Statement of Faith

SHADY GROVE BAPTIST CHURCH
STATEMENT OF FAITH

The Scriptures

We believe the Bible is the Word of God, being verbally and completely inspired by God in all  parts. Accordingly, we believe the Bible is the supreme and final authority for all human  conduct, creeds, and opinions. We as an Independent Baptist Church use the King James Version as God’s Preserved Word for the English-speaking people. (II Timothy 3:16-17) (II Peter 1:19-21) (Hebrews 1:) (Psalm 119:89)

The Triune God

We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, (Genesis 1:1), (Isaiah 6:1-9), (Ephesians 2:18), (II Corinthians 13:14), (Matthew 28:19)

We believe in the absolute deity of Jesus Christ who is co-equal and co-existent with the Father and the Holy Spirit in eternality, deity, and attributes through incarnation, we believe Jesus Christ was miraculously begotten of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, taking upon Him the form and nature of humanity. He was crucified for our sins, raised for our justification,  and coming again to receive us unto Himself. (John 1:1-3), (I John 5:20), (Luke 1:26-39), (Matthew 1:20).

We believe in the personality of the Holy Spirit who indwells all true believers  in this age of grace, the moment they receive Jesus Christ as their Savior, we believe the Holy Spirit then Seals True believers until the day of redemption. (Acts 5:3-4), (Romans 10:13),(I Corinthians I:19-20), (Ephesians 1:13-14), (Ephesians 4:32), (John 7:37-39)

Creation                                                                                          

We believe God created the heavens and the earth, including all life, He gave the power to reproduce after its own kind, and this by direct creation and not the process of  evolution (Genesis 1:1-2), (Genesis 2:25), (Colossians 1:16-17), (John 1:1-3), (Ephesians 3:9)

Satan

We believe Satan is a distinct personality who was perfect in his ways from the day God Created him until sin was found in his heart, and he tried to exalt himself above God, he Prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience, That old Serpent the Devil who is destined to eternal punishment in the Lake of Fire. (Matthew 4:1-11), (II Corinthians 4:4), (Revelation 20:10), (Isaiah 14:9-17), (Ezekiel 28:11-19)

The Fall of Man

We believe man was created in the image of God, he sinned and thereby incurred both Physical and spiritual death (eternal separation from God), human beings are now born With a sinful nature, and in the case of those who reach moral responsibility are sinners In thought, word, and deed. (Genesis 1:26), (Romans 3:23), (Ephesians 2:1-3), (Ecclesiastes 7:20).

The Atonement for Sin

We believe the Lord Jesus died for our sins as a substitutionary sacrifice and all who believe In Him are justified by His shed blood. (John 3:16), (Romans 5:6-8), (Romans 3:23-26), (I Corinthians 15:3-4), (II Corinthians 5:21), (Ephesians 5:2).

Sonship

We believe all those who receive the Lord Jesus Christ by faith are born of the Holy Spirit and thereby become the children of God. (John 1:12-13), (John 3:3), (John 3:36), (Galatians  3:26), (Romans 8:14-17)

Security Of the Believer

We believe all those who receive the Lord Jesus Christ have received eternal life and shall never come into condemnation, rather they are passed from death unto life We are kept by the power of God for Christ therefore after we have accepted salvation though Christ, we  cannot lose or forfeit (Romans 8:38-39), (John 10:27-30), (Ephesians 1:13-14), (I Peter1:3-5) (Philippians 1:6), (Jude 24)

Resurrection Of Man

We Believe in the bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust, we believe the righteous dead shall rise first to everlasting blessedness, and the wicked dead shall rise unto everlasting conscious punishment a thousand years later. (Job 19:25-27) John 5:28-29) (Daniel 12:2) (Revelation 20:12)

The Return Of Christ

We believe in the bodily personal imminent return of Jesus Christ, prior to the tribulation. Jesus will come in the air for His Bride (the saved), He will then return with His own after the tribulation to judge the living nations and to set up His kingdom here on earth ( I Corinthians 15:51-53) (I Thessalonians 4:13-18) (John 14:1-6) (Matthew 24:27-31) (Matthew 25:31-46)

Separation

We believe every believe is I citizen of heaven and a stranger/pilgrim and ambassador of God on this earth, and should not be conformed to the world, we should be separated unto God as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1-2) (I John 2:15-17) (II Corinthians 6:14-18)

The Church 

Jesus Christ is the Foundation of the Church, (Matthew 16:18) (Ephesians 5:24-25) (Colossians1:8), The Church is those who has accepted Jesus Christ for their Savior (Acts 2:41-47) (Matthew 28:18-20), The purpose of the Church is to preach the Gospel, disciple believers, and Administer the ordinances of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:18-20) (Mark 16:15)    (I Corinthians 1:1-2).

The officers of  the Church are,  pastor ( bishop ) and deacons,  (I Timothy 3:1-9) (Acts 6:1-7) (I Timothy 3:8:13)

The Word of God is the sole authority for faith and practice of the church, (II Timothy 3:16-17) (I Timothy4:15-16) (The church has the absolute right of self-government, free from any interference of a hierarchy of individuals or organizations, therefore in all matters of membership, policy, government, ownership of property, discipline, and benevolence, the will of the local church is final). (Matthew 18:15-18) (I Timothy 4:15-16)

The Ordinances

We believe the ordinances of the New Testament church are baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

Baptism: We believe Christian’s baptism is immersion of the believer in water thereby showing the believer’s faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior, Baptism signifies death to sin and resurrection to a new life, Baptism is a requirement to become a member of the local church (Matthew 3:16) (John: 3:23) (Acts 8:36-39) (Romans 6:3-6) (Colossians 2:12)

Communion: We believe when taking the Lord’s Supper should be open communion, and as often as we do, we do in remembrance of our Lord giving of His Body and His Blood for us. (l Corinthians 11-23-34)

Missions

We believe God has given the church a Great commission to proclaim the Gospel to all nations On earth, accordingly as ambassadors of Christ and we must use all available means to go to foreign nations to spread the Gospel (Matthew 28:19-20) (Mark 16:15) (Luke 24:46-48) (John 20:21) (Acts 1:8-11) (Corinthians 5:20)