THE BIBLE
The Bible from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21 is God's Word (2 Tim. 3:15-17)
- It was inspired by God and given to man word for word exactly as God (its Author) intended (2 Peter 1:20-21)
- It is without error on every subject on which it speaks (Proverbs 30:5)
- It is preserved without error in the Greek Textus Receptus and Hebrew Masoretic texts (Ps 12:6-7)(Matt. 24:35)
- It is preserved without error in the English language in the King James Version (Psalm 12:6-7)(Matt. 24:35)
- It is to be interpreted literally in context when a literal interpretation is possible
- God created everything from nothing in six literal 24-hour days (Genesis 1-2)
- God caused a flood that literally covered the whole earth in judgment (Genesis 6-8)
- God sent a special fish to literally swallow Jonah and hold him for 3 days (Jonah 1-4)
- All of the miracles recorded in the Bible occurred literally as they are described therein
- The Bible (Scripture) is the final authority in all matters of doctrine and practice (Matthew 5:18; 26:54)
For more information on why our church uses and believes the King James Bible our pastor has written a series of 3 articles addressing the subject:
ARTICLE ONE – THE BIBLE IN THE HANDS OF JESUS AND PAUL
ARTICLE TWO – BIBLE TRANSLATIONS IN ENGLISH
ARTICLE THREE – WHAT SHOULD WE DO WITH OUR ENGLISH BIBLE?
GOD
There is one God who reveals Himself in three distinct personalities
- There is one and only one living and true God (Isa. 45:5). He is the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the Universe. He is eternal and reveals Himself to us as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit (1 John 5:7). Each of these three distinct personalities exists without division of nature, essence, or being. God is sovereign (Eph. 1:11), all-powerful (Jer. 13:17), all-knowing (Heb. 4:13), and present in all places at the same time (Ps 139:7-12)
GOD THE FATHER
- God is a Father (Galatians 4:6) to all those who become His children by the new birth (John 3:3,7)
- God as a Father disciplines His children (Hebrews 12:6)
- God as a Father both loves (1 John 3:1) and forgives His children (Eph. 4:32)
GOD THE SON
- Jesus Christ was God manifest in human flesh (1 Tim. 3:16)
- Jesus Christ existed from eternity past (Micah 5:2)
- Jesus Christ was the instrument used by God the Father to create the world (John 1:3)(Col. 1:16)
- Jesus Christ was born of the virgin Mary (Matthew 1:21-25)
- Jesus Christ lived a perfect and sinless life (Hebrews 4:15)
- Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins (Romans 5:8) (1 Cor. 15:3)
- Jesus Christ rose bodily from the dead after three days (1 Cor. 15:4)
- Jesus Christ ascended up to heaven and is seated at the right hand of His Father (Acts 1:9)(Hebrews 12:2)
- Jesus Christ is the only mediator and intercessor between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5) (1 John 2:1)
GOD THE SPIRIT
- The Holy Spirit (the Spirit of God) is fully divine (Acts 5:3-4)
- The Holy Spirit inspired men of old to write the Scriptures which are the Words of God (2 Peter 1:20-21)
- The Holy Spirit illuminates men to understand the Scriptures (John 14:26; 1 John 2:27)
- The Holy Spirit bears witness to and exalts Jesus Christ (John 15:26; 16:14)
- The Holy Spirit convicts men of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8)
- The Holy Spirit baptizes every believer into the body of Christ the moment they are saved (1 Cor. 12:13)
- The Holy Spirit seals each believer until the day of their redemption from this earth (Eph. 4:30)
- The Holy Spirit comforts believers and has given each believer at least one spiritual gift (1 Cor. 12:7)
- We believe that the spiritual gifts of prophecy (in the sense of predicting the future), knowledge, healing, and tongues are NOT available to us today (1 Cor. 13:8-11). While the spiritual gift of healing passed away with the completion of the Scriptures and the passing of the last Apostle…we still believe that God heals in answer to earnest prayer according to His own will (James 5:14-16)
SALVATION
Salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:8-9)(John 3:16)
- Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation (John 14:6)(Acts 4:12)
- Every individual must be born again by receiving Jesus Christ as Savior to be saved (John 1:12)(John 3:3,7)
- Salvation is available to every individual who would accept it (Rev. 22:17)(Romans 10:13)
- Personal faith in Jesus Christ is God’s only plan for man’s salvation (Romans 11:6)(Gal. 1:8)
- Good works will not and cannot save anyone (Titus 3:5)(Romans 3:20)
- Religious ‘good works’ like baptism, Lord’s supper, and Church membership cannot save anyone
- Salvation is eternally secure and unchanging for those who have it (John 6:37; 10:28-29)(1 Peter 1:5)
- Salvation (the new birth) makes an individual a child of God (John 1:12)(John 8:44)
MAN
Man without Jesus Christ is Spiritually dead and lost in sin (Eph. 2:1,5)(Luke 19:10)
- Man was made in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-27)
- Man choose to sin and marred the image of God (Col. 3:10)(Rom. 3:23)
