ARTICLE IV—STATEMENT OF FAITH
A. HOLY BIBLE
We believe that the Holy Bible, which consists of sixty-six books in all, is inspired of God, and that it is inerrant and therefore infallible in the original writings, and that it is of supreme and final authority for all matters of faith and practice (Matthew 24:35; II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:20, 21).
B. THE GOD-HEAD
We believe that there is one God who eternally exists in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and that these persons are co-equal, co-eternal, and co-existent (Deuteronomy 6:4,5; I Corinthians 8:6; II Corinthians 13:14; I John 5:7).
C. THE VIRGIN BIRTH
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ was miraculously conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, and that He is truly God and truly man (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18—25; Luke 1:35; John 1:14; Galatians 4:4).
D. CHRIST’S ATONEMENT
We believe that the Lord Jesus condescended to this earth in great humiliation, that He took upon Himself human flesh, and as a perfect man laid down His life for the sins of the world, thereby providing eternal salvation for those who believe. We believe that all who put their trust in Him are saved on the ground of His finished work (Philippians 2:5—8; Romans 5:6—11; II Corinthians 5:21; I John 2:2; John 3:16).
E. CHRIST’S RESURRECTION
We believe in the actual, bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, that he ascended into heaven, and that he is presently seated at the Father’s right hand as the believer’s High Priest and Advocate (Luke 24:35—48; Acts 2:24—36; Romans 8:34; I Corinthians 15: 4,5; Revelation 1:5).
F. CHRIST’S SECOND COMING
We believe in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ which is comprised of two stages: (1) His coming “in the air” to rapture the saints from the earth prior to the Tribulation period, and (2) His coming visibly and bodily to the earth after the Tribulation period to set up His Millennial Kingdom. We believe that His Second Coming is the “blessed hope” of the believer (John 14:3; I Thessalonians 4:13—18; Acts 1:6,7, 9—11; Titus 2:13).
G. THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe in the personality and deity of the Holy Spirit. His work with reference to the unsaved is convicting of sin, righteousness, and judgement and with reference to the saved, His work is that of spiritual baptism, sealing, indwelling, filling, teaching and guiding (John 16:8—11; I Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1:13; John 14:17; Ephesians 5:18; John 14:26; 16:13).
H. SATAN
We believe in the personality of Satan, that he was created by God in absolute holiness, that he rebelled against God together with other angels, that he is the author of sin, the god of this age, the prince of the power of the air. We believe that he is the enemy of God and God’s people, a liar, murderer, slanderer and accuser, and that he is presently blinding the minds of unregenerate men and women to keep them from believing in Jesus Christ. We believe that Satan is a defeated foe, and that he will ultimately be cast into the Lake of Fire where he will live forever in conscious torment (Isaiah 14:12—15; Ezekiel 28:14—17; Ephesians 2:2; Matthew 13:24,25,36—40; Genesis 3:4,5; John 8:44; II Corinthians 11:3; Job 1:6,7; I Peter 5:8; II Corinthians 4:3,4; Revelation 13; 20:10).
I.CREATION
We believe in the Genesis account of creation, and that it is to be interpreted literally. We believe that man was created in the image of God, in righteousness and true holiness (Genesis 1:26,27; Hebrews 11:3; Ephesians 4:24).
J. THE FALL
We believe that man willfully sinned against his Creator, and that he thereby brought upon himself not only physical death, but also spiritual death. We believe that every person since Adam’s time, with the exception of the Lord Jesus Christ, has been conceived in sin and is, therefore, born with a sinful nature and under the wrath of God (Genesis 2:16,17; 3:1—6; Psalm 51:5; Romans 3:10—12, 23; 5:12; 1:18).
K. SALVATION
We believe that God has provided salvation for all people through the Lord Jesus Christ, and that this salvation is by the grace of God, not by the works or merits of man. Those who appropriate by faith the finished work of Jesus Christ are saved on the basis of His shed blood. We believe that salvation is “deliverance” from sin, satan, and the world, and that those who are saved are born again, redeemed, justified, and reconciled (Acts 4:12; 16:30,31; Ephesians 2:8,9; Romans 10:9,10,13; John 1:12,13, 3:3,7; I Peter 1:18; I Corinthians 6:11; Romans 5:9—11).
L. THE SECURITY OF BELIEVERS
We believed that once a person is saved, he is eternally secure. We are not only saved by the power of God , but we are kept by that same power. Our salvation is firmly grounded upon the power of God the Father, the work of God and Son and God the Holy Spirit and the veracity of the Scriptures (I Peter 1:5; John 10:27—29; Ephesians 1:13,14; John 5:24).
M. MAN’S FUTURE STATE
We believe on the future bodily resurrection of the saved and unsaved; that the saved will be raised as a part of the first resurrection into everlasting life, and that the lost will be raised following the millennial reign of Christ, unto everlasting punishment (Daniel 12:2; John 5:28,29; Revelation 20:5,6,11—15).
N. ORDINANCES
We believe that there are two Scriptural ordinances for the church to observe today. The first of these ordinances is believer’s water baptism. We believe that the Biblical method is baptism by immersion, and that pouring and sprinkling are unscriptural. Water baptism is for believers only. It portrays Spiritual baptism and signifies the believer’s identification with Christ in his death, burial and resurrection. The second ordinance is the Lord’s Supper which is observed by believers as a memorial of Christ’s death, until he comes again. The Lord’s Supper is closed to the unsaved and backslidden believers, and open to those who are saved and living in fellowship with Him. The bread and the cup commemorate the body and shed blood of the Lord Jesus (Acts 2:41,42; 8:36—39; Romans 6:3—6; I Corinthians 12:13; Acts 2:42—46; I Corinthians 10:16; 11:23—30).
O. ECUMENISM AND NEO-EVANGELISM
We believe that it is the clear teaching of Scripture that believers should not only separate themselves from worldly pleasures and sinful practices, but from present-day apostate trends such as ecumenism and neo-evangelism (Romans 12:1,2; I John 2:15,17; II John 9—11).
P. MISSIONS
We believe that it is our responsibility as a church to support home and foreign missionary endeavor by prayer and finances and that it is the responsibility of every saved person to share the “good news” of salvation with those who are lost, both by word of mouth and by life (Ephesians 6:18—20; Matthew 28:19,20; Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8; II Corinthians 3:2).
Q. BAPTIST DISTINCTIVES
The Berean Baptist Church is an Independent BAPTIST Church which holds to the HISTORIC BAPTIST POSITION as seen in the following Baptist Distinctives:
Bible as our sole authority (II Tim. 3:16,17; II Peter1:20,21).
Autonomy of the local church (Ephesians 1:22,5:23).
Priesthood of the believer (I Peter 2:5).
Two offices – Pastor and Deacon (I Timothy 3:1—13).
Individual soul liberty (Acts 5:29).
Security of the believer (John 10:27—30; I Peter 1:5).
Two church ordinances – Believer’s water baptism by immersion and the Lord’s Supper (Acts 2:41—46; I Cor. 11:23—30).
Separation of Church and State (Acts 5:25—29; Romans 13)