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DECLARATION OF FAITH
“A Family of Families in Faith”
Turner Ridge Baptist Church bases its beliefs on the doctrinal statement set forth by The Baptist Faith and Message adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention in 2000. Therefore, Turner Ridge Baptist Church believes that —
1. The Holy Bible was written by divinely inspired men and every word was written by the inspiration of God. All sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments are the revelation of God of Himself to humanity, and is a testimony to Jesus Christ, the eternally existent Son of God. Its author is God, its substance is truth that is inerrant, and its conclusion is salvation. The Holy Bible is the only completely reliable authority, and we accept it as our manual for living. Therefore, nothing is to be added to it or taken away from it. The Holy Bible is also the standard by which humanity is judged by God.
Exodus 24:4; Deuteronomy 4:1-2; 17:19; Joshua 8:34; Psalms 19:7-10; 119:11,89,105,140; Proverbs 30:5-6; Isaiah 8:20; 34:16; 40:8; Jeremiah 15:16; 36; Matthew 5:17-18; 22:29; Luke 21:33; 24:44-46; John 5:39; 16:13-15; 17:17; 20:31; Acts 17:11-12; Romans 1:16; 15:4; 16:25-26; 1 Corinthians 10:11; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 1:1-2; 4:12; 1 Peter 1:25; 2 Peter 1:19-21; 1 John 5:13; Revelation 19:15.
2. There is one, and only one, eternally existent, true and living God. He is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal Being, and is the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the entire universe. God is infinitely holy and righteous in His nature, in His attributes, and in His purpose. The eternally existent God reveals Himself in a triune manner as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit with distinct attributes but without division of nature or essence.
a. God the Father: God as Father is the sovereign ruler over His universe, His creatures, and the course of human history. God the Father is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, all holy, and all righteous. God designates Himself as Father because He is the Creator of all, and the supreme authority in all manner of truth. To those who become His children by faith in Jesus Christ, God is the eternal Father. He is the provider, the nurturer, and the teacher of His children. Therefore, the Fatherhood of God is not a biological issue but a theological issue. For one to exclude God’s role as Father from the teachings of the Bible is to deny His authority, His creatorship, His provision, His nurturing, His instructorship, and His essence.
Genesis 1:1; 2:7; Exodus 3:14; 6:2-3; 15:11-18; 20:1-26; Leviticus 22:2; Deuteronomy 6:4; 32:6; 1 Chronicles 29:10; Psalms 19:1-3; Isaiah 43:3,15; 64:8; Jeremiah 10:10; 17:13; Matthew 6:9-15,24-34; 7:11; 23:9; 28:19; Mark 1:9-11; John 4:24; 5:26; 14:6-13; 17:1-8; Acts 1:7; Romans 8:14-15; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 4:6; Colossians 1:15; 1 Timothy 1:17; Hebrews 11:6; 12:9; 1 Peter 1:17; I John 5:7.
b. God the Son: Jesus Christ is the one and only eternal Son of God. Jesus Christ is fully God, but He also became fully man as He took upon Himself human form being conceived of the Holy Spirit and was born of the Virgin Mary into this world. He perfectly revealed and obeyed the will of God identifying Himself completely with humanity while, at the same time, remaining sinless. Jesus Christ made provision for the redemption of humanity from sin with His substitutionary death on the cross. He was buried, then raised from the dead, and shortly after ascended into heaven where He is now exalted at the right hand of the Father as the one and only mediator between God and man. Jesus Christ will return some day to this earth with power and glory to consummate His redemptive work and to also judge the world in righteousness.
Genesis 3:15; Deuteronomy 18:15-19; Psalms 2:7; 110:1-7; Isaiah 7:14; 9:6-7; 53:1-12; Matthew 1:18-23; 3:17; 8:29; 11:27; 14:33; 16:16, 27; 17:5; 27:1-28; 28:1-6,19; Mark 1:1; 3:11; Luke 1:35; 4:41; 22:70; 24:46; John 1:1-18, 29; 3:16-17; 10:30,38; 11:25-27; 12:44-50; 14:1-11; 16:15-16,28; Acts 1:9-11; 2:22-24; 7:55-56; 9:4-5,20; Romans 1:3-4,16; 3:23-26; 5:6-21; 8:1-3,34; 10:4; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2:2; 8:6; 15:1-8,24-28; 2 Corinthians 5:19-21; 8:9; Galatians 4:4-5; Ephesians 1:20; 3:11; 4:7-10; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:13-22; 2:9; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; 3:16; Titus 2:13-14; Hebrews 1:1-3; 4:14-15; 7:14-28; 9:12-15,24-28; 12:2; 13:8; 1 Peter 1:18-19; 2:21-25; 3:22; 1 John 1:7-9; 3:2; 4:14-15; 5:9; 2 John 7-9; Revelation 1:13-18; 5:9-14; 12:10-11; 13:8; 19:16.
