What We Believe
When it comes to Christian belief, Saint Augustine once said, “In essentials unity; in non-essentials liberty; and in all things charity.” The Sanctuary seeks to embody the wisdom and generosity of Augustine’s quote by adopting in total The Apostles’ Creed as its doctrinal statement.
Similar to the Nicene Creed, the Apostles’ Creed is widely accepted as a foundational statement of faith among Western Christian churches and used by a number of Christian denominations. Bible scholars agree the Creed was first recorded sometime between the 2nd and 9th centuries, and most likely, the Creed in its fullest form came into use around 700 AD. It has been used to summarize the essential beliefs of the Church universal.
“I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic (universal) Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.”
In addition to the Apostles’ Creed, The Sanctuary is Reformational. In other words, we take our doctrinal cues from the Protestant Reformation (16th Century), which championed the foundational truths that sinners are rescued and set free by grace alone, through faith alone, in the finished work of Christ alone so that God alone gets the glory. We believe that our relationship with God is established and forever secured based on what Jesus has done for us and not on anything we do or fail to do.