Baptist Church

Our Beliefs

 The Bible – We believe in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as verbally inspired of God and infallible in the original writings and that they are the supreme and final authority in faith and life (2 Tim. 3:16-17;  2 Pet. 1:20-21).

God – We believe there is one God, who is self-existent, eternal, and infinite in every excellence, and who has revealed Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the same in essence, though distinct in personality (Is. 45:21-22; Jer. 10:10; Deut. 6:4; Deut. 32:4; Jn. 1:1-13;  1 Tim. 3:16; Rev. 1:8; Jn. 14:26; Jn. 15:26; 1 Cor. 3:16; 1 Cor. 12:11; Mt. 18:19).

We believe that God is the creator and sustainer of all things and people in the world.  We reject any and all forms of evolution (Gen. 1:1-27; Col. 1:16).

Man – We believe that man was created innocent and that he sinned, thereby incurring not only physical but also spiritual death, which is separation from God; and that all human beings are born with a sinful nature and, in the case of those who reach moral responsibility, become sinners in thought, work, and deed (Gen. 1:26-27; Gen. 3;  Ps. 51:5). 

Savior – We believe in Jesus Christ as the only mediator between God and man: (1) that His personal manifestation or incarnation was by means of the virgin birth, the sinless life, the vicarious death, the bodily resurrection, and the glorious ascension; and (2) that His heavenly ministry as High Priest and Intercessor continues throughout this age (1 Tim. 2:15; Rom. 3:14-26; Jn. 14:6; Acts 4:12; Is. 7:14; Mt. 1:18-25; Heb 7:26; 1 Pet. 1:18-19; Jn. 20:27-28;  Heb. 4:15; 1 Jn. 2:1). 

Salvation – We believe that salvation is by grace through and in the finished work of Jesus Christ.  To those who accept the gospel by sincere repentance and obedient faith, such believers are saved and are also eternally secure (Eph. 2:8-10; Is. 55:1; Rom. 1:15-17; Rom. 16:25; Acts 17:30; Acts 20:21; Acts 26:20; Jn. 10:28-29; 1 Jn. 2:19; Rom. 8:28; Mt. 7:22-23; Phil. 1:6).

Holy Spirit – We believe in the personal ministry of the Holy Spirit as the (1) One who convicts the human heart of sin by the word of truth and brings about the divine work of regeneration (Jn. 3:1-21; Jn. 16:7-11;Titus 3:5-6); (2) as the One who indwells and fills the believer’s life for holiness and service unto God (Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 6:19-20; Eph. 5:18; Acts 1:8); and (3) as the One who continually assures the believer of his relationship to God in Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:9-17, 26, 27).

The Church – We believe in the Church as the body of Christ: (1) that it is an autonomous congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel (1 Cor. 1:1-13; 1 Cor. 5:12-13; Mt. 18:15-18; Acts 2:41-47); (2) that its spiritual ordinances are believer’s baptism by immersion and the Lord’s Supper (Acts 8:38-39; Rom.  6:3-5; Mt. 3:15-16; 1 Cor. 11:23-29); and (3) that its Scriptural function is to build up the local church body of believers in the faith and to extend that gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth (Eph. 4:7-16; Mt. 18:19-20; Acts 1:18).

Ordinances – As to baptism, we believe that Christian baptism is the immersion in water of believers in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, to symbolically show our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior. 

As to the Lord’s Supper, we observe it as the memorial in which the believer commemorates the broken body and the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, until He comes. The elements used are unleavened bread and the unfermented fruit of the vine (1 Cor. 11:6). 

Eschatology – We believe in the consummation of this present spiritual conflict (1 Thess. 4:13-18; 2 Thess. 1-2; Acts 1:11); in the personal, pre-millennial, and imminent return of our Lord in His rapture for the saints, and in His revelation with His saints (Rev. 20:11-15; Rev. 20:7-10);  in the eternal punishment of the sinner and Satan in the Lake of Fire, and in the eternal happiness of the redeemed (Rev. 21:1-8.).

Morality & Marriage – Believing the Bible to be God’s inspired and authoritative Word for all matters of doctrine, life and practice of the Local Church, First Baptist Church affirms the biblical views of human sexuality. 

We believe that heterosexuality is God’s revealed will for humankind and that, since God is loving, a chase and faithful expression of this orientation (whether in singleness or in marriage) is the ideal to which God calls all people. (Genesis 1:27, 1 Corinthians 7:1-3, 7, 8; Matthew 19:4-6)

We believe the Bible is clear in its presentation of marriage as a sacred, lifelong, and monogamous union between one man and one woman (Genesis 2:24, 25; Matthew 19:4-6; Hebrews 13:4)

We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity should be engaged in outside of marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex. (Genesis 2:24; 19:5; 13; Leviticus 18:1-30; Romans 1:26-29; 1 Corinthians 5:1; 6:9; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8; Hebrews 13:4)

Miscellaneous – We believe (1) that the Lord’s Day is the first day of the week and should be kept sacred for spiritual purposes (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2; Rev. 1:10-11; Ex. 20:8; Jn. 20:19-21; Jn. 19:26); (2) the Church and state should be separately maintained as they have been ordained of God, in order to prohibit the growth of either ecclesiastical or political totalitarianism (Rom. 13:1-7; Mt. 22:21; Titus 3:1-7; Acts 5:29; Dan. 3:15-18; Dan 6:7-10).