Our Beliefs

WHO ARE WE?

The North Atlanta church is a refuge and resource for people who seek a life in union with God. We are a shelter for the hurting. We are a place where those crushed under the weight of sin can find forgiveness and recovery. We are a family bound together by love, where those who have been otherwise rejected can find comfort and acceptance. We are a place where, "each one can use whatever spiritual gift he or she has received to serve others" in a meaningful way.

We want to imitate the spirit and warmth of Christ as we relate to each other. The description of the church in the first century is our model. "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, as many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." (Acts 2:42–47)

DEDICATION TO THE ETERNAL PURPOSES OF GOD IN OUR TIME

Throughout the pages of the Bible we see the cycle of man's relationship with God. Mankind has always parted ways with God and found a way to wound, and even break, our relationship with Him. But God in His patience has always sent a messenger to call people back to Him, and to restore them to Himself and His purposes for their lives.

Being in a healthy relationship with God opens up to us an abundant life through his grace. He also calls us to love His purposes and show Him our loyalty and love through obedience to His teachings. Jesus modeled a new way of life for us and called us to follow in His steps. It was He who created the church as a way for His followers to be together, take care of each other, and work together to carry out His purposes.

History declares, however, that very quickly after Jesus created His church, people had other plans and agendas they wanted to push forward by using His church. Many tragedies throughout history have been carried out in the name of God through the misuse and mis-guidance of the church. These dark and painful times are a complete departure from His original intent. There are many warnings in the Scriptures concerning the punishment that awaits those who misuse the church for their own gain and agenda. Quite often these warnings have gone unheeded and the results have been the splintering of the church of Jesus and turning away of people seeking Jesus and the church as He intended for it to be.

North Atlanta church, along with many other groups, is attempting to keep Jesus and His purposes for His church at the center of our focus. We desire to be restored to the Spirit and teachings of Jesus as revealed in His teachings, lifestyle, and values. We believe the Bible is the absolute authority for this pursuit.

THE BIBLE IS GOD'S WORD

We trust that the Bible is God's perfect book of life for life. We believe God has protected the transmission of His Word through the ages so that we can know what He does, says, believes, and feels. The Bible tells us what doctrines to teach and what morals to practice. It establishes the values and ethics we live by and pass on to the next generation. The Bible is God's word for our individual lives, families, churches, and communities. Through the Bible we can know God and the life that comes through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.

CHRISTIAN UNITY

Jesus prayed that all his followers "might be one" (John 17:20–21). The writers of the scriptures often challenged their fellow believers in Christ to have, "no divisions among them", and that they may be one unified body or family (1 Corinthians 1:10; 12:20). Jesus never gave any instructions for how to set up governing bodies over many churches that would form a group of Christian believers who would separate themselves from other groups of believers. Jesus did not tell us to identify ourselves as separate from other believers by naming our groups. We never hear the term denomination in the Bible because it goes directly against Jesus' purpose that all believers would live in loving supportive fellowship with each other.

Each church in the Bible is responsible to God and His purposes, and they are to select leaders for their group who can shepherd them to accomplish God's will and purposes through His flock. All Christians have the responsibility to serve God and others. In fact, God even refers to each Christian as a priest in a priesthood of believers (1 Peter 2:5, 9).

Because we are humans, we will never achieve our goal of being purely devoted to Christ and His worldwide church with no divisions or distractions. North Atlanta church is committed, however, to the unity of the worldwide brotherhood of all Christians. We believe this unity and fellowship is based in our openness to practicing spiritual unity with everyone, anywhere, who at any time has accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior in the way He directs through the Scriptures. We are described as a Church of Christ because we want to be literally known as a people called out of our old way of life by the Word of God to belong to Christ as His people.

HOW CAN YOU GET STARTED IN YOUR NEW LIFE WITH GOD?

