, 1 Corinthians 8:4-6, 2 Corinthians 13:14.

The Person and Work of Christ - We believe the Scriptures teach that the Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, the Anointed Messiah; that by appointment of the Father, He voluntarily and temporarily laid aside His attributes that were inconsistent with humanity and, being miraculously conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of a virgin, took upon himself our likeness, and was made in human flesh, yet without sin, and being fully God and yet fully human, honoured the divine law by His personal obedience, thus qualifying himself to be our Saviour. Genesis 3:15, Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:20, Luke 1:35, John 1:1-2, 14, John 3:16, Romans 3:25, Romans 8:3, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Philippians 2:7-8, Colossians 2:9, 2 Timothy 1:9, Titus 1:2, Hebrews 2:14-17, Hebrews 4:15, Hebrews 7:26-28, 1 Peter 1:20.

We believe the Scriptures teach that Jesus Christ shed his blood and died to fully satisfy the just demands of a holy and righteous God and to take away the sins of the whole world; that He accomplished our redemption and reconciliation through His death on the cross as a propitiatory and substitutionary sacrifice; that He literally and physically resurrected from the dead, conquering death, Satan and hell, proving His identification as the Son of God, and securing our justification; that He ascended to heaven and is now enthroned at the right hand of God where, as our sympathetic and compassionate High Priest, he fulfils the ministry of Mediator, Intercessor, and Advocate. Isaiah 53:4-5, John 1:29, John 3:16-17, Acts 1:9-11, Romans 1:4, 3:24-25, 4:25, 5:10, 6:9, 8:34, 1 Corinthians 15, 2 Corinthians 5:19-21, Ephesians 1:7, Colossians 1:21, 2:14-15, 1 Timothy 2:5, 2 Timothy 1:10, Hebrews 1:3, 2:9, 14, 17-18, 7:24-25, 9:26-28, 12:2, 1 Peter 1:18, 2:24; 3:18, 1 John 2:1-2, I John 4:10, 14, Revelation 1:18, Revelation 3:21.

The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit - We believe the Scriptures teach the deity and personality of the Holy Spirit as the person of the Godhead who in this present age convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment; who regenerates and baptizes into the body of Christ those who believe; and who indwells, anoints, and seals believers from the moment of salvation until the day their bodies are redeemed. John 16:8-11; Romans 8:9; I Corinthians 12:12-14; II Corinthians 3:6; Ephesians 1:13-14.

The Holy Spirit is the divine teacher, exhorter and helper who illuminates the hearts of believers to know truth, gives assurance of salvation to the believer, empowers believers for service, equips believers for service by giving them spiritual gifts, enables yielded believers to obey the truth and conduct themselves in a holy way, and intercedes and prays for believers according to the Father's will. While believers are commanded to be filled with the Spirit, His influence may be quenched, and He may be grieved by continual sin. John 16:13-14, Acts 1:8, Romans 8:4, 16, 26-27, 12:6-8, I Corinthians 2:10-14, 1 Corinthians 12-14, Galatians 5:16, 22-23, Ephesians 4:30, 5:18, Philippians 2:13, 1 Thessalonians 5:19, Hebrews 2:4.

Creation - We believe the Scriptures teach that the physical and spiritual universe was created instantaneously by the direct act of the triune God out of nothing but His spoken word; that the world was developed by God in a literal and historical six day period; and that man was created without evolutionary process, in the image and likeness of God, and in innocence; that each baby is created by, and made in the image of, God from the moment of conception. Genesis 1:1-27, Exodus 20:8-11, 21:22-25, Psalm 139:13-16, Nehemiah 9:6, Psalm 104:25-26, Isaiah 40:21-31, John 1:1-5, Colossians 1:16-17, Hebrews 11:3.

The Total Depravity of Man - We believe the Scriptures teach that by voluntary transgression, Adam fell from his original state; that in Adam's sin, the human race fell, in consequence of which sin was imputed to all mankind; that each person is, therefore, born with a sinful nature and is spiritually dead, bound, blind, uninstructible, totally depraved, alienated from God, under just condemnation without defence or excuse, and unable to remedy his or her lost condition. Genesis 1:26,27, Psalm 51:5, Isaiah 64:6-7, Luke 4:18, Romans 1:18-32, 3:10-23; 5:6-8, 10-12, 19, 8:7, 1 Corinthians 2:9, 14, 15:21-22, 2 Corinthians 4:4, Ephesians 2:1-3,12-13, 2 Timothy 2:26.