c. God the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God and is completely divine. He inspired devout men to write the Scriptures. The Holy Spirit has been sent into this present world to personally convict all individuals of sin, to call all to Jesus Christ the Savior, and effect regeneration in all who places their faith in Christ. He is also the counselor and the teacher of the believer in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, and He seals each believer until the day of their redemption by personally dwelling in them. The Holy Spirit operates in the lives of believers in a threefold manner (1 Corinthians 12:4-6): (1) He enables each believer to be effective for the Kingdom of God with His service, or functions (Isaiah 11:1-2); (2) He equips each believer with His activities, or fruits (Galatians 5:18-19); (3) He empowers each believer with His gifts (Romans 12:4-8; 1 Corinthians 12:7-11).
Genesis 1:2; 6:3; Numbers 11:25; 24:2; Judges 3:10; 6:34; 14:6; 1 Samuel 10:10; 11:6; 16:13; 19:20; 2 Chronicles 15:1; Nehemiah 9:20; Job 26:13; Psalms 51:11; 139:7; Isaiah 11:1-2; 32:15; 59:21; 63:10; Ezekiel 3:12, 14; 11:1,5,24; 36:27; 39:29; Joel 2:28-32; Zechariah 4:6; 12:10; Matthew 1:18; 3:11,16; 4:1; 12:28-32; 28:19; Mark 1:10,12; 3:29; Luke 1:35; 2:25; 4:1,18-19; 11:13; 12:12; 24:49; John 1:32; 4:24; 6:63; 14:16-17,26; 15:28; 16:6; 19:1-6; Romans 8:9-11,14-16, 26-27; 12:4-8; 1 Corinthians 2:10-14; 3:16; 12:3-11,13; 2 Corinthians 3:6; Galatians 4:6; 5:18-19; Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30; 5:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:19; 1 Timothy 3:16; 4:1; 2 Timothy 1:14; 3:16; Hebrews 9:8,14; 2 Peter 1:21; 1 John 2:27; 4:6,13; 5:6-7; Revelation 1:10; 22:17.
3. God has created beings that are suprahuman and these beings are both good and evil. These created beings are generally termed: (1) angels, (2) Satan or the Devil, and (3) demons.
a. Angels: Though there are various terms used in the Bible in reference to supernatural beings, the term “angel” is the most common as “…its predominant usage was in reference to suprahuman messengers of God” (Garrett 2000, 414). The angels were created by God to be “…primarily the ministers of God’s providence” (Thiessen 1963, 190). Angels are very similar to man in that they have the ability to reason, make decisions, retain, live good or evil, be relational, and feel emotion. However, they differ from man in that they are not glorified human beings, they are not permitted to enter into the covenant of marriage, they do not share in God’s plan of salvation, they are incorporeal, they possess supernatural abilities, and their knowledge and strength exceeds that of man. Not all angels are created alike and each has been designed with functions that differ one from another. There are four types of angels mentioned in the Bible possessing four different functions: (1) messenger angels, (2) the cherubim - those which “…guard the entrance to Paradise”, (3) the seraphim - those which “…lead heaven in the worship of God…”, and (4) the archangels - those specifically responsible for “protecting and prospering” God’s people (Thiessen 1963, 196-199).
