‘…’til I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine…,’ (1 Tim 4:13).
THE BIBLE
We believe the Holy Bible, consisting of the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, from Genesis to Revelation, to be the verbally and plenary inspired Word of God, written by holy men of old, as they were inspired by the Holy Spirit. These Scriptures are without error, infallible and God-breathed and are, therefore, the complete and divine revelation of God to man. They are the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds and opinions must be tried. Furthermore, we believe the Authorised King James version of the Bible is the only authoritative and preserved translation of the Word of God in the English language. It is an accurate translation of the Hebrew Masoretic and Greek Textus Receptus texts and can, therefore, be used with confidence. We reject modern textual criticism and the modern versions this pseudo-science has produced. We also reject the “dynamic equivalency” method of Bible translation, which results in careless versions that contain only the general ideas, rather than the very words of God. Therefore, the Authorised King James version is the only English version which this church will provide, use, promote and utilise in all ministries.
2 Samuel 23:2; Joshua 1:8: Psalm 119:105; Proverbs 30:5-6; 2 Peter 1:19-21; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Psalm 12:6-7; Psalm 19:7-14; Daniel 10:21; Jude 3.
THE TRIUNE GOD
We believe in one Triune God, the only true and living God. This is the one God who is revealed as the one, true God yet composed of three distinct persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. They are equal and share the same essence, together with all the attributes of Deity, but execute distinct, yet harmonious offices.
Matthew 3:16-17; Matthew 28:19-20; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Deuteronomy 6:4; Exodus 20:2-3;
1 Corinthians 8:6; Genesis 17:1; 2 Corinthians 3:17; 1 John 5:7.
THE FATHER
We believe in God the Father, perfect in holiness, infinite in wisdom, measureless in power. He is the Creator and Supreme Ruler of Heaven and earth. His subsistence is in and of Himself. He is spirit, invisible, without body, parts or passions and whose nature is holiness, light and love. He is eternal, omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent. We rejoice that He concerns himself mercifully in the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayer and that He saves from sin and death all that come to Him through Jesus Christ.
Genesis 1:1, 17:1; Exodus 6:3; Deuteronomy 4:35; Psalm 90:2, 139:7-10; Isaiah 40:28;
John 4:24; 1 John 1:5.
THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
We believe that Jesus Christ is the second person of the Trinity, He is the only begotten Son of God; without giving up his Deity, He became man by the miracle of the virgin birth, in that He was begotten of the Holy Spirit and born of Mary, a virgin. We further believe that He was sinless in His life and nature, ever obedient to the Father; that in his vicarious death, he made full and complete payment for the sins of the world; that he was buried and rose bodily from the grave the third day, according to the Scriptures; that He showed Himself alive after His bodily resurrection by many infallible proofs and that He ascended into heaven and is even now seated at the Father’s right hand as our great High Priest, Advocate and only Mediator.
John 1:1-3, 14; Matthew 1:18-25; Philippians 2:6-8; 1 Corinthians 15:1-7; Luke 24:2-8, 51; Hebrews 1:8, 4:14-16; Isaiah 53:4-5; Matthew 18:11, 20:28; John 3:16; 8:58; Romans 3:25-26;
2 Corinthians 5:14-21; Hebrews 2:9-15; 1 Peter 1:19.
THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, equal and eternal with God the Father and God the Son and of the same essence and nature; that He was active in the Creation; who convicts the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgement; that He indwells and seals all who become children of God through Christ; that He empowers, teaches, sanctifies and fills believers daily as they surrender to him.
John 16:8-11, 14:16-17; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1:13; Acts 1:8; John 14:26; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 5:18.
CREATION AND THE FALL
We believe the Genesis account is neither allegory nor myth, but a literal account of the direct creative act of God. No evolution was employed. God personally created the heavens and the earth (out of nothing by the power of His Word) in six 24-hour days; He finally formed man out of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became, immediately, a living soul; that He created man in the image and likeness of God. All of mankind is descendants of the historical Adam and Eve; that all animal and vegetable life was created specifically and made subject to God’s law; that they bring forth only “after their kind”. There may be changes within a species, but there is no development from one species to another. This being the case, it is the Creator who should be worshipped and not creation. Creation is subject to man and man is subject to God. We believe that Adam and Eve fell from their original state of innocence and fellowship with God by disobedience to the spoken word of God. Therefore, mankind became sinful by nature, separated from God and subject to the power of Satan. The heart of man is corrupted by sin and this corrupt nature has been transmitted to the entire human race, so that mankind is sinful by nature and practice. The fall of Adam brought upon himself and all mankind, not only physical death, but alienation from God, which is likened to spiritual death. Man is guilty and condemned before God, possesses within himself no means of recovery, defense, excuse, or salvation; that because of sin, man is a complete ruin and failure, apart from the Lord Jesus Christ. Our guilt is proven by the law of God, written both on paper and on the heart. The final judgement on all unregenerate men is the Lake of Fire, which is both literal and eternal in nature.
