ARTICLE IV – CONFESSION OF FAITH AND COVENANT

A. CONFESSION OF FAITH

The doctrines of this church shall be in conformity with those generally accepted by historic

Baptist churches and expressed in the Confession of Faith and Covenant as follows:

l. The Scriptures

We believe in the verbal, plenary (full, entire, complete) inspiration of the Bible, which is

the Word of God, that in its truthfulness and completeness, it is the only criterion and

authority of both church and individual for faith and practice (II Pet. 1:19-21; II Tim. 3:16).

2.We believe there is one God eternally existing, manifesting Himself to us in three

persons: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost (Gen. 1:1; Jn. 9:35; 10:30; Jn. 14:16-27). We

believe that God is sovereign in the bestowal of spiritual gifts to every believer. God

uniquely uses evangelists and pastor-teachers to equip believers in the assembly in order

that they can do the work of the ministry (Rom. 12:3-8; I Cor. 12:4-11, 28; Eph. 4:7-12).

3. The Person and Work of Jesus Christ

We believe the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ; His virgin birth; His sinless life; His

substitutionary death on the cross for our sins; His bodily resurrection from the grave; His

ascension to the right hand of God, where He ever liveth to make intercession for believers;

and His personal, visible, imminent, and premillenial return to the earth at the end of this

age. (Matt. 1:18; Jn. 1:1; Acts 1:11; I Thess. 4:16-17)

4. The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit

a. We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world of sin, of

righteousness, and of judgment; and that He is the supernatural Agent in regeneration,

baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of

redemption (Jn. 16:8-11; Rom. 8:9; I Cor. 12:12-14; II Cor. 3:6; Eph. 1:13).

b. We believe He is the Divine Teacher who assists believers to understand and

appropriate the Scriptures, and that it is the privilege of all the saved to be indwelled with

the Spirit (Eph. 5:18; I Jn. 2:20, 27).

c. We believe that the manifestation of tongues and interpretations as well as prophetic

utterances and the gift of healing were temporary, necessary until the completion of the

Canon of Holy Scripture (I Cor. 13:8-10). We believe in the speaking of tongues and its interpretation. We also believe the filling of the Holy Spirit as manifested by the speaking of tongues. As to healing, we believe God may choose, in answer to prayer, to heal his people (James. 5:14-15).

5. Satan

We believe in the reality and personality of Satan; that he is a created being, once known as

the “anointed cherub that covereth”; that through pride he fell; that he is the “god of this

world” and the “prince of the power of the air”; that the judgment already passed on him

will be executed at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and that ultimately, he will be cast into

the lake of fire (Matt. 13:19; Jn. 8:44; Eph. 2:2; Rev. 20:10; Ez. 28:13-15).

6. Man

We believe that man was created by God in His own image, not by evolution, but by a

special act of creation, and that this creative act of God was separate and distinct from any

other work of God. We believe the Scripture record of the Fall of man through his own

disobedience, bringing the whole human race under sin and death. We believe that man is

totally depraved and hopelessly lost apart from the grace and salvation of God (Gen. 1:26-

28, 2:7; Rom. 3:23, 5:12; Gal. 3:22).

7. Salvation

a. We believe that salvation is by grace through faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ; that

it is instantaneous and wholly apart from human merit; that every individual is a sinner by

birth; and that all accountable human beings are sinners by practice and by choice and

therefore must exercise personal faith in the redeeming work of Christ on Calvary and

receive Him as Savior in order to be saved (Eph. 2:8-9; Tit. 3:5; Ps. 51:5; Rom. 3:23,

10:9-10).

b. We believe that believers should rejoice in full assurance of their salvation through the

testimony of God’s Word, but that the same Word clearly forbids the use of our liberty as

an occasion to the flesh (Rom. 13:14; Tit. 2:11-15).

c. We believe that salvation is eternal, that all who are truly born again are kept by God the

Father for the Lord Jesus Christ (Jn. 6:37-40, 10:27-30; Rom. 8:35-39; Phil. 1:6; Jude 1).