Genesis 3:24; 16:7-11; 19:1,15; 21:17; 22:11,15; 24:7,40; 28:12; 31:11; 48:16; Exodus 3:2; 14:19; 23:20,23; 32:34; 33:2; Numbers 20:16; 22; Judges 2:1,4; 5:23; 6:11-12,20-22; 13; 1 Samuel 4:4; 29:9; 2 Samuel 6:2; 14:17,20; 19:27; 22:11; 24:16-17; 1 Kings 13:18; 19:5,7; 22:19; 2 Kings 1:3,15; 19:35; 1 Chronicles 13:6; 21; 2 Chronicles 18:18; 32:21; Job 1:6; 2:1; 4:18; 15:15; Psalms 8:5; 18:10; 34:7; 35:5-6; 78:25; 80:1; 89:7; 91:11; 99:1; 103:20; 148:2; Isaiah 6:2-3,6; 37:36; 63:9; Ezekiel 1:5-14; 10; Daniel 3:28; 4:13,17,28; 6:22; 8:16; 9:21; 10:13; 12:1; Hosea 12:4; Zechariah 1; 2:3; 4:1,4-5; 5:5,10; 12:8; 14:5; Matthew 1:20,24; 2:13; 4:6,11; 13:39; 16:27; 18:10; 22:30; 24:31; 25:31; 26:53; 28:2; Mark 1:13; 8:38; 12:25; 13:27,32; Luke 1; 2; 9:26; 12:8-9; 15:10; 16:22; 20:36; 22:43; 24:23; John 1:51; 5:4; 12:29; 20:12; Acts 5:19; 6:15; 10:3-7; 12:7-10; 1 Corinthians 13:1; Galatians 3:19; Hebrews 1:4-7,13; 12:22; 13:2; 1 Peter 1:12; 2 Peter 2:11; Jude 9; Revelation 4:6-8; 7:1-2; 11:15; 12:7; 15:6-8; 17:1; 19:17; 20:1; 21:9; 22:16.
b. Satan or the Devil: The terms “Satan” and “the Devil” are most commonly used throughout the Bible to identify the suprahuman being who is the supreme enemy of both God and man. Satan is an angel who was cast out of heaven when he became filled with pride and rebelled against God’s supremacy. He is the originator of sin and opposes all that is good as he constantly endeavors to incite man to sin, and turn away from the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Satan has great influence in this world and controls much of the thoughts and desires of man. Satan’s power, however, is limited because he is only able to accomplish his work of destruction when men will subject themselves to him. However, Satan will be defeated at the Second Coming of Christ, and he, along with all who follow after him, will be cast into the lake of fire to be tormented eternally.
Genesis 3:1-2,4,15; 1 Chronicles 21:1; Job 1:6-9,12; 2:1-4,6-7; 41; Psalms 109:6; Isaiah 14:12-20; 27:1; Ezekiel 28:11-19; Zechariah 3:1-2; Matthew 4:1,3,5,8, 10-11; 9:34; 10:25; 12:24,26-27; 13:19,38-39; 16:23; 25:41; Mark 1:13; 3:22-23,26; 4:15; 8:33; Luke 4:2-3,5-6,8,13; 8:12; 10:18-19; 11:15,18-19; 13:16; 22:3,31; John 8:44; 10:10; 12:31; 13:2,27; 14:30; 16:11; Acts 5:3; 10:38; 13:10; 26:18; Romans 16:20; 1 Corinthians 5:5; 7:5; 2 Corinthians 2:11; 4:4; 6:15; 11:3,14; 12:7; Ephesians 2:1-3; 4:27; 6:11; 1 Thessalonians 2:18; 3:5; 2 Thessalonians 2:9; 1 Timothy 1:20; 3:6-7; 5:14-15; 2 Timothy 2:26; Hebrews 2:14; James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8-9; 1 John 2:13-14; 3:8,10,12; 5:18; Jude 9; Revelation 2:9-10,13,24; 3:9; 12:3-4,7-17; 20:2-3,7-10.
c. Demons: The term “demons” is used to identify the angels that were cast out of heaven for supporting Satan during his revolt against God. There are two types of demons mentioned in the Bible: (1) those who are bound in “chains of darkness” in hell awaiting the day of judgment (see 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6), and (2) those whose “…chief occupation seems to be that of supporting their leader Satan in his warfare against the good angels and God’s people and cause” (Thiessen 1963, 200). However, the demons will suffer the same fate as their leader Satan. Upon the return of Jesus Christ they too will be cast into the lake of fire where they will spend eternity.
