WHEREAS:  The Scriptures distinctly teach that in the last days the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall heap to themselves teachers having itching ears; and shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned into fables

 

RESOLVED:  That we, by the grace of God, maintain a work of evangelism as well as the teaching of the inspired Word of God, for the perfecting of the saints, and for the edifying of the body of Christ. 

 

           

We believe that the Holy Bible as originally written was verbally inspired of the Holy Spirit and the product of spirit-controlled men.  Believing in the infallible authority of the Scriptures, we accept the whole Bible, both Old and New Testaments, as the Word of God, by which all human conduct, creeds and opinions should be tried. 

We believe there is one and only one living and true God; that the Scriptures reveal God as eternally existing and manifesting Himself in three persons, the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit, equal in every divine perfection and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption. 

1. Deity and virgin birth: We believe that Jesus Christ was absolute Deity, being co-equal with God; begotten of the Holy Spirit in a miraculous manner, born of Mary, a virgin, as no other man was ever born or can be born of a woman, and that He is both True God and True Man.  John 1:1, 2; Philippians 2:6; Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:35; John 1:14
2. His atonement for sin:  We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace; through the mediatorial offices of the Son of God, who by the appointment of the Father, freely took upon Himself our nature, yet without sin, honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and by His death made a full and vicarious atonement, through the shedding of His blood for our sin; that His atonement consisted not in setting us an example by His death as a martyr, but was the voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinners place, the Just for the unjust; Christ, the Lord, bearing our sins in His own body on the tree; that having risen from the dead, He is now enthroned in Heaven and uniting in His wonderful person the tenderest sympathies with divine perfection, He is in every way qualified to be a suitable, compassionate and all efficient Savior.  Ephesians 2:8; Acts 5:11; Romans 3:24; John 3:16; Matthew 18:11; Philippians 2:7; Hebrews 2:14; Isaiah 53:4-7; Romans 3:25; I John 4:10; I Corinthians 15:3; II Corinthians 5:21; John 10:18; Philippians 2:8; Galatians 1:4; I Peter 2:24;  I Peter 3:18; Isaiah 53:11; Hebrews 12:2; I Corinthians 15:20; Isaiah 53:12; Hebrews 9:12-15, 7:25; I John 2:2
3. His bodily resurrection:  We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord.  Matthew 28:6, 7; Luke 24:39; John 2:27; I Corinthians 15:4
4. His ascension and intercession:  We believe that the risen, glorified Lord ascended into Heaven; that His present ministry is as our great High Priest and Advocate at the right hand of the throne of God.  Acts 1:9-11; Luke 24:51; Mark 16:19; Revelations 3:21; Hebrews 12:2, 8:6; I Timothy 2:5; I John 2:1; Hebrews 2:17, 5:9-10
5. His second coming:  We believe in the personal, pre-millennial, pre-tribulation and imminent return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; that the Scriptures teach it to be in two phases: first, the rapture of the Church, the body of Christ, into the glorious presence of the Son of God.  Second, the revelation of Jesus Christ, as He returns to reign upon the earth on the Throne of His father David.  John 14:3; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Acts 1:11; James 5:8; Hebrews 9:28; Luke 1:32; Isaiah 9:6-7; Acts 2:29, 30
6. His millennial reign:  We believe that Jesus Christ will reign, in righteousness, upon the earth for 1,000 years.  I Corinthians 15:25; Isaiah 32:1, 11:4, 5; Psalm 72:8; Revelations 20:1-4, 6

SECTION IV.  THE HOLY SPIRIT

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person; equal with God the Father and God the Son, and of the same nature; that He was active in creation; that in relation to the unbelieving world He restrains the evil one until God’s purpose is fulfilled; that He convicts of sin, of righteousness and of judgment; that He bears witness to the truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony, that He is the agent of the new birth; that He seals, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies and helps the believer.  John 14:1-17; Matthew 28:19; Hebrews 9:14; Luke 1:35; Genesis 1:1-3; II Thessalonians 2:7; John 3:5, 6; Ephesians 1:13, 14; Mark 1:8; John 1:33; Acts 11:16; Luke 24:49; John 16:31, 14:26; Romans 8:14, 16;II Thessalonians 2:13; I Peter 1:2; Romans 8:26, 27; John 14:26

