The following is what you will hear preached or taught at First Baptist. These views are not required to be held by everyone in our church family, but such is what you can expect to hear from our pulpit and classrooms.
The Five Solas of the Reformation
- Sola Scriptura: Scripture alone is our final authority on all matters of faith and practice. Mankind needs no additional revelation or published material to know God and live for His glory.
- Sola Gratia: Grace alone is the means by which we are saved. Mankind is not saved by his own power, but by the sovereign power of God.
- Sola Fide: Faith alone is the instrument God uses to save sinners. Salvation cannot be worked for or earned by the sinner.
- Solus Christus: Christ alone is our hope of salvation. It is upon the basis of His perfect work that mankind can be restored to a right relationship with God.
- Soli Deo Gloria: Salvation of man, and all that takes place in the cosmos, from the beginning to end, takes place for the glory of God alone.
The Sovereignty of God & The Doctrines of Grace
- Man’s Radical Depravity: Mankind is inherently sinful, and has no power to change himself.
- God’s Unconditional Choice: From eternity past, God chose those He would give to His Son to redeem. This choice was based on nothing the elect would do, but was based entirely on God’s sovereign will.
- Christ’s Actual Atonement: Jesus Christ‘s payment on the cross was not a potential payment for the sins of every man who would ever live, but was an actual/definite atonement that paid the price of sin for all who would believe.
- God’s Effectual Call: While God has chosen all those who would be saved from eternity past, in time, God’s Spirit intervenes in the life of a sinner who is dead in trespasses and sin, and gives Him spiritual life. At this moment, the sinner is given a new heart that is enabled to repent and believe the Gospel, and will invariably respond accordingly. Though many reject the outward/general call of the Gospel, the inward call will always result with conversion.
- The Elect’s Perseverance: Since God has predestined His people for adoption, He will see to it to ensure that each of His elect will persevere and be preserved to the end. He will supply all His people with the grace to continue in the faith, and never fully fall away. Someone who apostatizes does not lose their salvation, but proves to have never been in possession of saving faith.
Biblical Offices of the Church
We teach that the Church of Christ was designed to be maintained and led by two offices: The office of elders/pastors and the office of deacons.
Elders are called to shepherd the flock of God as overseers who minister the Word of God to God’s people, and pray faithfully for them. Elders do not rule the congregation, but lead them and chart the course the congregation will take. We teach that Scripture sets the precedent for a church to be led by a plurality of elders.
Deacons are called to serve and facilitate at the behest of the elders. They are to work to support and assist with the vision set forth by the elders, and help to guard the elders’ ministry of the Word. Deacons also help the elders steward the church’s resources well and provide wisdom and counsel accordingly. We also teach that Scripture sets the precedent for a plurality of deacons.
Elders are called to shepherd the flock of God as overseers who minister the Word of God to God’s people, and pray faithfully for them. Elders do not rule the congregation, but lead them and chart the course the congregation will take. We teach that Scripture sets the precedent for a church to be led by a plurality of elders.
Deacons are called to serve and facilitate at the behest of the elders. They are to work to support and assist with the vision set forth by the elders, and help to guard the elders’ ministry of the Word. Deacons also help the elders steward the church’s resources well and provide wisdom and counsel accordingly. We also teach that Scripture sets the precedent for a plurality of deacons.
Baptist Distinctives
We teach and practice the historic Baptist distinctives as taught throughout the centuries of the past. These include autonomy of the local church, congregationalist polity, observance of two ordinances, individual priesthood of believers, and separation of the church and state.
The Premillennial Return of Christ & Salvation of Ethnic Israel at His Return
We teach that once the church is removed from the world, a seven year period of tribulation will be unleashed on all living creatures. At the end of this seven year period, all ethnic Israel will receive a whole scale outpouring of the Spirit of God. They will mourn the Messiah they pierced and will turn to Him in repentance and faith. This will signal the return of Christ when He will begin His physical reign on earth for the course of one thousand years. All of this will culminate in the final destruction of the wicked and the recreation of all things. In this new creation and eternal state, all the redeemed of God (both Jew and Gentile) will reign for ever and ever with Christ.
While we firmly believe these truths, we also reject hyper-dispensationalism and Mid-Acts dispensationalism.
While we firmly believe these truths, we also reject hyper-dispensationalism and Mid-Acts dispensationalism.
Biblical Marriage, Sexuality, and Gender Roles
We teach that marriage is a gift of God to mankind to experience and enjoy the grace of life. Marriage is a picture of the Gospel as seen in the relationship between Christ and the Church. Marriage is only valid as it exists between one man and one woman. God’s plan for marriage is a permanent union that should never be torn asunder. Though God hates divorce, He has mercifully granted the possibility of divorce as a last resort in the case of gross, unrepentant infidelity.
We teach that sexual union outside of the biblical, marriage union is sin in the sight of God.
We teach that homosexuality, pedophelia, transgenderism, and any other form of sexuality contrary to the perfect design of God is sinful and must be repented of. To those who turn from these sins, and turn to Christ in faith, God forgives and grants power to overcome their sinful behavior.
We teach that sexual union outside of the biblical, marriage union is sin in the sight of God.
We teach that homosexuality, pedophelia, transgenderism, and any other form of sexuality contrary to the perfect design of God is sinful and must be repented of. To those who turn from these sins, and turn to Christ in faith, God forgives and grants power to overcome their sinful behavior.
Church Membership & Discipline
We teach that the Church is one living spiritual body of which Jesus Christ is the head and of which all regenerate persons are members. We teach that a local church is a company of professed believers in Jesus Christ associated for fellowship, worship and service. Since everyone must be shepherded by pastors, and since everyone is required to commit to a local church, we teach that church membership is a biblically informed practice. We believe that persons should be permitted to church membership only after credible confession of their faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and baptism. (“Baptism” with us has its original meaning, immersion.)
Those who are members of a local church are subject to church discipline (the practice in which wayward believers are encouraged to repent and be restored).
Those who are members of a local church are subject to church discipline (the practice in which wayward believers are encouraged to repent and be restored).
Cessation of the Sign Gifts
While we do not believe that God has ceased doing miraculous works, we do teach that the apostolic sign gifts (such as speaking in tongues, extra-biblical revelations, and at-will healings) have ceased since the end of the apostolic age.
The Necessity of Repentance for Salvation
We teach that a person cannot claim to possess saving faith if he lacks repentance toward his sin. Repentance is not the act of changing the life, but the reorientation of the heart to hate sin and to love Christ. While repentance is not a work that merits salvation, and salvation is something that can only come by God’s free grace, repentance always results in good works and mortification of sin.
We heartily reject easy-believism of any kind, and do not teach that praying any kind of prayer can save a person.
We heartily reject easy-believism of any kind, and do not teach that praying any kind of prayer can save a person.
To view our official statement of faith, click the button below.