ARTICLE III – STATEMENT OF FAITH

THE BIBLE –     We believe that God inspired The Bible , God’s infallible written word, the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments. The Bible was uniquely, verbally and fully inspired by the Holy Spirit and was written without error in the original manuscripts. It is the supreme and final authority for all matters of faith and practice.

2 Timothy 3:16-17; Deuteronomy 4:2; 1 Peter 1:25

THE TRINITY –     We believe that God exists in three persons in the Trinity: The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit – each of whom possess equally all the attributes of deity and characteristics of personality.

Matthew 28:19; John 14:25-27a; John 1:33-34

GOD THE FATHER –     We believe that God The Father is the eternal, personal, transcendent and sovereign creator, who in love and joy created and sustains the universe.

1Corinthians 8:6a; Isaiah 64:8; Exodus 20:2-3

GOD THE SON –     We believe that Jesus Christ is God , the Living Word, who became flesh through His miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit and His virgin birth. He came to show us God and perfect humanity. Through His life, death and resurrection we are reconciled to God. He lived a sinless life and vol- untarily atoned for the sins of men on the cross as their substitution, thus satisfying divine justice and providing salvation for all who trust in Him alone. He rose from the dead in the same body, though glorified, in which He lived and died. He ascended bodily into Heaven and sat down at the right hand of God The Father, where He, the only Mediator between God and man, continually makes intercession for His own.

Colossians 1:13-22; Philippians 2:5-11; Isaiah 53; ITimothy 2:5

GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT –    We believe in The Holy Spirit, the third Person of the God-head, who came into the world to reveal and glorify Christ and to apply the saving work of Christ to men. He convicts and draws sinners to Christ, imparts new life to them, continually indwells them from the moment of spiritual birth, and seals them until the Day of Redemption. His fullness, power and control are appropriated in the believer’s life and faith.

Romans 8:9-16; Ephesians 1:13-14; Matthew 3:16-17; Ephesians 4:30

SINFULNESS OF MAN –     We believe that man has inherited a sinful nature from Adam and is utterly depraved. Without salvation through Jesus Christ, there is no forgiveness of sin.

Romans 1:21-32; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23

SALVATION –     We believe the salvation of man is wholly the work of God’s free grace. God imputes His righteousness to those who have faith in Christ alone. It is the privilege of all who are born again of the Spirit to be assured of sal- vation from the very moment in which they trust Christ as Savior.

Salvation and assurance are not from human merit through works or goodness or ceremony; they are produced by the witness of The Holy Spirit who confirms in the believer the testimony of God revealed in His written word.

Romans 10:9-10, 13; Ephesians 2:8-10; Romans 5:8

THE CHURCH –     We believe that Jesus Christ is the head of His body, the Church, which includes all persons, living or dead, who have been joined to Him through saving faith. The Church is the people of God, baptized by the Holy Spirit into one body, who are to live in Christ’s abiding presence until His return.

Colossians 1:15, 18-20; Acts 20:28; Ephesians 3:10,12

THE LOCAL CHURCH –     We believe the local church is a fellowship of believers who, in obedience, gather regularly for worship, prayer, instruction, encouragement, mutual ministry and accountability, to observe the two ordinances given to the church by Jesus Christ: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The local church has been commissioned by Christ, the Head of the church, for all things, to reach lost people and disciple them into fully devoted followers of Christ. The local church is to be led by mature spiritual overseers or elders, as directed by the Spirit and the Word of God under the headship of Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:2; Matthew 18:19-20; Hebrews 10:25

THE FUTURE –    We believe in the personal return of Jesus Christ, in the resurrection of the dead, in God’s judgement of all persons with perfect justice and mercy, and in eternal reward and punishment. Ultimately, Christ’s Kingdom will be victorious over evil and the faithful will reign with Him eternally.

1 Thessalonians 4:14-18; Revelation 20:1-14; 1 Corinthians 15:50-58

SANCTITY OF HUMAN LIFE –     We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image, and life begins at conception. Human life is of inestimable worth in all its (addition 01/27/2016) dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life.

Psalm 139

MARRIAGE GENDER & SEXUALITY –      We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person  as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God b.(addition 01/27/2016) Genesis 1:26-28.

We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture.

Genesis 2:18-25

We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other.

1Corinthians 6:18; 7:2-5; Hebrews 13:4

MATTERS OF BELIEF & CONDUCT –     Our Statement of Faith and Belief does not exhaust the extent of our  beliefs. The Bible itself, as the inspired and infallible Word of God that  speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper b.(addition 01/27/2016) conduct of mankind, is the sole and final source of all that we believe. For purposes of the First Baptist Church of Waldport Oregon’s faith, doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline, our Pastor and Board of Elders are the First Baptist Church of Waldport’s final interpre tive authority on the Bible’s meaning and application.

Acts 20:17, 28; 1Thessalonians 5:12; 1Timothy 3:2; 1Timothy 5:17; Titus 1:9; Hebrews 13:17; 1Peter 5:2