What We Believe

We, as Bible Believing Baptists, believe that God has revealed himself to man through the Holy Scriptures. By which, He has given us the means to know Him, not simply in a religious manner, but in a personal relationship with Him as our Father.  He has through the scriptures also provided the means for us to govern ourselves in this "present evil world" (Gal. 1:4).  As such, this statement of faith is a concise summary of the doctrines that we adhere to.  Its authority consists only in its agreement with the word of God, and is in no way the complete scope of our beliefs.

The King James Bible is the Final Authority

We believe the Old and New Testament Scriptures of the King James Bible are the inspired word of God.  The Scriptures are inerrant, infallible and God-breathed and are, therefore, the final authority for faith and life.  The sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments are the complete and divine revelation of God to Man.  (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:20-21).  We further believe that ALL translations, subsequent to the 1611 Authorized Version (including the New King James Version), are corrupted and are insufficient to provide man with "every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." (Mat. 4:4; 2 Cor. 2:17; Pro. 30:5; Mat. 24:35; John 12:48)

Dispensationalism

We believe that the Scriptures interpreted in their natural, literal sense reveal divinely determined dispensations or rules of life that define man's responsibilities in successive ages. Three of these dispensations--the law, the church, and the kingdom--are the subjects of detailed revelation in Scripture. (Gen. 1:28; 1 Cor. 9:17; 2 Cor. 3:9-18; Gal. 3:13-25; Eph. 1:10; 3:2-10; Col. 1:24-25, 27; Rev. 20:2-6)

Salvation is only by Grace through Faith

We believe that salvation is the gift of God 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.  (Matt. 12:31-32; John 1:12; Eph. 1:7; 2:8-10; 1 Pet. 1:18-19; 1 John 1:9)

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.  (Matt. 25:46; John 5:28-29; 11:25-26; Rev. 20:5-6, 12-13)

(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.  (Luke 23:43; 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23; 3:21; 1 Thess. 4:16-17; Rev. 20:4-6)

(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.  (Matt. 25:41-46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-26; 2 Thess. 1:7-9; Jude 6-7; Rev. 20:11-15)

The Godhead

We believe in one triune God, eternally existing in three persons--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit--each 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 14:10, 26; 2 Cor. 13:14)

The Person and Work of Christ

(1) 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 Ghost and born of the virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men. (Isa. 7:14; 9:6; Luke 1:35; John 1:1-2, 14; 2 Cor. 5:19-21; Gal. 4:4-5; Phil. 2:5-8)

(2) We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice, and that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead. (Acts 2:18-36; Rom. 3:24-25; Eph. 1:7; 1 Pet. 2:24; 1 Peter 1:3-5)

(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, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate.  (Acts 1:9-10; Rom. 8:34; Heb. 9:24; 7:25; 1 John 2:1-2)

The Church

(1) We believe that the Church, the living, spiritual Body and Bride of the Lord Jesus Christ, is composed of believers from Pentecost to the Rapture.  Christ is the head of this Church into which all believers are baptized by the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor. 12:12-14; 2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 1:22-23; 5:25-32).

(2) We believe that a biblical local church is an assembly of professing born-again believers who have been scripturally baptized and come together in a covenant relationship for the express purpose of fellowship, worship, prayer, the teaching and preaching of God's Word and the general advancement of the Christian faith (Acts 11:26; 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:1-2; Eph. 4:7-16; Php. 1:27; Heb. 10:24-25).  

(3) We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament.  (Acts 14:27; 20:17, 28-32; 1 Tim. 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11)

(4) We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any external authority or control, and any affiliations, societies, organizations, associations, or agencies this church affiliates with to further the objectives stated in the Purpose Statement are not authoritative in matters of church practice or belief. (Acts 13:1-4; 15:19-31; 20:28; Rom. 16:1, 4; 1 Cor. 3:9, 16; 5:4-7, 13; 1 Pet. 5:1-4)

(5) We recognize water baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper as the Scriptural ordinances of obedience for the church in this age.  (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; 8:36-38; 1 Cor. 11:23-26)

Missions 

We believe that God has given the church a great commission to proclaim the Gospel to all nations so that there might be a great multitude from every nation, tribe, ethnic group, and language group who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. As ambassadors of Christ, we must use all available means to go to the foreign nations and not wait for them to come to us.  (Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; 2 Cor. 5:20)

The Second Coming 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 during the Millennial reign of a thousand years, which was promised to the nation of Israel.  (Ps. 89:3-4; Dan. 2:31-45; Zech. 14:4-11; 1 Thess. 1:10; 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; Rev. 3:10; 19:11-16; 20:1-6)