Statement of Faith
We Believe...
The Bible is God’s word to us. It was written by human authors under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Because the Bible is inspired by God, it is the ultimate source of truth for all people. We believe that every word of the Bible is inspired and that it has no error. We also believe that it plays an important role for the Christian. The Bible strengthens, transforms, encourages, corrects, teaches, and protects the Christian as they study it and apply it to their lives.
Exodus 24:4; Deuteronomy 4:1-2; Deuteronomy 17:19; Joshua 8:34; Psalms 19:7-10; Psalms 119:11; Psalms 119:89; Psalms 119:105; Psalms 119:140; Isaiah 34:16; Isaiah 40:8; Jeremiah 15:16; Jeremiah 36:1-32; Matthew 5:17-18; Matthew 22:29; Luke 21:33; Luke 24:44-46; John 5:39; John 16:13-15; John 17:17; Acts 2:16-21; Acts 2:25-28; Acts 2:34-35; Acts 17:11; Romans 15:4; Romans 16:25-26; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 1:1-2; Hebrews 4:12; 1 Peter 1:25; 2 Peter 1:19-21
God
God is the creator and ruler of the universe. He eternally exists in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equals and one God.
Genesis 1:1 and following; Genesis 2:4 and following; Genesis 2:13; Genesis 2:18; Deuteronomy 6:4; Deuteronomy 6:5; Deuteronomy 32:6; Job 23:10; Psalm 34:15-16; Psalm 65:6; Psalm 90:8; Psalm 139:1-6 Psalm 139:13-16; Psalm 147:5; Proverbs 15:3; Isaiah 64:8; Jeremiah 10:10; Jeremiah 32:17; Matthew 3:13-17; Matthew 6:4,6,8; Matthew 19:26; Matthew 28:19; Luke 1:37; John 14:16; John 15:6; John 16:13-15; 2 Corinthians 13:13-14; Ephesians 3:20; Hebrews 1:3; 1 Peter 1:2; 1 Peter 3:12; Revelation 1:4-6
God the Father
God the Father reigns with providential care over His universe. He is all powerful, all knowing, all loving, and all wise. He is fatherly in his attitude toward all men.
Exodus 3:14; Exodus 6:2-3; Exodus 15:11ff; Exodus 20:1ff; Leviticus 22:2; 1 Chronicles 29:10; Psalm 19:1-3; Isaiah 43:3, 15; Isaiah 64:8; Jeremiah 17:13; Matthew 6:9 and following; Matthew 7:11; Matthew 23:9; Mark 1:9-11; John 4:24; John 5:26; John 14:6-13; Romans 8:14-15; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 4:6; Hebrews 11:6; Hebrews 12:9; 1 Peter 1:17
God the Son
Jesus Christ is the only Son of God. He is fully God and fully man. He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless human life, and offered himself as the perfect sacrifice for our sin by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death, and ascended into heaven where He sits at the right hand of God.
Psalm 2:7; Psalm 110:1; Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 53:1-12; Matthew 1:18-23; Matthew 16:27; Matthew 28:16; Matthew 28:20; Luke 1:35; Luke 24:46; John 1:1-18; John 1:29; John 10:30,38; John 11:25-27; John 16:28; John 20:1-20,28; Acts 1:9; Acts 2:22-24; Acts 7:55-56; Romans 3:23-26; Romans 5:6-21; Romans 8:1-3; Romans 8:34; 1 Corinthians 15:1-8; 2 Corinthians 5:19-21; Ephesians 1:20; Ephesians 4:7-10; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18; 1 Timothy 3:16; Titus 2:13-14; Hebrews 4:14-15; Hebrews 9:28; Hebrews 12:2; 1 Peter 3:22
God the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is present in the world to make people aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He lives in all Christians from the moment of salvation, providing them with power for living and guidance in doing what is right.
