Doctrinal Statement of Faith Baptist Church, Bayfield, Wisconsin
A. The Holy Scripture
We believe the Holy Scriptures, consisting of the Old and New Testaments only, to be the plenary, verbally inspired Word of God, inerrant in the original manuscripts, authoritative, infallible, and God-breathed; and that they are the only sup¬reme and ultimate authority for faith and practice. (II Timothy 3: 16-17; II Peter 1:20-21; Matthew 5:18; Isaiah 8:20)
B. The Godhead
We believe in one triune God, existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, eternal in being, identical in essence, equal in power and glory and having the same divine attributes and perfections; yet exercising them in varied offices. (Deut. 6:4; Matt, 28:19; John 14: 7-12; II Cor. 13:14; Matt. 3: 16-17)
C. The Person and Work of Jesus Christ
1. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit, and born in the virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man. (Matt. 1:18-20; John 1:1; Luke 1:35; John 1:2, 14, 18)
2. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures as a substitutionary sacrifice, and that all who receive Him are justified on the grounds of His shed blood. (Rom. 3:24-26; 4:25; I Cor. 15:3-4; II Cor. 5:21; Heb. 9:22)
3. We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord Jesus Christ and that our redemption and salvation is guaranteed to us by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead; in His bodily ascension into heaven; and in His present life, at the right hand of God, for us as High-Priest and Intercessor. (Matt. 28:5-6; I Cor. 15:12-19; Acts 1:9; Heb. 1:3, 4:14-16, 7:23-25, 9:24; I John 2:1-2)
D. The Second Coming of Christ
We believe in the blessed hope, the personal, imminent, pretribulational, premillenial coming of our Lord Jesus Christ for his redeemed ones, and His subsequent return with His own to rule and reign one thousand years on the earth. (Zech. 14:4-11; Acts 1:11; I Thess. 1:10; 4:13-18; 5:9-10; Rev- 3:10; 19:11-16; 20:1-6; II Thess. 2:1-12)
E. The Personality of the Holy Spirit
1. We believe in the Holy Spirit as a person of the Trinity, and that among His ministries, the following are included.
a. The restraining of evil in the world to the measure of the Divine will.
b. The convicting of the world regarding sin, righteousness, and judgment.
c. The regeneration of all believers.
d. The indwelling of all who are saved.
e. The continued filling for power, teaching and service of all among the saved who are yielded to Him.
(John 3:6; 16:7-11; Rom. 8:9; 5:18; II Thess. 2:7; I John 2:20-27; John 15:26-27)
2. We believe that the Holy Spirit testifies concerning the Lord Jesus Christ and never leads any person at any time contrary to the teachings of the Holy Scriptures. We believe that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are provided for service and edifica¬tion in such measure and at such time as our spiritual state allows. (I Cor. 12:3-31; 13:8-11; 14:21-40; Gal. 4:6; John 15: 26; 16:13-15)
F. Creation
We believe, in the Genesis account of Creation and that it is to be accepted literally and not figuratively.
1. The six days of creation in Genesis chapter one were solar.
2. All animal and vegetable life was made directly and God's established law is that they bring forth only "after their kind."
3. That man was created directly in God's own image and after His own likeness and did not evolve from any lower form of life.
