Frequently Asked Questions

We want to only be Christians (Acts 11:26). We want to be the church we read about in the Bible, which was without denominations (John 16:18).

We seek to do only what the Bibe says. Our opinions, perceptions and feelings cannot come before the truth of scripture, which is inspired by God and infallible (2 Tim. 3:16).

Below you will find brief explanations for commonly asked questions. We would love to further study with you any of the following topics or other spiritual questions you may have. We only want to provide answers from the Bible.

God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit

Genesis 1:26 tells us that God spoke to a Godhead when He said, “Let us make man in our image….”

God, the Father, set forth the thought and salvation of mankind before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4). Out of mercy and love for us, He sent His Son to die for us when we were most undeserving (John 3:16, Rom. 5:8). God did so because His will for everyone is salvation (1 Tim. 2:3-4).

Jesus is God the Son. He is the Creator (John 1:3, Col. 1:16) and the Savior (John 3:16) in the Father’s plan. For a time, He came to this earth, took on flesh, taught his disciples, died on a cross, was resurrected, and ascended to be with the Father (1 Cor. 15:3-4). Jesus is the source of salvation to all who obey Him (Hebrews 5:9). We preach Jesus, “for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12)”.

The Holy Spirit is God the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is distinct with personage (Acts 5:3, John 15:26, Eph. 4:30) and carries out His own role in the Godhead. He is the revealer of the Father’s will through scripture (2 Pet. 1:21, 2 Tim. 3:16). The Holy Spirit is a gift received at baptism (Acts 2:38, 5:32, Rom. 5:5, Eph. 1:13-14), and He dwells in Christians (1 Cor. 3:16, 6:19). While the Holy Spirit once worked through the apostles supernaturally through wonders and healing (Mark 16:20, Heb. 2:4), today He is involved in the Christian’s life through intercession of prayer (Rom. 8:26-27) and the transformation He affects in us through His revealed scripture (Rom. 8:13-14, Gal. 5:22-23).

The Church

Jesus said in Matthew 16:18-19 He would build His church and told His apostles He would give to them the keys to kingdom. The kingdom is the church prophesied about through the ages (2 Sam. 7:12-13, Is. 2:2-3, Dan. 2:44). It was what John the Baptist, Jesus and the apostles all foretold: “The kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 3:1-2, 4:17, 10:5-7). The church was established in Acts 2 in Jerusalem on Pentecost, as prophesied (Mark 9:1, Luke 24:45-49). On that day, those who were baptized were added to the church (Acts 2:47). In the end, Jesus will deliver the kingdom to God the Father (1 Cor. 15:24). Until that time, the church is to be meeting together and encouraging one another as the Day of Judgment is approaching (Heb. 10:24-25).

We want to be the church we read about in scripture that followed in the apostles’ teaching (Acts 2:42). We know that if we do exactly what they did, we will be what they were.

Church Organization

After Paul and Barnabas established congregations of the one church, Acts 14:23 says they appointed elders in every church. In 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, we see that specific role is reserved for the leadership of congregations. Men that meet the qualifications listed in those chapters have the daunting task of “keeping watch over” the souls of the members. Other words used interchangeably in scripture for this role are shepherd, overseer, and pastor. At Hillcrest, the “shepherds” of the congregation seek to be actively involved in the lives of our members because of this great responsibility and because of our love for one another.

Additionally, we have men employed by the congregation as ministers (or evangelists, 2 Tim. 4:5), who preach, teach and serve under the oversight of the shepherds. We also have men appointed to be deacons, a role set forth in 1 Timothy 3:8-13, who serve in various assigned ways.

Worship

In John 4:23-24, we are told God is spirit and those who worship Him must do so in spirit and in truth. That is the worship God desires. In Matthew 15:9, it says “in vain do they worship me teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”

Worshipping as God desires means following the pattern we find in Scripture. We meet every Sunday as we see the church did to commune together (Acts 20:7); to give of our means (1 Cor. 16:2); sing with our hearts and lips (Eph. 5:19, Col. 3:16, Heb. 13:15); pray (1 Thess. 5:17, Eph. 6:18); and hear God’s Word (Rom. 10:17) through preaching.

We also meet for class studies (Sunday morning, Wednesday night) and a second Sunday worship service, as set forth by our shepherds.

(For more on our worship, SEE Worship)

Grace

Grace is God extending Himself to mankind and offering what we do not deserve. We are saved by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8).

We have faith through His Word. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Rom. 10:17), however, faith without works is dead (James 2:26). That does not mean our works are meritorious, allowing us to say “I saved myself.” Salvation is a gift of grace from God that is reserved for those who obey Him. “Not everyone who says Lord, Lord with inherit the kingdom of Heaven, but He who does the will of My Father who is in heaven,” said Jesus in Matt. 7:21.

Baptism

1 Peter 3:21 says “baptism now saves us,” because in baptism we are washed of our sins (Acts 22:16). Baptism does not allow of us to brag about what we have done. Colossians 2:12 says in baptism we are buried with Jesus and raised with Him through faith in the powerful working of God. It is God’s work that saves us in baptism. We can never say, “Look what I’ve done,” because God does the work when we obey Him.

Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage

Marriage is the second most important decision one makes outside of discipleship to Jesus. A marriage could last 50 years or more. God’s plan was for one man to be with one woman for a lifetime (Gen. 2:24, Eph. 5:31). We should seek companions who will help us get to Heaven.

God hates divorce (Mal. 2:16, KJV), and He truly hates adultery (Ex. 20:14). God hates adultery so much that it is the only reason for which He will allow a divorce (Matt. 19:9). It should be no surprise that God so disdains adultery as it was the metaphor used throughout scripture when His people of the Old Testament (Israel) were unfaithful. Understanding this truth should clarify any consideration of remarriage for any reason other than adultery.

This is a hard teaching, which is why Jesus’ disciples said in Matthew 19:10, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” We should also keep in mind, in the event one has become divorced for an unauthorized reason, it is acceptable to remain single, and Paul said in 1 Corinthians 7:32-33 such a state can even be advantageous for being devoted to the Lord. If one was divorced for the only scriptural reason, of course, remarriage would be permitted. However, one must never let loneliness or sexual desires outweigh conviction to the Lord’s commands.