Leviticus 16; 17:17; Numbers 5:14,30; 21:6; Deuteronomy 8:15; 32:17; Judges 9:23; 1 Samuel 16:13-16,23; 18:10; 19:9; 1 Kings 22:21-24; 2 Chronicles 11:15; Psalms 78:49; 106:37; Isaiah 13:21; 34:14; 14:29; 30:6; Matthew 4:24; 7:22; 8:16, 28,31,33; 9:32-34; 10:8; 11:18; 12:22,24,27-28; 15:22; 17:18; Mark 1:32,34,39; 3:15,22; 5:12,15-16,18; 6:13; 7:26,29:30; 9:38; 16:9,17; Luke 4:33,35,41; 7:33; 8:2,26-33,35-36,38; 9:1,37-42,49; 10:17; 11:14-20,24-26; 13:11-16,32; John 6:70; 7:20; 8:48-49,52; 10:20-21; Acts 5:16; 8:7; 16:16; 19:12-16; 1 Corinthians 10:20-21; Ephesians 6:12; 1 Timothy 4:1; James 2:19; 2 Peter 2:4; 1 John 4:1,3,6; Jude 6; Revelation 9:11,20; 12:4,7,9; 16:13-14; 18:2.
4. Man is the distinguished creation of God. He is created in the image of God meaning that he has: (1) the mental ability to reason, make decisions, and retain; (2) the moral capability to live good or evil; (3) the social aptness to be relational and feel emotion. God created both male and female in a triune manner meaning that each have a body, a soul, and a spirit. In that man is the highest work of God’s creation, God has given him dominion and preeminence over all else that has been created. In the beginning God created man sinless, but by freedom of choice, provided to him by the Lord, man sinned and thereby brought sin into the entire human race. As a consequence of man’s fall from his original state of innocence, his descendants inherit a nature along with an environment slanted toward sin. When each individual is capable of moral action, they become sinners and are under the condemnation of God without excuse or defense, and are headed for eternal destruction.
Genesis 1:26-30; 2:7,18-22; 3; 5:1; 9:6; Deuteronomy 4:32; Job 33:4; Psalms 8:4-8; 51:5; 82:6; 100:3; Ecclesiastes 12:7; Isaiah 6:5; Jeremiah 17:5; Malachi 2:10; Matthew 12:12; 16:26; John 10:34; Acts 17:26-29; Romans 1:18-32; 2:1-16; 3:10-18; 23; 5:6,8,12,19; 6:6,23; 7:14-25; 8:5-8; 1 Corinthians 11:7; 15:20-22,39; Ephesians 2:1-3; Colossians 3:5-7; 1 Timothy 5:24; James 1:13-15; 3:8-10; 1 John 2:15-16; 3:4-10.
5. Salvation is the term used to describe the redemption that God, through the Lord Jesus Christ Who shed His own blood for this purpose, offers freely to all who will acknowledge their depravity and turn to Jesus as Lord and Savior. Salvation cannot be earned by human effort and it cannot be received apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ. Only God by His grace and a person by his or her faith in Christ can secure eternal redemption. Salvation includes the regeneration, the justification, the sanctification, and the glorification of the entire man.
a. Regeneration: Regeneration is “…the implanting of the principle of the new spiritual life in man, in a radical change of the governing disposition of the soul, which, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, gives birth to a life that moves in a Godward direction” (Berkhof 1974, 468). It is referred to in the Bible as “the new birth” or the act of being “born again”. More specifically regeneration is man’s change of heart due to his conviction of sin by the Holy Spirit, which results in his repentance before God and the placing of his faith in Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith are inseparable in regeneration. Repentance means to be genuinely remorseful for sin. It is genuine remorse that leads the individual to turn away from sin toward God. Faith means to rely, to place confidence in, or to believe in. Therefore, faith is to trust in Jesus Christ by the surrender of the entire individual to Him as the Savior from sin and as the Lord of their life.
