OHC Biblical Distinctives 

The Sanctity of Human Life

Human life is created by God and is good. Since we are uniquely created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) and formed by God (Genesis 2:7; Job 33:4; Psalm 139:13–16), we hold to the sanctity of all human life (Genesis 9:6; Matthew 6:26). The Bible tells us that human life begins at conception (Psalm 139:13–16; Jeremiah 1:5). Human conception is the creation of a human embryo through the fertilization process, whether naturally or aided by technology. Life also lasts beyond death into eternity (John 5:28–29; 1 Corinthians 15:51–52; 2 Corinthians 5:8–10). God gives life and breath to everyone (Acts 17:25), and calls us to equally value the dignity of every individual life in its entirety, which compels us to love and have compassion for all peoples of the world (2 Corinthians 5:14–15).

Since God alone is the author of life, we hold that it is a sinful act to unjustly terminate human life, whether by means of abortion (including abortifacient drugs), euthanasia, suicide, or murder.

Divorce and Remarriage

The Bible teaches that divorce is the severing of a lifelong, one-flesh union that God has joined together (Matthew 19:6). Christian obedience calls us to more than mere permanence, but to seek to pattern marriage after the sacrifice and submission example of Christ and his bride, the Church (Ephesians 5:22-33). Divorce is, therefore, a final sinful act of betrayal (“you have been faithless,” Malachi 2:14) that results from the sinful neglect of the marriage covenant on the part of one or both parties.

Because of man’s unrepentant or unforgiving “hardness of heart,” in Matthew 19:8, Jesus affirmed the Old Testament law that permitted divorce for “indecency” (Deuteronomy 24:1-4), which Jesus narrowly defined as sexual immorality (Matthew 19:9). In 1 Corinthians 7:15, Paul also adds abandonment (which we interpret to include battery and abuse) as a permissible condition for divorce.

Since Gospel obedience calls Christians to repentance and forgiveness, restoration of the marriage covenant is always preferable where possible. Where restoration is not possible, then divorce is permissible (possibly even advisable) for the abandoned or abused party in the above-stated circumstances. When a divorce is biblically permissible, remarriage is likewise permissible.

Past sins (including divorce, sexual immorality, and abandonment) are forgiven at the cross of Christ for those who are truly repentant (1 John 1:9). Whatever someone’s past choices and experience, God grants the grace to live in joyful obedience moving forward.

The Sufficiency of Scripture 

Because Scripture is God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16), it is therefore true, authoritative, and sufficient for the whole mission of the church. Only Scripture can bind the Christian’s conscience. The Holy Spirit applies the Scriptures to make one wise unto salvation (2 Timothy 3:15), sanctify believers (John 17:17), and build up the body of Christ (Acts 2:42). The work of the Holy Spirit is never separated from what Scripture declares. As such, any individual’s claim to the Holy Spirit’s leadership must always be subject to the Scriptures.

Because Scripture is sufficient, it is the supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct, we are therefore committed to preach and teach the whole counsel of the word of God (Acts 20:27, 2 Timothy 4:2); as well as pray, read, and sing the word of God when we gather for worship and fellowship. We deny that any program, technique, or the use of any fad is needed as a supplement to Scripture.

Church Membership  

We believe that membership in a local gospel believing church is an essential mark of discipleship. Joyfully covenanting with other believers for worship and fellowship is not optional for a Christian. Membership in the local church is an expression of the believer’s heavenly citizenship and a necessary condition to fulfill Jesus’ command to exercise the keys of the kingdom of God (Matthew 16:19, 18:18) and carry out the disciple-making mission he gave to the church (Matthew 28:19-20). Membership in and a commitment to gather with the local church is how Christians are encouraged in faith and strengthened to live it out in the world (Hebrews 10:23-25).

