What We Believe

Knox Church is a reformed body that holds to the essential beliefs of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, including the inerrancy and authority of Holy Scripture, the worship of the Triune God, the person and saving work of Jesus Christ, and the establishment of his body as the church.

Knox hews to covenantal and reformed theology in its beliefs and teachings, and it celebrates the Five Solas of the Reformation. As a church, we hold fast to the Westminster Confession of Faith as the sole subordinate standard of scripture and our standard of doctrine with the rest of reformed churches.

The EPC’s motto is, “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.”

Our vision

Four words encompass the driving vision of Knox Church: “Truthful teaching, gracious living.” We aim to teach the truth of God’s Word as faithfully as we can, as this is the only way that we can get to know who our Lord is and how we can follow him faithfully. But we also seek to live graciously, striving for unity with our fellow believers and demonstrating humility in our words and actions. We want to excel in both learning and living for Jesus Christ, and we do our utmost here to make that happen.

So how can we accomplish this? It’s through our church vision, which is “to be a community centered on Biblical truth and the loving grace of Christ.” To accomplish that, we look to our mission, which is to “model the mission of Christ by growing, serving, and loving.”

The essential beliefs of the EPC

All Scripture is self-attesting and being Truth, requires our unreserved submission in all areas of life. The infallible Word of God, the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, is a complete and unified witness to God’s redemptive acts culminating in the incarnation of the Living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible, uniquely and fully inspired by the Holy Spirit, is the supreme and final authority on all matters on which it speaks. On this sure foundation we affirm these additional essentials of our faith.

1. We believe in one God, the sovereign Creator and Sustainer of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. To Him be all honor, glory and praise forever!

2. Jesus Christ, the living Word, became flesh through His miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit and His virgin birth. He who is true God became true man united in one Person forever. He died on the cross a sacrifice for our sins according to the Scriptures. On the third day He arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven, where, at the right hand of the Majesty on High, He now is our High Priest and Mediator.

3. The Holy Spirit has come to glorify Christ and to apply the saving work of Christ to our hearts. He convicts us of sin and draws us to the Savior. Indwelling our hearts, He gives new life to us, empowers and imparts gifts to us for service. He instructs and guides us into all truth, and seals us for the day of redemption.

4. Being estranged from God and condemned by our sinfulness, our salvation is wholly dependent upon the work of God’s free grace. God credits His righteousness to those who put their faith in Christ alone for their salvation, thereby justifies them in His sight. Only such as are born of the Holy Spirit and receive Jesus Christ become children of God and heirs of eternal life.

5. The true Church is composed of all persons who through saving faith in Jesus Christ and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit are united together in the body of Christ. The Church finds her visible, yet imperfect, expression in local congregations where the Word of God is preached in its purity and the sacraments are administered in their integrity; where scriptural discipline is practiced, and where loving fellowship is maintained. For her perfecting, she awaits the return of her Lord.

6. Jesus Christ will come again to the earth-personally, visibly, and bodily-to judge the living and the dead, and to consummate history and the eternal plan of God. “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” (Rev. 22:20)

7. The Lord Jesus Christ commands all believers to proclaim the Gospel throughout the world and to make disciples of all nations. Obedience to the Great Commission requires total commitment to “Him who loved us and gave Himself for us.” He calls us to a life of self-denying love and service. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Eph. 2:10)

Resources

Online devotions and podcasts for spiritual growth
Bible Gateway: A terrific online Bible with multiple translations and commentaries.
Read Scripture: Use this handy app to help you go through the entire Bible in a cohesive way!
The One Year Bible: Make good on that resolution to read through the Bible in a year.
Study Light: Study tools to help you understand the Bible.
Our Daily Bread: Daily devotionals
Ligonier Ministries: Daily devotionals, radio message, and video for Christian instruction.
Proverbs 31: Devotions for women.
Buffalo 50 in 5: Reducing abortions in Buffalo by 50% in five years
211 Western New York: Resources to help those in need