What We Believe

[We are a local body of believers who have chosen to fellowship with the Baptist Network Northwest which is itself a branch of the General Association of Regular Baptist Churches.  For the moment we are using the BNN statement of faith to help you understand the truths we hold to.]

This following statement of faith does not exhaust the extent of our faith; the Bible itself is the sole and final authority for all that we believe.  We do believe, however, that the following statement of faith accurately represents the teaching of the Bible, and provides the doctrinal foundation for our network of churches.
 

1. The Scriptures

We believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God and is inerrant in the original writings. We believe that this divine inspiration extends equally to each word and to all parts of the sixty-six canonical books. We believe in the authority and sufficiency of Scripture as the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creed and opinions shall be evaluated. 2 Timothy 3:16, 17; 2 Peter 1:19-21
 

2.  The True God

We believe that there is one true God who is the infinite, eternal, living, and personal spirit. We believe God created and sustains the universe and all that is in it, possessing complete knowledge of all things, whether actual or potential. We believe he is the sovereign ruler over all creation and works out his purposes both providentially and miraculously. We believe he is worthy of all love, honor, trust, and obedience. We believe God exists eternally in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each person shares the whole of the one divine essence co-equally and co-extensively. Exodus 20:2, 3; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Revelation 4:11
 

3. Jesus Christ

We believe that Jesus Christ is true God and true man, possessing two natures joined in one person without confusion of the natures or division of the person. We believe he is Eternally God, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. We believe he died for the sins of humanity on the cross, was buried, rose again, and was seen by witnesses. We believe that in the same body with which he was crucified, Jesus Christ was glorified and ascended into heaven where he now intercedes on behalf of his people. Matthew 1:18-25; Colossians 2:9; John 8:58; Philippians. 2:5-8; 1 Corinthians 15:3; Isaiah 53:6, 11; 1 Peter 2:24; 3:18; Matthew 28:1-7; 1 Corinthians 15:4-8; Acts 1:11; 2:33; 1 John 2:2; Hebrews 7:25; John 14:3
 

4.  The Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person who is equal with the Father and Son. We believe he shared in the creation of all things and superintended the writing of Scripture. We believe he convicts the world of sin and regenerates and sanctifies believers. We believe that at their conversion, the Holy Spirit places believers into the body of Christ, seals them as God’s possession, indwells them, and gives them gifts for ministry. John 14:16, 17; Matthew 28:19; Hebrews 9:14; John 14:26; Luke 1:35; Genesis 1:1-3; John 16:8-11; Acts 5:3032; John 3:5, 6; Ephesians 1:13, 14; Mark 1:8; John 1:33; Acts 11:16; Luke 24:49; Romans 8:14, 16, 26, 27
 

5. Angels

We believe that angels are spirit beings, created to serve and worship God and to render assistance to believers as God directs. We believe that though all angels were created holy, a large number of them followed Satan in his rebellion against God and continue to oppose him. We believe that Christ’s work on the cross defeated Satan and his demons, making certain their judgment and eternal punishment. . We believe demonic control over Christians is limited to external influences which may be resisted by the believer.
We believe in the reality and personality of Satan, the Devil; and that he was created by God as an angel but through pride and rebellion became the enemy of his Creator. We believe that Satan became the unholy god of this age and the ruler of all the powers of darkness. We believe Satan is destined to the judgment of an eternal justice in the lake of fire. Genesis 3:1-5; Matthew 4:1-11; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Hebrews 1:6; Revelation 5:11, 20:10
 

6. Man and Sin

We believe that mankind was made by a direct work of God and from the dust, apart from any existing forms of life.  We believe all humans are made in the image of God and descended from Adam and Eve, the original created pair. We believe that man fell through sin, and, as a consequence, became dead in trespasses and sins and became subject to the power of Satan. We believe that sin has been transmitted to the entire human race so that every child of Adam Is born into the world with a fallen nature devoid of spiritual life and no power to recover oneself from this condition.
We believe in the sanctity of human life which begins at the point of conception. We believe that all sexual relationships must pattern themselves after a faithful heterosexual relationship within marriage. Genesis 1:26-27, 2:7; Romans 3:1-24, 5:12-14.
 

7. Salvation

We believe that salvation is entirely of God, by grace, through personal faith in the blood of Christ, wholly apart from any human merit, works, or foreseen faith. We believe that believers were chosen sovereignly by God before the foundation of the world for salvation and are enabled by the Spirit to believe. We believe that the divine nature and divine life are communicated to believers by a supernatural work of the Spirit. We believe that believers are justified before God in that their sins were imputed to Christ and His righteousness was reckoned to them. We believe that all believers were sanctified at the point of salvation and the believer is progressively brought closer to conformity to the holiness of God, a process culminating at the return of Christ. We believe that all who are truly born again will be kept by Christ and will persevere in faith until the day of redemption. Eph. 2:1-8; Titus 3:5-6; Acts 16:31; John 3:3-7; 2 Cor. 5:17; 1 Peter 1:23; 2 Peter 1:4; Eph. 1:4-11; 2 Thess. 2:13; Rom. 5:1; 1 Cor. 1:2; Phil. 1:6; Rom. 8:33-39; John 10:2729.
 

8. The Church

We believe that at salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, every believer enters into a covenant relationship with God, and is placed into covenant community with all true believers, known as the Body of Christ, which began at Pentecost. We believe that local churches represent specific covenant communities, of which each believer is to be an active part, and that in turn, these churches represent the Body of Christ expressed more fully. We believe that the local church has the right of selfgovernment as an independent church, while operating in voluntary cooperation with other independent churches of like faith and practice, as found in early church practices of cooperation and accountability.
We believe that leadership within the local church is vested in two biblical offices, identified as elders and deacons. We believe that the ordinances of the church are baptism by immersion as the identifying symbol of one's belief in Christ's death and resurrection and communion which is a commemoration of Christ's death until He comes. We believe the church has the responsibility to take the gospel message to all nations of the earth and to be a voice for justice and truth in the world. We believe in separation from all sinful practices and all spiritual apostasy. 2 Cor. 6:14; Matt. 7:15-16; Eph. 1:22-23, 4:11-12; Acts 15; 2 Corinthians 8:18-24; Galatians 1:2, 22; Colossians 4:13-18; 1 Cor. 11:23-28; 1 John 2:15-16, 4:1-3; 2 Cor. 5:20; Matt. 18:15-17; Acts 2:41-42; Matt. 16:18.
 

9. Israel

We believe in the sovereign selection of Israel as God's eternal covenant people, that she is now dispersed because of her disobedience and rejection of Christ, and that she is distinct from the church. We believe that Israel will be regathered in the Holy Land and, after the completion of the Church, will be saved as a nation at the second coming of Christ. Genesis 13:14-17; Romans 11:1-32; Ezekiel 37
 

10. Future Events

We believe in the imminent coming of Jesus Christ for His church at which time all church saints will be raised, glorified and rewarded. We believe that Christ will return at the end of the tribulation to set up the millennial kingdom, to overthrow Satan, and to regather Israel to their promised land according to the Old Testament promises. We believe in the physical resurrection of all the dead; the saved to life eternal, the unsaved to eternal judgment and separation from God in the lake of fire. We believe the eternal state will begin following the judgment of the lost with believers of all time enjoying God forever. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:22-24; Revelation 1:5-7, 19:11-16, 20:1-7, 21-22; John 5:22, 14:1-3, Romans 14:10-13