DOCTRINAL STATEMENT
The Holy Scriptures
We believe in the verbal, plenary inspiration of the Word of God; that the Scriptures are inerrant, infallible and God-breathed and therefore are the final authority for faith and practice. The sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments are the complete and Divine revelation of God to man. We believe that the Authorized King James Bible is the best translation for English speaking people.
The Godhead
We believe in one Triune God eternally existing in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
The Person and Work of Christ
1. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became a man, without ceasing to be God.
2. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished redemption for His people through His death on the cross. The shed blood of the Lord Jesus was sufficient for the world, but efficient only for those who believe.
3. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven, and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where, as our High Priest, fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate.
The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit
1. We believe that 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 regeneration.
2. We believe that the Holy Spirit 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.
3. We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowal of spiritual gifts to every believer. God uniquely uses evangelists, pastors, and teachers to equip believers in the local church.
4. We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and the gift of healing, were temporary.
The Total Depravity (Sinfulness) of Man
We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but in Adam’s sin the human race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God; furthermore, man is totally depraved (sinful), and of himself, is utterly unable to remedy his lost condition.
Salvation
We believe that salvation is a gift and is the supernatural working of the Sovereign grace of God brought to man through the Holy Spirit, received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed at Calvary from the foundation of the world for the regeneration of the sinner. We believe that regeneration, or being born again, is an instantaneous act and that it is not a process. The blood of Christ was sufficient for the sins of this world, but it is efficient only for those who believe unto salvation (John 1:12; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-10; I Peter 1:18-19).
The Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers
1. We believe that all the saved are sealed by the Holy Spirit, kept by God’s power, and are thus secure in Christ forever
2. We believe that 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.
The Church
1. We believe that this local New Testament Baptist church is the body and the espoused bride of Christ in this place, and is solely made up of born-again persons who have been scripturally baptized and who have entered into the Covenant (Church Covenant, page 8; Section 3) with one another
2. We believe that the establishment and continuance of local New Testament Baptist churches both at home and abroad is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures
3. We believe in the autonomy of the local New Testament Baptist church free of any external authority or control.
4. We recognize water baptism, authorized by a Scriptural New Testament Baptist Church, and the Lord’s Supper as the Scriptural ordinances of obedience for the Church.
5. We believe that immersion is the only form of baptism revealed and commanded in the Scriptures, that it has NO saving power, that it is only for those who are already saved, and that the new birth, which comes through repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the scriptural prerequisite to baptism. Therefore, only those who are old enough to believe for themselves are to be baptized (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-5; Ephesians 4:5; Matthew 3:13-16; I Peter 3:21).
6. We believe that the Lord’s Supper is a memorial of the death of Christ, and that it is a local church ordinance. Only those who have been saved through faith in the atoning blood of Christ and who are walking in obedient fellowship with the Lord ought to partake of it.
Separation
We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Saviour and Lord; and that separation from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices, and associations is commanded by God
The Second Advent of Christ
We believe in that “blessed hope”, the personal imminent return of Christ, Who will rapture His Church 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.
The Eternal State
1.We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment.
2.We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection, when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord.
3.We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious punishment and torment until the second resurrection, when with soul and body reunited they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment and torment.
The Personality of Satan
We believe that Satan is a person, the author of sin, and the cause of the Fall of Man. We believe that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man, and that he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire (Job 1:6-7; Isaiah 14:12-17; Matthew 4:2-11; 25:41; Revelation 20:10).
Creation
We believe that God created the universe in six literal, 24-hour periods (Genesis 1-2; Exodus 20:11).
Civil Government
We believe that God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions:
1. The Home
2. The Church
3. The State.
Every person is subject to these authorities, but all (including the authorities themselves) are answerable to God and governed by His Word (Romans 13:1-7; Acts 5:29; Ephesians 5:22-24; Hebrews 13:17; I Peter 2:13-14).
Human Sexuality
We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity should be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, and pornography and any such like are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex and must not be engaged in or practiced by members of the New Testament Church.
Divorce and Remarriage
We believe that God intends for marriage to last until one of the spouses dies. God did not create divorce, but he regulates it. As with any sin, God can forgive one who is divorced. 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 office of pastor or deacon.
Abortion
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
Missions
We believe that God has given the church a Great Commission to proclaim the Gospel to all nations, both at home and to the foreign nations, and not wait for them to come to us (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; II Corinthians 5:20).
Giving
We believe that every Christian, as a steward of that portion of God’s wealth entrusted to him, is obligated before God to support his local church financially. We believe that God has established the tithe (ten-percent of the gross) as a basis for giving, but that every Christian should also give other offerings sacrificially and cheerfully to the support of the church, the relief of those in need, and the spread of the Gospel.
NOTE: This is only a brief outline of our Doctrinal Statement. The full statement is available upon request.