- All people since Adam have been born with a sinful nature (Eph. 2:3)
- All people (with ‘normal’ intellect) since Adam reach a time when they also sin by choice (Romans 3:10,23)
THE CHURCH
The Church is a local body of believers (Rom. 16:3-5)(Acts 9:31)(Gal. 1:2)
- The Church is a called-out assembly of believers (Acts 1:13-14; 2:41; 19:9)
- Every believer is a priest with personal access to God (Rev. 1:6)(Heb. 4:16)
- Every believer is personally accountable to God with personal liberty (Romans 14:12)(Gal. 5:1,13)
- Those outside the local Church ought to be free to believe and follow God as their conscience would lead them without fear of harm to person or property by the government or the local Church
- The Church is NOT all believers (universal) until all believers one day assemble together in heaven (Heb. 12:22-24)
- This is one of the reasons that the word is used in plural form [“churches”] thirty-seven times in the NT
- The Church has the right/duty to control its own business and membership (Acts 18:27)(1 Cor. 5:1-5, 13)(2 Cor. 2:6-8)
- The primary mission of the Church is three-fold (Matt. 28:18-20)
- To teach and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ so individuals can believe and be saved
- To baptize those who have received Jesus Christ as Savior
- To teach those believers what Jesus taught
- The founder of the Church was Jesus Christ (Matt. 16:17-18)
- Christ started His Church some time between Matt. 16:18 (future tense) and Matt. 18:17 (present tense)
- This is the reason those saved and baptized on Pentecost were “added” to the Church (Acts 2:41)
- Christ builds His Church on personal confessions of Him and His identity as the Son of God (Matt. 16:16)
- Believers are supposed to regularly assemble with (Heb. 10:25) and love (Eph. 5:25) the Church
- The local Church is to administer and teach both Biblical ordinances to its’ membership
The Church has two ordinances (both of which are symbolic)
1. BAPTISM OF BELIEVERS (Acts 2:41; 8:12; 10:47-48; 16:30-33; 18:8)
- Baptism does NOT impart grace or salvation to the participant…it is symbolic (Eph. 2:8-9)(Titus 3:5)
- Bible baptism is by immersion after a personal confession of faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 8:35-38)
- Bible baptism serves three purposes in addition to a public profession of the participant’s faith in Jesus Christ
- Baptism is an act of obedience to the commandment of Christ (Matt. 28:20)(Acts 10:48)
- Baptism symbolizes the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ (Col. 2:12)(Rom. 6:4-5)
- Baptism identifies the participant with the doctrine and ministry of who baptized them even as Christ identified Himself with John the Baptist, John’s message, and John’s ministry in His baptism (Matt. 3:13-17)
2. LORD’S SUPPER (1 Cor. 11:23-30)
- Lord’s Supper does NOT impart grace or salvation to the participant…it is symbolic (Eph. 2:8-9)(Titus 3:5)
- Lord’s Supper is a symbolic remembrance of the broken body & shed blood of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 11:24-25)
- His body is symbolized by unleavened bread
- His blood is symbolized by unfermented fruit of the vine
- Lord’s Supper is celebrated quarterly at Bible Baptist Church
- Lord’s Supper is celebrated with only our members at Bible Baptist Church (Matt. 26:20-30)
- Keeping both Church ordinances properly is a part of Christian obedience to Christ (Matt. 28:19-20)(1 Cor. 11:23)
The Church has two offices (Bishop and Deacon) (1 Tim. 3:1-13)
- “Bishop”, “Elder”, “Pastor” refer to different aspects of the same office in the Church (1 Pet. 5:1-2)(Acts 20:17,28)
- The bishop under God and the Scriptures is the authority in each local Church (Heb. 13:17)(Rev. 2:1,8,12)
- Deacons are servants of God, the Church, and the bishop, who through faithfulness and wise use of their office are given special respect and boldness in the faith (1 Timothy 3:13)
- Only qualified men are valid candidates for the office of bishop and deacon (1 Tim. 2:12; 3:2,12)
The Church is to be separate from any government (Matt. 22:21)(Romans 13:1-7)
- The Church is not to control any local, state, or national government
- The local, state, and national government are not to control any Church
- Members of the Church should do their part as citizens to promote justice, freedom, the value of life, and righteousness in government whenever possible
- The Church is not to be controlled by any association, fellowship, convention, or denomination
RETURN OF CHRIST
Jesus Christ will literally return to the earth (John 14:3)(Acts 1:11)
- The 1st phase of His return for true believers will be in the air prior to the 7-year Tribulation for Israel (1 Thess. 4:16-18)
- This part of His return is commonly called the “rapture”
- Raptured believers will then experience the Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10-11) (Romans 14:10-12)
- The 2nd phase of His return will be to the earth after the 7-year Tribulation (Rev. 19:11-16)(Zech. 14:1-4)
