What We Believe

1. The Scriptures: We believe that the Bible, comprised of the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments is the Word of God, verbally and plenary inspired, in the original manuscripts. It is infallible and inerrant in all matters to which it speaks. We believe that the canon is complete and that nothing should be added or taken away from it. We believe the Bible to be the true center of Christian unity and the supreme and ultimate authority for faith and practice. Matthew 5:18; II Timothy 3:16, 17; II Peter 1:20, 21; Hebrews 1:1; Revelation 22:18, 19
2. The True God: We believe that God is the infinite and perfect Spirit in whom all things have their source, support, and end. We believe that God eternally exists in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. This Triunity is identical in nature; having the same attributes and perfection; equal in power and glory; deserving the same honor, praise, and obedience; worthy of all worship and adoration; distinct in function; and working harmoniously to accomplish the divine plan of God. I Kings 8:27; Psalm 18:30; Matthew 28:19; Acts 5:3, 4; Ephesians 1:11; Colossians 1:16, 17
3. Jesus Christ: We believe that Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, coequal and coeternal with God the Father and God the Spirit, became man without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, in order to reveal God, redeem sinful man, and ultimately to establish God's eternal Kingdom. We believe that Jesus Christ being wholly without sin, freely bore the guilt and punishment of the sins of all mankind on the cross; rose bodily from the dead three days thereafter; is now seated in Heaven functioning as our Intercessor, Advocate, and High Priest; and that He is mans only hope of salvation from sin. Matthew 1:18-25; John 1:1, 2, 18; Acts 4:12; Romans 3:25, 26; I Corinthians 15:3, 4; Hebrews 4:14-16; I Peter 2:22, 23
4. The Holy Spirit: We believe that the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, coequal and coeternal with, and having the same nature as God the Father and God the Son, was active in creation, inspiration, and incarnation. He functions today by restraining sin and Satan; convicting men of sin, righteousness, and judgment; and regenerating, indwelling, sealing, illuminating, sanctifying, and bestowing gifts to believers. Genesis 1:2; Matthew 28:19; John 16:8-11; Acts 5:3, 4; II Thessalonians 2: 6-8; II Peter 1:20, 21 We believe the gifts of tongues and healing were given to some early Christians as a temporary sign confirming God's Word and authenticating their message, but are not applicable since the completion of God's written revelation as found in the Scriptures. The present day Charismatic, tongues/healing phenomenon may be explained as psychological, fraudulent, emotional, and/or demonic in nature and has no Biblical basis whatsoever. I Corinthians 12-14
5. Angels and Satan: We believe that, prior to God's bringing the earth into existence, He created an innumerable host of personal spirit beings called angels. We believe that Satan was one of those angels who, because of pride and ambition, rebelled against and became the eternal enemy of God; that he gathered to himself other angels now called demons; and that he became the ruler of all the powers of darkness. Satan is the great adversary of God and His children. Though Satan and his demons are both influential and powerful, they are limited by God, were defeated at the cross, and ultimately will be cast into the Lake of Fire. Job 38:6, 7; Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:14-17; Matthew 4:11; II Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 12:10, 20:10
6. Creation: We believe in six creation days of twenty-four hours each. We believe that on the sixth day of creation, God created man from the dust of the infant earth and breathed into him the breath of life; and that the Genesis account of Creation is fully accurate, God's creative acts being completely apart from any evolutionary process. Genesis 1-2; Acts 17:24, 25
7. Man: We believe that Adam was created in the image of God in a state of innocence but by a voluntary transgression fell from his sinless and happy state, thus bringing physical and spiritual death upon the entire human race; that because Adam is our representative all mankind are now sinners by nature and conduct; are totally depraved, alienated from the life and family of God; are deserving of God's eternal condemnation; and have no possible means of salvation within themselves. Isaiah 53:6; Romans 1:18-32; 3:10-19; 5:12, 19; Ephesians 2:1-3
8. Salvation: We believe that in order to be saved sinners must be born again; that the provision of salvation is through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is the only acceptable sacrifice for sinful man; that the new birth is a new creation in Christ Jesus; that it is instantaneous and not a process; that in the new birth the one dead in trespasses and in sins is made a partaker of the divine nature and receives eternal life, the free gift of God; that the new creation is brought about by our sovereign God in a manner above our comprehension, solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with the divine truth, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the gospel; and that its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of faith, repentance, and newness of life. John 3:3, 8; Acts16:20-33; Romans 6:23; II Corinthian 5:17; Ephesians 2:1; Colossians 2:13; II Peter 1:4; I John 5:1
9. Justification: We believe that justification is that judicial act of God whereby He declares the believer righteous on the basis of the imputed righteousness of Christ; that it is bestowed, not in consideration of any works which we have done, but solely through faith in the Redeemer and His death on our behalf. Romans 3:24; 5:1-9; Galatians 2:16; Philippians 3:9