A Transformed Life as Evidence of Salvation

We believe that the ground of genuine Christian faith is the vicarious death of Jesus Christ on the cross and his resurrection from the grave. This salvation is all of grace, which is a gift of God (Ephesians 2:8). However, we hold that true faith issues forth in a life marked by works of faith that include repentance and visible marks of discipleship. A true disciple is a new creation in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:21). Indwelt by the Holy Spirit, the true believer is empowered to live a life of obedience. The true Christian (1) identifies with Christ and his Church, (2) regularly gathers with the Church for worship and fellowship, (3) increasingly becomes like Christ in character, and (4) serves others with the time, abilities, and resources entrusted to him by God. Any individual’s claim to faith in Christ is suspect if not accompanied by an orientation towards Christian obedience (James 2:17).

The Complemen- tary Roles Men and Women  

Men and women are created in the image of God and equal in their likeness, worth, essence, and dignity before God. However, the Bible teaches that men and women differ in their roles both at home and in the church. God created men and women (Genesis 1:27) with distinct and complementary traits, inclinations, and dispositions, which are to be embraced as part of his plan for men and women to accomplish his purpose at home and in the church.

While we explicitly reject the notion that men are superior to women, we do acknowledge that men are designed by God to fulfill the leadership role at home as the head of the wife (Ephesians 5:22-24) and, if biblically qualified, may serve as the leaders of the church in the office of elder, pastor, bishop, or overseer (terms for the same office found in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1). Women have an equal importance in their role as wives who love their husbands (Titus 2:4), submit to their leadership (Titus 2:5), serve as a helper to their husbands (Genesis 2:18), and are primarily oriented toward their home and children (1 Timothy 2:15). By serving in this role and with these focus areas, women serve the Lord as God intended in a way that does not revile the Word of God (Titus 2:5).

A woman can faithfully fulfill her God-given role in the home in various ways, and it would be an error for us to prescribe them all. Women who are mothers may fulfill that role by solely focusing on raising children and homeschooling while others may work outside of the home while their children attend public or private school. The Bible does not list specifics, and it is within the bounds of Christian liberty for how each family may choose to obey these God-given roles.

Women can serve in many roles in the church but are not able to serve in the office of elder (1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9) nor are they permitted to serve in roles that would require them to have a teaching authority over a man (1 Timothy 2:12). There are many roles within the church outside of an elder and male teaching roles that are available to women such as teaching children, teaching and mentoring other women (Titus 2:3-4), serving as deaconesses, or in administrative and service roles.

Last Things

The OHC doctrinal statement on the Last Things is intentionally written to allow for varying views held by Bible-believing brothers and sisters (e.g., amillennialism, dispensational millennialism, historical millennialism, etc.). The doctrinal statement is written to prevent heresies such as teaching that Christ has already returned. We hold that brothers and sisters can disagree on the differences between the prevailing theological systems if these systems do not contradict the doctrinal statement. We intentionally do not take a firm stance on any one of the eschatological systems aspiring for unity in the Body on matters that are not fully revealed yet in God’s Word.

As elders and teachers teach through passages that influence these viewpoints, it is helpful that they be gracious to other positions, avoid straw man arguments or excessive focus on various systems, and seek to make applications that would be helpful regardless of a particular eschatological viewpoint.

Creation

The primary purpose of the book of Genesis and other passages of Scripture dealing with Creation is to lay the foundation for the redemptive-historical context – that of a single, unified story of God’s work to rescue, redeem, and save a people by His grace and for His glory that spans the entire Bible and all of history. The early chapters of the book of Genesis serve to lay the foundation for an eternal, self-sufficient and sovereign God; to lay the foundation that man was created by God in his likeness (Genesis 1:27) and his ultimate failure in falling into sin; and crucially, to lay the foundation that man’s sin was the cause of death (Genesis 2:15-17), a wage for sin (Romans 6:23), and the curse that man’s sin put on himself (Genesis 3:17-19), his relationship with God, creation, and others (Genesis 3:15).