The beginning of salvation from our sins and our unproductive way of living is realizing we are lost. To be lost means that we are not in a vital, life-giving relationship with God. I want to share with you the most important message you will ever hear. When I heard and accepted this message at the age of twenty, I could never have conceived the wonder, challenges, comfort, and strength that a devoted life in Christ would bring. Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem, Israel, to Joseph and Mary. He was conceived in her womb by the Holy Spirit when she was engaged to Joseph, but still a virgin. He showed His devotion to His heavenly Father and earthly parents at a very early age. Although He was tempted to sin, just like we are, He chose every time to do what was right in the sight of God, and He did not sin. He began a public ministry of preaching, healing, comforting, and developing leaders for His future church when He was about thirty years old. For the next three years He established His identity as the one and true Son of God by His life, teachings, and miraculous power.

Many of the religious leaders of Jesus' day turned against Him because He refused to support their use of religion for their own gain. They manipulated people by claiming to speak for God, and they preyed upon their fears. Jesus spoke out boldly against their abusive ways, and He completely devoted himself to people of every strata of society. He appealed to the weakest of sinners and the most dejected of society, as well as the rich and influential. He showed no favoritism at all and taught the Word of God with clarity and love.

When the religious leaders could stand it no more, they plotted to kill Jesus. They did not know that their evil intentions would actually be used by God as a plan to offer salvation to the world, including even them. They crucified Jesus out of envy and jealousy, but His death had universal implications. Because He had lived a sinless life, He did not have to pay any penalty for doing something wrong against God. This is the central piece of God's plan to save you and me.

We have sinned and fallen way short of doing what God put us here on earth to do. Because of our sin, we owe God the due penalty for our rebellion. But God has made a way for us by accepting Jesus' death as a substitute for the penalty we would receive. God is willing to take all of your sins and mine, and allow the punishment Jesus experienced to qualify as a payment for what you and I owe. He will mark our debt, "paid in full by Jesus Christ." And, because He was raised from the dead on the third day after His death, we can be assured that He has the power to raise us to eternal life when we pass from this physical life.

While it is only by the generous grace of God and the loving sacrifice of Jesus that the penalty for our sins has been paid, we must respond to that gift and accept it in God's way. A sinner, then, must come to the realization that he is a sinner and believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died for his sins. Faith is much broader than the intellectual acceptance of the gospel (see John 12:42–43 and James 2:19.) A commitment to the lordship of Jesus must be made. "God has made . . . [Jesus] both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36). This is a conscious decision to change one's life, values, and attitudes, and to begin serving a new master. It is called repentance (Acts 2:38). One cannot be a Christian and continue to live to please himself. He must make a continuing effort to please Jesus. This is what is meant when "you confess with your mouth 'Jesus is Lord' . . ." (Romans 10:9).

Baptism (immersion in water) is also a part of faith response to the grace of God. When Jesus commissioned His apostles to preach the gospel, He said, "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned (Mark 16:16). The apostles understood this to mean they should teach believing sinners to be baptized for the forgiveness of their sins. When the apostles spoke to the same people who only fifty days earlier had shouted, "Crucify him! . . . Crucify him!" (Mark 15:13–14), they responded by asking "Brothers, what shall we do?" (Acts 2:37). Obviously, they had changed their minds about whether Jesus was the Son of God or the impostor they had thought Him to be just fifty days earlier. To those believers Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:14–38).

In baptism the seeking, believing, penitent sinner openly admits his own incapability of saving himself. He dies to his sins, to his old way of life, and to himself as his own master. He is buried in baptism, which unites him with Jesus' death and resurrection, and he becomes part of His body. "Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? In order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life" (Romans 6:3–5). One may be baptized during one of our services or arrange a more private baptism.

The death of Jesus is no longer just His death, but the sinner is symbolically crucified with Christ. There is a co–crucifixion (Galatians 2:20). In baptism, he puts on Christ – "have been clothed with Christ" (Galatians 3:27) and is "united with Him in His death" (Romans 6:5). When the sinner's faith is so moved that he is immersed with Jesus, he is given a "new life." The change is so drastic, it is called a new birth (John 3:3–5).