4. All men are descended from the historical Adam and Eve, the first parents of the entire human race. (Gen. 1:1-2:25; Heb. 11:3; Col. 1:16-17; Ps. 33:6-9; Neh. 9:6; Rev. 4:11; Ex. 20:11, 31:17; Gen. 1:11, 12, 31, 24-26)
G. Angels
We believe that God created a great host of spiritual beings called angels who were sinless, immortal and have personality, but do not procreate. We believe that Lucifer/Satan is the originator of sin; that those angels who followed him were confirmed in unrighteousness and are now designated evil angels; that those angels kept their first estate are confirmed in holiness. (Col. 1:16; Rev. 12:9,12; Isaiah 14:12; II Peter 2:4; I Tim. 5:21; Ezek. 28:13-17)
H. The Total Depravity of Man
We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam's sin the race fell and thereby incurred not only physical death, but also spiritual death, which is separation from God; and that all mankind have inherited a sinful nature and are totally unable to regain their former position, and are without excuse before God. (Gen. 1:26, 3:1-24; Rom. 3:23; 5:12; 1:20; Eph. 2: 1-3, 12; Jer. 17:9; Isaiah 64:6)
I. Salvation, Regeneration, Eternal Security of the Believer
1. We believe that salvation is a gift of God brought to men by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of sins. Salvation is not earned by any good works whatsoever. All those who receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are regenerated and become sons of God. (Eph. 1:7; 2: 1-9; John 1:12; 3:5-7)
2. We believe that the Scriptures teach that regeneration, or the new birth is that change in the soul by the Holy Spirit by which a new nature and spiritual life, not before possessed, are imparted, and the person becomes a new creation in Jesus Christ, and is declared justified, and without it salvation is impossible. (John 3:3-6; II Cor. 5:17; I Peter 1:23; Titus 3:5; Rom. 3:24; Acts 13:39)
3. We believe that the salvation of every believer is secure for all eternity from the moment of regeneration. This security is given to each believer by the fact that the life received is eternal life, and by the interceding ministry of Christ. (John 5:24; 10:27-30; Rom 8:29-39; Eph. 4:30; Heb. 7:25)
J. Sanctification
1. We believe at the time of regeneration we are set apart as belonging to God by redemption, thereby being placed in the family of God as children, joint heirs with Jesus Christ. (I John 3:1; Rom. 8:14-17; I Cor. 1:2; Heb. 10:10-14)
2. We believe that sanctification is the process by which, according to God's will, we are made partakers of His holiness; it pro¬gresses if the believer is yielded to the Holy Spirit's control; that it is carried on in the hearts of believers by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit through the Word of God, self-examinations watchfulness, and prayer. (I Thess. 5:23; Prov. 4:18; I John 2:29; Phil 2:12; Eph. 6:18; John 17:17)
3. We believe that complete sanctification will be the portion of every believer when finally in the presence of the Lord, with soul and spirit united in the resurrected body, free from every effect and trace of sin and rebellion. (I John 3:2; I Cor. 15:22-24; Eph. 4:30; 5:27; Phil. 3:20-21)
K. Separation
We believe in the Biblical doctrine of separation which encompasses three things.
1. The separation of the local church from all affiliation and fellowship with those who deny the verities of the "faith once delivered to the Saints."
2. The separation of the individual believer from all that is dishonoring to the Savior.
3. The separation of the church and state.
(II Tim. 3:1-5; Rom. 12:1-2; 14:13; I John 2:15-17; II John 9-11; II Cor. 6:11-7:1)
L. The Church
We believe in the Church - a living spiritual body of which Christ is the Head. (Matt. 16:16-18; 28: 18-20; 1 Cor. 12:12, 13; Gal. 3:27; Eph. 1:22; 23; 5:25-27)
M. The Local Church
We believe that a local church is a congregation of immersed believers associated together for worship and work by a covenant of faith and fellowship of the Gospel, observing the ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, and exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word; that its mission is to witness and to preach the Gospel of Christ to all nations persuading the lost to accept Christ Jesus as Savior and to enthrone Him as their Lord and Master; that its officers are Pastors and Deacons, whose qualifications, claims and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures.
We believe that:
1. The local church has absolute right of self-government; free from any interference of ecclesiastical or political hierarchy of individuals or organizations.
2. That it is scriptural for churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the Gospel; that each church is the sole judge of the measure and method of its cooperation.
3. On all matters of membership, of policy, of government, of discipline, of benevolence, the will of the local church is final.
(Acts 2:41, 42, 46, 47; 14:27; 20:17, 28-32; Eph. 1:22-23; 4:11-13)
N. The Ordinances
1. Baptism - We believe that Christian Baptism is the immersion of the believer in water to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem of our faith in the crucified, buried and risen Savior, with its effect in our death to sin and resurrection to a new life. We believe that it pictures the Baptism of the Holy Spirit which places us in the Body of Christ; that is it pre¬requisite to the privileges of church membership in a local church.
We believe that infant baptism is not taught, nor is there any allusion, precept or example of such practice anywhere in the Scriptures.
