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Our statement of beliefs is based on the Baptist Faith & Message 2000 of the Southern Baptist Convention.
This statement was drafted in Fall, 2002. A printed copy is available by request. |
The Triune God There is only one true God. He is the God of all creation and redemption. There were no gods before Him, and there shall be none after Him. He is eternal, holy, and perfect. God is without sin, and sinful man cannot know Him without a mighty act of grace (see God The Son). He reveals Himself to man in the persons of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. God The Father God the Father reigns over all creation with grace, justice, and love. He loved mankind so much that He sacrificed His only Son so that He could adopt us as His own children. God The Son Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Jesus Christ is the Divine Incarnation of God. Jesus is fully man and fully God. Just as Old Testament prophets foretold, Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, and died upon a cross for the redemption of mankind. After He died for our sins on Calvary, He rose from the grave on the third day. He ascended to Heaven where He sits at the Father's right hand and is soon returning to reclaim His church and judge the world for its sin. God The Holy Spirit The Holy Spirit, fully God, is another person in the Trinity. He inspired the prophets and disciples to write scripture and guides believers in the truth. He dwells in the heart of every blood-bought believer and baptizes every believer into the Body of Christ at the moment of salvation. He enlightens and enables believers to act in evangelism, worship, and service. The Bible The Bible is the Word Of God. It is both infallible and inerrant. The Bible was given by Divine inspiration. It is the revelation of God to mankind. The Bible gives man the knowledge of salvation and discerns the intentions of his heart. The Second Coming Jesus is literally returning to earth to reclaim His church and restore His creation. The scriptures promise His return. God's Grace Grace is the unmerited favor of God. Our God is loving and kind enough to show us grace when all we deserve is punishment. It is by God's grace alone (shown in Christ Jesus' death on the cross) that man can be saved, "not by works lest no man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)". God has offered His grace to every man, woman, and child. God has also given us free choice in which we accept or reject His Son Jesus. Man Mankind were fearfully and wonderfully made to have fellowship with God. God created man in his own image, with the ability to choose. Yet, Adam chose to sin, and in doing so, through the entire human race into sin. "All have sinned, and all men have fallen short of God's glory..." (Romans 3:23) Fallen man has but one way to return to God and that way is Jesus Christ. Salvation Sinful man is alienated from God has but one hope in his existence. "It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead....Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:10a, 12) Because Jesus arose from the grave, there is no longer power in death. The Bible promises that "Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Anyone who puts their trust in Jesus (believing that He is God, believing his cross is sufficient for our sins, and calling on Him to be Lord and Master) shall be saved. No further baptism or good works are necessary for eternal salvation. The blood of Jesus is sufficient to heal the scars of any sin. Assurance Once one has received the free
gift of salvation, it can never be lost. The Holy
Spirit is the sealed promise within us that God will keep us to the end.
Jesus said, " I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no
one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is
greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand." Eternity All men and women will one day be
raised eternally. Those who have trusted in Christ will be raised to
eternal life, and those who did not will be raised to eternal suffering. "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out-- those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned." John 5:28-29 (NIV) At the moment of death, the body is in God's presence. For those who rejected God's only Son--eternal punishment in Hell is inevitable. The Kingdom Of God The Kingdom of God includes God's sovereignty over the universe and lordship in the lives of believers. His Kingdom is shown in His activity and presence in this world. The Church The church is the Body Of Christ, bought by the blood of Jesus. Christ is the Head of the church, and she follows Him in love and in truth. The localized body of believers are to live in obedience their Lord. Both men and women can have effective ministries in the church, but the office of pastor is limited to man. Baptism Baptism is not a requirement for salvation, but it is a command of God. God has commanded every believer in Christ to be baptized as a public act of obedience. Through immersion (the literal submersion under water), baptism symbolizes the death, burial, and resurrection of life found in Christ Jesus. Evangelism & Missions Jesus has commanded every believer to actively evangelize the world. We are called to tell the glorious news of eternal life and Christ and disciple believers, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The "mission" we are own is impossible without the activity of God in it. God's call to make disciples of all nations takes place in our own church, community, city, state, and throughout the world. God sometimes calls individuals to be foreign missionaries, but God has called all Christians to share Jesus wherever they are. The Lord's Day The Lord's Day identified in the New Testament is the first day of the week. This is the day that the Lord Jesus was raised from the dead. On Sunday, members of the local body come to bring offerings and worship our Mighty God together. Stewardship Christians believe that all things belong to God. So, a believer actually watches over the possessions he/she has been given. Tithing and offerings demonstrate God's Lordship in the Christian's life. The Lord's Supper The Body of Christ actively takes part in the Lord's Supper as an act of obedience to the commands of Christ. The Lord's Supper is God's design for remembering the atoning act of Christ's death. The bread is broken as a symbol of Jesus' body broken for us. The cup is a symbol of the New Covenant found in Jesus' blood.
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