STATEMENT of FAITH

THE SCRIPTURES

We believe the Bible to be the complete Word of God; that the sixty-six books comprising the Old and New Testaments were verbally inspired by the Spirit of God and are entirely free from error in the original manuscripts; that the Bible is the final authority in all matters of faith and human conduct and is the true basis of Christian union.   Ps 119; Ps 1:1-2; Ps 19:7-11; Matthew 5:17; John 10:35; 2 Tim 3:16-17; Heb 4:12-13; 2 Peter 1:20-21; 2 Peter 3:16    

GOD

We believe in one God, Creator of all, infinitely holy, sovereign, eternal, wise and good; that the one true God exists in three equal Persons, Father, Son, and Spirit; that while this tri-unity of God is clearly affirmed in Scripture it surpasses our full understanding and inspires our worship.   Gen 1:1; Ex 3:5-6; Ps 83:18; Ps 90:2; Job 38; Isaiah 6:1-4; Isa 26:4; Isa 40:28; Isa 42:5; Acts 17:24-28; Matt 3:16-17; Matt 28:19; John 4:24; 2 Cor 13:14; Rev 4:8-11     

FATHER

We believe in God the Father Almighty, who reigns over all creation and time; that He is perfect in power, knowledge, and love; that He is both transcendent and personal; that the divine plan for redemption is accomplished through his sending of the Son and the subsequent life-giving activity of the Spirit.   Ex 34:6-7; Matt 5:43-45; Matt 6:6-9; Luke 12:32; John 1:12-13; John 5:36-38; Gal 4:4-7; John 6:46; 1 Jn 3:20  

JESUS CHRIST

We believe in the absolute and essential deity of Jesus Christ, in His eternal existence with the Father in pre-incarnate glory, in His virgin birth, sinless life, substitutionary death, bodily resurrection, triumphant ascension, mediatorial ministry, and personal return; that He alone is the Head of the one true Christian Church.   Isa 9:6-7; Ps 110; Lk 1:31-37; Lk 20:41-44; Jn 8:58; Col 1:15-20; Rev 5

THE HOLY SPIRIT

We believe in the absolute and essential deity and personality of the Holy Spirit who convinces of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; who regenerates, sanctifies, and comforts those who believe in Jesus Christ.   Matt 12:32; Matt 28:19; Lk 3:22; Lk 11:13; Jn 14:26; Rom 8:26-27; Rom 15:13; 1 Cor 6:19-20; 1 Thess 1:4-6; 2 Tim 1:14  

HUMAN BEINGS

We believe that mankind was divinely created, both male and female in the image of God; that the first man willfully disobeyed God, becoming guilty before God, resulting in total depravity, subjecting the human race to divine punishment in both physical and spiritual death.   Gen 1:26-30; Gen 2:4-25; Gen 3; Gen 6:5; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 3:9-19; Rom 3:23; Rom 6:23; Eph 2:1-3  

SATAN

We believe that Satan exists as an evil personality, the originator of sin, and the archenemy of God and man.   Gen 3:1-5; Matt 4:1-11; Matt 13:37-39; John 8:44; John 13:10;1 Peter 5:8-9; Acts 10:37-38; Acts 13:10; Eph 6:11-12; 2 Tim 2:26; James 4:7; 1 Jn 3:10; Rev 12:9-12; Rev 20:10  

SALVATION

We believe that salvation is by the sovereign, electing grace of God; that by the appointment of the Father, Christ voluntarily suffered a vicarious, expiratory, and propitiatory death; that justification is by faith alone in the all-sufficient sacrifice and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and that those whom God has effectually called shall be divinely preserved and finally perfected in the image of the Lord; that in salvation the believer is adopted into the family of God and entitled to all the rights, privileges and promises of children including an eternal inheritance reserved in heaven for them.   Gen 3:15; Ps 22; Isa 53; Jn 3:16-21; Rom 3:21-26; Rom 5:6-8; Rom 8:28-30; 1 Cor 11:23-26; Eph 1:3-14; Eph 2:1-10; Col 2:13-15; 1 Peter 1:3-9; Rev 5:9-10

