In an age where compromise and doubt have led to the destruction of our society, First Baptist Church holds firmly to the Bible.
Doctrinal Statement
SCRIPTURES: We believe the Bible, to be the Word of God; that it was verbally inspired by the Holy Spirit. It is the final authority for faith and life, II Tim. 3:15-17; II Peter 1:19-21.
THE GODHEAD: We believe in one triune God, eternally existing in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections. Deut. 6:4; Matt 28:19; John 17:5; II Cor. 13:14; Phil. 2:5-7.
THE PERSON AND WORK OF CHRIST: We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man. Matt. 1:18-25; Luke 1:35; John 1:1, 2, and 14.
We believe that the Lord Jesus accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as our representative, once for all. A vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical, bodily resurrection from the dead. Isaiah 53:5, 6; Romans 3:24, 25; II Cor. 5:21; Eph. 1:7; I Peter 2:24; Heb. 9:12; Heb. 10:7-10; and I Peter 2-5.
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to heaven, and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where as our great High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Intercessor, Advocate and the only mediator between God and Man. Acts 1:9, 10; Romans 8:34; I Tim. 2:5; Heb. 4:14-16; Heb. 7:25; Heb. 9:24; and I John 2:1, 2.
THE PERSON AND WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT: We believe that the Holy Spirit is person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment; and that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing, all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption. John 3:6, 7; John 16:8-11; Romans 8:9; I Cor. 12:12-14; II Cor. 3:6; Eph 1:13, 14; and Titus 3:5.i
We believe that He is the Divine Teacher and Comforter who guides believers into all truth, and is their source of power. It is the privilege and command of all the saved to be controlled by the Holy Spirit. John 14:16, 17, 26; John 16:13; Acts 1:8; Romans 6:11-23; Eph. 5:18; and I John 2:20, 27.
MAN: We accept the Genesis account of creation and thereby believe that man was created an eternal living soul by the Godhead, in the state of innocence, in the image of God, for the pleasure of God. That by man’s voluntary transgression, he fell, thus corrupting the stream of humanity at its fountainhead. We believe the whole of mankind is totally depraved and of himself utterly unable to remedy his lost condition. Gen. 1:27, Gen. 2:7; Gen 3:1-19; Jer. 17:9; Romans 3:23; Romans 5:12; and Eph. 2:1-3, 12.
SALVATION: We believe that salvation is the gift of God, apart from works or ordinances, brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins. John 1:12; I Cor. 15:21, 22; Eph. 1:7; Eph. 2:8-10; and I Peter 1:18, 19.
ASSURANCE OF THE BELIEVERS: We believe it is the privilege of all believers who have been born again by the spirit of God through faith in Jesus Christ, to be assured of their salvation at the time they receive Him as their personal Savior; that eternal life is their present possession in Christ, not based upon their own worthiness, but upon the finished work of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Word of God. John 5:24; Romans 8:1; Romans 8:33-39; I Cor. 3:15; Eph. 1:13, 14; Phil. 1:6; I Peter 1:5; and I John 5:13. However, God’s Word clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh. Romans 13:13, 14; Gal. 5:13; and Titus 2:11-15.
THE TWO NATURES OF THE BELIEVER: We believe that every saved person possesses two natures with provision made for victory of the new nature over the old nature through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, and that all claims to total eradication of the old nature in this life are unscriptural. Romans 6:13; 8:12, 13; Ga. 5:16-25; Eph. 4:22-24; Co. 3:10; I Peter 1:14-16; and I John 3:5-9.
SEPARATION: We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Lord and Savior. That separation from all religious apostasy, all worldly sinful pleasures, practices and associations is commanded by God. Romans 12:1, 2; II Cor. 6:14-7:1; II Tim. 3:1-5; I John 2:15-17; and II John 9-11.
THE MINISTRY AND SPIRITUAL GIFTS: We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowal of all His gifts; and that the gifts of evangelists, pastors, and teachers are sufficient for the perfecting of the saints today; and that speaking in tongues and the working of sign gifts gradually ceased as the New Testament Scriptures were completed and their authority became established. I Cor. 12:4-13; I Cor. 13:8; I Cor. 14:21, 22; II Cor. 12:12; and Eph. 4:7-12.
We believe that God does hear and answer prayer of faith for the sick and afflicted, in accord with His own will. John 15:7; I John 5:14, 15.
ORDINANCES: We believe that Christian baptism is a commandment of the Lord for the believer to be immersed in water, to show forth in a solemn and beautiful way, an emblem of his faith in the crucified, buried and risen Savior, with its effect in his death to sin and his rising to newness of life in Christ. We believe that infant baptism is not scriptural and therefore this practice will not be permitted in this church. Acts 8:36-39; Acts 16:31; Romans 6:3-5; Eph. 2:8, 9; and Col. 2:12.
We believe that the Lord’s Supper is a commemoration of the death of Christ until He comes again, and should be preceded always be self-examination. We believe that communion is for believers and in no way do the ordinances take away our sins. Matt. 26:17-30; Luke 22:19-20; I Cor. 5:7; I Cor. 11:20-34.
DISPENSATIONALISM: We believe in the dispensational view of Bible interpretation, but reject the extreme teaching known a “Hyper-dispensationalism,” such as that teaching which opposes either the Lord’s table or water baptism as a scriptural means of testimony for the Church in this age. Romans 6:14; Eph. 3:2-5.
THE RAPTURE AND CHRIST’S RETURN: We believe in that Blessed Hope, the personal, imminent, pre-tribulation coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for His redeemed ones, and in His subsequent, physical, premillennial return to earth with His Saints, to establish His Millennial Kingdom. Zech. 14:1-11; Acts 1:11; I Thess. 1:10; I Thess. 4:13-18; I Thess. 5:9; Rev. 1:7; Rev. 3:10; and Rev. 19:11-16; 20:1-6.
THE ETERNAL STATE: We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment. Matt. 25:46; John 5:28, 29; John 11:25, 26; and Rev. 20:5, 6, 10, 12 and 13.
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. II Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23; 3:21; and I Thess. 4:16, 17.
We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious misery until the resurrection of the lost, when with soul and body reunited, they will 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. Matt. 25:41-46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-26; II Cor. 5:11; II Thess. 1:7-9; Jude 6-7; and Rev. 20:10-15.