There are varying opinions regarding the age of the earth, the importance of genealogies in establishing the age of humanity (Genesis 5:1-32, 11:10-32), and different theories about the Flood (Genesis 6-8) and its connection to scientific observations. While much can be learned in this area of study, we understand the Genesis account of Creation is scientifically accurate but not intended to be a scientific textbook. We acknowledge that there can be different theories among Bible-believing Christians and do not hold or require adherence to any particular theory in so far as these theories do not undermine critical doctrines. Notably, death could not have occurred before sin entered the world (Genesis 2:15-17, 3:19, 3:21).

God is Sovereign in Salvation

We believe that God’s electing grace is the decisive factor in salvation (Ephesians 2:4-1). Grace is God’s love demonstrated in his initiative through the Holy Spirit to make one spiritually alive (2 Corinthians 5:21, John 1:13, 3:5), freeing man’s will from the bondage to sin (Romans 6:18, Colossians 2:13) that he may freely repent of sin (Acts 11:18) and declare faith in Jesus Christ the Son of God (Romans 10:9) as the only ground of his salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Biblical Eldership

We believe that the local church is best served through a plurality (meaning more than one) of elders who shepherd, lead, and guide the church (John 21:15-17) through the ministry of God’s Word and prayer (Acts 6:4). Church members are called to pray for, support and joyfully submit to their elders as they serve as under-shepherds who will one day give account before Christ, the chief Shepherd (Hebrews 13:17, 1 Peter 5:1-4).

Elders (a.k.a. pastors, whether employed by the church or serving voluntarily) are recognized and affirmed by the church members as both willing and qualified to serve according to 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. Since the elders’ only authority in the church is godly counsel, they should be “able to teach” and “rightly [handle] the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). Recognizing that God’s wisdom is equally available to all (James 1:5), the elders submit to one another in the plurality by seeking unity, not unanimity, in all matters of oversight, trusting that the will of God for the oversight and care of the church will thus be accomplished.

Church Discipline

We believe that faithfulness to Jesus’ vision requires the church to accept the responsibility that he gave for both affirming and denying the authenticity of one’s profession of faith through membership (Matthew 16:16-19).

Disciplinary measures are intended to be restorative (Galatians 6:1). However, if a church member denies Christ through an outward, serious, and unrepentant sin or heresy (1 Timothy 1:3-5), the church must act to correct the errant member for the sake of the church’s collective witness and the spiritual health of the church family. Where restoration cannot be achieved, the unrepentant member should be removed from the membership by vote at a duly called membership meeting (1 Corinthians 5:11-13).

The process for restorative church discipline is outlined in Matthew 18:15-17. Any offense should first be dealt with between the offended and the offender. If there is no resolution evidenced by repentance on the part of the offender, then one or more witnesses to the act should be sought. If there is no witness (human or evidentiary), then the matter should be considered moot. If the testimony of the witness does not aid in leading the offender to repent, then the matter should be brought to the elders who, on behalf of the church, will counsel the offender towards repentance. If this step does not resolve the matter, then the matter will be put before the members with an initial call to pray for and pursue the offender. If that final step does not lead to repentance, then the members will act to remove the offender from membership in the church.

In matters where there is physical, sexual abuse, or serious crimes, the discipline and restoration process will not supersede state and federal laws or nullify the church’s obligation as a mandatory reporter.

Sign Gifts

We affirm that the Holy Spirit empowers each member of the Body of Christ in such a way that members are mutually dependent on one another for building up the Body and carrying out the commands of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:7, 21). We affirm that the Holy Spirit can and does work miraculously in the life of the Church and individual believers. However, we hold that the Sign Gifts (tongues, healings, miracles, visions, prophecies) are not normative in the church today. These gifts were given to the apostles and present in the early Church immediately following the resurrection of Jesus for the purpose of authenticating the Apostles’ preaching (Acts 5:12; 2 Corinthians 12:12). We have the record of that Apostolic message, which is the NT canon, and that Scripture is now a sufficient witness to the Gospel.