Beliefs
Trinity Church of Bedford is Protestant church, located within the historic Christian faith. A good summary of this is found in the Apostles’ Creed, found below.
Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth;
And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy universal Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
For a further explanation of our beliefs, please see our Statement of Faith below:
Trinity Church of Bedford Statement of Faith
I. The Triune God
We believe that there is one, and only one, living and true God. He is an infinite, intelligent Spirit, whose name is the LORD, the Maker and Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth. He is inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy of all possible honor, confidence, and love. In the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They are equal in every divine perfection, carrying out distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption.
II. Of the Scriptures
We believe that the Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is a perfect treasure of heavenly instruction. It has God for its author, salvation through Christ for its purpose, and truth without any mixture of error for its content. It reveals the principles by which God will judge us. Therefore, it is and shall remain to the end of the world the true center of Christian unity and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions should be tried.
III. Humanity
We believe that humanity is the special creation of God, made in his own image. He created them male and female, with equal dignity and value before him. The gift of gender is thus a good part of God’s creation. The gift of marriage consists of the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime and models the way God relates to his people. The husband is to gently lead and sacrificially love his wife as Christ loved the church, and the wife is to respect and graciously submit herself to her husband as the church willingly submits to Christ. God has purposed marriage as the only biblical and righteous means of sexual expression and as God's ordained context for procreation.
IV. The Fall
We believe that humanity was created in holiness, under the law of his Maker. By voluntary transgression, however, humanity fell from that holy and happy state. As a result, all mankind are now sinners, not by constraint, but by choice. Being by nature utterly void of that holiness required by the law of God, they are now actively inclined to evil. Therefore, mankind stands under just condemnation to eternal ruin, without defense or excuse
V. The Way of Salvation
We believe that the salvation of sinners is entirely of grace, through the mediatorial offices of the Son of God, Jesus Christ our Lord. By the appointment of the Father, he freely took upon himself our nature, yet without sin. He honored the divine law by his personal obedience, and by his substitutionary death, made a full atonement for our sins. He rose from the dead and is now enthroned in heaven. The Lord Jesus unites in his wonderful person the tenderest sympathies with divine perfections and, as such, is qualified in every way to be a suitable, compassionate, and all-sufficient Savior.
VI. Justification
We believe that the great gospel blessing that Christ secures to those who believe in him is justification. Justification includes the pardon of sin, righteous standing before God, and the promise of eternal life founded on principles of righteousness. It is bestowed, not in consideration of any works of righteousness we have done, but only through faith in the Redeemer’s blood. By virtue of this faith, his perfect righteousness is freely imputed to us by God. Justification immediately brings us into a state of most blessed peace and favor with God and secures every other blessing we need for time and eternity.
VII. The Freeness of Salvation
We believe that the blessings of salvation are made free to all by the gospel. It is the immediate duty of all people to accept them by a heartfelt, penitent, and obedient faith. Preventing this salvation is every sinner’s inherent depravity and rejection of the gospel, a rejection that aggravates a sinner’s condemnation.
VIII. Regeneration
We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be regenerated, or born again. Regeneration consists in God giving a new heart and a holy disposition to the mind. It is effected by the power of the Holy Spirit using divine truth in a manner beyond human comprehension. This inward change secures our voluntary obedience to the gospel, and its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance, faith, and newness of life.
IX. Repentance and Faith
We believe that repentance and faith are sacred duties, as well as inseparable graces. They are produced in our souls by the regenerating Spirit of God, who convinces us of our guilt, danger, and helplessness, and of the way of salvation in Christ. And they consist of turning to God with genuine sorrow, confession, and a petition for mercy; receiving heartily the Lord Jesus Christ as our Prophet, Priest and King; and relying on him alone as the only and all-sufficient Savior.
X. God’s Purpose of Grace
We believe that election is the eternal purpose of God, according to which he graciously regenerates, sanctifies, and saves sinners. Election is perfectly consistent with human free agency and includes all the means necessary to achieve God’s purpose. It is a most glorious display of God’s sovereign goodness, which is infinitely free, wise, holy, and unchangeable. Election completely excludes boasting and promotes humility, love, prayer, praise, trust in God, and the active imitation of his free mercy. It encourages the greatest possible exercise of human means. The election of individuals to life may be confirmed by its effects in everyone who truly believes the gospel. Election is the foundation of Christian assurance and confirming our election deserves our greatest diligence.
XI. Sanctification
We believe that sanctification is the process by which, according to the will of God, we are made partakers of his holiness. It is a progressive work, which begins in regeneration and is carried on in the hearts of believers by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, the Sealer and Comforter, through the continual use of God’s appointed means. These especially include the word of God, self-examination, self-denial, watchfulness, prayer, and the oversight and fellowship of a local church.
XII. Of Perseverance of the Saints
We believe that all genuine believers endure to the end. Their persevering obedience to Christ and attachment to his people are the primary marks distinguishing them from superficial professors. A special providence watches over their welfare and they are kept by the power of God through faith to salvation.
XIII. The Harmony of the Law and the Gospel
We believe the law of God is the eternal and unchangeable rule of his moral governance. It is holy, just, and good. Fallen human beings are unable to fulfill the precepts of the law, which the Scriptures attribute entirely to their love of sin. A chief purpose of the gospel is to deliver people from this love and to restore them through a mediator to a sincere obedience to the holy law. The visible church’s means of grace share this great purpose.
XIV. Gospel Church
We believe that a visible church of Christ is a congregation of baptized believers, joined together by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the Gospel. A visible church observes the ordinances of Christ, is governed by his laws, and exercises the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by his word. The only scriptural officers of the church are Elders (also called Overseers or Pastors), and Deacons, whose qualifications and duties are especially defined in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus.
XV. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper
We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water into the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. It is a solemn and beautiful emblem that publicly declares our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior as well as our union with him in death to sin and resurrection to a new life. Baptism is a prerequisite to the privileges of church membership and the Lord’s Supper. We likewise believe that the Supper is an act of obedience whereby the members of the church, following earnest self-examination, use bread and the cup in a sacred manner to commemorate together the dying love of Christ.
XVI. The Lord’s Day
We believe that the first day of the week is the Lord’s Day. It is a Christian institution for regular observance, which commemorates the resurrection of Christ from the dead and points to the rest that awaits the people of God. It should include the devout observance of worship and all the means of grace, both private and public. Activities on the Lord’s Day should be commensurate with the Christian’s conscience under the lordship of Jesus Christ.
XVII. Civil Government
We believe that civil government exists by divine appointment for the benefit and good order of human society. Government officials are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored, and obeyed. The principle exception is for matters contrary to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the only Lord of the conscience, and the Prince of the kings of the earth.
XVIII. The Righteous and the Wicked
We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked. Only those who through faith are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and sanctified by the Spirit of our God, are truly righteous in his esteem. In contrast, all those who continue in rebellion and unbelief are wicked in his sight, and under his curse. This distinction holds both in and after death.
XIX. The World to Come
We believe that the end of the world is approaching. At the last day Christ will descend from heaven and raise the dead from the grave to final retribution. Then a solemn separation will take place, as the wicked will be sentenced to endless punishment, and the righteous to endless joy. This righteous judgment will fix forever the final state of men in heaven or hell.
*First edition, December 3, 2021. This document is a modernized and slightly updated version of the 1853 New Hampshire Confession of Faith.
If the Statement of Faith is what we agree the church believes, the Church Covenant is how we agree to live together.
The church Constitution fulfills Massachusetts legal requirements for incorporation, as well as outlining the basic administrative procedures of the church.