SCRIPTURE
The Bible is the true, authoritative & sufficient inspired Word of God.
It has been written by men under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. In the original manuscripts it is without error and is the final authority for all matters of faith and life. It is the only source for Christian doctrine, and is accessible to all – that is, it is clear and self-interpreting, yet must be divided rightly to be effective in teaching and doctrine.
(Matthew 5:18; Mark 13:31; John 8:31-32; John 20:31; 2 Timothy 2:15; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21)
GODHEAD
There is ONE true and living God, eternally existing in three persons – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit. They are equal in their essential nature, attributes and perfection. Each executes a different but harmonious function.
(Genesis 1:1; Genesis 1:26; Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; John 1:1-3; Romans 1:19-20; 2 Corinthians 13:14)
FATHER
God as Father reigns with divine care over His universe, His creatures, and the flow of the stream of human history according to the purposes of His grace. He is all powerful, all knowing, all loving, and all wise. God is Father in truth to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. He is fatherly in His attitude toward all men. He hears and answers prayer, and He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.
(Luke 10:21-22; John 3:16; John 6:27; 1 Peter 1:3; Revelation 1:6)
SON
Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, has always existed and became man without ceasing to be God. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man. Jesus lived a sinless life and freely offered Himself as an atoning sacrifice for our sins through His death on the cross. After His physical, literal death, He rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and now is exalted at the right hand of God. He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate. Jesus is the only mediator between God and man and salvation is found in no other. Anyone who accepts Him as Lord and Savior will worship Him for all eternity. He will return in power and glory to judge the world and to consummate His redemptive mission.
(Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:35; John 1:1-2; John 1:14; John 14:6; Acts 1:9-10; Acts 4:12; Romans 3:24; Romans 8:34; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 7:25; 1 Peter 1:3-5; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 2:1-2)
SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and Son, and convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He is the Supernatural agent in regeneration, sanctifying and empowering all who believe in Jesus Christ. He provides those in whom He dwells with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth and guidance in doing what is right. He dwells in all believers from the moment of salvation and is the evidence and seal of that salvation. He uniquely gifts every believer to enable them to fulfill their role in the body of Christ and His mission in the world.
(John 16:8-11; Acts 1:8; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 12:4-7; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; 2 Corinthians 1:22; 2 Corinthians 3:6; Galatians 5:22-26; Ephesians 1:13)
MAN
Man is the special creation of God, made in His own image. He created them male and female as the crowning work of His creation. The gift of gender is thus part of the goodness of God’s creation. In the beginning man was innocent of sin and was endowed by his Creator with freedom of choice. By his free choice man sinned against God and brought sin into the human race. Through the temptation of Satan man transgressed the command of God, and fell from his original innocence, after which all humanity inherit a nature and an environment inclined toward sin. Therefore, as soon as they are capable of moral action, they become transgressors and are under condemnation. Only the grace of God can bring man into His holy fellowship and enable man to fulfill the creative purpose of God. The sacredness of human personality is evident in that God created man in His own image, and in that Christ died for man; therefore, every person of every race possesses full dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love.
(Genesis 1:26-30; 2:5,7,18-22; 3; 9:6; Psalms 1; 8:3-6; 32:1-5; 51:5; Isaiah 6:5; Jeremiah 17:5; Matthew 16:26; Acts 17:26-31; Romans 1:19-32; 3:10-18,23; 5:6,12,19; 6:6; 7:14-25; 8:14-18,29; 1 Corinthians 1:21-31; 15:19,21-22; Ephesians 2:1-22; Colossians 1:21-22; 3:9-11)
SALVATION
Salvation has been accomplished and made available by the work of God, and thus all glory belongs to Him. Those who trust in Jesus become new creatures, are delivered from condemnation, and receive eternal life, which is a free gift of God given to man by grace through faith in Christ Jesus. No one can earn salvation, and there is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.
In its broadest sense salvation includes:
REGENERATION, JUSTIFICATION, SANCTIFICATION, AND GLORIFICATION.
A. 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.
B. Justification brings the believer into a relationship of peace and favor with God. It is God’s gracious and full acquittal upon principles of His righteousness of all sinners who repent and believe in Christ. In short, it is to be declared innocent of sin based on Jesus’ atoning work.
C. Sanctification is the experience, beginning in regeneration (or being ‘born again’), 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.
D. Glorification is the culmination of salvation and is the final blessed and abiding state of the redeemed. We will receive new bodies free from the power & influence of sin.
(Genesis 3:15; Exodus 3:14-17; 6:2-8; Matthew 1:21; 4:17; 16:21-26; 27:22-28:6; Luke 1:68-69; 2:28-32; John 1:11-14,29; 3:3-21,36; 5:24; 10:9,28-29; 15:1-16; 17:17; Acts 2:21; 4:12; 15:11; 16:30-31; 17:30-31; 20:32; Romans 1:16-18; 2:4; 3:23-25; 4:3ff.; 5:8-10; 6:1-23; 8:1-18,29-39; 10:9-10,13; 13:11-14; 1 Corinthians 1:18,30; 6:19-20; 15:10; 2 Corinthians 5:17-20; Galatians 2:20; 3:13; 5:22-25; 6:15; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-22; 4:11-16; Philippians 2:12-13; Colossians 1:9-22; 3:1ff.; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; 2 Timothy 1:12; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 2:1-3; 5:8-9; 9:24-28; 11:1-12:8,14; James 2:14-26; 1 Peter 1:2-23; 1 John 1:6-2:11; Revelation 3:20; 21:1-22:5)
THE CHURCH
The church, which is the body and bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism made of all born-again persons. The establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament scriptures. The purpose of the church is to glorify God by building its members up in the faith by instruction of the word, by fellowship, and by keeping the ordinances for the advancement and communication of the gospel to the entire world.
(Acts 2:42; Acts 14:27; Acts 18:22; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; Ephesians 1:22-23; Ephesians 2:19-22; Ephesians 4:11-13; Ephesians 5:19-21; Ephesians 5:25-27; Hebrews 10:23-25)
THE ORDINANCES
Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to the local church: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
Christian Baptism is the immersion of the believer in water, which is a public testimony of the believer’s new life in Christ, his or her identification with the Lord’s death, burial and resurrection, and therefore becoming part of the body of Christ, the Church.
The Lord’s Supper (Communion), foreshadowed for thousands of years by ‘Passover’, was instituted by Christ for commemoration of His death. The elements of communion are symbolic of the body and blood of Jesus Christ, and serve to remind us of the sacrifice He made, and proclaim the hope of salvation that comes from this sacrifice. We celebrate what Has been done and look to what is yet to come; the triumphant return of Jesus.
These two ordinances should be observed and administered until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
(Matthew 28:19-20; Luke 22:15-20; Acts 2:41-42; Acts 18:8; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26)
*Our complete doctrinal statement is found in The Baptist Faith and Message as adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention in 2000 found here: https://bfm.sbc.net/