Genesis 3:15; Deuteronomy 18:15-19; Isaiah 19:20; 43:3,11; 53:4-6,10-12; Ezekiel 11:19-20; 36:26; Matthew 1:21; 4:17; 27:22-28:6; Luke 1:68-69; 2:28-30; John 1:9-13,29; 3:3-21,36; 5:24; 10:27-30; 15:1-6; Acts 2:21; 4:12; 15:11; 16:30-31; 17:30-31; Romans 1:16-17; 2:4; 3:23-26; 5:6,8-21; 6; 8:1-17, 29-39; 10:9-10,13; 1 Corinthians 1:21-25; 15:20-22; 2 Corinthians 5:17-20; Galatians 2:20; 3:13-14; 6:14; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-22; 4:4-8; Philippians 2:12-13; Colossians 1:13-14; 3:8-15; Titus 2:11-14; 3:5; Hebrews 5:8-9; 9:12,24-28; 11:1,6; 12:1-2; James 2:14-26; 1 Peter 1:18-19,23; 2:4-10; 1 John 1:5-10; 2:1-2, 15-17; Revelation 3:20; 22:17.
b. Justification: Justification is “…God’s gracious and full acquittal upon principles of His righteousness of all sinners who repent and believe in Christ” (Baptist Faith and Message 2000, art. IV, let. b). Justification occurs the moment that one receives the new birth. It is simply the removal of the believer’s sins by God and the imputation (placement) of those sins on Jesus Christ. Christ’s righteousness is, in turn, put in place of those sins making the believer completely exonerated for their sins before God. Through justification the believer in brought into a right standing relationship with God.
Genesis 15:6; Leviticus 5:10; Psalms 32:1-2; 103:2-3; Isaiah 53:4-6,10-12; Jeremiah 23:6; Habakkuk 2:4; Acts 13:38-39; Romans 1:16-17; 3:21-30; 4:2-5; 5:1-2,8-11,18-19; 6:17-18; 8:1,10; 10:4; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 6:8-11; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Galatians 2:20; 3:6-9,11,13-14,24-29; Philippians 1:11; Colossians 1:13-14,20-22; 3:3; Hebrews 1:3; 9:28; 10:3-12; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 2:25-29; 3:1-3.
c. Sanctification: Sanctification is “…the experience, beginning in regeneration, by which the believer is set apart to God’s purposes, and is enabled to progress toward moral and spiritual maturity through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in them” (Baptist Faith and Message 2000, art. IV, let. c). Therefore, sanctification is a two-fold work. It is the act of God where (1) He consecrates (sets apart) the believer for a sacred purpose, and (2) He purifies and makes holy the believer. The process of sanctification is not only instantaneous, occurring at the time that Christ sets the believer’s soul apart from sin and imparts in them His own holiness and righteousness, but it is also progressive. This means that as the Christian reads and studies the Bible and submits themselves to God’s will they become holier and more Christ-like day by day.
Exodus 31:13; Leviticus 11:45; 19:2; 20:8; Joshua 3:5; Matthew 5:14-16; Luke 1:67-75; John 17:17-19; Acts 26:18; Romans 6:19; 12:1-4; 15:15-16; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 6:11; 2 Corinthians 7:1; Galatians 5:22-25; Ephesians 5:25-26; Colossians 3:1-4; 1 Thessalonians 2:12-13; 4:1-7; 5:23; 2 Timothy 2:20-21; Hebrews 2:11; 10:5-10,26-29; 13:11-12; 1 Peter 1:2-3,16; 3:18; 2 Peter 3:11.
d. Glorification: Glorification is “…the perfection of sanctification, when our body of humiliation will be conformed to the body of Christ’s glory and we shall be entirely like Christ” (Cairns 2002, 194). The glorification of the believer, also referred to in the New Testament as “the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:20), will take place at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. At this time each believer will be transformed and receive a glorified body, like Christ’s, that will never grow old, sick, weary, and will never die.
Matthew 13:43; Luke 9:28-31; 20:34-38; John 5:28-29; 8:51; 11:25-26; Romans 2:7; 8:17; 13:11; 1 Corinthians 15:35-56; 2 Corinthians 5:1; Ephesians 4:20; Philippians 3:20-21; Colossians 3:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; 2 Thessalonians 1:10; 2 Timothy 2:10-12; 3:6-8; 1 Peter 1:3-5; 5:1,4; 1 John 3:2; Revelation 3:5; 21:4; 22:3-5.
6. The kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven are synonymous. God’s kingdom includes: (1) a physical kingdom that is to come, and (2) a spiritual kingdom that presently exists.
a. The Physical Kingdom: The kingdom of God is an actual kingdom that is not of this world (John 18:36). It will come when Jesus Christ returns to this earth, and all rule, all authority, and all power have been eliminated never to rise again (1 Corinthians 15:23-28). God’s kingdom will be an eternal kingdom of peace, prosperity, and perfection where God and Christ is King, and the redeemed of all ages are citizens.
