Our Beliefs
As Episcopalians, we believe in a God who loves us; desires to have a personal relationship with each of us; and died for us so that we might be free from the power of evil, sin, and death.
the problem: sin
We humans have been made in the image of God, meaning that we are free to make choices: to love, to create, to reason, and to live in harmony with creation and with God. But from the very beginning of creation, we have misused our freedom and made wrong choices, rebelling against God and putting ourselves in the place of God. This rebellion is sin: seeking our own will instead of the will of God, thus distorting our relationship with God, with other people, and with all creation. Sin has power over us because we lose our liberty when our relationship with God is distorted; it leads to death, and prevents us from experiencing the present life in all its fullness.
the Solution: christ
We cannot save ourselves from sin. Fortunately, God liberated us from the power of evil, sin, and death; making it possible for all of us to have life, and to have it to the full.
God did this by sending Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, to free us from the power of sin, so that with the help of God we may live in harmony with God, within ourselves, with our neighbors, and with all creation. The divine Son became human, so that in him human beings might be adopted as children of God, and be made heirs of God’s kingdom. Jesus suffered and died on a cross, making the sacrifice to God that we could not make. Rising from the dead, Jesus overcame death and opened for us the way of eternal life: a new existence, in which we are united with all the people of God, in the joy of fully knowing and loving God and each other.
the result: salvation
We share in Christ’s victory over sin and death when we are baptized into the New Covenant and become living members of Christ. The New Covenant is the new relationship with God given by Jesus Christ to the first Christians, and, through them, to all who believe in him. In the New Covenant, Christ promised to bring us into the kingdom of God and give us life in all its fullness. In order to experience the benefits of that promise, we need only place our faith in Christ and keep his commandments.
To love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.
To love your neighbor as yourself.
To love one another as Christ loved us.
We accept Christ’s offer of freedom with the help of the Holy Spirit, who leads us into all truth and enables us to grow in the likeness of Christ. With the Holy Spirit present in our lives, we live in newness and fullness of life, awaiting the coming of Christ in glory and the completion of God’s purpose for the world.
ready to become a christian?
The Gospel “is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed — a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’” (Romans 1:16-17 NIV)
If you are ready to experience the transformation that comes with having a personal relationship with God — who loved you so much that he sent his only Son to die so that you might be set free from the power of evil, sin, and death — place your faith in Jesus Christ today!
Learn more
For more information about what it means to be a Christian, check out the following resources, or get in touch with us here at the Standing Rock Mission:
The Bible
The Old and New Testaments are the Word of God because God inspired their human authors and because God still speaks to us through the Bible. If you want to learn more about God’s unconditional love for you, the Bible is the first place you should go.
You might begin by reading the Gospel of John and the Letter of Paul to the Romans.
Once you have done that, use one of these Bible reading plans to work your way through the story of the Old and New Testaments:
a) Read the whole Bible in a year
b) Read the whole Bible in three years (one chapter per day)
An outline of the faith
The Episcopal Church’s Book of Common Prayer contains “An Outline of the Faith, commonly called the Catechism,” which provides a brief summary of the Church’s teachings. It is formatted as questions and answers, and is organized by topic.
You can access this helpful resource by clicking on the following link: http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bcp/catechism.pdf
Books about christianity
There are many wonderful books that can introduce you to the fundamental beliefs and values of Christianity. You might consider starting with the following ones: