What We Believe

 Nine Core Theological Truths

  1. We believe the Bible is THE authority in our church and our lives.

We believe that the Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, authoritative and infallible rule of saving faith and Christian obedience. The Bible… as originally written… is in its entirety verbally inspired by God the Holy Spirit; and that it is indeed the Word of God.

  1. We believe that God is One, self-existent and self-sufficient.

We believe that there exists but one living and true God; that in His being He is infinite, eternal, self-existent, immutable and omnipresent; that in His nature He is spiritual, immaterial and personal; that He is perfect and absolute in all of His attributes, including those of His holiness, His power and His knowledge; that He is therefore sovereign in His position, just in all His decrees, and righteous in all His actions; that He is the cause of all existence beside Himself; and that the full comprehension of His person is beyond the capacity of finite man.

We further believe that in His divine and infinite Being there is a trinity of personal distinctions, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, sharing equally in every divine perfection while executing distinct but harmonious offices in every divine work.

  1. We believe in the objective realities of sin and Satan.

We believe in the personality of Satan, the unholy god of this age and energizer of all powers of darkness and sin. We believe in the objective reality of sin, that sin is departure from the purpose and will of God, and that the active originator of sin in the universe was Satan.

  1. We believe every person is a sinner by nature and by choice, and therefore needs forgiveness.

We believe that man is a unique and direct creation of God and that man was created in innocence, but by voluntary transgression, fell from his sinless state. All of mankind are now sinners by nature and by choice, positively inclined to evil and utterly devoid of that righteousness required by the law of God, and therefore under just condemnation without defense or excuse.

  1. We believe that salvation is completely by grace through faith and is a gift of God. It cannot be earned and is not deserved.

We believe that the salvation of sinners is… wholly and only of God’s grace through the shed blood… of the Son of God. We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be born again; that the new birth is a new creation in Christ Jesus; that it is instantaneous and not a process; that in the new birth the one dead in trespasses and in sins… receives eternal life, the free gift of God.

  1. We believe that we are now disciples – followers of Christ – set apart for “a long obedience in the same direction.”

We believe that all believers are sanctified, and that sanctification is that divine work whereby they are set apart unto God from sin and dead works through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in the continual use of the Word of God, faith, fellowship with God and his people, and Godly exercises and duties. We believe that sanctification issues in good works and holy living, and that it is progressive, but does not in this life produce sinless perfection.

  1. We believe there is a heaven and a hell and all of us will be in one of those two places eternally.

We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that only those who, through faith, are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and sanctified by the Spirit of our God are truly righteous in His esteem while all who continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight wicked, and under the curse; and that this distinction holds among men both in and after death, in the everlasting felicity of the saved and the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost.

  1. We believe that the Gospel message is the world’s only hope and we (the Church) have been commissioned to proclaim it. It is our sacred duty.

We believe that obedience to Christ includes the world-wide proclamation of the Gospel, that evangelism is totally consistent with God’s sovereignty in salvation, and that the use of appropriate means in the reaching of others is proper. Furthermore, we believe that Biblical evangelism must include the nurture of converts…

  1. We believe Jesus Christ will return one day, and after that – the judgment.

We believe in the personal, pre-tribulation, pre-millennial return of Christ, the resurrection of the righteous dead, the change of the living in Christ, the resurrection of the unrighteous, and their judgment at the Great White Throne.

Nine Core Theological Truths

1. The Bible is THE authority in our church and our lives

2. God is One, self-existent and self-sufficient

3. The objective realities of sin and Satan

4. Every person is a sinner by nature and by choice, and therefore needs forgiveness

5. Salvation is completely by grace through faith and is a gift of God. It cannot be earned and is not deserved

6. We are now disciples – followers of Christ – set apart for “a long obedience in the same direction.”

7. There is a heaven and a hell and all of us will be in one of those two places eternally

8. The Gospel message is the world’s only hope and we (the Church) have been commissioned to proclaim it. It is our sacred duty

9. Jesus Christ will return one day, and after that – the judgment

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Core Creed

CORE CREED

The following statements constitute the Core Creed of Bible Baptist Church. They are central to our understanding of Scripture regarding the Christian faith and must be agreed upon by all members of Bible Baptist Church.

A. Revelation

We believe that it is possible for man to know God (1) but only to the extent God reveals Himself to man, for apart from the divine self-revelation, finite man cannot know the infinite God (2).

We believe that God reveals Himself to all rational men through creation and conscience. This gives them a general sense of God’s existence (3); a general awareness of His power (4), wisdom (5), majesty (6), and goodness (7); and a sense of man’s ultimate accountability to God (8).

We believe that God has further revealed Himself through the incarnation of His Son (9), and through the Holy Scripture (10).

B. Scripture

We believe that the Bible is the final, complete, and infallible authority for our lives; that the Bible properly consists of sixty-six Old Testament and New Testament books; that as originally written it is in its entirety verbally inspired by God; and that it is indeed the Word of God (11).

C. God

We believe that there exists one living and true God (12); that in His being He is infinite (13), eternal (14), self-existent (15), unchanging (16), and ever-present (17); that in His nature He is spirit (18); that He is personal (19); that He is perfect and absolute in all of His attributes (20), including those of His holiness (21), His power (22), and His knowledge (23); that He is therefore sovereign in His position, just in all His decrees, and righteous in all His actions; that He is the cause of all existence beside Himself (24); and that the full comprehension of His person is beyond the capacity of finite man (25). We further believe that in His divine and infinite being there is a trinity of personal distinctions, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (26), sharing equally in every divine perfection while executing distinct but harmonious offices in every divine work (27).

  1. God the Father

We believe that the Father is truly God, and that in the Godhead He occupies a functional but not a positional superiority, and that it is to the glory of the Father that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (28).

  1. God the Son

We believe that Jesus Christ is truly God (29); that He is from all eternity(30), was active in the creation (31), and entered the realm of humanity by means of birth from a virgin, human mother, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit (32); and that although in His humanity He possessed a human nature and human limitations (33), yet without sin (34), He nevertheless did not cease to be God.

We believe that the purpose of the incarnation was to provide redemption for men (35) by means of a predetermined (36), substitutionary (37),propitiatory (38) death on the cross; that Christ bodily rose from the dead (39) and ascended into heaven (40); and that He will one day return to earth(41).

Furthermore, we believe that Jesus is presently the Advocate (42) and Great High Priest (43) of His people, the exalted Head of His Church (44), and the only Mediator between God and man (45).

  1. God the Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit is truly God (46); that Scripture was given by Him (47); that He convicts of sin; that He bears witness to the truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony (48); that He is the regenerating agent in the new birth (49); that He seals (50), indwells (51), guides (52), teaches (53), witnesses (54), sanctifies (55), and comforts (56) believers.

D. Satan

We believe in the person of Satan, the unholy and temporary god of this world and ruler of all powers of darkness and sin (57).

E. Sin

We believe in the reality of sin; that sin is departure from the purpose and will of God, and that the active originator of sin in the universe was Satan (58).

F. Creation & Man

We believe that God created all things (59) and that man was created and is made in the image of God (60). Man was originally created sinless (61) but by choice fell from his sinless state (62). All of mankind are now sinners by nature and by choice (63), naturally inclined to evil (64), utterly devoid of the righteousness required by the law of God (65), and therefore under just condemnation without defense or excuse (66).

G. Salvation

  1. Grace

We believe that it is by grace we are saved through faith, and this is not from ourselves but it is a gift of God. It is not on the basis of works that we can boast about (67).

  1. New Birth

We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be born again (68); though formerly dead in sin we are made alive in Christ (69)

  1. Repentance and Faith

We believe that repentance, a change of mind and purpose from sin and toward God, is an integral part of saving faith (70), and that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the only condition of salvation (71). We believe that faith consists of belief and trust in Christ alone for salvation.

  1. Justification

We believe that justification is that judicial act of God whereby He imputes the righteousness of Christ to the believer and therefore declares the believer righteous; that it includes the pardon of sin and the promise of eternal life, not in consideration of any works of righteousness we have done, but solely through faith in Christ (72).

  1. Sanctification

We believe that God begins the process in all believers of changing our hearts and minds from the inside out and continues making our character more and more like Jesus Christ (73).

  1. Eternal Destiny

We believe that death seals the eternal destiny of each person. At the final judgment, each unbeliever will be separated from God and condemned to the lake of fire. Each believer will be received into God’s loving presence and rewarded for their faithfulness to Him in this life. Believers will spend eternity with God in the new Heaven and the new Earth (74).

H. Social Order

We believe that the Bible teaches that marriage is to be exclusively the union of a man and a woman. We furthermore accept the Biblical prohibitions of sexual union and cohabitation outside of marriage (75), and the Biblical directives concerning husband, wife, and family as fully applicable to believers in our time (76).

DISTINCTIVE BELIEFS

The following Distinctive Beliefs demonstrate our particular interpretation of the Bible in several areas. These Distinctive Beliefs may not be universally held by all followers of Christ. Members of Bible Baptist may differ in their interpretation of Scripture regarding our Distinctive Beliefs yet for the sake of unity may not cause division or recruit others to their position.

A. The Church

We believe that born-again believers everywhere compose the church in the universal sense, but the church is always expressed locally. The local church consists of a group of born-again, baptized believers who are organized according to Scripture; independent; self-governing; meeting together for the worship of God, fellowship with each other, growth in Christ, serving the body, and reaching the lost. (77).