10. The Security and Perseverance of Believers: We believe that all who are truly born again are kept by God and are secure in His salvation; that they, by means of the Spirit's power, will continue in their commitment to Christ and His gospel, and the cardinal doctrines of Biblical Christianity; that they will develop in personal purity and holiness realizing the potential of divine blessings or chastisement. John 10:27-30; I Corinthians 15:2; Philippians 1:6; Colossians 1:22, 23; I Peter 1: 5; I John 2:3-6; 3:3
11. The Church: We believe that a local church is an organized congregation of immersed believers associated by the covenant of faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws; and exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word; that its officers are pastor and deacons, whose qualifications, claims and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures. We believe the true mission of the church is the faithful witnessing of Christ to all men, the edification of the saints, and the worship of God in all of its services and activities. We hold that the local church has the absolute right of self-government, free from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations; and that the one and only Chief Shepherd is Christ through the Holy Spirit; that it is Scriptural for our church to cooperate with other churches of like precious faith in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the gospel; that each local church is sole judge of the measure and method of its cooperation, and that on all matters of membership, policy, government, discipline, and benevolence, the will of the local church (in accordance with the Scriptures) is final. Acts 2:41, 42; 20:17-28; I Corinthians 11:2; I Timothy 3:1-13; I Peter 5:4
12. Baptism and the Lord's Supper: We believe that Christian baptism is the single immersion of a believer in water to show forth in a solemn and beautiful depiction our identification with and commitment to the crucified, buried, and risen Savior, through whom we died to sin and rose to a new life. We believe that baptism is to be performed under the authority of the local church, and that it is a prerequisite to the privilege of church membership. We believe that the Lord's Supper is the commemoration of His death, burial, and resurrection until He comes, and should always be preceded by solemn self-examination. Participants in the Lord's Supper should be immersed believers. Matthew 28:20; Acts 2:41, 42; 8:36-39; I Corinthians 11:23-32
13. Separation: We believe in the Biblical doctrine of separation which encompasses the following: (1) the separation of the local church from all affiliations, fellowship, and cooperation with those who deny the doctrines of the true Christian faith (such as the World and National Council of Churches), and groups which endorse the attitude of the New Evangelicals. We believe that the church should refuse to be involved in compromising alliances, even with well-meaning evangelical people, whereby its testimony would be impaired and its position confused. Specifically we reject the idea that our church should cooperate with unbelievers and apostate churches even if by so doing beneficial results may seem to be produced. II Corinthians 6:14-17; II Timothy 3:5; II John 9-11. (2) the separation of the individual believer from all worldly practices that would dishonor Christ and hinder spiritual growth, including: the use of alcohol as a beverage, tobacco, illegal drugs, pornography, homosexuality, fraternal organizations, lodges, dancing, and gambling. Ephesians 5:22; Hebrews 12:1, 2; I John 2:15, 16; (3) and that all believers should be separated unto the Lord Jesus Christ. I Thessalonians 2:11, 12; II Thessalonians 1:11, 12
14. Civil Government: We believe that civil government is of divine appointment for the interests and good order of human society; that those in authority are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored, and obeyed, except in those things opposed to the will of God. Romans 13:1-7; I Peter 2:13-17
15. Future Events: We believe that Christ will return for ("rapture") the saints of this age at a time known only to God; that this coming is imminent and will take place prior to the out pouring of God's wrath in the seven- year period known as the tribulation. Following the seven-year tribulation period, Jesus Christ will return with the raptured saints (His "Second Coming") to defeat the Antichrist and his armies and to institute God's Kingdom on earth. This literal 1,000 year reign of Christ (the "millennium") will then be followed by the Great White Throne Judgment, the destruction of the present heavens and earth, the creation of new heavens and a new earth, and the establishment of the eternal Kingdom. Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:4-31; I Corinthians 3:13-15; II Corinthians 5:10; I Thessalonians 1:10; 4:13-17; II Peter 3:10-13; Revelations 19;7, 11-21; 20:1-22:5
16. Baptist Distinctives: We believe that there are certain principles to which Baptist have consistently held, among them being: B-Bible as our only rule of faith and practice. II Timothy 3:16, 17 A-Autonomy of the local Church. Acts 5:29; 13:1-3 P-Priesthood of the believer. I Peter 2:5, 9 T-Two Ordinances in the Church-immersion and the Lord's Supper. Matthew 26:26-29; 28:19, 20; Acts 2:41-47; I Corinthians 11:23-32 I-Individual Soul Liberty. John 8:32; Galatians 5:13; Romans 14:5-12 S-Saved and Immersed Church Membership. Acts 2:41, 42 T-Two offices in the Church-Pastor and Deacons. I Timothy 3:1-13 S-Separation of Church and State. Matthew 22:15-22
17. Authority of Declaration of Faith: This declaration of faith does not exhaust the extent of our faith. The Bible itself is the sole and final source of all that we believe. We do believe, however, that the foregoing state- ment of faith accurately represents the teaching of the Bible, and therefore, is binding upon all members of this church.
