STATEMENT OF FAITH

 
 

This Statement of Faith presents the set of beliefs that we hold as a church.  It is the foundation for what we will preach, teach, pray, instruct, and counsel, and how we will discipline.  We are passionate to proclaim these beliefs.

The preconditions for church membership include an understanding of and agreement with the Gospel followed by baptism (immersion) and a willingness to accept and support the beliefs as presented in our Statement of Faith.
 

1. The Holy Scriptures  | We believe that the sixty-six books of the Holy Bible are the complete, final, authoritative, and only word of God to man.  The Holy Spirit guided men to select every word of the original writings of the Bible which makes them without error or fallibility in all matters of which they speak.

(II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:19-21)
 
2. The True God and the Trinity  |  We believe that the God of the Bible is the one true and living God who is infinite, inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy of all possible honor, confidence, and love.  He eternally exists in the three distinct, yet equal, Spirit persons of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit which persons have the same divine nature and perfection.
(Genesis 1:1, 26;  Exodus 20:2-3;  Isaiah 44:6-8,  45:22;   Matthew 28:18-20;  John 1:1-2;  Romans 9:5;  II Corinthians 13:14;  Philippians 2:5-11;  Hebrews 1:8;  I Peter 1:1-2;  II Peter 1:21;  Revelation 4:11)
 
3. The Lord Jesus Christ  |  We believe that Jesus Christ existed from all eternity as God the Son.  In a miraculous work by the Holy Spirit, sinless human nature was joined to His divine nature and He was born of Mary, a virgin.  As the only mediator between God and men, He fulfilled God’s law and freely suffered and died as the sacrificial substitute for sinners.  He took the sinner’s place under God’s judgment and bore man’s sins in Himself.  He was buried, rose bodily after three days, ascended to His throne in heaven, and now compassionately intercedes for His people.
(Isaiah 7:14, 9:6; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:35;  John 1:14;  Romans 1:1-6, 3:21-26, 5:1-21;  I Corinthians 11:25, 15:1-8;  II Corinthians 5:21;  Galatians 4:4;  Philippians 2:5-11;  Hebrews 9:15)
 

4. The Holy Spirit  |  We believe that the Holy Spirit is an eternal person of the Godhead.  He was actively involved in the creation of all things.  He restrains the devil.  He convicts unbelievers of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He indwells believers and is responsible for their spiritual life, growth, blessings, and continuance in the faith.

(John 14:16-17;  Matthew 28:19;  Hebrews 9:14;  John 3:5-6;  Luke 1:35;  Ephesians 1:13-14;  Mark 1:8;  John 1:33;  Acts 11:16;  Luke 24:49;  Genesis 1:1-3;  John 16:8-11;  Acts 5:30-32;  John 14:26;  Romans 8:14, 26-27.)
 

5. The Devil or Satan  |  We believe that Satan is a person who was created by God as a good angel, but through proud rebellion against his Creator became evil and the enemy of God.  As the god of this world and adversary of all of God’s people, he assaults Christians with temptations and trials to turn them away from faithfulness to God.  He is destined to eternal punishment in the lake of fire.

(Job 1, 2;  Zechariah 3:1-2;  Matthew 4:1-11;  II Corinthians 4:4;  Ephesians 2:2;  Revelation 12, 20:10)
 

6. The Creation and Fall of Man  |  We believe that the physical universe, angels, and man, are the direct creation of the pre-existent God and all exist for the purpose of glorifying God.  He created man in His image without any sin.  The first man, Adam, yielded to Satan’s temptation and voluntarily rebelled and sinned against God and His purpose.  This resulted in the total corruption, depravity, deserved condemnation, and death of Adam and his descendants.  The deserved penalty for sin is death, both physically and spiritually.

(Genesis 1-3;  Jeremiah 17:9;  Romans 1-5, 8:7-8;  II Corinthians 4:4;  Ephesians 2:1-5)
 

7. The Salvation of Sinners  |  We believe that the salvation of sinners comes about as a result of God’s election and His sovereign grace.  A spiritual new birth and new life is based on the work of Jesus Christ and brought about by the power of the Holy Spirit through the Scriptures.  As the Gospel is freely offered to dead sinners and blessed by the living Spirit, willing faith in Jesus Christ as the only Savior and genuine conviction and repentance toward God over sin will result.  Salvation also includes justification which is the crediting of Jesus Christ’s righteousness to the life of believing sinners who lack any righteousness in themselves.  God’s work, not man’s works, secures salvation.  Saved sinners will persevere as believers because they are kept by God.