Salvation - We believe the Scriptures teach that salvation is by God's gracious gift alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone; that the salvation of sinners is divinely initiated and provided to mankind wholly by the graciousness of God through the substitutionary shed blood and death of the Lord Jesus Christ; that in order to be saved, sinners, who are spiritually dead, bound, blind, deaf and without ability, must have their understanding illuminated to divine truth by the Spirit of God, and voluntarily receive forgiveness of sins and the free gift of eternal life by God-enabled repentance, obedience to the gospel, and faith in Christ's complete work alone; that at the moment of belief, a believer is justified by the judicial act of God whereby He declares the believer righteous on the basis of the imputed righteousness of Christ. John. 3:3, 6:37-39,44-45, 65, 15:16; 8:19-21, Acts 13:48, 16:14, 15:11, Romans 3:24-25, 4:5, 5:9, 8:29-30, 9:15-24, 10:9-10, 16; 16:25, 1 Corinthians 1:2, 9, 30, 2:10-14, Galatians 2:16, Ephesians 1:1-9, Philippians 3:9, Colossians 1:14, 20, 2 Timothy 2:25, Hebrews 9, I Peter 1:2, 19.

Security and Victory - We believe the Scriptures teach that, although a believer's old man (old self) has passed away, he or she faces an ongoing battle between the flesh and the Spirit, with provision made for victory over the flesh through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit; that God's Word clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh; that those who wilfully practice sin are not true Christians, even though they may claim to be so; that although salvation begins with justification and regeneration, salvation also includes the process of sanctification of the soul and spirit, and eventually the glorification of the body at the time of the resurrection; that all claims to the eradication of sinfulness in this life are in error; that all those truly redeemed are secure in Christ forever and cannot lose their salvation. John 6:37,40; 10:28-29, Romans 6:1-6, 11-13; 8:4-13, 23-25, 28-30, 13:13-14 1 Corinthians 3:1-4, 6:9-11, 15:51-57, 2 Corinthians 3:18; 7:1, Galatians 2:20, 5:13-25, Ephesians 4:22-24, 5:3-6, Philippians 1:6, 3:21, Colossians 2:20, 3:10, 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4, 14, 5:23, Titus 2:11-15, Hebrews 5:9, James 4:1-4, 1 Peter 1:14-16, 2:13-20, 4:3-4, 1 John 1:8-10, 3:2, 5-10.

Ministry of Each Believer - We believe the Scriptures teach that the purpose and goal of every believer should be to glorify God:

1. Walking In Righteousness: Each believer glorifies God by fulfilling their God-given calling virtuously as unto the Lord, and not unto man. A believer should continually offer himself in joyful submission to the lordship of Christ as a living sacrifice, live a holy and Spirit-filled life, abstain from fleshly practices, and pursue mastery of the spiritual disciplines of Bible study, Scripture memory, and personal prayer. Acts 17:11, Romans 6:11-22, 12:1-2, 8:4, 1 Corinthians 6:20, 7:17-24, 10:31, Galatians 5:16-26, Colossians 3:22-24, 2 Timothy 2:15, 3:15-17, James 1:15-16, 1 Peter 1:13-22.
2. Worshipping God: Each believer glorifies God by loving, worshipping, and finding his or her greatest enjoyment and happiness in God, expressing such adoration and thanksgiving in prayer, in song, and in giving, both individually and while gathered with other believers. Acts 2:42, 1 Timothy 2:1, 8, Hebrews 10:25, James 5:16.
3. Discipling Believers: Each believer glorifies God by loving, teaching, exhorting, edifying, caring for, and fellowshipping with, other believers in homes and in the community as well as at gatherings of the church. Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 2:46-47, 14:21-22, Romans 15:14, 2 Timothy 2:2, 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Hebrews 10:24-25.
4. Evangelizing Non-believers: Each believer glorifies God by following the example and command of Christ to love and mingle with those who are lost in this world, proclaiming the gospel faithfully, compassionately, and clearly, and making disciples. Matthew 9:10, 28:19-20; 1 Thessalonians 1:8.

Biblical Separation and Unity - We believe the Scriptures teach that disciples of Jesus Christ should be holy and consecrated to the Lord Jesus Christ, being spiritually insulated in the world of unbelievers, but not isolated from unbelievers in the world, not using Christian liberty as a license for fleshly impulses or sin. Romans 12:1-2; 14:13, I Corinthians 6:19-20, Galatians 5:13, Titus 2:14, James 4:4-5, 1 Peter 2:9, 1 John 2:15-17.