We believe that baptism is not to be regarded as a means of salvation or of grace. (Acts 8:35-39; Rom. 6:3-5; Matt. 28:18-20; Titus 3:4-7)
2. The Lord's Supper. We believe that the Lord's Supper is the commemoration of His death until He comes, and should always be preceded by solemn self-examination. (Matt. 26:26-28; I Cor. 11:23-24)
0. The Eternal State
1. We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment. (Matt. 25:46; John 5:28-29; 11:25; Rev. 20: 5, 6, 12, 13)
2. We believe that the soul of the redeemed are at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord. (Luke 23:43; II Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23; I Thess. 4:16,17)
3. We believe that the soul of unbelievers remain after death, in conscious misery until the second resurrection when, with the spirit, soul, and body reunited they shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment. (Luke 16:19-26; Matt. 25:41-46)
P. Civil Government
We believe that civil government is of Divine appointment for the interests and good order of human society; that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored and obey¬ed, except in things opposed to the Will of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the only Lord of the conscience and the coming King of the earth. (Rom. 13:1-7; Acts 4:19, 20; I Tim, 2:1-4; Rev. 19:11-16)
Q. Great Commission
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has commissioned all believers to take the Gospel to the world. (Acts 1:8; Matt. 28:18-20)
R. Responsibility of Believers
1. We believe that all believers should seek to walk by the Spirit, not bringing reproach upon their Lord and Savior, exercising Christian liberty regulated by love, separated from worldly pleasure and practices, separated from membership in apostate groups. (Rom. 12:1-2; Gal. 5:16; II Cor. 6:14; 7:1; I Cor. 8: 1-13; I Tim. 4:2-5)
2. We believe that it is the responsibility of all believers to witness by life and by the Word to the Truths of the Holy Scriptures and to assume responsibility for the propagation of the Gospel to the entire world. (Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 1:8)
3. We believe that it is the responsibility of all believers to remember the work of the local church and its extension ministries in prayer, to support it with their tithes and offerings, to participate in all the regular services of the church, and to voluntarily submit to the watch, care, and discipling of the local church. (I Cor. 16:2; Heb 10:19-25; 13:17,18)
A. The Holy Scripture
We believe the Holy Scriptures, consisting of the Old and New Testaments only, to be the plenary, verbally inspired Word of God, inerrant in the original manuscripts, authoritative, infallible, and God-breathed; and that they are the only sup¬reme and ultimate authority for faith and practice. (II Timothy 3: 16-17; II Peter 1:20-21; Matthew 5:18; Isaiah 8:20)
B. The Godhead
We believe in one triune God, existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, eternal in being, identical in essence, equal in power and glory and having the same divine attributes and perfections; yet exercising them in varied offices. (Deut. 6:4; Matt, 28:19; John 14: 7-12; II Cor. 13:14; Matt. 3: 16-17)
C. The Person and Work of Jesus Christ
1. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit, and born in the virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man. (Matt. 1:18-20; John 1:1; Luke 1:35; John 1:2, 14, 18)
2. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures as a substitutionary sacrifice, and that all who receive Him are justified on the grounds of His shed blood. (Rom. 3:24-26; 4:25; I Cor. 15:3-4; II Cor. 5:21; Heb. 9:22)
3. We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord Jesus Christ and that our redemption and salvation is guaranteed to us by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead; in His bodily ascension into heaven; and in His present life, at the right hand of God, for us as High-Priest and Intercessor. (Matt. 28:5-6; I Cor. 15:12-19; Acts 1:9; Heb. 1:3, 4:14-16, 7:23-25, 9:24; I John 2:1-2)
D. The Second Coming of Christ
We believe in the blessed hope, the personal, imminent, pretribulational, premillenial coming of our Lord Jesus Christ for his redeemed ones, and His subsequent return with His own to rule and reign one thousand years on the earth. (Zech. 14:4-11; Acts 1:11; I Thess. 1:10; 4:13-18; 5:9-10; Rev- 3:10; 19:11-16; 20:1-6; II Thess. 2:1-12)
E. The Personality of the Holy Spirit
1. We believe in the Holy Spirit as a person of the Trinity, and that among His ministries, the following are included.
a. The restraining of evil in the world to the measure of the Divine will.
b. The convicting of the world regarding sin, righteousness, and judgment.
c. The regeneration of all believers.
d. The indwelling of all who are saved.
e. The continued filling for power, teaching and service of all among the saved who are yielded to Him.
