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What We Believe

What we believe about God, the Bible, and our purpose in this life.

Statement of Faith

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are living according to the truth. Thy Word is truth. III John 1:4; John 17:17 We believe this Statement of Faith reflects the plain, literal and contextual reading of the Bible and the basic tenets of faith practiced at First Baptist Church: 

Inspiration of Scripture

The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are given by inspiration of God and are the only infallible rule of faith and practice.  Timothy 3:16

The Godhead

There is one God, the creator and ruler of the universe, existing in a divine and  incomprehensible Trinity – the Father, the Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, each possessing the same divine perfections.  I John 5:7

God the Father

God the Father’s nature is holy, loving and just. He is totally sovereign in all that has or shall come to pass from eternity past to eternity future.  He is our provider and disciplinarian. Gen 1:26, 3:22; 11:7; Isa 44:6; Psalm 110:1; Mark 12:35-37; Matt 28:19

The Lord Jesus Christ

The Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God and in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. All things were created in Him, through Him and for Him.  John 1:3; Col 1:16   He descended from heaven according to scripture, was incarnated in the flesh being conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of Mary, a virgin Isaiah 7:14; Luke 1:26-38.  He lived a sinless life, performed many miracles that validated him as creator, died on the cross as God the Father’s sacrificial lamb for the sins of the world, was bodily resurrected and ascended back to heaven where He is the redeemer, intercessor and advocate of His people; and that the redemption of our souls is attained only through repentance and faith in Him only as our Savior.  Acts 4:12 

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is a divine person indwelling every believer.  He restrains evil in the world and convicts the world of sin, righteous and judgment. He adopts and regenerates all who put their trust in Christ as savior, baptizing them at the moment of salvation into the Church (the Body of Christ), indwells them permanently as instructor and guide, seals them unto the day of redemption, bestows them with spiritual gifts and empowers and fills those yielded to Him.   Gen 1:1-2, 26; Matt 3:16-17; 28:19; John 3:16; 14:16-17, 26; 16:7; I Cor 6:19; Eph 2:22; 

Man Created and Fallen

Our first parents were created holy and upright; but, because of disobedience to God’s express will they fell from this condition to one of having a sin nature and consequently, the whole human race is by nature in trespass and sins. Rom 5:12

The Church, The Body and Bride of Christ 

The universal church is the bride and body of Jesus Christ (John 3:26-29; Eph 1:22-23, 5:25-27; I Cor 12:12-13) and is made up of all born again believers, irrespective of gender, class or race (Gal 3:26-28; Col 3:11; Jas 2:1-9). We believe that the church began at Pentecost and that the believer is placed into the church by the baptizing work of the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation.  Acts 2; I Cor 12:13 

Marriage

Marriage that has been ordained by God represents Jesus Christ’s union to the Church as its bridegroom; therefore, marriage is a sacred union. Jesus Christ declared that marriage is an exclusive covenantal union of one man and one woman, in which such union is a lifetime commitment (Matt 19:4-6; John 3:26-29; Eph 5:22-27; Gen 2:24; Rom 7:2; 1 Cor 7:10). Therefore, we believe the only legitimate marriage union is one that it is consistent with the biblical definition of marriage (Acts 4:18-20). 

Man Created and Fallen

Our first parents were created holy and upright; but, because of disobedience to God’s express will they fell from this condition to one of having a sin nature and consequently, the whole human race is by nature in trespass and sins. Rom 5:12

Salvation by Grace Through Faith

Everyone is separated from God by sin and therefore needs salvation. And, that salvation is not earned by man’s works or observance of church ordinances or liturgies, but is by grace through faith; and that is not of yourselves it is a gift of God. Salvation is received by a personal faith that entrusts only in the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ whose precious blood was shed on Calvary as our atonement and forgiveness of sins. John 1:12; Eph 1:7, 2:8-9; I Peter 1:18

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When a person truly has trusted Christ as his Savior, that person has been born again by God and cannot lose his salvation for any reason or by any means, and is eternally secure. Luke 10:20; 22:32; John 1:12; 3:16; 14:6; Rom 8:1-2; II Cor 5:1, 6-8; Eph 1:7; 2:8-9; II Tim 1:12; Heb 10:22; I Peter 1:18-19, 23; I John 5:12

Victorious Christian Living through Biblical Sanctification

Every saved person possesses two natures, with provision made for victory of the new nature over the old nature through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit; and that all claims to the eradication of the old nature in this life are unscriptural. Rom 6:13; 8:12-13; Gal 5:17-25; Eph 4:22-23; Col 3:10; I Peter 1:14-16; I John 3:5-9

Biblical sanctification is a personal, separated walk of life unto God and is accomplished in a pursuit of His holiness through Bible study and its call to obedience John 17:17; Eph 5:26. This does not mean that believers should have no contact with unbelievers but should manifest the fruit of the Spirit to create a thirst in unbelievers to receive Christ. “I Cor 6:17; 7:1

The Eternal State

Every person has a soul from the moment of conception that will live forever. Those who have trusted Christ for their salvation will abide with Christ forever in heaven. Luke 23:43; II Cor 5:8; I Thess 4:16-17; I Peter 1:3-5; Rev 22:5.  Those who have failed to trust Christ for their salvation are condemned to eternal punishment in hell. John 3:18; Mark 9:42-48; II Peter 2:9

Satan

The devil is a creature who is referred to in scripture by many names, and, goes about masquerading as an angel of light but is a roaring lion seeking whom he may deceive and devour. II Cor 11:14; I Peter 5:8

Things to Come

The earth will undergo a time of God’s Wrath which is His Judgment known as the Tribulation. The church does not go through God’s wrath because of the personal and pre-tribulation return of our Lord in the air to receive to Himself, dead and alive, those who have been born-again unto to Him, the church. This event, the “rapture” of the church, is the blessed hope for which we should be imminently prepared. At the culmination of the tribulation, the Lord Jesus Christ will bodily return to the earth to establish His millennial reign where Satan will be bound for a thousand years and the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord. After the thousand years Satan will be loosed and will deceive many and make war against Christ. Satan and his followers will be defeated and subsequently judged where they will be condemned for eternity in the lake of fire. The old heaven and earth will pass away and God will establish a new heaven and a new earth which will be eternal and God will dwell there with His people. Romans 5:9; I Thessalonians 4:16; Jude 14; Rev 21:1.

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