We believe the Scriptures teach that one of the duties of spiritual leaders is to protect congregations of Christians by preaching and teaching what God says in the Scripture about sin (the violation of God's moral law, doctrinal error, etc.), sinners (those who practice sin) and the consequences of sin (God's judgment). Such teaching, though unpopular in an increasingly immoral and amoral world, is not meant to be, and should not be considered as, personal hatred, bigotry, intolerance, violence, cruelty or hate speech since it reflects sincerely held religious beliefs about God's opinions based upon the careful and faithful exposition of the Scriptures. Ephesians 5:11, 2 Timothy 2:24-26, 4:1-2.

We believe the Scriptures teach us to seek to cooperate wherever possible with other churches and organizations whose doctrine and policy are homogeneous with ours. It is the believer's responsibility to endeavour to maintain the unity of the faith while separating from those who have deviated from fundamental biblical doctrine or are engaging in immoral behaviour. We will not cooperate with or endorse any movement, organization, or program which the elders deem as contrary to sound doctrine. Matthew 18:15-17, Romans 16:17, 1 Corinthians 5:7-11, 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, Ephesians 4:1-6, 2 Thessalonians 3:11-14, 2 Timothy 3:1-5, Titus 3:10; 2 John 9-11.

The Church - We believe the Scriptures teach that the Church is the spiritual Body of Christ composed of all true believers in Jesus Christ whom God has called out from the nations to salvation, both Jew and Gentile, beginning with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, and concluding with the resurrection of departed saints and the catching away of living believers at the end of the present age. In the Old Testament era, the future creation and nature of the Church was a mystery, but it was revealed to the Apostles following Pentecost. Acts 2:1-4, 11:8, Romans 16:25-26, 1 Corinthians 12:1-13, 2 Corinthians 11:2, Ephesians 1:22-23, 2:11-22, 3:1-9, 5:25-27, Colossians 1:26-27.

Local Congregations of the Church - We believe the Scriptures teach that within the organism of the Universal Church there are smaller, local bodies or congregations of believers also known as churches.

1. Description: A local church is a group of believers, led by one or more qualified shepherds, affirming their relationship to the Lord and each other by regularly gathering in designated places for fellowship, the study of God's Word, worship, prayer, and the celebration of the Lord's Supper and baptism, gathering in other designated places for meals, fellowship, and ministry to each other, living exemplary lives in the community and regularly bringing the good news to the unbelieving world. Acts 2:41-47.
2. Autonomy: Each congregation is independently accountable to God, and is self-governing under the leadership of elders who must be mature and spiritual enough to meet the qualifications set forth in the Scriptures. Acts 14:23, 15:41, Romans 16:4-5, 1 Timothy 3:1-7; 5:17, Titus 1:5-11, Hebrews 10: 24-25, Revelation 1:11-3:22.
3. Leadership: Elders are to oversee and shepherd (pastor) the congregation as those who must give an account, teach and equip the saints for ministry, mentoring emerging leaders, and guard the congregation by earnestly contending for purity of doctrine as revealed in the Scriptures. Those elders who rule well, and especially those who labour in word and doctrine, and are otherwise given to the ministry of the gospel, may receive payment for their labour. The congregation is also to be served by those who meet the qualifications for deacons. Acts 6:1-6, 1 Timothy 3:8-13 Acts 6:2-5; 14:27, Acts 20:28, 1 Peter 5:2 Acts 20:28, Hebrews 13:17, James 5:14 Ephesians 4:11-12 Acts 20:29-30, Galatians 1:8, 2 Timothy 2:2, 24-26, 4:2-5, Jude 3, 1 Corinthians 9:4-14, 1 Timothy 5:17.

Ordinances - We believe the Scriptures teach that Jesus Christ established two ordinances for the Church in this present age; these are believer's water baptism by immersion, and the Lord's Supper, observed as a memorial of His death. Acts 8:12, 35-39; 10:47-48; 1 Corinthians 1:14; 1 Corinthians 11:23-34.

Spiritual Gifts - We believe the Scriptures teach that the Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts to all believers as He chooses to enable and empower them to glorify and serve the Lord, build up and serve the Body of Christ, and equip other saints for works of ministry. We believe the church age was initiated through the ministry of the apostles and prophets accompanied by miraculous and revelatory gifts to authenticate their message before the New Testament was written. While God is still very much a God of miracles, we believe the miraculous sign gifts gradually ceased by the time of the completion of the New Testament. God still does the impossible, answers the prayers of His saints in accordance with His perfect will, and can still miraculously heal the sick. John 14:13-14, 15:7, 16, Romans 12: 6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:28-31, 13:8-10, 14:1-28, 2 Corinthians 12:12, Ephesians 2:19-22, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, Ephesians 4:11-12, Hebrews 2:3-4, James 5:14-15, 1 Peter 4:10-11, 1 John 5:14-15.

