Statement of Faith

THE BIBLE

We believe that the scriptures of both the Old and New Testament are verbally inspired of God, that they are the supreme and final authority for faith and practice and are perfectly preserved in the King James Version of the Bible – also known as the Authorized Version. We believe in the literal and contextual interpretation of Scriptures. The King James Bible shall be the only English Bible used and upheld in our pulpit, classrooms, and ministry outreaches. (II Timothy 3:16; Psalms 12:6,7)

GOD

We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. That God is supreme in His person, absolute in His attributes, glorious in His perfection, and eternal in His being. (Genesis 1:26; I John 5:7)

JESUS

We believe in the Deity of Jesus Christ, His conception by the Holy Spirit, His virgin birth, His sinless life, His death on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins, His bodily resurrection, His exaltation at God’s right hand, and His personal, imminent, pre-millennial, and pre-tribulational return. (Hebrews 1:8; Matthew 1:20; Ephesians 1:7; Luke 24:6) 

HOLY SPIRIT

We believe that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, one with the Father and the Son, the indweller of every believer to enlighten, guide and enable him in life, testimony, and service, and to seal each believer until the day of redemption of the body. (John 14:16-17, 26; John 16:13;  Ephesians 1:13, 14)

MAN

We believe that God created man in His image and likeness (a triune being: spirit, soul, and body) in a state of innocence, but through temptation, he willingly transgressed and became dead in trespasses and sins. As a result, his posterity (all men) inherited a corrupt nature, are born in sin, and are under condemnation. (Genesis 1:26; Psalm 51:5; Romans 5:12,18-19)

BLOOD

We believe the blood shed by Jesus Christ on the cross to be the only and all-sufficient remedy for the sin of man; that this blood alone makes an atonement for the soul. (Leviticus 17:11; Colossians 1:14; Hebrews 9:22)

SALVATION

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice; was buried; and arose again from the dead in His glorified body, ascended into heaven, and as our great High Priest and Advocate, He ever lives to make intercession for us; that all who believe on His name are justified on the grounds of His shed blood and receive the gift of eternal life by the grace of God. The conditions of salvation are repentance towards God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. Nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner but his own voluntary rejection of the gospel. We reject unscriptural teachings regarding salvation such as Calvinistic theology and any other that does not proclaim the simple and clear Gospel. (Ephesians 2:8, 9; Hebrews 7:24, 25; Isaiah 1:18; John 3:15-18)

SECURITY OF THE BELIEVER

We believe that those who by faith receive Jesus Christ as personal Savior are born again of the Holy Spirit, are the children of God, are heirs and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ, are kept by the power of God, and can know they are eternally saved, once and forever! (Ephesians 4:30; John 10:27-30; 1 Peter 1:3-5; 1 John 5:13)

BAPTISM

We believe that baptism is by immersion and is only for a believer. It is done in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. This is the Bible mode of baptism that testifies to the believer’s faith in, and identification with, the crucified, buried, risen, and soon-coming Savior. (Matthew 3:16; 28:19; Romans 6:4)

THE CHURCH

We believe that the local church is a congregation of baptized believers, instituted for the purpose of worship, service, and fellowship. The local church is an independent and autonomous body through which God works. The mission of the church is to glorify God, preach the gospel, and minister to the saints. The local church is self-governing, with Christ as its head. The church is not a business, a democracy, or an autocracy, and as such it should not conduct itself in these ways. The models in Scripture that best illustrate how the church should operate are of a family and of a body. Both in a family and in a body, cooperation, leadership, and harmony are needed to function properly.  (Acts 2:41-47; I Corinthians 11:2; Matthew 28:19,20; Ephesians 5:23,24; Psalm 133:1) 

ORDINANCES

We believe the two ordinances of the church are:

1. The Lord’s Supper: whereby believers do show forth the Lord’s death till He comes again. The elements being unleavened bread and unfermented, non-alcoholic fruit of the vine such as grape juice.
   (I Corinthians 11:23-32)
2. Bible baptism (see BAPTISM).

