About St. Matthew's UCC
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At St. Matthew's UCC, Hamburg in New York, we believe what The Bible tells us, and The Bible says we have all sinned. Do you believe you are a sinner in the sight of God? As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. The Bible says that the penalty of our sin is death, and that because we have sinned, we deserve the lake of fire (hell.) For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
We believe that there is one God who exists in three persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. He is Sovereign and Faithful to fulfill everything is has promised in His Word. We believe that Jesus is God the Son. He was born of a virgin, was wholly God and wholly man, lived a sinless life, died in our place as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind, was buried, arose bodily from the grave, and ascended into Heaven where He resides today. He will literally return to earth at a time of His choosing to Judge all mankind. We further believe that God the Holy Spirit is active in convincing unbelievers of their need for salvation, and is the Comforter and Guide Who lives in the heart of every believer.
About The Holy Spirit: We believe the Holy Spirit dwells within all believers, empowering our lives with his presence and power to live a godly life and accomplish God's will. (John 16:5-15; Romans 8:10-11; 1 Cor. 3:16)
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.