What We Believe

 

God

God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He has eternally  existed in three personalities: the Father, the Son, and the Holy  Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God.

Man

Man is made in the spiritual image of God, to be like Him in  character. He is the supreme object of God’s creation. Although man has  tremendous potential for good, he is marred by an attitude of  disobedience toward God called “sin.” This attitude separates man from  God.

Eternity

Man was created to exist forever. He will either exist eternally  separated from God by sin, or in union with God, through forgiveness and  salvation. To be eternally separated from God is Hell. To be eternally  in union with Him is eternal life. Heaven and Hell are places of eternal  existence.

Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father. Jesus  lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice  for the sins of all men by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead  after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He  ascended to Heaven’s glory and will return again to earth to reign as  King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Salvation

Salvation is a gift from God to man. Man can never make up for his  sin by self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ  as God’s offer of forgiveness can man be saved from sin’s penalty.  Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into his life  by faith.

Eternal Security

Because God gives man eternal life through Jesus Christ, the believer  is secure in that salvation for eternity. Salvation is maintained by  the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the Christian. It  is the grace and keeping power of God that gives this security.

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and the Son as God. He is  present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ.  He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He  provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual  truth, and guidance in doing what is right. The Christian seeks to live  under His control daily.

The Bible

The Bible is God’s Word to all men. It was written by human authors  under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme  source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. Because it is inspired  by God, it is truth without any mixture of error.

Baptism and the Lord’s Supper

Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 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 old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. It is a testimony to his faith in the final resurrection of the dead. Being a church ordinance, it is prerequisite to the privileges of church membership and to the Lord’s Supper.  The Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby members of the church, through partaking of the bread and the fruit of the vine, memorialize the death of the Redeemer and anticipate His second coming.

Excerpts are from the current 2000 Baptist Faith and Message