HOW DO I BECOME A MEMBER AT NORTH ATLANTA?

Anyone who has responded to the grace of God is added to His church (Acts 2:47). He is in fellowship with every other person who has been born into the family of God. He or she is welcome as a member at North Atlanta. One who has responded to God’s grace as herein defined from the Bible and desires to be a member at North Atlanta may do so by indicating his desire in personal conversation with one of the elders or ministers, by denoting his desire on one of the guest cards located on the pews, or by coming forward, usually during the song at the conclusion of a sermon. Anyone who has not yet responded to the gospel as herein defined from the Bible may set up a time of study or conversation with one of the elders or ministers.

WHAT WILL BE EXPECTED OF ME?

Manner of life:

Jesus said, "You are the salt of the earth . . .You are the light of the world . . . " (Matthew 5:13–14). With the help of the Holy Spirit, each Christian (member) is expected by Christ to make every effort to live an exemplary life in the community. His morals, ethics, language, values, habits, and attitude should be "salt" and "light" in the community where he lives and/or works. The Bible teaches to "live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God . . ."(1 Peter 2:12). Many specific sins are named in passages such as Galatians 5:19–21, 1 Corinthians 6:9–11, and Colossians 3:5–11, but each Christian must learn the principles and attitudes of Jesus and apply them in whatever way they are applicable in his life. Christians are to make a difference in local communities and in the whole world.

Christian growth:

Most of the books of the New Testament were written to teach the Christians correct doctrine and to encourage Christian growth. The goal of growth is "like newborn babies, [to] crave pure spiritual milk so that by it you may grow up in your salvation . . ." (1 Peter 2:2) and to "be like Jesus." (see also 2 Corinthians 3:18; Colossians 1:29.).

Because the Bible is God's food for us, each one should cultivate a personal discipline of Bible study. North Atlanta has many opportunities for organized Bible study.

"Pray continually" (1 Thessalonians 5:17) is not an activity for Christians just to do something. It is a new privilege that allows the children of God the right to communicate with God.

Assembly worship with the congregation was a necessary practice of the early church (Hebrews 10:23–29). Worship is a lifestyle (Romans 12:1–2), and each Christian can praise God wherever he is. A Christian life should be an open testimony of praise to God, but assembly worship should be a part of every Christian's life so that mutual encouragement can take place.

Each Christian should generously give financially for the Lord’s work. (see 2 Corinthians 7, 8, and 9.) It is through these gifts that the poor are helped, people's needs are met, and the gospel is taught around the world.

Jesus taught that serving was the mark of true greatness (Matthew 20:20–28). There are many ministries at North Atlanta. Each one is encouraged to identify the gift God has given him and to use it in service to others so God can be glorified. The goal is to serve and not to be served.

God has blessed us with many spiritual blessings and gifts that can be offered to Him in service to fulfill His purposes in the world. And, at North Atlanta we have created an array of ministries to utilize these gifts and harness the enthusiasm that He is bringing together in this community of faith. If God has gifted you to teach, your gift will be very effectively used to fulfill God's purpose of maturity in one of our teaching ministries. If your gift is serving, you may want to work in our Inner-city ministry or our Media Ministry. Those with the gift of mercy may want to help in our Benevolence Ministry or in our Job Aide Ministry. We have ministries for men, women, families, singles, young, and old. We also have a number of outreach ministries like our Preschool or our Music and Drama Ministries. Whatever your gifts and whatever fuels your innermost spiritual determination, you can find a ministry at North Atlanta that will encourage you in the use of that gift. To learn more about your gifts and where you can put them to use in fulfilling God's mission there is a class entitled "North Atlanta 101" that meets one Sunday each month. This orientation session will help you to be involved in the exciting work that God is doing in this church.

CONCLUSION

If you want to know more, we would like to visit with you. There is much to learn from God’s Holy Bible. If who we are and who we are trying to be appeals to you, let's get together. Call me today at 770-399-5222.

Don McLaughlin
Minister