SECTION V.  THE DEVIL OR SATAN

We believe in the personality of Satan; that he is the unholy god of this age; the author of all powers of darkness; and is destined to the judgment of an eternal justice in the Lake of Fire.  Matthew 4:1-3; Mark 1:18; II Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2; Revelations 20:10

SECTION VI.  CREATION

We believe and accept the Genesis account of creation and believe that man came by the direct creation of God and not by evolution; that man was “created in God’s own image.”  Genesis chapter 1 & 2; Colossians 1:16, 17; John 1:3, Genesis 1:27, 2:7

SECTION VII.  THE FALL OF MAN

We believe that man was created in innocence, under the law of His Maker, but by voluntary transgression fell from his sinless and happy state in consequence of which all mankind are now sinners, not only by constraint, but of choice; and therefore under just condemnation without defense or excuse.  Genesis 3:1-6; Romans 5:12, 19, 3:10-19, Ephesians 2:1-3; Romans 1:18, 32, 20; Galatians 3:22

SECTION VIII.   THE NEW BIRTH

We believe that in order to be saved,  sinners “must be born again”; that ll who receive by faith the Lord Jesus Christ are born again of the Holy Spirit and thereby become  the children of God; that the new birth is a new creation in Jesus Christ; that it is instantaneous and to a process; that in the new birth, the one dead in trespasses and sins is made a partaker of the divine nature and receives eternal life, the free gift of God; that the new birth is brought about in a manner above our comprehension, not by culture, not by character, nor by the will of man, but wholly and solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with the divine truth, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the Gospel; that its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance and faith and newness of life.  John 3:3; Galatians 3:26; Acts 16:31; II Corinthians 5:17; I John 5:1; John 3:3-6; Acts 16:30-33; II Peter 1:4; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:1; II Corinthians 5:19; Colossians 2:13; John 3:8, 1:12,13; Galatians 5:22, Ephesians 5:9

SECTION IX.  JUSTIFICATION

We believe that the great Gospel blessing which Christ secures to such as to believe in Him is Justification; a) that Justification includes pardon of sin, and the gift of eternal life on principles of His righteousness; b) that it is bestowed, not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done, but solely through faith in the Redeemer’s blood, His righteousness is imputed unto us.  Acts 13:39, Isaiah 53:11, Zechariah 13:1; Romans 8:1, 5:9, 5:1; Titus 3:5-7, Romans 1:17; Habakkuk 2:4; Galatians 3:11; Romans 4:1-8; Hebrews 10:38

SECTION X.  SANCTIFICATION

We believe that Sanctification (to be set apart) is the process by which God makes us partakers of His holiness; that it is a progressive work that is begun in regeneration and continued in our hearts by the work of the Holy Spirit, in connection with Bible reading, self-examination, self-denial, watchfulness and prayer, and completed at the return of Christ for His own.  I Corinthians 6:11; II Peter 3:18; I Thessalonians 3:13; I John 3:2

SECTION XI.  THE SECURITY OF THE BELIEVER

We believe that all who are truly born again are kept eternally by God the Father for Jesus Christ.  John 6:37-40, 10:27-30; I Corinthians 1:4-8; I Peter 1:5; Philippians 1:6; Romans 8:35-39

We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word, which however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty, as an occasion to the flesh.  Romans 13:13-14; Galatians 5:13; Titus 2:11-15

SECTION XII.  SEPARATION

We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord; that separation from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices and associations is commanded by God.  II Timothy 3:1-5; Romans 12:1-2, 14:13; I John 2:15-17; II John 9-11; II Corinthians 6:14-7:1

SECTION XIII.  THE TWO NATURES

We believe that every saved person possesses two natures-spiritual and carnal, with provision made for victory of the new nature 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.  Romans 6:13, 8:12-13; Galatians 5:16-25; Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:10; I Peter 1:14-16
SECTION XIV  THE LOCAL CHURCH