Genesis 1-2; Psalm 19:1-6: John 1:3; Romans 1:20; Genesis 3:1-6; Romans 5:12-19.
SIN
We believe that sin is the transgression of the law, will and desire of God; that sin is rebellion, disobedience, lawlessness, a missing of the mark of God’s revealed will; that man was created in innocence and that by voluntary choice, Adam transgressed God’s law and all men sinned in him and that, therefore, all men are guilty sinners before God. We believe that the penalty of sin is death – that being both spiritual alienation from God and physical death.
Genesis 3:1-6; Romans 3:10-19, 5:12,19; 1 John 3:4.
THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD
We believe God is an absolute sovereign and in His sovereignty, He gave man a free will to accept or reject the salvation that God has provided. It is God’s will that all would be saved and that none should perish. God foreknows, but does not predetermine any man to be condemned. God permits man’s destiny to depend upon man’s free will choice.
1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9; John 6:64-65; Romans 8:28-29; 1 Peter 1:2; Ephesians 1:4-5.
THE ATONEMENT FOR SIN
We believe that Jesus’ death on the cross made a full and vicarious (in our place) payment for our sin; that His death consisted not in merely setting an example for us as a martyr, but was a voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner’s place, the just dying for the unjust, bearing our sin in His own body on the tree. There could be NO salvation without His death, through the shedding of His blood. We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace, through the mediatorial offices of the Son of God, who, by appointment of the Father, freely took upon Himself humanity, yet without sin, honoured the divine law, by His personal obedience and that His death made a full and absolute atonement for our sins; that having risen from the dead, He is now enthroned in heaven. He is, in every way, qualified to be a suitable, compassionate, and all-sufficient Saviour.
Romans 3:24-25; Hebrews 2:14, 9:22; Isaiah 53; 1 Peter 1:18-21, 2:24; 1 John 1:7-9.
SALVATION BY GRACE
We believe that our salvation is a free gift from God, not merited in any way by works, and is therefore wholly by grace. We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be born again; that the new birth is a new creation in Christ Jesus; that it is instantaneous and not a process; that salvation is received by the placing of one’s faith (trust) in the Lord Jesus Christ; that in the new birth, the one dead in trespasses and sins is made a partaker of the Divine nature and receives eternal life by the free gift of God; that the new creation is brought about in a manner above our comprehension, not by culture, not by character, not by the will of man, but wholly and solely by the Holy Spirit, in connection with divine truth. We reject the doctrine of Calvinism, which teaches God elects some to salvation and others to condemnation. We believe salvation is available to all, for Jesus Christ died for the sins of the whole world, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5; Romans 4:5, 10:11-13; John 3:16; Revelation 22:17.
SALVATION IS FREE
We believe that the blessings of salvation are made free to all through the Gospel; that it is the duty of all to accept salvation through repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as the complete and perfect Saviour; and that nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner on earth, but his own inherent depravity and voluntary rejection of the gospel.
John 3:16, 36; Acts 20:21; Ephesians 2:8-9, 5:2; Romans 3:24, 5:14-18, 6:18, 23, 10:13.
REPENTANCE AND FAITH
We believe that repentance is a grace wrought within us by the Holy Spirit; that faith is engendered within by the written Word of God, and that together they bring about a deep conviction of our guilt, danger and helplessness. The way of salvation, through Christ, is for us to turn to God with unfeigned contrition, confession and supplication for mercy, at the same time heartily receiving the Lord Jesus Christ and openly confessing Him as our only and all-sufficient Saviour.
Luke 13:3; Acts 20:21; Hebrews 6:1; Luke 18:13; Romans 10:9-13; Psalm 51:1-4.
JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH
We believe that the great Gospel blessing which Christ secures to those who believe in Him, is justification; that justification includes the pardon of sin, and the gift of eternal life; that it is bestowed, not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done, but solely through faith in the Redeemer’s blood, and that His righteousness is imputed to us.
Romans 5:1, 9, 8:1; Titus 3:5-7; Isaiah 53:11; Acts 13:39; Hebrews 10:38.
ETERNAL SECURITY OF THE SAVED
We believe that all who receive Christ as Saviour by faith are born again and are eternally secure in Christ, and that they are kept by the power of God through faith unto eternal salvation and can never be lost.