*18. Concerning Marriage and Human Sexuality: We believe that marriage of one man and one woman for life, as created by God (Gen. 2:21-24), sanctioned by Christ (Matt. 19:4-6; John 2:1-11), and reaffirmed by the apostles (I Cor. 7:10-15; 1 Tim. 4:1-5; Heb. 13:4) is God's normal plan. We also believe that some individuals are called and gifted by God to a single life and that this is also Biblical and wholly Good (Matt. 19:10-12; I Cor. 7:6-9). We believe that all other expressions of sexuality, such as homosexuality, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, pornography, premarital and extramarital sex, are expressly forbidden in Scripture and are not acceptable (Ex. 20:14; Deut 5:18; Lev. 18:22; 20:13; Rom. 1:24-28; I Cor. 6:6-11; I Tim. 1:10; Lev. 18:23; Ex. 22:19; Lev. 20:15-16; Deut. 27:21). While acknowledging that divorce is a reality in our world, we clearly believe that God's original intention was one man and one woman for life and that Biblical marriage is to be honored, cherished, protected and proclaimed in our church and homes (Deut. 24:1-4; Matt. 5:31-32; 19:3-12)
*19. Concerning the Sanctity of Life: We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being created in God's image (Gen. 1:26-27; 9:5-6). Abortion constitutes the unjustified, inexcusable taking of unborn human life (Ex. 21:22-25; Ps. 139:14-16; Jer. 1:5; Job 3:16; Isa. 44:24; 49:1; 5; Lk. 1:44). We also believe that since human life is a sacred gift of God, then euthanasia and so-called mercy killing are sin. Furthermore, because man is created in God's image and because God alone is the giver of life, practices such as human cloning and human embryonic cell research that requires the death of an unborn child are immoral.
*20. Concerning Christian Worship: We believe that worship is both the duty and privilege of every Christian and is the chief end of our salvation (Deut. 6:4-9; Matt. 22:37-40; Jn. 17:3; I Cor. 10:31; I Pet.10-11).
We believe that all of life is the primary arena of worship, as we present our bodies a living sacrifice to God (Rom. 12:1-2), serve God in the cross of Christ, and glorify God in all that we do (Matt. 28:19-20; Eph. 3:8; I Cor. 10:31).
Furthermore, we believe that worship is to be the center of our family and private lives also. This would include singing, praying, reading Scripture and applying/obeying the Word of God.
We believe that public, gathered worship is both a high privilege and sacred duty (Ps. 84:1-4, 10; 122:1; Lk. 4:16; Acts 20:6-8) and is to be carried out as the Scripture regulates by commands, principles and example (Acts 2:42).
Public worship is to be God-centered: that God is to be worshiped and He is to be worshiped in spirit and in truth (Jn. 4:24), and in the beauty of holiness (Ps. 27:4; Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16; I Chron. 16:29; II Chron 20:21; Ps. 29:2; 96:9). All public worship has God as the audience and God is to be approached with reverence and Godly fear (Heb.12:28-29; Ex. 3:5; Isa 6:1-8). This would exclude all so-called worship that is man-centered and entertainment oriented. This would also exclude all forms of music that are directly associated with the world and worldliness (Lev. 11:44-45; Lev. 20:7, 26; I Pet. 1:14-15). God is holy and we are to worship Him and Him alone in the beauty of holiness (I Chron. 16:29).
Public worship is to be Bible-based: that the content of public worship is to be regulated by the teachings of scripture (Acts 2:42; I Tim. 2:1-4), and that that content is to be rooted in, and a direct reflection of, the doctrines of the Bible (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16). Public worship includes singing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs that express the fill range of the Christian experience (Matt. 22:37-40; Eph 5:19; Col. 3:16) as do the Biblical Psalms. This would exclude all songs that are mere empty repetition (Matt. 6:7-8) and without Biblical content. This would also exclude music that lacks the variety and depth of the Christian experience and does not express the whole council of God (Acts 20:20, 26).
Public worship is to be distinctly-Christian: that all parts of worship are to emphasize the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ and the resultant new life we have in Christ (I Cor. 2:2; II Cor. 5:17). We are to sing a new song unto the Lord (Ps. 33:3; 40:1-3; 144:9) that clearly expresses what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for us. This would exclude all forms of worship that are not clearly Christian in content and expression. This would also exclude all forms of music that identify with the old life prior to knowing Christ.
Public worship is to be congregation-oriented: that all parts of the service include the entire congregation publicly, corporately and whole-heartedly engaging in the worship of the Triune God through praying the Word, singing the Word, hearing the Word and obeying the Word (Isa. 29:13; Eze. 33:31-33; Matt. 15:8-9). This would exclude the congregation as being mere spectators in an entertainment atmosphere since this not worship but entertainment.

*approved by the church on 10/14/07

Antioch Baptist Church

What We Believe