Solid Ground
WE BELIEVE IN
THE HOLY SCRIPTURE:
accepting fully the writings of the Old and New Testaments as the inerrant Word
of God, verbally inspired in all parts and therefore altogether
sufficient as our only infallible and authoritative rule of faith and practice.
Psalm 119:160; Proverbs 30:5a; II Timothy 3:16,17;II Peter 1:19-21
WE BELIEVE IN
THE ONE TRUE GOD:
who is an intelligent, sovereign, spiritual and personal Being; perfect,
infinite, and eternal in His being, holiness and love, wisdom and
power; absolutely separate from and above the world as its Creator, yet
everywhere present in the world as the Upholder of all things. He is
revealed to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, three distinct persons
but without division of nature, essence of being, and each having a
distinct ministry in God's relation to His creation and people.
Genesis 1:1; Exodus 15:11; Psalm 83:18; 139:7-9; Matthew 28:19; John 10:30;15:26
WE BELIEVE IN
THE LORD JESUS CHRIST:
who is the second Person of the Triune God, the eternal Word and Only
Begotten Son; that without any change in His divine person, He became
man by miracle of the Virgin Birth, thus to continue forever as both
true God and true Man, one Person with two natures; that as Man He was
tempted in all points as we are, yet without sin; that as the perfect
Lamb of God He gave Himself in death upon the cross, bearing there the
sin of the world, and suffering its full penalty of divine wrath in our
stead; that He arose from the grave in a glorified body; that as our
great High Priest He ascended into Heaven, there to appear before the
face of God as our Advocate and Intercessor.
John 1:1,14; 3:16; Matthew 1:18-25; Galatians 4:4,5; Philippians 2:6-10;I Corinthians 15:3-7; Hebrews 4:14-16; I John 2:1,2
WE BELIEVE IN
THE HOLY SPIRIT:
who is the Third Person of the Trinity, and the divine Agent in nature,
revelation and redemption; that He convicts the world concerning sin,
righteousness and judgment; that He regenerates, indwells, baptizes,
seals and anoints all who become children of God through Christ; that
He further empowers, guides, teaches, sanctifies and fills believers
who daily surrender to Him.
John 3:5;14:16,17,26; 16:7-14; Romans 8:9, I Corinthians 12:13; II Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 1:13; 5:18.
WE BELIEVE IN
ALL MEN ARE BY NATURE AND CHOICE SINFUL AND LOST:
that man was the direct creation of God, made in His image and likeness;
that by personal disobedience to the revealed will of God, man became a
sinful creature, the father of a fallen race which is universally sin in
both nature and practice, thus alienated from the life and family of God,
under the righteous judgment and wrath of God, and has within himself no
possible means of salvation.
Genesis 1:27; 3:6; Psalm 51:5; Romans 3:23; 5:12,19; Galatians 3:11.
WE BELIEVE IN
SALVATION BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH:
that salvation is the free gift of God,neither merited nor
secured in part or in whole by any virtue or work of man, but received
only by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom all true
believers have as a present possession the gift of eternal life,a
perfect righteousness, sonship in the family of God, deliverance and
security from all condemnation, every spiritual resource needed for
life and godliness, and the divine guarantee that they shall never
perish; that this salvation affects the whole man; that apart from
Christ there is no possible salvation.
Ephesians 2:8,9; Titus 3:5;John 1: 12; 3: 14; 10:28,29; Romans 8:1;Philippians 1:6.
WE BELIEVE IN
RIGHTEOUS LIVING AND GODLY WORKS:
not as a means of salvation in any sense, but as its proper
evidence and fruit; and therefore as Christians we should obey the Word
of our Lord, seek the things which are above, walk as He walked, accept
as our solemn responsibility the duty and privileges of bearing the
gospel to a lost world; remembering that a victorious and fruitful
Christian life is possible only for those who in gratitude for the
infinite and undeserved mercies of God have presented themselves wholly
to Christ.
Ephesians 2:10; Romans 12:1,2; Philippians 2:16.
