Clements Baptist Church > Statement of Faith

CLEMENTS BAPTIST CHURCH STATEMENT OF FAITH

What We Believe

DOCTRINE

The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is the record of God’s revelation of Himself to man. It is, therefore, our one sufficient and authoritative rule of faith and practice. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter.

The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the sole authority for faith and practice of the Church. No member is required to accept any doctrine not contained in, or that is contrary to, Scriptural authority. The Church shall sustain the principles of freedom of the individual conscience subject only to God, the separation of Church and State, and right of the individual to voice in the affairs of the Church.

Section 1: The Godhead-We believe in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy

Spirit existing as three persons, and yet are still One. These are co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and have the same attributes and perfections (Gen. 1:26; Deut. 6:4; Isa 6:3)

Section 2: The Person and Work of Jesus Christ-We believe that the Lord Jesus, the

eternal and only begotten Son of God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin, became man, without ceasing to be God (Phil. 2:5-8). Jesus Christ is full deity because He is God, and He became fully human as a man. He did this in order that He might reveal God in His righteousness, and redeem man in his sinfulness (John 1:1; 14:9; Isa. 7:14; I John 4:14).

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His literal death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, and substitutionary sacrifice. Our justification is made sure by His literal physical, bodily resurrection from the dead (I Cor. 15:1-4).

We believe the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to heaven, and is now seated at the right hand of God the Father (Heb. 12:2) where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Mediator, Advocate and Intercessor (I Tim. 2:5; I John 2:1; Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25).

We believe in that “blessed hope,” which is the personal, imminent, pretribulational, premillennial coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for His redeemed ones. We further believe in His subsequent return to earth with His saints, at the end of the tribulation period, to establish His millennial kingdom.

(I Thess. 4:13-18; Rev. 19:11-20:6)

Section 3: Salvation-We believe all men are sinners (Rom. 3:10,23) and in need of the

saving work provided by Jesus on the cross. This salvation is a free gift from God (Rom. 6:23) to all who will believe and receive (Rom. 10:9-13; John 1:12). Salvation is by grace alone, plus nothing and minus nothing. The conditions to salvation are repentance and faith (John 3:16; Eph. 2:8-9; Gal. 2:16).

Section 4: The Church-We believe the Church is the body and bride of Christ (Col. 1:18;

Eph. 5:25-29). This body is a spiritual organism that is made up of born-again, baptized believers (Acts 2:47; I Cor. 12:13).

We believe the local church is autonomous (i.e. free from any external authority and control), and self-governing under the control of Jesus Christ, who purchased the church with His own blood (Acts 20:28).

We believe the church has been commissioned to spread the Gospel throughout the world (Matt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:15), to edify the saints (Eph. 4:11-12), and to provide corporate worship (Ps. 73; Heb. 10:25).

The two ordinances of the church are the Lord’s Supper and Baptism (I Cor. 11:23-34; Matt. 28:18).

Section5: Satan-We believe Satan is a person, the author of sin, and the direct cause of

the fall; that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man; and that he will be eternally punished along with the fallen angels in the Lake of Fire (Gen. 3:1; Matt. 25:41; Rev. 20:2,10).

Section 6: Eternity-We believe in the everlasting conscious blessedness of the saved in a

literal heaven (Rev. 21-22), and the everlasting conscious punishment of the lost in a literal hell (Rev. 19:11-15).

Section 7: Human Sexuality-We believe that God has commanded that no sexual activity

be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex.