Our Beliefs are in accord with the Baptist Faith and Message 2000.
God
God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He eternally exists in three Persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God.
Gen. 1:1, 26, 27; 3:22, Psalm 90:2; Matt. 28:19; I Pet. 1:2; II Cor 13:14
Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the only Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father. Jesus – conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin – lived a sinless human life and offered himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven’s glory and will return again someday to earth to reign as King of kings and Lord of lords.
Matt. 1:22-23; Isa. 9:6; John 1:1-5, 14:10-30; Heb. 4:14-15; I Cor. 15:3-4; Rom. 1:3-4; Acts 1:9-11; I Tim. 6:14-15; Titus 2:13
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son of God, Jesus Christ. He is present in the world to make people aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation and keeps the believer secure in his relationship with God until he goes to be with the Father in heaven. He provides the Christian with the power to live the Christian life successfully, with the ability to understand spiritual truth, and with the necessary guidance to do what is right. As Christians we seek to live under his control.
II Cor. 3:17; John 16:7-13, 14:16-17; Acts 1:8; I Cor. 2:12, 3:16; Eph. 1:13; Gal. 5:25; Eph. 5:18
The Bible
The Bible – both the Old and New Testaments – is God’s Word to modern man. It was penned by human authors who were guided supernaturally by the Holy Spirit. Because the Bible is inspired by God, it is the truth without any mixture of error. It is the supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
II Tim. 3:16; II Pet. 1:20-21; II Tim. 1:13; Psalm 119:105, 160; 12:6; Prov. 30:5
Human Beings
All human beings are the special creation of God, made in His image. The image of God in all human beings has been defaced by sin, which began with the first man, Adam. Sin separates human beings from a relationship with God, which means all human beings are sinners in need of God’s salvation through Jesus Christ.
Gen. 1:26-27; Psalm 8:3-6; Isa. 53:6; Rom. 3:23; 5:12-21; Isa. 59:1-2
Salvation
Salvation is God’s free gift to us but we must receive it personally. We can never make up for our sin through self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting Jesus Christ as God’s offer of forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin’s eternal penalty. When a person turns from his self-rule life and turns to Jesus Christ in faith believing, he is saved. Eternal life begins the moment a person receives Jesus Christ into his life.
Rom. 6:23; Eph. 2:8-9; John 14:6; 1:12; Tit. 3:5; Gal. 3:26; Rom. 5:1; 10:9-10
Eternal Security
Because God gives eternal life as a gift of His grace through Jesus Christ, the true believer is secure in that salvation for eternity. Such salvation can never be taken away or lost. Salvation is, therefore, initiated by God’s grace, received by personal faith, and maintained for eternity by the securing power of the Holy Spirit, not by the self-effort of the Christian.
John 10:29 ; II Tim. 1:12; Heb. 7:25; 10:10,14; I Pet. 1:3-5; Rom. 8:33-39; Eph. 1:13
Eternity
People were created to exist forever. We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is Hell. To be eternally in union with him is eternal life. Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal existence.
John 3:16; 2:25; 5:11-13 ; Rom. 6:23; Rev. 20:15; Matt. 1:8; 2:44,46
The Church
The universal church is a living spiritual body of true believers, of which Christ is the Head, and all believers are members through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which takes place at the moment of salvation. The local church is a community of baptized believers in Jesus Christ who meet for the purpose of worshipping God, encouraging each other and carrying out the Lord’s work. God has given to each member of the church the primary responsibility of taking the gospel of Jesus Christ to an unbelieving world.
1 Pet. 2:9,10 ; Eph. 1:22-23; 5:25-27; 2:19-22; 3:6-10; 1 Thess. 2:14; Acts 2:42; Heb. 10:25; Matt. 28:18-20; 26:26-29; 1 Cor. 12:12-13; 1 Tim. 3:15; Matt. 16:18; Col. 1:18
The Ordinances
Jesus Christ administered two ordinances to be practiced by the church until His return to earth. These are baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Christian baptism is a public statement of faith which takes place after salvation in obedience to Christ’s command. Baptism by immersion best illustrates the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Lord’s Supper was given by Jesus to the church as a way of remembering His death, and should be taken regularly by all believers.
Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 2:41; 8:12-13, 35-38; 18:8; Col. 2:12; Rom. 6:4; 1 Cor. 11:23-29; Matt. 26:26-30