Psalms 45:6; 145:10-13; Isaiah 9:7; Jeremiah 23:5-6; Ezekiel 37:24-28; Daniel 2:44; 4:3; 7:13-14,27; Obadiah 21: Micah 4:7; Zechariah 12:5-9; Matthew 5:8,10; 16:28; 25; Mark 8:38; 9:1; Luke 1:32-33; 9:62; 12:28-30; 21:29-31; 22:30; 23:42-43; John 3:3-8; 18:36; Acts 1:6-7; Romans 8:18-23; 1 Corinthians 4:20; 15:23-28; Ephesians 1:7-10; Hebrews 11:10,16; James 2:5; 2 Peter 1:11; Revelation 11:15,17; 20:10; 17:14; 19:6; 21:1-22:5.
b. The Spiritual Kingdom: Though the kingdom of God is in once sense a physical kingdom that is to come, in another it is a spiritual kingdom presently existing. Jesus Christ stated that the kingdom of God came with Him into this world (Matthew 12:28; Luke 17:20-21), and He used this phrase as a synonym for eternal life (Matthew 19:16, 23). Therefore, the spiritual kingdom of God is particularly “…the realm of salvation into which men enter by trustful, childlike [surrender] to Jesus Christ” (Baptist Faith and Message 2000, art. IX). At the moment of one’s conversion Jesus Christ becomes their Lord and King and they are admitted into His spiritual body, which is referred to as the church. Though the kingdom of God and the church are not all together synonymous, they abide in a special closeness because the church will inhabit God’s physical kingdom that is to come.
Matthew 3:2; 4:17; 5:3; 6:33; 11:11-12; 12:25-28; 13:1-52; 16:18-19; 18:3-4; 19:16,23; 20:1-16; 21:31-32,43; Mark 1:14-15; 4:30-32; Luke 12:31-32; 17:20-21; Acts 8:12; 19:8; 20:25; 28:23,31; Romans 14:17; 1 Corinthians 4:20; Ephesians 2:18-22; 5:5; Colossians 1:13; 4:11; Hebrews 1:8; 12:28; 1 Peter 2:9-10; Revelation 1:9; 5:10.
7. The term “church” is accurately defined by the Greek term ĕkklēsia, which means “a calling out” (Strong’s 1995, 1577). It is this title used to distinguish those who have received salvation through faith in Jesus Christ from those who have rejected salvation. Therefore, the term “church” designates that special group of individuals from all the ages which have been spiritually “called out” of the world by receiving Christ and have become occupants of God’s spiritual kingdom. The church will also one day inherit God’s physical kingdom upon Christ’s return. There are two terms used to speak of the church: (1) universal and (2) local.
a. The Universal Church: The term “universal” is defined as, “being, or regarded as, a complete whole” (Webster’s 2000, 1563). Therefore, this term when used to speak of the church implies “…all of the redeemed of all the ages, believers from every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation” (The Baptist Faith and Message 2000, art. VI). The New Testament teaches that when Jesus Christ returns, “…the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (esv). Since the apostle Paul was writing to Christians concerning this event, this passage provides a clear description of what is meant by the terminology universal church. It denotes “…the entire body of God’s people, whether in heaven or in earth, who have believed or who will believe in Christ” (Cairns 2002, 89). Matthew 16:15-19; 24:30-31; Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 15:17-18,50-53; Galatians 3:6-7,26-29; Ephesians 1:11-14,22-23; 2:19-22; 3:8-11,21; 4:4; 5:21-32; Colossians 1:18; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 4:13-17; Titus 2:11-14; 3:4-7; Hebrews 2:10-13; 11:39-40; 12:23; 1 Peter 2:4-5,9-10; Revelation 5:9-10; 19:7-8; 21:2-4.
b. The Local Church: Though the church is a single, undivided group that has received the one and only salvation provided by God to humanity, it has been physically dispersed by the Lord throughout the earth’s various regions and communities in order to sufficiently propagate the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. Therefore, God has established many local congregations consisting of baptized believers that are autonomous and are “…associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the two ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word, and seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth” (The Baptist Faith and Message 2000, art. VI). Its scriptural offices are elders (pastors) and deacons. Though both men and women have been empowered by the Holy Spirit for service in the local church, these offices are limited to men according to the Scriptures.