THE GRACE OF GIVING

We believe that the scriptures teach proportionate and systematic giving with a cheerful heart. We should give that portion of our income that God lays upon our heart to give, remembering that He gave His own Son for us. It is through our financial giving to Liberty Baptist Church that the pastor, missionaries, and other ministries are helped and blessed. (Genesis 14:20; 28:22; Leviticus 27:30-32; Deuteronomy 12:5-6, 11-14; Proverbs 3:9-10; Malachi 3:8-11; Matthew 23:23; Luke 6:38; I Corinthians 16:1-2; II Corinthians 9:6-13; Galatians 6:6; I Timothy 5:17-18)

HOLINESS AND SEPARATION

We believe that the Scriptures teach us that we are to live a holy and godly life, and to be separated from sin and worldliness. We are to abstain from all appearance of evil and live in such a way that we do not bring reproach upon our Savior. We believe these teachings extend to all areas of life in our public and private lives. We further believe in abstaining totally from alcohol and other such substances that impair a person’s ability or disgrace their Christian testimony. (Romans 12:1-2; James 4:4; 1 Peter 1:15-16; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; 1 Thessalonians 5:22; Proverbs 23:29-35; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

HUMAN SEXUALITY

We believe that God has commanded no sexual activity between a man and a woman to be
engaged in outside of marriage. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism,
bisexuality, incest, fornication, adultery, and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift
of sex. We also believe the Bible teaches gender distinction and that when God made us
male and female He made no mistake. The Bible only teaches two genders, male and female.
We believe acts that defile God’s human creation, such as gender modification through
medical procedures or by appearance are against the will of God. (Leviticus18:1-30; 20:10-
21; Romans 1:26-29; I Corinthians 5:1; 6:9-11; 7:1-2; I Thessalonians 4:1-8; Hebrews 13:4)

SANCTITY OF LIFE

We believe that human life begins at conception, and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that abortion of pregnancies is acceptable. We believe that God disapproves of euthanasia, infanticide, suicide, and assisted suicide as it is taking the life of a human being.  God is the giver and the taker of life. (Luke 1:44; Job 3:16; Psalm 51:5; 139:14-16; Isaiah 44:24; 49: 1, 5; Jeremiah 1:5; 20:15-18.

HEAVEN

We believe in a literal place called heaven where the saved shall enjoy everlasting blessedness. Heaven is where God’s immediate presence is manifested, where the angels reside, where the redeemed shall ultimately be, where Christ makes intercession for the saints, and from whence Christ shall come to judge the “quick and the dead.” (II Corinthians 5:8; John 14:1-3) 

HELL

We believe in a literal, burning hell that God prepared for the Devil and his angels. It is the place of everlasting, conscious punishment of the unbelieving lost. (Luke 16:22-26)

SATAN

We believe in the existence and operating power of a real and personal being opposed to all saints (saved unto all righteousness), and exalting himself against all that God is, has, and tries to accomplish. We believe that the “Evil One” is called Satan, the Prince and Power of the Air, and is a powerful being but not all-powerful. (I Peter 5:8, 9; James 4:7)

LAST THINGS

We believe in the imminent, pre-tribulational, pre-millennial, return of Christ. The Lord could return and rapture out His Church at any given moment. The world will then enter into a seven-year period of tribulation that will end with the battle of Armageddon and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. He will come as “King of Kings” and “Lord of Lords,” and establish His kingdom that will last for 1,000 years. The Lord will then judge the living and the dead at the Great White Throne Judgment (which is different from the Judgment Seat of Christ where the Lord judges the Church). After this, all the lost, Satan, death, and hell are cast into the Lake of Fire, while the Lord and His saints enter into “Eternal Bliss.” (I Thessalonians 4:13-18; I Corinthians 15:51-58; Matthew 24:3-41; Revelation 19:11-21; 20:1-15; 21:1-6)

* This Statement of Faith is non exhaustive and may be added to from the Holy Bible.