What We Believe

If you desire to re-teaching from Dr. Merritt's sermons, you'll likely want to know that his beliefs and basic theology are consistent with your own. Dr. Merritt is Senior Pastor of Cross Pointe Church in Duluth, Georgia, a Southern Baptist congregation. He desires his own teaching and doctrine to align as closely as possible to Scripture. Below are some common areas of theology and doctrine. Each is accompanied by a basic statement of belief, along with supporting scriptures. Dr. Merritt's sermons will reflect these beliefs in their presentation and interpretation of the Word:

God

We believe that there is one God who exists in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. (Genesis 1:1, 26-27; 3:22; Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; John 14:6-12; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 Peter 1:2; and I John 5:7)

Jesus

We believe that Jesus is the Son of God, 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. (Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 9:6; Isaiah 53:1-12; Matthew 1: 20-23; Luke 2:4-14, 21; John 1:1-5; Romans 1:3-4; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; and Hebrews 4:14-15, 9:28, 10:10, 12, 14, 19)

Jesus' Return

We believe that Jesus Christ will literally return to earth. (Matthew 16:27; 1 Timothy 6:14-15; 2 Timothy 4:1; and Titus 2:13)

Holy Spirit

We 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 every believer. (John 14:25-26, 15:26, 16:7-15; Romans 8:14-16; 1 Corinthians 2:12; and 2 Corinthians 3:17)

The Bible

We believe that the Bible is the Word of God without any error, the sole and sufficient authority for life and faith. (Psalm 119:9, 11, 105, 160; Isaiah 55:11; and 2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Man

We believe that man is a special creation of God, made in His image, but that through the sin of the first man, Adam, mankind as a whole “fell” or became sinners in need of salvation. (Genesis 1:26-27, 3:1-19; Romans 3:23; and 1 Corinthians 15:21-33)

Salvation

We believe that salvation is a gift received through repentance (having a change in mind or the way one thinks about sin) toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. (John 3:16; Acts 16:31, 17:30; Romans 10:9-10; Ephesians 2:8-9; and 2 Peter 3:9)

Assurance

We believe that every person who is truly saved is eternally secure in the Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 3:11-15; 2 Corinthians 1:22; and Ephesians 1:13, 4:30)

Eternity

We believe that those persons who die in their sins without Christ spend eternity in Hell, and those persons who die with their sins forgiven through Jesus Christ spend eternity in Heaven. (2 Corinthians 5:6-8; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9; Revelation 19;5-9; and Revelation 20:11-15)

Baptism

We believe that water baptism is an act of obedience to the command of Christ and is by immersion after salvation. (Matthew 3:13-17; Colossians 2:12; and Titus 3:5)

Church

We believe that the church is a local body of baptized believers with the Lord Jesus Christ as the Head. (Romans 16:5; 1 Corinthians 16:19; and Ephesians 5:23-27, 32)

Prayer

We believe that each believer has direct access to God through the Lord Jesus Christ. (Matthew 6:9-13; Romans 8:16; 2 Thessalonians 5:17; and Hebrews 10:19-20)

Government

We believe in the separation of church and state, but not in separation of God and government. Christians are salt and light in society. (Psalm 62:11; Proverbs 21:1; John 19:11; and Hebrews 13:7, 17)