FAITH & REPENTANCE

We believe that sinners are saved through faith alone; that this faith is born of the Spirit of God in regeneration and is of necessity accompanied by repentance, which involves the recognition of, sorrow over, and the turning away from all known sin, with a new desire to live in obedience to Jesus Christ.   Gen 15:6; Ps 32:1-2; Lk 5:32; Lk 13:1-5; Lk 15:10; John 3:16; Acts 3:19; Rom 1:16-17; Rom 3:22; Rom 4:1-8; Rom 5:1-2; Rom 10:9-11; Eph 2:4-9; Gal 2:20; Gal 3:7-9; 2 These 2:13-14  

JUSTIFICATION

We believe that justification is a legal declaration by God as our Judge whereby he pardons us for our sins and pronounces us to be innocent in his sight through the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ; that it is a gift given without any consideration of any works we have done but solely through faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection.   Lk 18:9-14; Acts 13:38-39; Rom 1:16-17; Rom 3:21-26; Rom 5:1-2; Rom 5:9-17; Rom 8:1-2; 1 Cor 1:30; Gal 2:15-16; Gal 3:24  

SANCTIFICATION

We believe that sanctification is the process by which we are increasingly made into the image of Christ; that it begins in regeneration and is carried on in the hearts of believers by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit; that it necessarily involves personal engagement with the means of grace provided through the Word, prayer and the fellowship of God’s people; that all those rescued by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ will be divinely preserved and finally perfected in the presence of Christ in glory.   Rom 12:1-2; 2 Cor 7:1; Phil 2:12-13; Col 3; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Peter 1:13-16  

THE LOCAL CHURCH

We believe that a Church is a company of baptized believers called out from the world, separated unto the Lord Jesus, voluntarily associated for the ministry of the Word, the mutual edification of its members, the propagation of the faith, and the observance of the ordinances. It is a sovereign independent body, exercising its own divinely awarded gifts, precepts, and privileges under the Lordship of Christ, the Great Head of the Church. We believe that its officers are pastors/elders and deacons.   Matt 16:18; Matt 18:15-20; Acts 20:28-31; 1 Cor 1:1-3; 1 Cor 12:27-31; Eph 2:11-22; Eph 4:7; Eph 4:11-12; 1 Tim 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Rev 21:2-4

ORDINANCES

We believe that there are only two ordinances for the Church regularly observed in the New Testament:   i)  Baptism, which is the immersion of the believer in water, whereby he obeys Christ's command and sets forth his public identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection and is the sign of belonging to the new covenant community of Christ.   ii)  The Lord's Supper, which is the memorial wherein the believer partakes of the two elements, bread and cup, which symbolize the Lord's body and shed blood proclaiming His death until He comes.   Matt 28:19-20; Acts 2:41; Acts 8:36-38; Rom 6:3-4; Col 2:11-12 Matt 26:26-29; Mk 14:22-25; Lk 22:19-20; 1 Cor 11:23-30  

THE LORD’S DAY

We believe that the first day of the week is the Lord’s Day and that it is a divinely provided day suitable for corporate worship and shared expressions of spiritual devotion.   1 Cor 16:1-3; Rev 1:10-11  

CHURCH & STATE

We believe that civil government is of divine appointment for the interest and good order of society; that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored and obeyed, except and only when civil authorities ask or compel the believer to disobey the clearly revealed will of our Lord Jesus Christ in Scripture, who is the only Lord over the conscience and ruler over all earthly authorities. We believe in the entire separation of church and state. We also believe in religious liberty for all human beings; that is, every person has the right to practice and propagate their beliefs, provided they do not inflict harm or danger on our country or other people.   Matt 22:15-22; Acts 4:18-20; Rom 13:1-7; Phil 2:5-11; Col 1:15-20; 1 Tim 2:1-4; Titus 3:1-2; 1 Peter 2:13-17  

FUTURE THINGS

We believe in the personal, bodily, and glorious return of the Lord Jesus Christ; in the bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust; in the eternal blessedness of the redeemed and in the judgment and eternal, conscious punishment of the wicked.   Matt 25; John 14:1-4; Acts 1:11; 1 These 4:13-18; Rev 20:11-15; Rev 21:6-8; Rev 22:1-5; Rev 22:12-13

MARRIAGE

We believe the term “marriage” is reserved for the formalized covenant relationship between one man and one woman who commit themselves through legal declaration to exclusive, intimate companionship and sexual union with the intention of permanence. Marriage is monogamous, heterosexual, and intended for life. (This statement is taken from the Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches in Canada “Policy Statement on Marriage and Human Sexuality”. Adopted by the Fellowship February 22, 2007)   Gen 2; Mk 10:5-12; Eph 5:22-33