• Speaking the Truth in Love ~ Eph 4:15

    Doctrinal Beliefs

    Doctrinal Beliefs

    doctrinal_beliefs

    The Scriptures

    The Bible is God’s inspired Word.  It is our final Authority for our personal and ecclesiastical faith and practice.  It is the primary way for us to know God and know His will.  The Word of God is eternal, inerrant, infallible, immutable, and has thus been preserved for us today. It is complete in its cannon of 66 books from Genesis to Revelation. The Bible does not contain the Word of God, the Bible is the Word of God. The Word of God is to be read and interpreted from a literal and historical context. We believe that preaching and teaching only carries the blessing and authority of God when it is centered, grounded, guided, and dictated by the Holy Scriptures.

    II Timothy 3:16-17 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

    II Peter 1:20-21 “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

    Matthew 5:18 “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

    Psalms 12:6-7  “The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.

    2 Timothy 4:2  “Preach the word…

    The King James Version (KJV) of the Bible is the official and only English version of the Scriptures to be used by Truth Baptist Church.

     

    God

    There is one true and infinite God who is our Creator and Supreme Being. He is holy, just, and immutable.

    I Corinthians 8:6 “But to us there is but one God, the father, of whom are all things and we in Him, and by whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by Him.”

    Isaiah 6:3  “And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

    The Bible declares God to exist as a triune (3-part) Being as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All three Persons carry out distinctly different works and purposes both in Heaven and in earth. The three Persons of the Godhead are co-equal, co-eternal, and co-existent.

    1 John 5:7  “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

    We believe God created the earth in six literal, 24-hour days (Gen. 1-2).

    Psalm 90:2 “Before the mountains were brought forth or even thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God!

    God has manifested Himself in creation, the conscience (Romans 1), the incarnation of the Son of God, and through the Word of God (John 1:1).

     

    Jesus Christ

    Jesus Christ is 100% God and 100% man. He is referred to in the Bible as the Son of God and the Son of Man. We believe that Jesus is the Jehovah of the Old Testament.

    Matthew 16:16 “And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

    John 5:27b “…he is the Son of man.”

    Isaiah 9:6  “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

    John 8:58  “Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

    Jesus Christ was born of a virgin as prophesied, being conceived by the Holy Ghost.

    Luke 1:35 “And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

    Jesus lived a perfect life and fulfilled the law.  This qualified Him to be an acceptable Substitution for all mankind (Matt. 5:17; Heb. 2:9)

    1 Peter 2:22  “Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:

    Hebrews 4:15  “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

    1 John 2:2  “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

    Jesus Christ was crucified. We believe in the substitutionary blood atonement of Jesus Christ.

    Romans 5:8 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

    Isaiah 53:4-6  “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

    I John 1:7b “…the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

    Hebrews 9:22b  “…and without shedding of blood is no remission.

    Jesus Christ was bodily resurrected from the dead. His bodily resurrection was prophesied, fulfilled, and was then substantiated by hundreds of eye-witnesses.

    Matthew 28:5-6  “And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

    1 Corinthians 15:3-8  “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

    Christ then ascended into Heaven after commissioning His followers and promising His return. He is now seated on the right hand of the Father making intercession for us. We have been promised the “this same Jesus” will return to use in like manner.

    Acts 1:11 “… Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

    Romans 8:34  “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

     

    The Holy Spirit

    The Holy Spirit is God. Paul concludes his letter to the Corinthians by saying, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.

    His indwelling believers was promised by Christ in John 14-15 and then fulfilled at Pentecost in Acts 2.

    John 14:16  “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

    The Holy Spirit ministers to believers and testifies of the Lord Jesus Christ (John 15:26). He ministers by sealing, indwelling, teaching, guiding, comforting, interceding, restraining, and loving His own. His fruit is also evident in all believers that obey Him (Gal. 5:22-23). He also administers spiritual gifts to the believer. He reproves unbelievers of sin, righteousness, and imminent judgment.

    The Holy Spirit validated the message and Gospel of Jesus by giving the sign gifts of tongues, healing, miracles, and wonders to the apostles and others in the early beginnings of the church.  The emphasis and commonality of signs like these have gone away (I Cor. 13:8-10).  Even in the later dated letters of Paul there is an absence of these sign gifts.  However, through intercessory prayer God can and does still heal people supernaturally as He wills, but there are no “healers” in Christ’s church today.

     

    Sinful Man

    We believe God created man in His own image. Adam and Eve made a free-will choice to disobey God’s clear command, thus plunging themselves and all mankind into sin.

    Genesis 3:6 “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband.”

    Romans 5:12 “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.

