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(I)
The Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers.
1. We believe that
all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are thus
secure in Christ forever by the power of God through faith unto eternal
salvation. (John 6:37-40; 8:31-32;
10:27-30; Rom. 8:1, 28, 35-39; 1 Cor. 1:4-8; Phil. 1:6; Col. 1:21-23; 1
Pet. 1:4-5; Jude 24)
- We
believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the
assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s
Word, which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty
as an occasion to the flesh. (Rom.
13:13-14; Gal. 5:13; Titus 2:11-15)
(J)
The Church.
1. We believe that a Baptist church is a visible
congregation of baptized believers, and not an invisible universal
assembly of believers, and is associated by a covenant of faith and
fellowship of the Gospel, said church being understood to be the citadel
and propagator of the divine and eternal grace; observing the ordinances
of Christ; governed by His Laws; exercising the gifts, rights, and
privileges invested in them by His Word; that it’s officers of
ordination are pastors or elders whose qualifications, claims, and duties
are clearly defined in the scriptures. We believe that men and women are
spiritually equal in position before God but that God has ordained
distinct and separate spiritual functions for men and women in the home
and the church. The husband is to
be the leader of the home and men are to hold the leadership positions
(pastors, council, and deacons) of the church. Accordingly, only men are eligible for
licensure and ordination by the church. We believe the true mission of
the church is found in the Great Commission: first, to make individual
disciples; second, to build up the church; third, to teach and instruct
as He has commanded. We do not believe in the reversal of this order, 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 superintendent is Christ through
the Holy Spirit; that it is scriptural for true churches to cooperate
with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of
the Gospel; that every church is the sole and only judge of the measure
and method of it’s cooperation; on all matters of membership, of
policy, of government, of discipline, of benevolence, the will of the
local church is final. (Acts
2:41-42; 6:5-6; 14:23; 15:22-23; 20:17-28; I Cor. 5:11-13; 6:1-3; 11:2;
12:4, 8-11; 16:1-2; II Cor. 8:23-24; Eph. 1:22-23; 4:11; 5:11-13, 23-24;
Col. 1:18; I Tim. 3:1-13; I Pet. 5:1-4; Jude 3-4)
2. We believe that the local church, which
is the body and the espoused bride of Christ, is solely made up of
born-again persons. (1 Cor.
12:12-14; 2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 1:22-23; 5:25-27)
3. We believe that
the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and
defined in the New Testament Scriptures.
(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. (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 believe
Christian baptism is the immersion in water of a believer, in the name of
the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, with authority of the local
church, to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem of our faith in
the crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, with it’s effect in our
death to sin and resurrection to a new life; that it is pre-requisite to
the privileges of a church relation and to the Lord’s supper, in
which the members of the church, by the sacred use of bread and the fruit
of the vine are to commemorate together the dying love of Christ;
preceded always by solemn self-examination. We believe the Lord’s
Supper and baptism as the Scriptural ordinances of obedience for the
church in this age. (Matt. 3:6,16;
28:19-20; John 3:23; Acts 2:41-42; 8:36-39; Rom. 6:3-5; 1 Cor. 11:23-28;
Col. 2:12)
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