- Christ will then establish a literal 1,000-year kingdom of peace on earth. He will reign in power & glory from Jerusalem with Israel as the head of all nations (Rev. 20:4)(Rev. 19:15-16)(Isa. 24:23; 60:11-12)
- After the 1,000 yr kingdom unbelievers will then face judgment at the “Great White Throne” (Rev. 20:11-15)
ETERNITY
Heaven and hell are literal places
- Hell is a literal PLACE with literal fire where people who did NOT receive Jesus Christ as Savior during their life go and consciously remain for eternity. This begins immediately following their death (Luke 16:19-31)(Rev. 20:15)
- Heaven is a literal PLACE of literal bliss where people who DID receive Jesus Christ as Savior during their life go and consciously remain for eternity. This begins immediately following their death. In that place there will be no more sin, sickness, pain, death, or suffering (John 14:1-3)(Rev. 21:3-4)
CHRISTIAN LIVING
The Christian and social order
All Christians are under obligation to seek to make the will of Christ supreme in our own lives and in human society. Means and methods used for the improvement of society and the establishment of righteousness among men can be truly and permanently helpful only when they are rooted in the regeneration of the individual by the saving grace of God in Jesus Christ. In the spirit of Christ, Christians should oppose racism, every form of greed, selfishness, and vice, and all forms of sexual immorality, including adultery, homosexuality, and pornography. We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, polygamy, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one’s gender by surgery or appearance. We believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one woman. We should work to provide for the orphaned, the needy, the abused, the aged, the helpless, and the sick. We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the physical or mental well being of the mother are acceptable. We should speak on behalf of the unborn and contend for the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death. Every Christian should seek to bring industry, government, and society as a whole under the sway of the principles of righteousness, truth, and brotherly love. In order to promote these ends Christians should be ready to work with all men of good will in any good cause, always being careful to act in the spirit of love without compromising their loyalty to Christ and His truth.
Exodus 20:3-17; Leviticus 6:2-5; 18:20-23; 20:13; Deuteronomy 27:17; Psalm 101:5; Micah 6:8; Zechariah 8:16; Matthew 5:13-16,27-28,43-48; 22:36-40; 25:35; Mark 10:21; Luke 4:18-21; 10:27-37; 20:25; John 15:12; 17:15; Romans 1:24-28; 1Corinthians 5:9-10; 6:1-7, 9-10; Colossians 3:12-17; 1 Thessalonians 3:12; James 1:27; 2:8.
The Christian and the family
God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. It is composed of persons related to one another by marriage, blood, or adoption. Marriage is the uniting of one naturally-born man and one naturally-born woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. It is God's unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His Church and to provide for the man and the woman in marriage the framework for intimate companionship, the channel of sexual expression according to biblical standards, and the means for procreation of the human race.
The husband and wife are of equal worth before God, since both are created in God's image. The marriage relationship models the way God relates to His people. A husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the Church. He has the God-given responsibility to provide for, to protect, and to lead his family. A wife is to submit herself graciously to the leadership of her own husband even as the Church willingly submits to the headship of Christ. She, being in the image of God as is her husband and thus equal to him, has the God-given responsibility to reverence her husband and to serve as his helper in managing the household and nurturing the next generation.
Children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord. Parents are to demonstrate to their children God's pattern for marriage. Parents are to teach their children spiritual and moral values and to lead them, through consistent lifestyle example and loving discipline, to make choices based on biblical truth. Children are to honor and obey their parents.
We believe that God disapproves of divorce and intends marriage to last until one of the spouses dies. Although divorced and remarried persons or divorced persons may hold positions of service in the Church and be greatly used of God for Christian service, they may not be considered for the offices of pastor or deacon.
Genesis 1:26-28; 2:15-25; Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Joshua 24:15; Psalms 127; 139:13-16; Proverbs 1:8; 6:20-22; 12:4; 13:24; 17:6; 18:22; 22:6,15; 23:13-14; 24:3; 29:15,17; Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; 9:9; Matthew 5:31-32; 19:3-12; Mark 10:6-12; Romans 7:1-3; 1 Corinthians 7:1-16; Ephesians 5:21-33; 6:1-4; Colossians 3:18-21; 1 Timothy 3:2,12; 5:8,14; Titus 1:6; 2:3-5; Hebrews 13:4; 1 Peter 3:1-7.