(John 3:1-20, 6:37, 44, 65, 10:28-29;  Acts 13:48;  Romans 8:28-39, 9:11;  Ephesians 1:3-14,  2:1-10;  Philippians 1:6, 2:12-13;  II Corinthians 5:17-21;  II Thessalonians 2:13)
 

8. The Local Church  |  We believe that the local church is a body of saved and immersed sinners who are committed to one another for the ministry of the Word, the edification of fellow believers, the propagation of the faith, and the observance of the ordinances.  We enjoy the right of self government under the laws of Jesus Christ.  A local church congregation is organized under Jesus Christ as the Head with scripturally qualified elders and deacons, and spiritually gifted members.

(Acts 2:42-47; 20:17-28; I Corinthians 11:2;  Ephesians 1:22-23;  4:1-16;  5:21-33;  Colossians 1:18;  I Timothy 3:14-16)
 

9. The Ordinances of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper |  We believe that baptism and the Lord’s Supper are God given responsibilities under the authority and within the fellowship of the local church.  Baptism precedes and leads to local church membership.  Baptism is the single immersion of a believer in water to show symbolically that he or she willingly obeys and identifies with the crucified, buried, and risen Savior.  The scriptural order is to place baptism before the Lord’s Supper.  The Lord’s Supper is the commemoration and celebration of Jesus’ death until He returns.  The daily practice of serious self examination and confession of sin finds a place here also.  Since the Lord’s Supper is the Lord’s Table, none who are His shall be barred. 

(Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:41-42, 8:36-39; Romans 6:1-14; I Corinthians 11:17-34; Colossians 2:6-12)
 

10. The Civil Government and Liberty of Conscience  |  We believe that civil government is established by God for the good order of society by punishing those who do wrong and protecting those who do right.  Christians should pray for, respect, and obey civil authorities in all things except when that would require disobedience to the written word of God and denial of the authority of Jesus Christ.

(Jeremiah 29; Daniel 1-3;  Matthew 22:15-22;  Acts 4:18-20;  5:29;  Romans 13:1-7;  I Peter 2:13-17)
 

11. The Return of Jesus Christ and the Eternal State  |  We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ will return physically to this world.  The main events associated with His coming will include the bodily resurrection, final judgment, and everlasting blessing or punishment of all mankind; the final judgment of Satan and demons; and the destruction of this present evil world and the creation of the new heavens and the new earth.

(Matthew 24 – 25;  John 5:24-30;  Acts 1:10-11;  17:31;  Romans 2:1-16;  I Corinthians 15;  I Thessalonians 4:13-18;  II Thessalonians 2;  II Peter 3;  Revelation 20-22)
 

12. The Complementary Role of Men and Women  |  Men and women are absolutely equal in essence, dignity, and value, but are different by God’s design.  As part of God’s good created order, men and women are to have different, yet complementary, roles and responsibilities in the home and church, especially as it comes to authority and teaching.  These role distinctions are God’s grace to man and woman and are to be protected, preserved, and practiced for His glory and our joy.

(I Corinthians 11:2-16; 14:33-35; Ephesians 5:22-33; Colossians 3:18-19;  I Timothy 2:8-15;  I Peter 3:1-7)
 

13. Sexual Immorality  | We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between one naturally-born man and one naturally-born 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. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one’s gender by surgery or appearance.  (Gen. 2:24; Gen. 19:5, 13; Gen. 26:8-9; Lev. 18:1-30; Rom. 1: 26-29; 1 Cor. 5:1; 6:9; 1 Thess. 4:1-8; Heb. 13:4)

We believe that the only Scriptural marriage is the joining of one naturally-born man and one naturally-born woman.  (Gen. 2:24; Rom. 7:2; 1 Cor. 7:10; Eph. 5:22-23)

Reformed Baptist Church | 830 Buffalo Road, Lewisburg, PA 17837 | rbclewisburg@gmail.com | 570-524-7488