    Apart from God’s intervention, all men and women dwell in sin and are hopelessly condemned in their sin, which will result in a physical death (separation of one’s body and spirit) and also a spiritual death (eternal separation from God in Hell).

    Roman 6:23a “For the wages of sin is death,…

     

    Salvation

    Roman 6:23b “…but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

    Anyone can be eternally “saved/rescued” from their justly deserved punishment when they respond favorably to the conviction of the Holy Spirit by repentance towards God and in faith to the Gospel message of Christ (Rom. 10:9-13). All men can be saved from all their sins, but only God’s way. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.

    Ephesians 2:8-9 ‘For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works lest any man should boast.”

    Acts 4:12  “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

    Once a person receives Christ, they are declared righteous (justified). Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”. A saved person can now stand before God because the perfect record of Jesus Christ has been imputed on his/her account (Rom. 4:22-25). This is how a person is translated from darkness (a child of the Devil) to light (a child of God).

    John 1:12  “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

    Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

     

    The Church

    The church is Christ’s body on earth, of which He is the Head (Eph. 5:23) and Chief Shepherd (I Peter 5:4).  The church is a local, self-governing and autonomous assembly of saved, baptized believers that exist to glorify God.  This is done by going, preaching, and making disciples of all nations and people groups in the world.

    Matthew 28:19-20 “Go ye therefore and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

    The church is to convene to worship God and edify each other corporately, both regularly and often (Heb. 10:24-25). It is also commanded to observe Christ’s ordinances, equip believers, and love by serving people. The church is also a place for believers to grow and serve.

    Ephesians 4:12-13 “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:”

    We observe two ordinances: baptism and the Lord’s supper.  The word baptize means “to immerse, submerge; to make whelmed (i.e. fully wet)”. It is a symbol of the believer’s obedience and identification with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection (Acts 2:41; Rom. 6). The ordinance of the Lord’s supper was instituted by Jesus on the night He was betrayed. It is imperative that Christ’s church be careful in its obedience to observing this sacred supper (I Cor 11:23-34). Truth Baptist Church practices a form of open communion for other believers who may be visiting or have attended for some time but have not yet become members of our church. It is clear, however, that no one should partake unless they are saved, baptized, and have examined themselves.

    We recognize two offices: the pastor/elder and the deacon. The pastor is the shepherd of the church. He is given the responsibility of “feeding the flock of God” by teaching and preaching sound doctrine and “taking the oversight thereof”. Truth Baptist Church follows the biblical pattern of leadership in that it is and is to remain a shepherd-led church, not a deacon-led church. The definition of a deacon is a servant, and it is the deacon’s job to be a help by serving the church in whatever capacity is necessary.

     

    Angels

    The word angel means “messenger”. We believe that angels are celestial beings created by God with distinct supernatural powers and classifications. Angels have a ministry to both God and man.

    Lucifer was an exalted angel who became lifted up with pride and rebelled against Heaven’s Authority. God cast Lucifer and 1/3 of the angels who rebelliously followed him out of heaven. Though they wreak havoc in our world today, their eternal doom is certain and clearly spelled out prophetically in John’s Revelation of Jesus Christ.

    Revelation 20:10  “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

     

    Return of Christ and Related Events

    The imminent, pre-tribulational return of Christ and rapture of His church is the blessed hope of Truth Baptist Church. It is at this moment that Christ will return from heaven for His saints.

    I Thessalonians 4:16-17 “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

    The rapture of the church will set off a stage of events which are explained (and to be interpreted literally) in John’s Revelation. First, a seven-year period of judgment known as the tribulation period will begin. It is during this tribulation that the Anti-Christ will come to power, deceive the nations, persecute those who preach the Gospel and those that come to Christ, and ultimately wage war against God.

    Revelation 16:1 “And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.

    During this tribulation, God will judge the works of Christians at the bema-seat judgement. Christ will then return to earth with His saints to defeat the world-army at Armageddon and bind Satan and his demons. Jesus Christ, the King of Kings, the Alpha and Omega, will then establish His kingdom on earth from Jerusalem and reign for 1,000 years. This is known as the millennial kingdom of our Lord. After this, Satan will be loosed on earth for a season where he will rally followers and stage one last final rebellion on earth. Jesus Christ will soundly defeat His enemies, then banish Satan and his demons to the Lake of Fire forever, and God will judge all the unsaved according to their sins at the Great White Throne. They will then justly be cast into the Lake of Fire for eternity. The earth will then melt with fervent heat and God will make a new earth, to which the heavenly Jerusalem will come down from Heaven. God will then wipe away all tears and all who are saved will enter into eternity to love, serve, and worship God forever (Rev. 20-22).

    Revelation 22:12 “And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.”

    Revelation 20:12 “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

    Revelation 22:20  “He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.