Genesis 1:2; Judges 14:6; Job 26:13; Psalms 51:11; Psalms 139:7ff; Isaiah 61:1-3; Joel 2:28-32; Matthew 1:18; Matthew 4:1; Matthew 12:28-32; Mark1:10,12; Luke 4:1,18-19; Luke 11:13; Luke 12:12; Luke 24:49; John 14:16-17,26; John 15:26; John 16:7-14; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:1-4,38; Acts 4:31; Acts 5:3; Acts 6:3; Acts 8:17,39; Acts 10:44; Acts 13:2; Acts 15:28; Acts 16:6; Acts 19:1-6; Romans 8:9-11,26-27; 1Corinthians 2:10-14; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 1 Corinthians 12:3-11,13; Ephesians 1:13-14; Ephesians 4:30; Ephesians 5:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:19; 1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Timothy 1:14; 2 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 9:8,14; 2 Peter 1:21; 1John 4:13; 1 John 5:6-7; Revelation 1:10; Revelation 22:17
Man
Man is the special creation of God, made in His own image. In the beginning man was innocent of sin and was endowed by his Creator with freedom of choice. By his choice man sinned against God and brought sin into the human race. Man’s decision to sin caused a division between Creator and creation leaving man in need of a Savior.
Genesis 1:26-30; Genesis 2:5;7,18-22; Genesis 3; Genesis 9:6; Psalm 1; 8:3-6; Psalm 32:1-5; Psalm 51:5; Isaiah 6:5; Jeremiah 17:5; Matthew 16:26; Acts 17:26-31; Romans 1:19-32; Romans 3:10-18,23; Romans 5:6,12,19; Romans 6:6; Romans 7:14-25; Romans 8:14-18,29; 1 Corinthians 1:21-31; 1 Corinthians 15:19,21-22; Ephesians 2:1-22; Colossians 1:21-22; Colossians 3:9-11.
Salvation
Salvation involves the redemption of the whole man, and is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer. In its broadest sense salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.
1. Regeneration, or the new birth, is a work of God’s grace whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus. It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace. Repentance is a genuine turning from sin toward God. Faith is the acceptance of Jesus Christ and commitment of the entire personality to Him as Lord and Savior.
2. Justification is God’s gracious and full acquittal, upon principles of His righteousness, of all sinners who repent and believe in Christ. Justification brings the believer into a relationship of peace and favor with God.
3. Sanctification is the experience, beginning in regeneration, by which the believer is set apart to God’s purposes, and is enabled to progress toward moral and spiritual maturity through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in him. Growth in grace should continue throughout the regenerate person’s life.
4. Glorification is the culmination of salvation and is the final blessed and abiding state of the redeemed.
Genesis 3:15; Matthew 1:21; Matthew 4:17; Matthew 16:21-26; Luke 1:68-69; Luke 2:28-32; John 1:11-14,29; John 3:3-21,36; John 5:24; John 10:9,28-29; John 15:1-16; John 17:17; Acts 2:21; Acts 4:12; Acts 15:11; Acts 16:30-31; Romans 3:23-25; Romans 5:8-10; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 10:9-10,13; Romans 13:11-14; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 1 Corinthians 15:10; 2 Corinthians 5:17-20; Galatians 2:20; Galatians 5:22-25; Philippians 2:12-13; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 11:1-12:8,14; Revelation 21:1-22:5.
Ordinances
There are two ordinances for the New Testament church. The first, baptism, is the immersion of a believer in water. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer’s faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Savior, the believer’s death to sin, the burial of the life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. Second, the Lord’s Supper, is a symbolic act of obedience whereby followers memorialize the death of the Redeemer and anticipate His second coming.
Matthew 3:13-17; Matthew 26:26-30; Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 1:9-11; Mark 14:22-26; Luke 3:21-22; Luke 22:19-20; John 3:23; Acts 2:41-42; Acts 8:35-39; Acts 16:30-33; Acts 20:7; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians 10:16,21; 1 Corinthians 11:23-29; Colossians 2:12.
Marriage
God wonderfully and immutably* creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. Marriage was created and instituted by God for the good of his creatures and creation in order to display his gracious love and to teach the world about how he would unite himself to his redeemed people through Jesus Christ. Marriage is a single, exclusive, covenant union joined by God and entered into by one man and one woman. Only within such union does God intend sexual intimacy to occur.
Genesis 1:26-28; Genesis 2:4-25; Genesis 9:1; Deuteronomy 5:18; Ephesians 4:24; Colossian 3:10; Malachi 2:15; Ephesians 5:25, 31-32; Revelation 19:7-9; Exodus 20:14; Job 31:1; Malachi 2:14; Matthew 5:28, 5:31-32, Matthew 19:3-12; Mark 10:2-12; Romans 7:2-3; 1 Corinthians 7:39; Proverbs 5:8; Proverbs 5:19-20; 1 Corinthians 6:18; 1 Corinthians 7:2-9
*immutably - in an unalterable and unchangeable manner (taken from Webster’s Dictionary)
A complete text of the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 is available here.