(John 3:6; 16:7-11; Rom. 8:9; 5:18; II Thess. 2:7; I John 2:20-27; John 15:26-27)
2. We believe that the Holy Spirit testifies concerning the Lord Jesus Christ and never leads any person at any time contrary to the teachings of the Holy Scriptures. We believe that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are provided for service and edifica¬tion in such measure and at such time as our spiritual state allows. (I Cor. 12:3-31; 13:8-11; 14:21-40; Gal. 4:6; John 15: 26; 16:13-15)
F. Creation
We believe, in the Genesis account of Creation and that it is to be accepted literally and not figuratively.
1. The six days of creation in Genesis chapter one were solar.
2. All animal and vegetable life was made directly and God's established law is that they bring forth only "after their kind."
3. That man was created directly in God's own image and after His own likeness and did not evolve from any lower form of life.
4. All men are descended from the historical Adam and Eve, the first parents of the entire human race. (Gen. 1:1-2:25; Heb. 11:3; Col. 1:16-17; Ps. 33:6-9; Neh. 9:6; Rev. 4:11; Ex. 20:11, 31:17; Gen. 1:11, 12, 31, 24-26)
G. Angels
We believe that God created a great host of spiritual beings called angels who were sinless, immortal and have personality, but do not procreate. We believe that Lucifer/Satan is the originator of sin; that those angels who followed him were confirmed in unrighteousness and are now designated evil angels; that those angels kept their first estate are confirmed in holiness. (Col. 1:16; Rev. 12:9,12; Isaiah 14:12; II Peter 2:4; I Tim. 5:21; Ezek. 28:13-17)
H. The Total Depravity of Man
We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam's sin the race fell and thereby incurred not only physical death, but also spiritual death, which is separation from God; and that all mankind have inherited a sinful nature and are totally unable to regain their former position, and are without excuse before God. (Gen. 1:26, 3:1-24; Rom. 3:23; 5:12; 1:20; Eph. 2: 1-3, 12; Jer. 17:9; Isaiah 64:6)
I. Salvation, Regeneration, Eternal Security of the Believer
1. We believe that salvation is a gift of God brought to men by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of sins. Salvation is not earned by any good works whatsoever. All those who receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are regenerated and become sons of God. (Eph. 1:7; 2: 1-9; John 1:12; 3:5-7)
2. We believe that the Scriptures teach that regeneration, or the new birth is that change in the soul by the Holy Spirit by which a new nature and spiritual life, not before possessed, are imparted, and the person becomes a new creation in Jesus Christ, and is declared justified, and without it salvation is impossible. (John 3:3-6; II Cor. 5:17; I Peter 1:23; Titus 3:5; Rom. 3:24; Acts 13:39)
3. We believe that the salvation of every believer is secure for all eternity from the moment of regeneration. This security is given to each believer by the fact that the life received is eternal life, and by the interceding ministry of Christ. (John 5:24; 10:27-30; Rom 8:29-39; Eph. 4:30; Heb. 7:25)
J. Sanctification
1. We believe at the time of regeneration we are set apart as belonging to God by redemption, thereby being placed in the family of God as children, joint heirs with Jesus Christ. (I John 3:1; Rom. 8:14-17; I Cor. 1:2; Heb. 10:10-14)
2. We believe that sanctification is the process by which, according to God's will, we are made partakers of His holiness; it pro¬gresses if the believer is yielded to the Holy Spirit's control; that it is carried on in the hearts of believers by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit through the Word of God, self-examinations watchfulness, and prayer. (I Thess. 5:23; Prov. 4:18; I John 2:29; Phil 2:12; Eph. 6:18; John 17:17)
3. We believe that complete sanctification will be the portion of every believer when finally in the presence of the Lord, with soul and spirit united in the resurrected body, free from every effect and trace of sin and rebellion. (I John 3:2; I Cor. 15:22-24; Eph. 4:30; 5:27; Phil. 3:20-21)
K. Separation
We believe in the Biblical doctrine of separation which encompasses three things.
