Bible Way Baptist Church

BIBLE WAY BAPTIST CHURCH - ARTICLES OF FAITH

The following brief statements form the foundation of our doctrine. We in no way shall sway nor separate from this doctrinal statement in both principle and practice.

A.  THE BIBLE:  We accept the sixty-six books of Scripture, including both the Old and New Testaments, to be the verbally inspired Word of God, and that they are the supreme and final authority for faith and practice. We also believe that the canon of Scripture is completed. We further believe that God's perfect and infallible Word is preserved in the King James Version of the Bible, and for the purpose of guarding against the corruption of doctrine, establish that the KJV shall be the only English version used for ministry in this church.  (II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:20-21; Revelation 22:18-19)   

B.  THE GODHEAD:  We believe in the tri-unity of God: that the eternal God manifests Himself in three persons, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, and that these three are one God, but seperate in personality and work.  (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; II Corinthians 13:14; I John 5:7)   

C.  JESUS CHRIST:  We believe in the incarnation and virgin birth of Jesus Christ; His identification as God the Son; His sinless life; the sufficiency of His substitutionary death on the cross for the sins of the whole world; His bodily resurrection froom the dead and His ascension into Heaven, where He is now seated at the right hand of God the Father, and as our exalted High Priest, fulfills the ministry of Mediator, Representative, Intercessor and Advocate.  (Isaiah 7:14; 9:6; Luke 1:35; John 1:1-2; John 1:14; Romans 3:24-25; I Peter 2:24; Acts 1:9; Hebrews 1-13; Romans 8:34; I John 2:1-2)   

D.  HOLY SPIRIT:  We believe in the Holy Spirit, who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgement; that He regenerates, sanctifies, empowers, and indwells every believer in Christ; that He is the Divine Teacher who guides believers into all truth; and that He seals them unto the day of redemption.  (John 16:8-11; I Corinthians 12:12-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)

We also believe that the spiritual sign gifts, including but not limited to the gifts of speaking in tongues and healing, were temporary, were given as an evidence of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, and ceased with the close of the Apostolic period of church history.  (I Corinthians 13:8-11; I Corinthians 14:20-22)

E.  CREATION:  We believe in the creation of the universe and all living things in six literal days by a direct act of God, apart from any so-called evolutionary process.  (Genesis 1; Exodus 20:11; Jeremiah 10:12)

F.  MAN:  We believe in the creation of man as an eternally living soul and that he was created in the image of God in innocence; the fall of man and the subsequent depravity and sinfulness of the whole human race, making man incapable of personal salvation or works acceptable before God, thus needing the Savior, Jesus Christ.  (Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 3:22-23; Romans 5:12)

G.  SALVATION:  We believe that men are justified by faith alone and that they are accounted righteous before God only through the merit of the Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation is soley by grace through faith and is eternally secured in the person of Jesus Christ by His shed blood on the cross.  (John 1:12; 10:28-29; Ephesians 1:6-7; 2:8-9; II Timothy 1:12; 2:13; I Peter 1:18-19; Hebrews 10:19; Jude 24-25; Revelation 1:5)

H.  THE ETERNAL STATE:  We believe in the imminent pre-millenial rapture of the church, and Christ's personal return to establish His Millenial Kingdom on earth.  (John 14:3; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 19:11-16; 20:1-6)

We also believe in the bodily resurrection of the believers to everlasting life and fellowship with God, and of all non-believers to everlasting torment and punishment in Hell-fire.  (Matthew 25:46; John 5:28-29; 11:25-26; Revelation 20:5-6, 11-15)

I.  THE CHURCH:  We believe that the Church, which is the body of the bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born-again believers.  (Ephesians 1:22-23; 5:25-27; I Corinthians 12:12-24)

We also believe that God's plan for this present age involves the evangelization of the world, the discipelship of believers, and the establishing of local churches as a means of accomplishing His will.
(Acts 14:27; 20:17; 28:32; I Timothy 3:1-13)

J.  CIVIL GOVERNMENT:  We believe in loyalty to country and government and the seperation of church and state.  (Romans 13:1-7; I Peter 2:13-14)

K.  SATAN:  We believe in the reality and person of Satan, who is the enemy of God and all believers.  (Job 1:6,7; Isaiah 14:12-17; Matthew 4:12-17; 25:41; Revelation 12:10; 20:10)