John 3:16, 5:24, 6:37-40, 10:27-30, 11:25-26, 17:9-12; Romans 8:23-39; 2 Timothy 1:12; 1 Peter 1:5; Jude 24.
SEPARATION AND SANCTIFICATION
We believe in Bible separation; that is, to be set apart from the evil of this world and set apart to the glory of God and His service; that any thought, word or deed that would hurt the cause of Christ and his Church is sinful and should be dealt with immediately and put away from the life of each believer. We believe that we are called with a holy calling to walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit. We stand in opposition to Liberalism, Modernism, Neo-Evangelicalism, Calvinism, Ecumenism, the Pentecostal/Charismatic movements, and worldly music (rock music, including Christian contemporary music). We stand unashamedly as fundamentalists for biblical separation from all error.
Romans 12:1-2, 14:16, 19-21; 2 Corinthians 2:15-17, 6:14-17; 1 Thessalonians 5:22;
1 Corinthians 8:9, 13, 10:31-33; Colossians 3:5-10; 1 John 2:15-17.
THE DEVIL OR SATAN
We believe in a personal Devil, Satan, who is thoroughly wicked and proud; that he is a created, angelic being who once was without sin and enjoyed heavenly honours, but through pride and ambition to be as Almighty God, fell and drew after him a host of angels; that he is now the malignant Prince of the Power of the Air and the unholy god of this world. We hold him to be man’s great tempter, the enemy of the Godhead, the hinderer of the gospel, the accuser of the saints, the author of all false religions, the chief power behind the present apostasy, the lord of the Antichrist and the author of all the powers of darkness. He is destined to final defeat at the hands of God’s own Son and to the judgement of and eternal existence in the Lake of Fire.
Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:11-19; Job 1-2; Matthew 4:1-8; Luke 22:31-32; John 8:44; 1 Peter 5:8; Ephesians 2:2, 6:11; Revelation 12:4, 20:10.
PRIESTHOOD OF BELIEVERS
We believe that through Jesus Christ, every believer has direct access into God’s presence, without the need of a human priest; that every believer has the right and responsibility to study the Scriptures, guided by the Holy Spirit.
Hebrews 4:16; 2 Timothy 2:15; 1 Peter 2:9.
HEAVEN AND HELL
We believe that Heaven and Hell are actual, literal places, prepared by God as the abodes of the saved and lost respectively; that those who die without Christ are eternally lost and following the judgement of the Great White Throne, shall abide forever in the Lake of Fire. Those who are saved by Christ shall abide forever in the blessedness of Heaven.
John 14:1-3; Luke 16:19-31; Matthew 25:41, 10:28; Mark 9:44; Romans 6:16-23; Revelation 20:15, 22:1-5.
THE RETURN OF CHRIST
We believe in that blessed hope, the personal, imminent return of Christ, who will rapture his Church prior to the seven-year Tribulation period. At the end of the Tribulation, Christ will personally and visibly return, with his saints, to establish his earthly, Messianic Kingdom, which was promised to the nation of Israel.
Psalm 89:3-4; Daniel 2:31-45, 9:24-27; Zechariah 14:4-11; 1 Corinthians 15:50-54;
1 Thessalonians 1:10, 4:13-18.
THE LOCAL CHURCH
We believe in the importance of the local church and that it is an assembly of born again, baptized (by immersion) believers, meeting together to share the Lord’s Supper, worship, prayer, fellowship, preaching, teaching and to present a united testimony and actively engage in carrying out the Great Commission. We believe in the independence and autonomy of the local church and that no religious hierarchy has any Scriptural grounds to dictate and run the affairs of the local church.
Acts 13:1-3, 14:21-23; 1 Corinthians 11:2, 12:12-13; Ephesians 4:11-16; Colossians 1:18; 1 Timothy 3:1-15; Hebrews 13:7, 17; 1 Peter 5:1-4.
CHURCH DISCIPLINE
The three-fold purpose of church discipline is to glorify God by maintaining purity in the local church (1 Corinthians 5:6), to edify believers by deterring sin and promoting purity (1 Timothy 5:20), and to promote the spiritual welfare of the offending believer, by calling him or her to return to a biblical standard of doctrine and conduct (Galatians 6:1).
The Lord Jesus Christ has entrusted the local church with the authority and responsibility to discipline members for flagrant sin or serious doctrinal error, with the goal of the restoration of the offender. This discipline is entrusted to the Pastor(s) and/or Board and is to follow the biblical pattern as set forth in Matthew 18:15-20; 1 Corinthians 5; 2 Corinthians 2:7-8; Galatians 6:1; 2 Thessalonians 3:6; Titus 3:10-11; and 2 John 7-11. Any member of this church who practices or affirms a doctrine or conduct that, in the judgement of the Pastor(s) and/or Board, is opposed to the teaching of the Word of God, or is threatening to the testimony of this church, or is divisive to the body, shall be subject to church discipline.