8. Personal Separation

We believe that all “who name the name of Christ” as their Savior should live in such a

manner as not to bring reproach upon His name. We believe also that separation from all

religious apostasy, as well as worldly and sinful pleasures and associations, is commanded

by Him (Rom. 12:1-2, 14:13; II Cor. 6:14 to 7:1, inclusive; II Tim. 3:1-5; I Jn. 2:15-17; II

Jn. 9-11).

9. The Two Natures

We believe that every person has two natures, with full provision made by God for victory

of the new over the old nature through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, and that all

claims to the eradication of the old nature in this life are unscriptural (Rom. 6:13, 7:17 to

8:1, inclusive; 8:12-13; Gal. 5:16-25; Eph. 4:22-24; Col. 3:10).

10. Civil Governments

We believe that civil governments are of Divine appointment for the interests of good order

of human society; that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored and

obeyed except in things opposed to the will of God as expressed in His Word and

interpreted in the light of this Constitution and Confession and Practices of Faith (Rom

13:1-7; Tit. 3:1; I Pet. 2:13-14, 17).

11. The Lord’s Return

We believe in the bodily, personal, imminent, pre-millennial return of our Lord Jesus

Christ; that He will come before the Great Tribulation to catch away His Bride, the Church;

that all who are His shall then be caught up to meet Him “in the air”; that at the end of the

Tribulation He will come with His Church to the earth to judge the living nations and set up

His kingdom (Matt. 25:31-46; I Thess. 4:13-17; Rev. 9:11-21).

12. The Righteous and the Wicked

We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the

wicked; that such only as exercise saving faith in Jesus Christ are righteous in His sight,

while all who continue in impenitence and unbelief are wicked in His sight and under His

wrath; and that this distinction holds both in and after this life, in the everlasting conscious

suffering of the lost (Gen. 18:23; Mal. 3:18; Matt. 7:13-14; Luke 16:25; Rom. 6:17-18).

13. Creation

We believe that God created the universe in six literal, twenty-four-hour periods (Gen.

1:31; Ex. 20:11).

14. The Eternal State

We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men: the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved

to judgment and everlasting punishment (Matt. 25:46; Jn. 5:28-29, 11:25-26; Rev. 20:5-6,

12-13).

15. The Church

a. We believe that the local church, which is the body and espoused Bride of Christ, is

made up of born-again persons (I Cor. 12:12-14; II Cor. 11:2; Eph. 1:22-23, 5:25-27).

b. 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; I Tim. 3:1-13).

c. We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any external authority or control

(Acts 13:1-3; Rom. 16:1, 4; I Pet. 5:1-4).

d. We recognize water baptism by immersion and the Lord’s Supper as the Scriptural

ordinances of obedience for the church of this age (Matt. 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-

22; Acts 2:41; Acts 8:36-38).

B. CHURCH COVENANT

Having been led, as we believe, by the Spirit of God, to receive the Lord Jesus as our Saviour, and on the profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, we do now in the presence of God, angels, and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another, as one body in Christ.

We engage therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this church in knowledge, holiness, and comfort; to promote its prosperity and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline, and doctrines; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the Gospel through all nations.

We also engage to maintain family and secret devotions; to religiously educate our children; to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances; to walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment; to avoid all tattling, backbiting and excessive anger; to abstain from the sale and use of intoxicating drinks as a beverage; and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Savior.

We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember each other in prayer; to aid each other in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and courtesy in speech; and to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation, and mindful of the rules of our Savior to secure it without delay.

We moreover engage that when we remove from this place, we will as soon as possible unite with some other church, where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God’s Word.

C. AUTHORITY OF THE CONFESSION OF FAITH AND COVENANT

The Confession of Faith and Covenant do 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 Confession of Faith and Covenant accurately represent the teaching of the Bible. Scripture references are from the Authorized Version of the King James Bible. Differences in interpretation of the Confession of Faith and Covenant are resolved using that Bible.