About St. John's Episcopal Church
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At St. John's Episcopal Church, Yonkers in New York, we believe what The Bible tells us, and The Bible says that Jesus paid the penalty for our sins by dying on the cross of Calvary for us, then being raised from the dead the third day. Do you believe He paid the full debt for your sin? Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit. The Bible says that we can have eternal life, by simply receiving the free gift God offers through his son. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Romans 10:13
We believe that sin, both what we have done and what we have failed to do - the Bible calls it "missing the mark" - describes the reality that things are not as they should be. We are self-obsessed, broken, fearful, and oppressive. We all see the problems in this world, and those of us who are humble enough to admit it realize that we've all played some role in contributing to the problems we see. Sin, its guilt, and its consequences are what Jesus came to save us from.
About Repentance: Repentance is the commitment to turn away from sin in every area of our lives and to follow Christ, which allows us to receive His redemption and be regenerated by the Holy Spirit. Thus, through repentance we receive God's forgiveness of sins and appropriate salvation.
About Separation of Church and State: We believe that each local church is self-governing, and must be free from interference by any external ecclesiastical or political authority; that every human being is ultimately responsible to God in matters of faith and life; and that each person is free to worship God according to the dictates of his/her conscience. We further believe that governments are established by God; that Christians, as good citizens, should be subject to governing authorities insofar as possible, recognizing our greater allegiance to God and His kingdom in matters wherein human authorities conflict with clear, biblical mandates.