B. The Ordinances

We believe that the following expressions are symbolic in nature and provide a vivid picture of the love and grace of God and the difference He can make when we live in relationship with Him.

  1. Baptism

Baptism is an outward sign of a person’s internal faith in Jesus Christ. This physical demonstration symbolizes the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, but more importantly, communicates a believer’s loyalty and allegiance to Jesus Christ in a public way. Baptism is commanded in Scripture as an initial act of obedience by Christ-followers. We believe in baptism by immersion in water (78).

  1. Lord’s Table

The Lord’s Table is a physical act in which believers remember the death of Jesus. Jesus created this expression during an intimate moment with his closest followers in Matthew 26. Paul, the writer of 1 Corinthians, instructed us to continue observing this act of worship (79)

C. Civil Government

We believe that human government is ordained by God for the good of mankind and that believers are to obey civil law unless such law contradicts the commands of the Word of God (80). In the event of such conflict, we believe that we must obey God rather than man, and that we must not renounce our profession or Christian practice, even in the face of trials, afflictions, persecutions, or imprisonments (81). We furthermore believe that the affairs of the church must be kept distinct from the civil government.

D. Election

We believe that election is the eternal purpose of God according to which He graciously chooses to regenerates and saves sinners. It is a glorious display of God’s sovereign goodness. We also believe this election is done in a manner above our comprehension, solely by the power of the Holy Spirit, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the Gospel. Election is evidenced by repentance, faith, and newness of life (82).

E. Perseverance

We believe that all who are truly born again are eternally secure in God’s salvation and that they are kept by the power of God, through faith (83).

F. Last Things

We believe in the personal, pre-tribulation, premillennial return of Christ (84), the resurrection of the righteous dead (85), the change of the living in Christ (86), His millennial reign on earth (87), the resurrection of the unrighteous (88), and their judgment at the Great White Throne (89).

G. Supernatural Gifts

We believe that the Holy Spirit empowers and gifts believers for their ministry (90). Some of these gifts can be categorized as “supernatural” gifts because their expression overrides natural laws and ordinary human abilities. These gifts can include speaking in unlearned foreign languages, miraculous healers, and speaking prophetically of future events (91). It is clear from Scripture that God empowered human beings with these gifts at certain times and in certain places as a way of authenticating His message. We believe that God is no less capable of working through His people in these same ways today. We do not believe however that Scripture clearly supports the expression of these gifts in all times and in all cultural contexts. In fact, there is strong evidence from Scripture that these gifts were linked specifically to the birth of the early church as a way of confirming the message. For the sake of unity within this church family, we do not practice or teach these supernatural gifts. Instead, we encourage believers to seek the “most excellent way” of love and to be zealous about the gifts that are certain to edify the church (92).