1. The separation of the local church from all affiliation and fellowship with those who deny the verities of the "faith once delivered to the Saints."
2. The separation of the individual believer from all that is dishonoring to the Savior.
3. The separation of the church and state.
(II Tim. 3:1-5; Rom. 12:1-2; 14:13; I John 2:15-17; II John 9-11; II Cor. 6:11-7:1)
L. The Church
We believe in the Church - a living spiritual body of which Christ is the Head. (Matt. 16:16-18; 28: 18-20; 1 Cor. 12:12, 13; Gal. 3:27; Eph. 1:22; 23; 5:25-27)
M. The Local Church
We believe that a local church is a congregation of immersed believers associated together for worship and work by a covenant of faith and fellowship of the Gospel, observing the ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, and exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word; that its mission is to witness and to preach the Gospel of Christ to all nations persuading the lost to accept Christ Jesus as Savior and to enthrone Him as their Lord and Master; that its officers are Pastors and Deacons, whose qualifications, claims and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures.
We believe that:
1. The local church has absolute right of self-government; free from any interference of ecclesiastical or political hierarchy of individuals or organizations.
2. That it is scriptural for churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the Gospel; that each church is the sole judge of the measure and method of its cooperation.
3. On all matters of membership, of policy, of government, of discipline, of benevolence, the will of the local church is final.
(Acts 2:41, 42, 46, 47; 14:27; 20:17, 28-32; Eph. 1:22-23; 4:11-13)
N. The Ordinances
1. Baptism - We believe that Christian Baptism is the immersion of the believer in water to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem of our faith in the crucified, buried and risen Savior, with its effect in our death to sin and resurrection to a new life. We believe that it pictures the Baptism of the Holy Spirit which places us in the Body of Christ; that is it pre¬requisite to the privileges of church membership in a local church.
We believe that infant baptism is not taught, nor is there any allusion, precept or example of such practice anywhere in the Scriptures.
We believe that baptism is not to be regarded as a means of salvation or of grace. (Acts 8:35-39; Rom. 6:3-5; Matt. 28:18-20; Titus 3:4-7)
2. The Lord's Supper. We believe that the Lord's Supper is the commemoration of His death until He comes, and should always be preceded by solemn self-examination. (Matt. 26:26-28; I Cor. 11:23-24)
0. The Eternal State
1. We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment. (Matt. 25:46; John 5:28-29; 11:25; Rev. 20: 5, 6, 12, 13)
2. We believe that the soul of the redeemed are at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord. (Luke 23:43; II Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23; I Thess. 4:16,17)
3. We believe that the soul of unbelievers remain after death, in conscious misery until the second resurrection when, with the spirit, soul, and body reunited they shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment. (Luke 16:19-26; Matt. 25:41-46)
P. Civil Government
We believe that civil government is of Divine appointment for the interests and good order of human society; that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored and obey¬ed, except in things opposed to the Will of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the only Lord of the conscience and the coming King of the earth. (Rom. 13:1-7; Acts 4:19, 20; I Tim, 2:1-4; Rev. 19:11-16)
Q. Great Commission
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has commissioned all believers to take the Gospel to the world. (Acts 1:8; Matt. 28:18-20)
R. Responsibility of Believers
1. We believe that all believers should seek to walk by the Spirit, not bringing reproach upon their Lord and Savior, exercising Christian liberty regulated by love, separated from worldly pleasure and practices, separated from membership in apostate groups. (Rom. 12:1-2; Gal. 5:16; II Cor. 6:14; 7:1; I Cor. 8: 1-13; I Tim. 4:2-5)
2. We believe that it is the responsibility of all believers to witness by life and by the Word to the Truths of the Holy Scriptures and to assume responsibility for the propagation of the Gospel to the entire world. (Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 1:8)
3. We believe that it is the responsibility of all believers to remember the work of the local church and its extension ministries in prayer, to support it with their tithes and offerings, to participate in all the regular services of the church, and to voluntarily submit to the watch, care, and discipling of the local church. (I Cor. 16:2; Heb 10:19-25; 13:17,18)