COMMUNITY BAPTIST CHURCH STATEMENT OF FAITH
In affirming the historic Fundamentals, we by no means set aside or devalue any of the Scriptures, but we deem that the knowledge of, assent to, and acceptance of these statements are essential to sound faith and practice and are therefore requisite for fellowship in the Community Baptist Church. These fundamentals to which we ascribe are as follows:
• the inerrancy of the Scriptures in their original autographs
• the deity of Jesus Christ
• the vicarious, atoning death of Jesus Christ
• the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ
• the bodily return of Jesus Christ to this earth
We further affirm the following doctrinal statements as a fuller pronouncement of the official position of the leadership of Community Baptist Church. No teaching shall be done contrary to the following doctrinal statement.
1. We believe in THE HOLY SCRIPTURE: We accept fully the writings of the Old and New Testaments as the very Word of God, verbally inspired in all parts, and therefore, wholly without error as originally given of God, altogether sufficient in themselves as our only infallible and authoritative rule of faith and practice. (II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:19-21; Psalm 119:105,160)
2. We believe that there is but ONE GOD WHO IS IN THREE PERSONS (the Trinity): Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; that Their purposes are one and Their offices and actions are completely harmonious. (I John 5:7; Genesis 1:1; I Corinthians 8:6; Matthew 28:19; John 5:23; 10:30; Acts 5:3-4; II Corinthians 13:14; Isaiah 45:5)
3. We believe in THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, the second person of the Trinity, the eternal Word and only Begotten Son; that without any change in His divine Person, He became man by miracle of the Virgin Birth; that as Man, He was tempted in all points as we are, yet without sin; that as the perfect Lamb of God, He gave Himself in death upon the cross for us, suffering the full penalty of divine wrath in our stead; that He arose bodily from the grave and was glorified; that as our great High Priest, He ascended into Heaven, there to appear before the face of God as our Advocate and Intercessor. (John 1:1-2,14,18,29; I John 2:1; 5:20; Matthew 1:20,23; Luke 2:26-30; 24:1-8,36-43,50-51; Romans 8:34; Philippians 2:5-8; Hebrews 4:14-15; I Corinthians 15:3-4; Titus 2:13; Isaiah 53:5-6,10-11)
4. We believe in THE HOLY SPIRIT, the third person of the Trinity; that He convicts the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment; that He regenerates, indwells, seals, and anoints all who become children of God through Christ. He further empowers, guides, teaches, sanctifies and fills believers who daily surrender to Him. All children of God are baptized in the Holy Spirit at salvation. (II Corinthians 3:18; 13:14; Romans 8:14-27; John 3:5; 14:16-17,26; 16:7-11; I Corinthians 6:11,19; 12:13; Ephesians 3:16; 4:30; 5:18; Genesis 1:2; Psalm 104:30; Titus 3:5; I John 2:27)
5. We believe that ALL MEN ARE BY NATURE AND CHOICE SINFUL AND LOST; that man was the direct creation of God, made in His image and likeness; that by personal disobedience to the revealed will of God, man became a sinful creature, the father of a fallen race which is universally sinful in both nature and practice. (Galatians 3:22; Genesis 1:26-27; 2:7; 3:1-24; Ephesians 2:1-3; Romans 3:23; 5:12,18; 7:18; I Corinthians 15:22)
6. We believe in SALVATION BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH. Salvation is the free gift of God, neither merited nor secured in part or in whole by any virtue or work of man but received only by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Apart from Christ there is no possible salvation. (Ephesians 2:8,9; II Corinthians 5:21; 7:9-10; Acts 4:12; Romans 3:24; 4:4-5; 6:23; 10:9-13; Titus 3:5; John 3:16; 6:28-29)
7. We believe in RIGHTEOUS LIVING AND GODLY WORKS, not as a means of salvation in any sense, but as its proper evidence and fruit; and therefore as Christians, we should obey the Word of our Lord, seek the things which are above, walk as He walked, and accept as our solemn responsibility the duty and privilege of bearing the gospel to a lost world. (Titus 2:11-14; Ephesians 2:10; I Peter 2:12; Matthew 5:14-16; 28:18-20; II Timothy 3:16-17; Colossians 3:1-6; I John 2:6; Mark 16:15; II Corinthians 5:18)
