What is considered sin?
Sin is everything that goes against God’s will, whether in thought, word, or deed. There is a big difference between having sin and committing sin.
To have sin denotes the nature all humans are born with because of the Fall of Man—an inclination to seek our own instead of God’s good will. To commit sin is when we choose to let this nature find expression in conscious actions or attitudes against God’s will.
Sin separates people from God and makes us dependent on forgiveness and reconciliation. Through faith in Jesus, we can receive both the forgiveness of sins and the power to overcome consciously committing sin. But that we have sin becomes conscious to us by the light of the Holy Spirit. When sin is acknowledged and judged, we are freed from the power of sin, and come to growth in the life of Christ.
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What does BCC believe?
We believe in the almighty God, the Creator of the earth, and Jesus Christ as God's only begotten Son and the savior of the world, and in the Holy Spirit. We believe that in grace there is forgiveness of sin, and that grace will further lead the believer into sanctification, to bear fruit for God. By God's word and the help of the Holy Spirit, we can follow Jesus and overcome evil with good.
The Bible is our only authoritative scripture, and we believe this contains everything a person needs for their salvation.
How does BCC practice communion?
We often use the term breaking of bread, or the Lord's supper, for communion
We view the Lord's supper as symbolic, but at the same time characterized by a spiritual presence of Jesus among His disciples. Jesus instituted the Lord's supper in memory of His life, suffering, and death, where the bread and wine are symbols of Christ's body and blood. The meal reminds the believer to live with a pure conscience, in love and in obedience to Christ. Here, everyone must examine themselves, as Paul writes in 1 Cor. 11:28–29.
The Lord's supper is also a meal of love that strengthens the fellowship between believers who share the bread and the wine in unity, gratitude, and fellowship.
Who leads the meetings in BCC?
The meetings are usually led by one of the church's elders or a person with local responsibility. Both women and men can contribute with prayer, a message, singing, or a testimony, and the program is often varied, with both young and old participating.
The assembly does not have paid preachers or elders, and usually has no trained theologians.
Does BCC have books that are as important as the Bible?
No, the Bible is our only authoritative scripture and the basis of our faith. Our beliefs are further based on the Christian teachings espoused by our founder, Johan Oscar Smith, but these writings do not replace God’s word. J.O. Smith’s literature is published by Hidden Treasures Publishers, a publication established in 1912.
What are BCC’s views on the Trinity?
BCC confesses faith in the triune God—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—as described in our Statement of Faith.
What are BCC’s views on sanctification?
BCC is known for proclaiming the doctrine of sanctification.
Sanctification is a lifelong process in which, after having been reconciled to God, the Holy Spirit helps believers grow in Christian virtues and become more like Jesus.
"Sanctification" is not a form of self-development, nor is it something we can achieve by exerting ourselves; rather, it is a life of faith, in which we develop by obeying the laws and commandments that the Holy Spirit writes into our hearts and minds, so that we have no basis for taking personal credit.
If you have an interest in delving into this topic, we recommend searching the literature portal of Hidden Treasures, or exploring at content on the YouTube channel Hidden Treasures of Sanctification.
What are BCC’s views on salvation?
God wants all people to be saved, and that is why, out of love, He sent His own Son into the world.
Jesus became a ransom, and was given power to forgive all the world's sin. We believe there is forgiveness and salvation available to all who “with their mouth confess that Jesus is Lord, and in their heart believe that God raised Him from the dead.” Furthermore, grace leads the believer into a lifelong process—salvation through Jesus' life. This entails taking up one’s cross and denying oneself every day, following Jesus. This is called sanctification.
What are BCC’s views on grace?
Grace is God's free and unmerited mercy that meets people even before they seek Him. In grace, God chooses the believer for salvation, and through grace, we receive the forgiveness of sins and are justified, not by our own works, but by faith in Jesus' atonement.
Grace is also the power that works in the believer for a new life—for repentance, faith, and obedience. Through the Holy Spirit, grace becomes effective for growth in sanctification and conformity to Christ. The entire Christian life, from beginning to completion, is a work of God's grace.
Does BCC have any sacraments?
We do not practice sacraments in the traditional sense as a means of grace, but both the Lord's supper (communion) and baptism are designated as holy acts.
How does BCC practice baptism?
In BCC, believer's baptism (adult baptism) is practiced as a conscious act and an expression of a personal decision to follow Jesus Christ. We do not regard baptism as a sacrament that in itself provides salvation, but as an outward testimony that the one who is baptized enters into a covenant of a good conscience with God, as the apostle Peter describes it.
The baptismal act itself takes place by full immersion in water, as a symbol that the old man is buried and a new life arises with Christ. Baptism marks a commitment to a life in discipleship and sanctification, by the power of God's grace.
Is there life after death?
Yes. We believe that death is not the end, but the beginning of eternity.
In the Bible, Jesus speaks of two outcomes: eternal life in heaven for those who believe and hell as an eternal separation from God for those who reject Him. This has been a common understanding in Christian tradition.
The gospel is therefore about Jesus saving humanity from perdition by reconciling them with God through the cross. Jesus says: “And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:26).
What is BCC’s view of Jesus?
We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of the world. He submitted himself to be born into the world in the likeness of sinful flesh (Rom. 8:3), and here He was tempted in all things, yet without ever falling into sin. That is why He is our Savior and our forerunner, and we are called to follow in His footsteps. (1 Pet. 2:21-23).
