About Christ the Rock Church of God
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Many of you who are visiting this page already know Jesus, and are familiar with the precepts of Christianity. If, however, the language of formal "doctrinal creeds" seems a bit strange or foreign to you, please be reassured - your uncertainty, doubt and skepticism are openly received here at Christ the Rock Church of God in Knoxville, Tennessee. As an expression of that welcome, we have outlined below some of the core concepts of our faith, in order to provide you with some simple reference points as you visit among us. We hope these will be 'conversation starters' and that you will halp us move the Christian conversation forwards.
We believe that God's justifying grace in the gospel must not be separated from its sanctifying power and purpose. God commands us to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves, acting with compassion toward the poor and needy, seeking justice for the oppressed. In fellowship with one another, we are to combat the spiritual forces of evil, especially with the Word of God and prayer. In all that we do, we are to bear witness to the gospel in word and deed, making disciples among all people.
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.