February 7, 2009

Beliefs

Here is a summary of what we believe to be the core of the Christian faith set forth in the Bible, in a very tight and formal nutshell. This statement is primarily for people who are already believers. If you are new to Christianity and want to know where to start in your search to understand click here.

We accept wholeheartedly the revelation of God given in the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments and confess the faith therein set forth. We here explicitly assert the doctrines which we regard as crucial to the understanding and proclamation of the Gospel and to practical Christian living:

  1. The sovereignty, love, and grace of God, the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit in creation, providence, revelation, redemption and final judgment.
  2. The divine inspiration of Holy Scripture and its entire trust-worthiness and supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
  3. The value of each human being as created by God. The universal sinfulness of humankind since the fall, which alienates all from God and subjects all to condemnation.
  4. The full deity and humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God, whose substitutionary sacrifice is the sole ground of redemption from the guilt, penalty and power of sin.
  5. The justification of the sinner by the grace of God through faith alone in Christ crucified and risen from the dead.
  6. The illuminating, regenerating, indwelling and sanctifying work of God, the Holy Spirit, in the believer.
  7. The church as set forth in the New Testament and understood historically by the Baptist community.
  8. The expectation of the personal, visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ, our participation in the resurrection, and the hope of eternal life.