We believe that a local church is a voluntary association of members of the body of Christ, of baptized believers, equal in rank and privilege, subject to the Word of God and independent of any external ecclesiastical control whatsoever; associated by a covenant of faith and fellowship of the Gospel, observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws, and exercising the rights and privileges invested in them by His Word, that the true mission of the church is the faithful witnessing of Christ to all men as we have opportunity.  We hold that the local church has absolute right over any hierarchy of individuals or organizations, and that the one and only superintendent is Christ, through the Holy Spirit.  On all matters of membership; of policy; of government; of discipline; of benevolence – the will of the local church is final.  Acts 2:41-42; I Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 1:22, 23, 4:11; Acts 20:17, 18; I Timothy 3:1-7; Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 5:23, 24; Acts 15:13-18

SECTION XV.  ORDINANCES

1. We believe God’s Word commands every believer (and believers only) to be baptized; that Christian and Bible baptism is the immersion of a believer in water, to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem our faith in the crucified, buried and risen Savior, with its effects in our death to sin and resurrection to a new life.  Romans 6:3-5; Acts 8:36-39; John 3:23; Matthew 3:16; I Peter 3:21
2. We believe that the Lord’s Supper is the commemoration of His death until He comes, and thus should be observed as Christ said “in remembrance” of His broken body and shed blood for us; that the Supper should be preceded always by solemn self-examination; that the Supper has no sacramental virtue.  I Corinthians 11:23-28

SECTION XVI.  EVANGELIZATION

We believe that it is the solemn obligation of every believer to be a personal soul-winner, and to do his utmost to carry out the Savior’s command to give the Gospel to the whole world.  Ephesians 4:12; Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8

SECTION XVII.  THE RESURRECTION OF THE JUST AND UNJUST

1. We believe such as through faith are justified in the name of Jesus Christ, and sanctified through the Spirit of God, are truly righteous in His esteem; that the just shall be resurrected at the rapture of the church to the everlasting grace and fellowship of the Lord; that they shall reign with Him for a thousand years and shall sit in judgment with Christ; that their works shall be rewarded at the Judgment Seat of Christ.  Malachi 3:18; Romans 6:17-19, 5:1;I Thessalonians 4:13-18; I Corinthians 15:42-44, 51, 52; II Corinthians 5:10; I Corinthians 3:11-15
2. We believe that such as continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight, wicked, and under the curse; that the Unjust shall be resurrected to everlasting conscious punishment of the lost at the end of Satan’s “little season;” that their works shall be judged at the Great White Throne Judgment.  John 8:21; Matthew 7:13, 14; John 5:28, 29; Luke 16:25; Mark 9:32-48; Revelation 20:11-15

We believe that Civil Government is of divine appointment for the interest and good order of human society; that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored and obeyed; except, in things which are opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the only Lord of the kings of the earth. 

We believe the primary purpose of missionary endeavor should always be the winning of souls to Christ.  Hospitals, clinics, schools or other humanitarian endeavors should never be an end in themselves, but be used to gain opportunities to teach or preach the Word of God. 

We believe that those who are saved should be baptized, taught, and encouraged to unite with a Bible-believing Baptist church. 

We believe that all missions should strive to establish local, self-supporting, self-propagating, Bible-believing Baptist churches.  Those working in specialized fields of evangelism such as Jewish Missions, etc., where the forming of local churches is not possible should channel their converts into some already existing Bible-believing Baptist church.

 

We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person.

Gen. 1:26-27

 

We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture. We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other. We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman.

We believe that any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, and use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God. 

We believe that in order to preserve the function and integrity of First Baptist Church of Beech Grove as the local Body of Christ, and to provide a biblical role model to this church’s members and the community, it is imperative that all persons employed by First Baptist Church of Beech Grove in any capacity, or who serve as volunteers, agree to and abide by this Statement on Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality.

We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ.

We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity. Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture nor the doctrines of this church.