Evangelism & Missions - We believe the Scriptures teach that the chief mission of the Church, as given by Jesus Christ in His Great Commission, is to proclaim the good news of salvation by grace through faith in Christ's shed blood alone and to make disciples from every nation, baptizing new believers, and teaching and mentoring them to spiritual maturity in Christ such that they are able to reproduce themselves in another spiritual generation and lead that generation to maturity in Christ. Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8, 2 Corinthians 5:19-20.

The Personality of Satan - We believe the Scriptures teach that God created the angels as spirits (persons without physical bodies) to minister to and for Him. The anointed cherub, Lucifer, plotted a rebellion and was cast from the mountain of God with his followers. Thereafter known as Satan (meaning "the adversary"), he tempted and deceived Eve in the commission of the original sin, thereby causing the fall of mankind, and seized mankind as his subjects and children. As the enemy of God, and of mankind created in God's image, Satan desires to bring Christ and all things into subjection to himself. He is the father of lies, the god of this age, the prince of the power of the air, and the ruler of darkness and of this world. He frequents both heaven and earth, but in the days of the Great Tribulation he will be cast to the earth, and his plot to rule the earth through the antichrist will be destroyed. He will thereafter be bound in the bottomless pit during the millennial reign of Christ, and, after a brief release and rebellion, be cast into the Lake of Fire forever. Job 1:6-7, Isaiah 6:1-7, 14:12-15, Ezekiel 28:12-17, Matthew 4:1-11, Luke 1:19, 10:18, John 8:44, 14:30, 2 Corinthians 4:4, Ephesians 2:2, 6:10-18, Colossians 1:13, 1 Timothy 2:14, Hebrews 1:14, 1 Peter 5:8, Revelation 12:10, Revelation 12:7-9 Revelation 13:2, 19:20, 20:2-3, 10.

We believe the Scriptures teach that Satan is able to tempt and use unbelievers, and spiritually weak or unwary believers, to physically afflict believers if permitted by God to do so for His purposes, and to spiritually attack, devour, physically injure or gain a place of occupation in the unwary or disobedient believer's life. A believer must continually submit and draw near to God and resist the devil, guard himself spiritually, put on the armour, and be aware of Satan's scheming. 1 Chronicles 21:1, Job 1:12; 2:6, Matthew 16:23, Acts 5:3, 1 Corinthians 5:1-5, 2 Corinthians 2:11, 11:13-15, 12:7, Ephesians 4:27, 6:10-18, 2 Timothy 2:26, James 4:7-10, 1 Peter 5:8, 1 John 5:18.

Dispensationalism - We believe the Scriptures interpreted in their natural, literal, sense reveal divinely ordered dispensations (historical eras with new revelation, rules of conduct, and tests in each era) that have defined man's responsibility in successive ages of human history. Salvation has always by grace through faith, regardless of the dispensation. John 1:17, 1 Corinthians 9:17, 2 Corinthians 3:9-18, Galatians 3:13-25, Ephesians 1:10; 3:2-10, Colossians 1:24-25, Hebrews 7:19, Revelation 20:2-6.

The Second Advent of Christ - We believe the Scriptures teach that the Day of the Lord, which includes numerous prophetic events, is imminent; that the Lord Jesus Christ will physically descend before the time of the earth's great tribulation for the resurrection of deceased saints and the catching away of living saints, following which believers will appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ and celebrate the wedding feast of the Lamb; that at the end of God's dealing with Israel for seven years, including a time of great tribulation, Jesus Christ will return bodily to earth with the saints in power and great glory to defeat the kingdoms of the earth and reign in Israel for a period of one thousand years; that at the end of the ages, the God will establish new heavens, a new earth and a new Jerusalem that will never pass away. We expressly reject the belief that the end-time prophecies of the Gospels and the Epistles took place in the past. Daniel 7:1-28, 9:24-27, Zechariah 14:4-11, Matthew 24:3-25:46, 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 4:13-5:9, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, Titus 2:13, Revelation 19:11-16.

The Eternal State - We believe the Scriptures teach the bodily resurrection of all people, the believers to eternal life, and the non-believers to judgment and everlasting punishment; that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection when their spirit and body are reunited and glorified to be forever with the Lord; that the souls of unbelievers are, at death, absent from the body and in conscious misery in hell until the second resurrection, when with spirit and body reunited, they will stand at the Great White Throne judgment, be judged according to their deeds, and be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious separation from their loving but rejected Creator-Saviour. Matthew 25:41-46, Mark 9:43-48, Luke 16:19-26, 23:43, John 5:28-29, 11:25-26, 2 Corinthians 5:8, Philippians 1:23, 3:21, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9, Revelation 20:4-6, 11-15.