REFERENCE NOTES

  1. John 17:3; 1 John 5:20
  2. Psalm 145:3; Romans 1:19, 11:33-34; 1 Corinthians 2:9-10
  3. Acts 17:24-28; Romans 1:19-20
  4. Isaiah 40:26; Romans 1:20
  5. Psalm 19:2
  6. Psalm 19:1
  7. Acts 14:17
  8. Romans 1:20
  9. John 1:1-5, 14; Hebrews 1:1-3
  10. John 5:39
  11. Psalm 33:11, 119:89; Matthew 24:35; John 10:35, 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 1 Peter 1:25; 2 Peter 1:19-20
  12. Isaiah 45:21-22; 1 Thessalonians 1:9; I Timothy 2:5
  13. 1 Kings 8:27; Psalm 147:5
  14. Genesis 21:33; Deuteronomy 33:27; Isaiah 57:15; I Timothy 1:17
  15. Exodus 3:14; John 5:26
  16. Malachi 3:6; James 1:17
  17. Psalm 139:7-10
  18. John 4:24
  19. Exodus 3:14; 1 Corinthians 2:11; Hebrews 1:3
  20. Matthew 5:48
  21. Isaiah 6:3, 57:15; Psalm 47:8; Habakkuk 1:13; 1 Peter 1:15-16
  22. Job 42:2; Jeremiah 32:17; Matthew 19:26
  23. Psalm 147:5
  24. Genesis 1:1; John 1:3; Ephesians 3:9; Colossians 1:16-17
  25. Romans 11:33-34
  26. Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14
  27. John 14:26; Galatians 4:4; Philippians 2;6-9
  28. John 5:37, 14:16-17; Galatians 4:4; Philippians 2:10-11
  29. Isaiah 9:16; Matthew 1:23; John 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:15-16
  30. John 1:1-5, 8:58
  31. John: 1:3; Ephesians 3:9; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:2
  32. Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:20-23; Luke 1:27-31
  33. Matthew 8:24; John 4:6, 19:28
  34. 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15, 9:14; 1 Peter 1:19; 1 John 3:3
  35. 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Revelation 5:9-10
  36. Acts 2:23; Revelation 13:8
  37. 1 Peter 2:24
  38. 1 John 4:10
  39. Matthew 28:5-7; 1 Corinthians 15:4; 2 Timothy 2:8
  40. Acts 1:9
  41. John 14:3; Acts 1:11
  42. 1 John 2:11
  43. Hebrews 4:14
  44. Ephesians 1:22-23, 4:15-16, 5:23
  45. 1 Timothy 2:5
  46. Acts 5:3-4
  47. 2 Peter 1:21
  48. Acts 5:32
  49. John 3:3-6
  50. 2 Corinthians 5:5; Ephesians 4:30
  51. Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 3:16
  52. Acts 16:6-7; Romans 8:14
  53. John 14:26, 16:13-14
  54. Romans 8:16-21
  55. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Galatians 5:22-23
  56. John 16:7; Acts 9:31
  57. 2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2; 2 Timothy 2:26; Hebrews 2:14; 1 Peter 5:8; Revelation 12:9-10
  58. Proverbs 15:19; Isaiah 14:12-15, 59:1-2; John 1:29, 8:44; 1 John 3:4, 8
  59. Genesis 1-2; Exodus 20:11; Colossians 1:16
  60. Genesis 1:27
  61. Ecclesiastes 7:29; Romans 5:l2
  62. Genesis 3:1-6; Romans 5:12-19
  63. Isaiah 53:6; Romans 3:9-12, 23, 5:12
  64. Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 7:14-17; Galatians 5:19-21
  65. Isaiah 64:6-7; Galatians 3:22-24
  66. Romans 1:19-21, 2:14-16
  67. Ephesians 2:8-9
  68. John 3:3, 6-7
  69. Ephesians 2:1-3
  70. Mark 1:15; Luke 13:3, 5; Acts 3:19, 17:30
  71. John 1:12, 3:16; Acts 16:31
  72. Romans 5:15-21; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 5:21
  73. Acts 20:32; 1 Corinthians 1:2, 6:11; Hebrews 10:10; Jude 1
  74. Psalm 9:17; Proverbs 14:32; Malachi 3:18; Matthew 25:34-41; Luke 16:19-31; John 8:21; Romans 6:23
  75. Exodus 20:14; Proverbs 6:24-33; Matthew 5:27-28; Acts 15:20; Romans 17:3, 13:9; 1 Corinthians 5:9, 6:15- 20, 10:8; Galatians 5:19-21; James 2:10-11
  76. Exodus 20:12; Matthew 15:4; Ephesians 5:22-6:4; Colossians 3:17-21; 1 Timothy 5:8; 1 Peter 3:1-8
  77. Acts 2:41-42, 20:28; Romans 6:1, 4-5, 16; 1 Corinthians 1:2, 5:12, 11:2,16:1-3; Philippians 1:1, 4:15; 1 Timothy 3.1-13; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Peter 5:14
  78. Matthew 28:19; Acts 8:12-13, 36, 38; Romans 6:1-10
  79. Matthew 26:26-29; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34
  80. Exodus 18:21-22; Matthew 22:21; Romans 13:1-7; 1 Timothy 2:1-3; Titus 3:1; 1 Peter 2:13-17
  81. Daniel 3:17-18; Acts 4:19-20, 5:17-20, 29
  82. Matthew 22:14; John 15:16; Romans 8:33, 9:16, 20-24, 16:13; Colossians 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 1:4; 2 Timothy 2:10; Titus 1:1; 1 Peter 1:2, 2:9
  83. Psalm 89:30-34; Matthew 16:18; John 5:24, 6:3-7, 10:28-29, 14:19, 17:2; Romans 8:1, 29-31, 38-39; 1 Corinthians 1:8; Philippians 1:6; 2 Timothy 1:12, 2:13; Hebrews 5:9, 9:12, 13:5
  84. John 14:3; Acts 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; Revelation 19; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 9:28; James 5:8
  85. 1 Corinthians 15:42-44, 52; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 20:5-6
  86. 1 Corinthians 15:51-53; Philippians 3:20-21; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
  87. Isaiah 9:6-7, 11:1-9, 32:1; Luke 1:32; Acts 2:29-30; Revelation 20:6-7
  88. John 5:29; Revelation 20:5
  89. Revelation 20:11-15
  90. Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 12-14; Ephesians 4:11-16
  91. 1 Corinthians 12:28
  92. 1 Corinthians 12:31
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