Discipline will follow the said biblical pattern, and is an effort to bring the individual to repentance and protect the church from unrepentant sin. Discipline may involve exclusion from participation in ministry and the Lord’s Supper, as well as dismissal from the fellowship and/or membership as applicable. An individual may be disciplined by the Pastor(s) and/or Board short of dismissal from the fellowship, as they deem appropriate for the specific circumstance (for example, an individual may in certain circumstances remain a member of this church, but be denied the privilege of serving in a particular ministry). The Pastor(s) and/or Board, as is required by Scripture, may report to the congregation the names of those who have lost membership or been excluded from fellowship by reason of church discipline, and the reason for that discipline as described in Matthew 18:15-17.
BAPTISM
We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion in water of a believer in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem, our faith in the crucified, buried and risen Saviour, reflecting our death to sin and resurrection to a new life; that it is to be administered by the church only to those who have made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.
Matthew 28:19; Acts 8:36-39, 16:13-15, 29-34; Romans 6:3-5; Colossians 2:12.
THE LORD’S SUPPER
We believe that the Lord’s Supper is a continuing commemoration of His death, until He comes; the bread speaking of His broken body and the fruit of the vine, speaking of His shed blood; that it should be preceded by solemn self-examination.
1 Corinthians 11:2, 23-28; Matthew 26:26-30; Acts 20:7.
PASTORS AND DEACONS
We believe that God established the offices of the church to minister to it and enable it to carry out its function effectively. The office of Pastor, (the terms Bishop, Elder and Pastor are used interchangeably in the New Testament) designates the overseer who provides spiritual leadership to the church. The office of Deacon designates men who are yielded to serving the church in ways that enable the pastor to be more effective in the ministry of the Word of God, through preaching, teaching, and praying.
Philippians 1:1; Acts 20:17, 28; Titus 1:5-7; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Acts 6; 1 Timothy 3; Hebrews 13:7, 17; Ephesians 4:11-12.
FUTURE EVENTS
We believe Jesus Christ is coming again, bodily, personally and visibly as He promised. We believe in the imminent, pre-tribulation catching away (rapture) of the saints. The dead in Christ shall be raised first in glorified bodies and then the living in Christ shall be changed (glorified bodies) and together with the raised saints be caught up to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with Him.
John 14:1-6; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:42-44, 51-54; Philippians 3:20-21;
Titus 2:13; 1 John 3:1-3; Revelation 3:10.
We believe that the seven year tribulation period which follows the rapture of the saints, will be culminated by the revelation of Jesus Christ (Second Coming of Christ with his Saints) in power and great glory to sit upon the throne of David and establish a literal, millennial (one thousand years) reign on earth.
Daniel 9:25-27; Matthew 24:29-31; Luke 1:30-33; Isaiah 9:6-7, 11:1-9; Acts 2:29-30;
Revelation 19:11-21, 20:1-4, 6.
We believe that following a one thousand year reign on earth, Satan will be loosed for a season, a final battle fought, a new heaven and earth created, and the Great White Throne judgement held.
2 Peter 3:9-14; Revelation 20:7-22:5.
THE CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT
We believe that the current Pentecostal/charismatic movement is not Scriptural. The gifts of tongues, healing, miracles and wonders, drinking poison and handling of snakes were sign gifts confirming the truth of God’s word that the Apostles were preaching. Once the New Testament Scriptures were complete, the confirming signs were no longer necessary, and thus ended. Biblical tongues within the New Testament era were known, spoken languages; each one heard the word of God spoken in their native tongue. Tongues had a deeper meaning regarding the destruction of Israel by a foreign power and ended when the Romans conquered Israel and the city of Jerusalem in 70AD.
Mark 16:15-20; Luke 16:27-31; Acts 2:4-13; 1 Corinthians 13:8, 14:21-22.
CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC
We believe all forms of contemporary Christian music (CCM), whether hard or soft rock and roll, southern gospel, country and western, together with all similar music styles, particularly those with an accented off-beat, either heavy or soft, is contrary to both Old and New Testament principles of music for the worship of our Holy God. We believe that the church must adhere to the principles laid down in Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16.
FINAL AUTHORITY FOR MATTERS OF BELIEF AND CONDUCT
This Statement of Faith does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. The Bible itself, as the inspired and infallible word of God, which speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind, is the sole and final source of all that we believe. For the purposes of Little Glory Baptist Church’s faith, doctrine, practice, policy and discipline, our Board is Little Glory Baptist Church’s final interpretive authority on the Bible’s meaning and application.