At Southland, we have a set of “core beliefs” considered to be essentials to our unity as a Body of believers. It doesn’t mean that we condemn others who do not accept or teach these things. It’s just our way of clarifying what we believe Scripture to teach. In the end, we want God’s Word alone to be our guide! This is all a part of our movement’s heritage to “restore” the basic principles and doctrines that existed in the original Church of the New Testament. Because of what we see affirmed in the New Testament, this is what we affirm:

1. We adhere to and recognize the authority of the Bible in both the Old and New Testament writings. We hold that the Bible is the only supernaturally inspired revelation and inerrant Word of God in its original manuscripts and that it has been preserved by God so that it is the divinely authoritative standard for every age and every life (1 Corinthians 2:7-14; 2 Peter 1:20-21 and 2 Timothy 3:16-17).

2. We believe that God exists in three Persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – and that these three are one God (Matthew 28:19; John 14:16-26 and 16:7-15).

3. We believe that Jesus is the predicted Messiah, who was both God and man; that He was born of a virgin; that He lived a sinless life; that He was crucified and died as a penalty for our sins; and that He was raised bodily from the dead on the third day, just as the Bible says. We believe that He bodily ascended to the Father’s right hand where He reigns as the head of the Church and intercedes for believers, and that He is coming again personally, bodily and visibly to earth (Philippians 2:5-8; Luke 1:26-35; Hebrews 4:14-15; 1 Peter 2:21-24; 1 Corinthians 15:3-5 and 1 Thessalonians 4:15-16)

4. We believe that by Jesus’ sacrificial death God in His grace has provided the perfect atonement for sin (Galatians 3:13-14; Romans 3:24-36; Hebrews 9:11-14 and 10:10-14).

5. According to Scripture, we are saved by this grace through faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:8). We teach what the Bible teaches as part of this faith response for salvation. In faith, we receive His grace by …

… believing in Christ (John 20:31 and Romans 10:9).

… repenting from sin (Acts 2:38 and 17:30).

… confessing Jesus as Lord (Matthew 10:32 and Romans 10:9).

… being baptized by immersion (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38 and Romans 6:3-4).

… and living a godly life (2 Peter 3:11 and 2 Timothy 1:9).