Our Beliefs
To put it simply, we believe the Bible. A Bible believing Baptist is one who believes in a supernatural Bible, which tells of a supernatural Christ, Who had a supernatural birth, Who spoke supernatural words, Who performed supernatural miracles, Who lived a supernatural life, Who died a supernatural death, Who rose in supernatural power, Who ascended in supernatural splendor, Who intercedes as a supernatural priest and Who will one day return in supernatural glory to establish a supernatural kingdom on the earth.
The Holy Scriptures
We believe the Old and New Testament to be the verbally and completely inspired Word of God. The Scriptures are inerrant, infallible and God-breathed, and therefore are the final authority for faith and life. The sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments are the complete and divine revelation of God to man and shall be interpreted according to their normal grammatical-historical meaning. The King James Version of the Bible shall be the official and only translation used by the Church. (II Tim.3:16; II Pet.1:20-21)
Salvation
We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins once and for all. (Jn. 1:12; Eph. 1:7; 2:8-10; I Pet. 1:18-19)
Total Depravity
We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam's sin the human race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God; and that man is totally depraved and of himself utterly unable to remedy his lost condition. (Gen. 1:26-27; Rom 3:22-23; 5:12; 6:23; Eph 2:1-3; 4:17-19)
The Godhead
We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each co-eternal in Being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory and having the same attributes and perfections. (Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19; II Cor 13:14; John 14:10, 26; 1 John 5:7)
Jesus Christ
(1) We believe the Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, in order that he might reveal God and redeem sinful men. (Isa. 7:14; 9;6; Luke 1:35; John1:1-2, 14; II Cor. 5:19-21; Gal. 4:4-5; Phil. 2:5-8)
(2) We believe the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a vicarious, representative, substitutionary sacrifice; and that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead. (Acts 2:18-36; Rom.3:24-25; I Pet. 2:24; Eph. 1:7; I Pet. 1:3-5)
(3) We believe the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven, and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Advocate, Representative, and Intercessor. (Acts 1:9-10; Heb. 9:24; 7:25; Rom. 8:34; I Jn. 2:1-2)
The Holy Spirit
(1) We believe the Holy Spirit is a Person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and, that He is the Supernatural Agent in the regeneration of man, filling, indwelling and sealing the believer unto the day of redemption. (Jn.16:8-11; Rom. 8:9; I Cor. 12:12,14; II Cor. 3:6; Eph. 1:13-14)
(2) We believe He is the divine Teacher who assists believers to understand and appropriate the Scriptures and it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the Spirit. (Ph. 1:17- 18; 5:18; I John 2:20, 27)
(3) We believe God is Sovereign and is the bestower of spiritual gifts to every believer. God uniquely uses evangelists, Pastors, and teachers to equip believers in the assembly in order that they can do the work of the ministry. (Rom. 12:3-8; I Cor. 12:4-11, 28; Eph. 4:7-12)
(4) We believe the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and the gift of healing, were temporary. We believe speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the filling of the Holy Spirit and ultimate deliverance of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection, though God frequently chooses to answer the prayers of believers for physical healing. (I Cor. 1:22; 13:8;14:21-22)
The Church
(1) We believe the model of the New Testament Church is an independent, fundamental, indigenous, autonomous, local, visible congregation of regenerated, water-baptized believers, exhibiting historic Scriptural, Baptistic distinctives, who are Divinely called out of the world and organized to assemble together in worship, fellowship, burden-sharing, world-wide evangelism and Church-planting. We believe the local Church to be the figurative Body and espoused Bride of Christ. (I Cor.12:12-14; II Cor. 11:2; Eph. 1:22-23; 5:25-27)
(2) We believe the planting, establishment and continuance of local Churches is a mandate clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures. (Acts 14:27; 20:17, 28-32; I Tim. 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11)
(3) We believe in the autonomy of the local Church free of any external authority or control. The Scriptures are the sole authority for all faith and practice, and delegate executive authority only to the local Church, its Pastor and deacons. (Acts 13:1-4; 15:19-31; 20:28; Rom 16:1, 4; I Cor. 3:9, 16; 5:4-7, 13; I Pet. 5:1-4)
(4) We recognize baptism in water by immersion only, following conversion, and the Lord's Supper as the only two Scriptural ordinances of the local Church, and that they are in no way sacramental (grace-giving, saving) in nature or practice. (Matt 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; 18:18; I Cor. 11:23-26)
(a) Baptism by immersion is the only Scriptural requirement to membership in the local Church following conversion. Baptism is a willful act of obedience on the part of a professing believer.
(b) The Lord's Supper is a recurring memorial observance for church members only, of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ with an emphasis on one's personal fellowship with Christ in view of and in anticipation of His promised return. The bread and cup are only symbolic of the flesh and blood of Christ.
Eternal Security
(1) We believe all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God's power and are thus secure in Christ forever. (Jn.6:37-40; 10:27-30; Rom. 8:1, 38-39; I Cor. 1:4-8; I Pet. 1:4-5)
(2) We believe it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God's Word, which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh. (Rom. 13:13-14; Gal. 5:13; Titus 2:11-15)
The Second Coming
We believe in that 'blessed hope', the personal, imminent return of Christ, Who will rapture His Church out prior to the seven-year Tribulation Period. At the end of the Tribulation, Christ will personally and visibly return, with His Saints to establish His earthly Messianic Kingdom which was promised to the nation of Israel. (Ps. 89:3-4; Daniel 2:31-45; Zech. 14:4-11; I Thess. 1:10; 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; Rev 3:10; 19:11-16; 20:1-6)
