First Baptist Church

Our Statement of Faith

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1. The Holy Scriptures. We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the verbally inspired Words of God, the final authority for faith and life, inerrant in the original manuscripts, infallible, and God-breathed (II Tim. 3:16-17; II Peter 1:20, 21; Matt. 5:18; John 16:12-13). We also believe that God has preserved His Word through human means and that no single translation fully perfects or completes the translation process.
2. God. We believe that there is one true, living God, the Creator, Preserver, and Ruler of all things, perfect in holiness and in love, infinite in wisdom, measureless in power, eternally existing and revealing Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We believe each member of the Triune God is co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections (Ex. 20:2, 3; Deut. 6:4; Is. 40:28; Neh. 9:6; Col. 1:16,17; I Chron. 29:11-12; Is. 6:3; I John 4:8; Deut. 33:27; Matt. 3:16-17; Matt. 28:19; John 10:30; I Cor. 8:6; II Cor. 13:14).
3. 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 men. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a substitutionary sacrifice; and, that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead. 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 (Luke 1:35; John 1:1- 2, 14; Acts 1:9-10; Rom. 3:24-25; Rom. 8:34; Eph. 1:7; Heb. 7:25; 9:24; I Peter 1:3-5; I Peter 2:24; I John 2:1-2; I John 5:20).
4. The Holy Spirit. 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 agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption. We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Divine Teacher who guides believers into truth; and, that it is the privilege of all the saved to be “filled with” the Spirit (Jn. 16:8–11, 13; Rom. 8:9; I Cor. 12:12-14; II Cor. 3:6; Eph. 1:13-14; 5:18; I John 2:20, 27).
5. The Total Depravity of Man. We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam’s sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God; and, that man is totally depraved and of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition (Gen. 1:26-27; Rom. 3:9-12, 23; Rom. 5:12; Eph. 2:1-3, 12).
6. Salvation. We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, who made full satisfaction to the justice of God for the sin of man by the shedding of His precious blood on Calvary (Acts 4:12; Acts 16:30-33; Eph. 2:8-10; Eph. 1:7; I Peter 1:18, 19; I John 2:2).
7. Eternal Security. We believe that all the redeemed, once saved are kept saved by God’s power and are thus secure “in Christ” forever (John 6:37-40; John 10:27-30; Rom. 8:1, 38-39; I Cor. 1:4-8; Phil. 1:6; I Peter 1:5).
8. The Two Natures of the Believer. We believe that every saved person possesses two natures, with provision made for victory of the new nature through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Rom. 6:13, 8:12, 13; Gal. 5:16-25; Eph. 4:22-24; Col. 3:10; I Peter 1:14-16; II Peter 1:4; I John 3:5-9).
9. As a Baptist Church. We believe that the Universal Church, which is the body and the espoused bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born-again persons of the present age (Eph. 1:22-23; 5:25-27; I Cor. 12:12-14; II Cor. 11:2). We believe that the local church is a congregation of immersed believers and that it maintains the absolute right of self-government as directed by the Holy Spirit and it is answerable only to Christ as its Head. In all matters of membership, policy, government, discipline, and benevolence, the will of the local church is final. We believe in the necessity of believers’ immersion, not as a means of grace, but as an obedient response and testimony to God’s grace in salvation. Believer’s immersion and a credible confession of faith are necessary for membership in our congregation. We hold to two biblically-prescribed offices in the church, Deacon and Pastor, the latter also referred to in Scripture as Elder or Overseer. We also believe that the Lord’s Table ought to be observed regularly by obedient believers in memorial to the atoning work of Christ. While we recognize that our church’s ministry extends thoughout the week, we remain committed to worshipping on the first day of the week, the Lord’s Day (Matt. 18:15-17; I Cor. 1:2; 6:4; 7:17; 11:16; I Tim. 3:1-15).
10. Separation of Church and State. We believe that the local church must remain fully separated from the state. Based on the individual soul liberty of every person, we believe that all men must be free to believe and practice their belief. This freedom is best preserved when the local church remains free from outside government, whether it be religious or civil. We oppose any notion that seeks to bring civil government under religious dictate, even when that dictate may reflect some of our core beliefs. We protest any tax, law, or mandate which infringes on these rights. We also oppose any system that replaces religious liberty with religious tolerance.
11. Spiritual Gifts.
    1. We believe that the Lord, by His grace, sovereignly bestows gifts upon believers through the Holy Spirit, for which believers are responsible to be good stewards, for the work of the ministry and the edifying of the body of Christ in love. The supernatural gifts found in the early Church, such as apostleship, prophecy, word of knowledge, working of miracles, healing, tongues, and interpretation of tongues, are no longer functioning today as gifts from God. We recognize these gifts were bestowed for the Church’s infancy. However these gifts and the need for them ceased with the completion of the New Testament and the close of the Apostolic era.