WE BELIEVE IN
THE EXISTENCE OF SATAN:
who originally was created a holy and perfect being, but
through pride and wicked ambition rebelled against God, thus becoming
utterly depraved in character, the great adversary of God and His
people, leader of all other evil angels and wicked spirits, the
deceiver and god of this present world: that his powers are vast, but
strictly limited by the permissive will of God who overrules all his
wicked devices for good; that he was defeated and judged at the cross,
and therefore his final doom is certain; that we are able to resist and
overcome him only in the armor of God, by the blood of the Lamb and
through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Isaiah 14: 12-15; Ephesians6: 12; I Peter 5:8; I John 3:8; Revelation 12:9-11; 20:10.
WE BELIEVE IN
THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST:
that His coming in the air to rapture His Church, which is
our blessed Hope, is always imminent; that when He has first by
resurrection of the dead and translation of the living removed from the
earth His waiting church, He will then pour out the righteous
judgements of God upon the unbelieving world and afterwards descend
with His church and establish His glorious and literal kingdom over all
the nations for a thousand years.
I Thessalonians 4: 13-18;James 5:8; Hebrews 10:37; Jude 14,15;Revelation 19:11-16; 20:4-7.
WE BELIEVE IN
FUTURE LIFE, BODILY RESURRECTION AND ETERNAL JUDGEMENT:
that the spirits of the saved at death go immediately to be with
Christ in Heaven, that their works shall be brought before the
judgment Seat of Christ for the determination of rewards which will
take place at the time when Christ comes for His own; that the
spirits of the unsaved at death descend immediately into Hades
where they are kept under punishment until the final day of judgment,
at which time their bodies shall be raised from the grave, that
they shall be judged and cast into Hell, the place of final and
everlasting punishment.
I Corinthians 15; II Corinthians 5:8-10; Luke 16: 19-23; Revelation 20:11-15.
WE BELIEVE IN
THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE,
with each having definite and distinct spheres of
responsibility.
Matthew 22:21; Romans 13:1-7.
WE BELIEVE IN
THE PRIESTHOOD OF ALL BELIEVERS:
that Christ is our Great High Priest and through Him every
born-again person has direct access into God's presence without the
need of a human priest; that the believer has the right and
responsibility to personally study and interpret the Scriptures guided
by the Holy Spirit.
John 14:6; Hebrews 4: 16; II Timothy 2:15; I Peter 2:1,5,9.
WE BELIEVE IN
THE LORDSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST:
that He alone is Head of the Body of Christ, into which all
true believers are immediately baptized by the Holy Spirit; that all
members of this one spiritual body should assemble and identify
themselves in local churches.
I Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1:22,23; 4:11-15; Galatians 1:22.
WE BELIEVE IN
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE LOCAL CHURCH:
that a New Testament church is a local assembly of born-again
baptized believers united in organization to practice New Testament
ordinances, to meet together for worship, prayer, fellowship, teaching
and a united testimony, and to actively engage in carrying out the
Great Commission.
Acts 2:41,42; I Corinthians 11:2; Matthew 28:19,20.
WE BELIEVE IN
THE INDEPENDENCE AND AUTONOMY OF THE LOCAL CHURCH:
that each New Testament church is free to govern itself without
ecclesiastical interference, and should cooperate with other
New Testament churches as the Holy Spirit leads; that it is
responsible to follow the pattern of the New Testament church
and is directly accountable to God.
Matthew 18:17; Acts 6: 1-5; 13:1-3; 15:22,23.
WE BELIEVE IN
THE ORDINANCES GIVEN TO THE LOCAL CHURCH ARE TWO, BAPTISM AND THE LORD'S SUPPER :
that baptism is by immersion of believers in water, thus portraying the
death, burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ; that the Lord's
Supper is the partaking of the bread and cup by the believer as a
continuing memorial of the broken body and shed blood of Christ.
Matthew 28:19,20; Acts 2:41; 8:38,39; Matthew 26:26-30; I Corinthians 11:23-34.
Temple Baptist Church - 1212 Greensburg Road
P.O. Box 181 - Green, Ohio 44232-0181
Phone: (330) 896-1969
email:
info@tbclighthouse.org