Matthew 18:15-20; Acts 2:41-42,47; 5:11-14; 6:1-7; 8:1; 13:1-3; 14:23,27; 15:1-30; 16:5; 20:28; Romans 16:1-5; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 4:17; 5:4-5; 7:17; 9:13-14; 12; 14; 2 Corinthians 2:1; Galatians 1:1-2; Ephesians 4:11-12; Philippians 1:1; 1 Thessalonians 2;14; 1 Timothy 2:9-14; 3:1-15; 4:14; 5:17-20; Titus 1:5-9; Philemon 2; James 5:14; 1 Peter 1:1; 5:1-4; Revelation 2-3.
8. The New Testament teaches that Jesus Christ directed the church to observe two ordinances as it awaits His return. The term “ordinance” means, “an established or prescribed practice” (Webster’s 2000, 1015). Though the term is generally used throughout the Bible to refer to laws, judgments, or decrees, the word translated “ordinances” in 1 Corinthians 11:2 (kjv) means “traditions” or “teachings.” Therefore, the term implies something which has been passed on or handed down. The usage of the term “ordinances” is important because it reveals that the “prescribed practices” themselves are not methods whereby one receives salvation, but that these “prescribed practices” are symbolic. “They symbolize what Jesus did for one’s salvation, what he does in the believer, and faith in the Lord’s return and its meaning” (Hobbs 1971, 72). The two ordinances instituted by Christ are: (1) baptism and (2) the Lord’s Supper.
a. Baptism: The term “baptism” comes from the Greek word baptizō or baptō which means “to cover wholly with a fluid; to dip” (Strong’s 1995, 911). Therefore, Christian baptism, as practiced in the New Testament, involves the full immersion of a person who has received salvation through faith in Jesus Christ in water (Acts 8:36-39). It is symbolic of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection (Colossians 2:11-12), and also of the individual’s death to sin, burial of their old nature, and resurrection to a new life in Christ (Romans 6:1-10). Baptism is also a person’s public testimony to their “…faith in the final resurrection of the dead” (The Baptist Faith and Message 2000, art. VII). According to the words of Jesus Christ, Christian baptism is to be performed in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19).
Matthew 3:13-17; 28:19; Mark 1:9-11; 16:16; Luke 3:21-22; John 1:26; 3:22-23; 4:1-2; Acts 2:38,41; 8:12,36-39; 9:17-18; 10:46-48; 16:13-15,33; 18:8; 19:4-5; Romans 6:1-10; Galatians 3:26-27; Colossians 2:12; Hebrews 6:1-2; 1 Peter 3:21.
b. The Lord’s Supper: The Lord’s Supper is an ordinance that was instituted by Jesus Christ during the Passover meal that He shared with His disciples on the evening prior to His death (Mark 14:12,17). The Lord’s Supper consists of an individual partaking of unleavened bread as symbolic of Christ’s giving of His own body, which was perfect without sin, as a sacrifice for their sins (Matthew 26:26; Luke 22:19), and also of the fruit of the vine symbolizing the shed blood of Christ for the forgiveness of their sins (Matthew 26:27-28; Luke 22:20). Since the Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act of remembering the salvation that has been provided to the believer and a proclamation of the Lord’s death until He comes, it is a privileged and a right that God has reserved for believers only (1 Corinthians 11:23-29).
Matthew 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:15-16; 11:17-32.
9. God will bring the world to its appropriate end by instituting a horrendous period of divine judgment unlike any that humankind has experienced since the beginning of creation. This period of judgment is referred to in the New Testament as the great tribulation period (Matthew 24:21; Revelation 7:14). This great tribulation will last for seven years (Daniel 9:27; Revelation 11:1-2). Jesus Christ will return to the earth personally and visibly in power and glory at the conclusion of the great tribulation period. It will be at this time that the righteous dead will be resurrected and will reign with Christ over all nations of the earth for a period of one thousand years (Revelation 20:4-8). At the close of the one thousand reign of Christ the unrighteous dead will be resurrected and all will stand before God to be judged. The unrighteous will be consigned to the Lake of Fire, the place of eternal punishment, and the righteous in their glorified bodies will receive their reward and will live eternally in Heaven with the Lord (Revelation 20:11-14).