    2. We believe that God can and does heal today according to His sovereign will through the natural function of the body, through physicians and medicines, and through His own miraculous intervention. Further, we recognize that the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. However God no longer bestows the spiritual gift of healing in which particular individuals are granted the ability to miraculously heal others. We believe God’s will does not always demand that a believer have perfect health, and further that God can be glorified through the sickness and even the death of a believer.
    3. We believe that the gift of tongues, always human languages, terminated at the conclusion of the writing of the New Testament. Speaking in tongues today is not a benefit in spiritual growth and does not find its source in the Holy Spirit. Further, Baptism in the Holy Spirit is applied to the believer at the time of salvation and is not an experience subsequent to salvation. We believe that individuals are indwelt by the Holy Spirit at the time of salvation, and that indwelling does not depend upon any other event or experience of the believer such as speaking in tongues. (I Cor. 12-14, esp. I Cor. 13:8-10 ; Eph. 4:7, 11-16; Rom. 12:1-8; Acts 2:1-21; II Tim. 3:15-17; I Tim. 5:23; James 5:16; II Cor. 12:7-10, 12; Heb. 2:3-4; Eph. 2:20; Luke 16:27-31; John 20:30-31; I Peter 4:10-11; I Cor. 4:1-2).
12. Satan. We believe that Satan is a fallen angel, the author of sin and the cause of the fall; 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; Is. 14:12 -17; Ezek. 28:12-19; Matt. 4:1-3; Rev. 20:10).
13. The Righteous and the Wicked. We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked in the sight of God. The righteous are all those who through faith are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and are sanctified by the Spirit of God; while the wicked are all those who continue in impenitence and unbelief and are under the curse; and 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. (Mal. 3:18; Gen. 18:23; Rom. 6:17-23; Matt. 25:34-41; Prov. 14:32).
14. The Return of the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe in that “Blessed Hope”, the imminent, bodily, personal, premillennial return of the Lord Jesus Christ; that He will come in the air to catch away His church before the seven year tribulation; and that He will return to the earth with His raptured Church at the close of the tribulation to judge the living nations and to set up His millennial kingdom. (Titus 2:13; I Thes. 4:13-18; Matt. 25:31-46; Rev. 19:11-21).
15. The Resurrections. We believe in the bodily resurrection of the saved and the unsaved; that believers (the saved) asleep in the Lord Jesus Christ will be raised at His coming for His church and will be caught up with the transformed living saints to meet the Lord in the air where the saved must appear before the judgment seat of Christ where every work shall be made manifest to the receiving of rewards or the suffering loss of rewards according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. We further believe that the wicked dead (the unsaved) will be raised at the close of the millennial kingdom and will stand in their bodies at the Great White Throne Judgment to receive their just punishment which will be everlasting, conscious suffering in the lake of fire. (John 5:21-30; I Thes. 4:16, 17; I Cor. 15:51-55; I Cor. 3:12-15; II Cor. 5:10; Rev. 20:5-15).
16. Marriage. We believe marriage is a man and woman united in a relationship which God intends to remain until the death of one of the spouses. We believe men and women are spiritual equals having equal access to all spiritual blessings, but there are distinctions in their roles in both the home and the church. (Gen 2:24; Mt. 19:3-12; Eph. 5:22-33; 1 Cor. 11:3, 1 Tim. 2:11-14).
17. Church Association and Separation. This Church exists as an independent and autonomous body and may not surrender its sovereignty to any outside organization, but it may affiliate with organizations of like faith and practice. Therefore this Church may fellowship or sever fellowship with any group or organization for any reason sufficient to itself. We are committed to serving the needs of churches of like faith and practice while being constrained by the Scriptures to practice complete separation from those who deny the faith. Being careful to avoid compromise, we affirm the historic separatist position which acknowledges spiritual unity in the true Body of Christ and respectes legitimate differences in Biblical interpretation. This allows for functional independence of people, churches, and organizations who may differ on matters important to them. We also believe that we are to refuse ecclesiastical fellowship and organizational cooperation to those who are truly born again but who espouse doctrines that are contrary to Scripture or are engaged in practices that are not consistent with the Word and with a separated walk (Eph. 1:22-23; I Thes. 1:1; Tit. 1:13; I Cor. 1:10; II Cor. 6:14; Amos 3:3; 11 Pet. 2:1-3).