8. We believe in THE EXISTENCE OF SATAN, who originally was created a holy and perfect being, but through pride and wicked ambition, rebelled against God, thus becoming utterly depraved in character, the great adversary of God and His people. He was defeated and judged at the cross, and therefore, his final doom is certain. We are able to resist and overcome him only by the blood of the Lamb, through the power of the Holy Spirit, and in the armor of God. (Revelation 12:9-11; 20:10; Ezekiel 28:14-17; I John 3:8; Isaiah 14:12-15; Job 1:6-7; Matthew 4:1-11; 25:41; John 12:31; 16:7-11; Colossians 2:13-15; Hebrews 2:14; Ephesians 6:10-18; I Peter 5:8)
9. We believe in THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST: that His return from Heaven is imminent and will be personal, visible, pretribulational, and premillennial. (Acts 1:11; I Thessalonians 1:10; 4:13-18; 5:9; Revelation 3:10; 4:1;19:11-16, 20:6; James 5:8; John 14:1-6; Zechariah 14:4-11)
10. We believe in THE EVERLASTING CONSCIOUS BLESSEDNESS OF THE SAVED in Heaven and THE EVERLASTING CONSCIOUS PUNISHMENT OF THE LOST in Hell. (John 14:1-6; I Thessalonians 4:14-18; II Corinthians 5:10; Philippians 3:20-21; Luke 16:19-31; Revelation 20:11-15; Mark 9:43 -48)
11. We believe in THE PRIESTHOOD OF ALL BELIEVERS, that Christ is our Great High Priest and through Him every born-again person has direct access into God’s presence without the need of a human priest; that the believer has the right and responsibility to personally study and interpret the Scriptures guided by the Holy Spirit. (I Peter 2:5,9; John 14:6; I Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 4:14-16; 10:18-22; Acts 17:11; II Timothy 2:15)
12. We believe THAT JESUS CHRIST ALONE IS THE HEAD of the body of Christ, of which all true believers of this age are members; that all members of this one spiritual body should assemble and identify themselves in local churches. (Matthew 23:10; I Corinthians 11:3; Hebrews 10:25; Ephesians 1:20-23; 4:11-15; Romans 12:1-16; Acts 11:19-26)
13. We believe in THE IMPORTANCE OF THE LOCAL CHURCH, that a New Testament church is a local assembly of born-again, baptized believers united as a spiritual organism under the Headship of Christ to practice New Testament ordinances; to meet together for worship, prayer, fellowship, teaching, and a united testimony; and to actively engage in carrying out the Great Commission. (Matthew 26:26-30, 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; 4:32; Romans 12:1-16; Ephesians 1:20-23; 4:1-6; I Corinthians 1:2; 11:3; Hebrews 10:24-25; Colossians 3:14-17)
14. We believe in THE INDEPENDENCE AND AUTONOMY OF THE LOCAL CHURCH, that each New Testament church is free to govern itself without ecclesiastical interference, and should cooperate with other New Testament churches as the Holy Spirit leads; that it is responsible to follow the pattern of the New Testament church and is directly accountable to God. (Acts 6:1-6; 13:1-3; 15:22-23; Galatians 1:1-2; I Thess. 5:12-14)
15. We believe THE ORDINANCES GIVEN TO THE LOCAL CHURCH ARE TWO — BAPTISM AND THE LORD’S SUPPER, that baptism is by immersion of believers, thus portraying the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ; that the Lord’s Supper is the partaking of the bread and cup by the believers as a continuing memorial of the broken body and shed blood of Christ. (Matthew 3:13-17, 26:26-30, 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; I Corinthians 11:23-32)
16. We believe that GOD HAS COMMANDED THAT NO INTIMATE SEXUAL ACTIVITY BE ENGAGED IN OUTSIDE OF A MARRIAGE BETWEEN ONE MAN AND ONE WOMAN. We believe that any form of sodomy, which includes homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, and incest, along with any form of fornication, adultery and other pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex as stated plainly in God’s Word. (Genesis 2:24; 19:5,13; 26:8-9; Leviticus 18:1-30; Matthew 5:28; Romans 1:26-32;
I Corinthians 5:1; 6:9; I Thessalonians 4:1-8; Hebrews 13:4)
17. We believe in THE INSTITUTION OF THE HOME as defined by Scripture; that it was divinely established in the beginning as the union by marriage of a male and female and is the basic unit of society; that each family member, husband, wife, or child, has distinct duties and responsibilities; that it is the responsibility of parents to train up children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and to provide them Godly instruction through Christian example and formal education. (Genesis 2:18-25; 3:16; 18:19; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; 32:46; Psalm 78:5-6; Psalm 127; Proverbs 3:12; 13:24; 22:6; Isaiah 28:9-10; Matthew 19:3-9; Ephesians 5:21-33; 6:1-4; Colossians 3:18-21)
This Statement of Faith does not exhaust the extent of our faith. The Bible itself is the sole and final source of all that we believe.
Community Baptist Church 