Isaiah 2:2-4; 24; 65:17-25; 66:22-24; Ezekiel 38; 39:1-16; Daniel 2:44; 7:27; 8:23-25; 9:24-27; 11:28-45; 12:1-3; Joel 2:30-32; Micah 4:6-7; Zephaniah 1:14-18; 3:8-20; Zechariah 14; Malachi 4; Matthew 16:27-28; 19:28-30; 24; 25; 26:64; Mark 8:38; 9:43-48; 13:5-27; Luke 12:40,48; 16:19-26; 17:22-37; 21:8-36; John 5:28-29; 11:25-26; 14:1-3; Acts 1:10-11; 17:31; Romans 14:10-12; 1 Corinthians 3:11-15; 4:5; 15:24-28,35-58; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Philippians 3:18-21; Colossians 1:3-5; 3:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; 5:1-10; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10; 2:1-12; 1 Timothy 6:14; 2 Timothy 4:1,8; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 9:27-28; James 5:7-8; 1 Peter 5:4; 2 Peter 3:3-13; 1 John 2:28; 3:2-3; Jude 14-15; Revelation 1:7-8; 2:7,11,17,25-28; 3:5,10-12,21; 7:15-17; 11:1-2,15-18; 14:14-20; 19:14-15; 20; 21; 22:1-5,7,12-14,20. 10. God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. It is composed of persons related to one another by marriage, blood, or adoption. Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. It is God’s unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His church and to provide for the man and the woman in marriage the framework for intimate companionship, the channel of sexual expression according to biblical standards, and the means for procreation of the human race. The husband and wife are of equal worth before God, since both are created in God’s image. The marriage relationship models the way God relates to His people. A husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church. He has the God-given responsibility to provide for, to protect, and to lead his family. A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ. She, being in the image of God as is her husband and thus equal to him, has the God-given responsibility to respect her husband and to serve as his helper in managing the household and nurturing the next generation. Children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord. Parents are to demonstrate to their children God’s pattern for marriage. Parents are to teach their children spiritual and moral values and to lead them, through consistent lifestyle example and loving discipline, to make choices based on biblical truth. Children are to honor and obey their parents (The Baptist Faith and Message 2000, art. XVIII).
Genesis 1:26-28; 2:15-25; 3:1-20; Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Joshua 24:15; 1 Samuel 1:26-28; Psalms 51:5; 78:1-8; 127; 128; 139:13-16; Proverbs 1:8; 5:15-20; 6:20-22; 12:4; 13:24; 14:1; 17:6; 18:22; 22:6,15; 23:13-14; 24:3; 29:15,17; 31:10-31; Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; 9:9; Malachi 2:14-16; Matthew 5:31-32; 18:2-5; 19:3-9; Mark 10:6-9; Romans 1:18-32; 1 Corinthians 7:1-16; Ephesians 5:21-33; 6:1-4; Colossians 3:18-21; 1 Timothy 5:8,14; 2 Timothy 1:3-5; Titus 2:3-5; Hebrews 13:4; 1 Peter 3:1-7.
11. God is the Creator of human life and, thus, the preserving of life is of great importance to the Creator. Therefore, sanctity of life extends to the child not yet born. Induced abortion by any means, either for personal convenience or popular control, renders one guilty of committing the sin of murder. Christians are called to practice biblical ethics which provide guidance for moral decision making concerning this issue.
Genesis 1:26; 2:7; 5:2; Exodus 20:13; 21:12-16; Deuteronomy 4:32; Job 31:15; Psalms 8:5; 22:9; 100:3; 139:3-16; Isaiah 44:2,24; 49:5; 51:13; Jeremiah 1:5; Malachi 2:10; Luke 1:23-25,36-45; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:16; 7:1; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-6.
12. Homosexuality is one means by which human sexuality is perverted. We recognize the depth of the perversion that leads to homosexual acts, but affirm the biblical position that such acts are sinful and subject to the wrath of God. However, the Bible teaches that the grace of God is sufficient to overcome the practice of homosexuality (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).
Genesis 1:27; 19:1-25; Leviticus 20:13; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; 1 Timothy 1:8-10. |
