At West Hills Church, we believe that sound doctrine is the foundation of a true church.
The doctrine and teaching of a church is essential to its mission. Throughout the history of Christianity, statements and confessions of Biblical teaching have helped organize and clarify the teaching of the Bible, as well as anchor individual churches, denominations, and entire movements within Christianity to the teaching of the Bible. At West Hills Church, we are committed to a set of doctrinal standards, drafted and ratified by our elders and members. In order to demonstrate that our doctrinal statement comes directly from God’s Word, each point includes Bible reference proofs.
THE HOLY SCRIPTURES
We teach the Holy Scriptures, comprised of the books of the Old and New Testaments, to be the verbally inspired Word of God, inerrant in the original autographs, infallible and authoritative for belief and behavior. Our ministry emphasizes the exposition of God’s Word from Genesis to Revelation, line upon line, precept upon precept. We teach the literal, grammatical-historical interpretation of Scripture. This means that we teach all facts i.e., theological, doctrinal, historical, numerical, chronological, scientific, etc., that Scripture intends to affirm are exempt from error. (II Timothy. 3:16-17; II Peter 1:20-21; Matthew 5:18; Isaiah 40:8)
THE GODHEAD
We teach that there is one Triune God, existing in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, eternal in being, identical in essence, equal in power and glory and having the same attributes and perfections. We teach that He is the Creator and Ruler of all things who is characterized primarily by His holiness, might and love, and is exclusively worthy of our worship and service. (Deuteronomy 6:4; II Corinthians 13:14; Isaiah 6:3; 44:6; Matthew 4:10; John 4:24; I John 4:8)
THE PERSON AND WORK OF CHRIST
We teach that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man. We teach that He accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a substitutionary sacrifice. We teach that our redemption and salvation is guaranteed to us by His literal physical resurrection from the dead. (John 1:1,14,18; Luke 1:35; Romans 3:24-25; 4:25)
THE PERSONALITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
We teach that the Holy Spirit is the third member of the Trinity, fully equal with God the Father and God the Son. He is a person who convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. He also in the present age regenerates believers in Christ, baptizes them into the church, the body of Christ, indwells them permanently, seals them unto the day of redemption, bestows spiritual gifts upon each one, and fills those yielded to Him. (John 15:26,27; 16:7-15; Ephesians 4:30; I Corinthians 12:4-11,13; Ephesians 5:18)
THE ANGELIC BEINGS
We teach God created an order of beings known as angels with individual personalities who are inferior to God but superior to man. We teach that Lucifer held the highest rank but rebelled against God and became Satan, who is aided by other fallen angels or demons who work with the Devil to oppose the plan of God and attack the people of God. We teach there are also holy angels who carry out God’s purpose by doing His bidding and ministering to people. (Colossians 1:16; Isaiah 14:12-15; Ephesians 6:12; Hebrews 1:14)
We teach that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam’s sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature, became alienated from God, subject to spiritual and physical death, and that man is totally unable on his own without God’s grace to regain a relationship with God. (Genesis 1:26; 3:1-24; Romans 3:23; 5:12; Ephesians 2:12)
THE CONDITION OF MAN
SALVATION
We teach that salvation from sin is a gift of God by His grace and is received by man only through personal faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ alone whose precious blood was shed for the forgiveness of our sins. We teach at the time of salvation a believer is spiritually regenerated and declared righteous in the sight of God. We teach that all true believers once saved, are kept secure in Christ forever and cannot lose their salvation by any means. (Ephesians 2:8; John 1:12; Ephesians 1:7; Romans 8:1, 29-30, 38-39; John 10:27-30)
We teach that the Church, the body and bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born-again persons of this present age irrespective of their affiliation with Christian organizations, but which meets in local congregations for worship, fellowship, discipleship, evangelism and service. We teach that the Lord Jesus instituted the ordinance of water baptism, which we observe by immersion, as a profession of our faith in Christ, and the Lord’s Supper, as a continuous reminder of His death for us, to be observed by all believers in the church until His return. (Ephesians 1:22,23; 5:25-27; I Corinthians 12:12,13; Matthew 28:19,20; I Corinthians 11:23-26)
THE CHURCH
THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST
We teach in the personal imminent coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in the air for His own, the Church, at the Rapture, to take them to Heaven. We teach Christ’s coming is the blessed hope of the church for which believers should be constantly looking. (I Thessalonians 1:9,10; 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; Zechariah 14:4-11; Revelation 20:6)
THE ETERNAL STATE
We teach that the souls of those who have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation do at death immediately pass into His presence, and there remain in conscious bliss until Christ returns again, when soul and body reunited shall be with Him forever in glory (Heaven). We teach that the souls of unbelievers remain after death in conscious misery (Hades) until the final judgment of the great white throne, when soul and body reunited shall be cast into the lake of fire (Hell), not to be annihilated, but to be punished with everlasting separation from the presence of the Lord and His people. (Luke 16:19-26; 23:43; II Corinthians 5:8; II Thessalonians 1:7-9; Revelation 20:11-15)
We teach that marriage as taught in the scriptures is between a man and a woman as biologically designed by birth, and the Bible prescribes sexual abstinence and purity for all unmarried people. (Matthew 19:4-6; Ephesians 5:31; Hebrews 13:4)