Atonement: By His death Christ has paid the debt that sinners owe to God for their disobedience. This debt is not monetary but judicial. We are criminals who have broken God’s law and violated His perfect righteousness. We deserve a punishment that fits the crime. But God sent His Son to pay our penalty for us (Romans 3:25-26; Hebrews 2:17; 1 John 2:2 and 4:10). Just as Jesus took Barabbas’ place on the cross, He has taken our place. He has died the death we deserved for our sins. He has paid the price (Mark 10:45; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:18-19). He has taken our sins away. Now, we may live forever (Colossians 1:13) if we have placed on faith in Jesus Christ as our atonement.
Baptism: Scripture teaches that baptism is an ordinance of the Lord, is performed by professing believers after conversion, and is one of the first acts of Christian obedience (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:38). Biblical baptism is always by total immersion in water and symbolizes the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Romans 6:1-6). Historically, Baptists have taught that it is necessary for church membership and the Lord’s Supper. Scripture is clear that baptism is not essential for salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Creation: There is much debate about evolution and Intelligent Design, how old the earth is and what happened to the dinosaurs. Genesis 1-3 does not answer all of our questions. But, it answers the most important: Who is God? First of all, He is. There is a God. This God is sovereign; He spoke things and they were. He is good; all that He created was good. He loves; He created man in His image that we might know Him and love Him. He is gracious; He has given us all that we need. Most importantly, He has given us a Savior. He promised Him in Genesis 3:15. He sent Him in John 3:16. Our God is an awesome God!
Deity of Christ: In Constantinople (381 A.D.), pastors from all over Christendom assembled and put into words what the Bible teaches about Christ. They wrote: “We believe… in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten of the Father, only-begotten, that is, of the substance of the Father, God of God, Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten not made, of one substance with the Father, through whom all things were made, things in heaven and things on the earth; who for us men and for our salvation came down and was made flesh, and became man, suffered, and rose on the third day, ascended into the heavens, and is coming to judge living and dead.” These truths are essential to the gospel, and we must continue teach and believe these biblical truths if the world is going to know the real Savior of the world: Jesus.
Evangelism: In the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20) Jesus tells us that we are to be about making disciples. When are we to be making disciples? The answer is “As we go” or “While we are going.” In other words we are to be sharing gospel all the time. Evangelism is not a program but a lifestyle. It is to be a lifestyle that people can see, through our changed lives and a lifestyle that people can hear through our intentional verbal presentation of the good news of Jesus Christ. Evangelism is not only our duty but also it is our joy and our privilege.
Faith: God does not force His gracious offer of salvation on us. Following the model of covenant relationships found in the Old Testament, God initiates the saving relationship with man, providing the sacrifice necessary to atone for our sins. However, to enter into this relationship, man must trust God’s gracious offer. This faith that God demands is more than a simple acknowledgement of the facts of the Gospel. It requires that we acknowledge our sins, repent, and surrender our very beings to the only Person who can save us, Jesus Christ.
Gospel: The word gospel means “good news.” The Bible teaches that God is the holy and loving creator of the universe. However, mankind’s sin has separated us from God. This turning away from sin has affected all of humanity and because our sin is against an infinitely perfect and holy God, we deserve death. In this bleak condition, the good news is that while we were still sinners Jesus died for us! Out of His great love for His creation and for His own glory, God ransomed us by punishing Jesus, our willing substitute and glorious Lord. Now He calls people to lay aside their pride and rebellion and be reconciled to Himself by being united to Jesus through faith.
Hell: There is much confusion today about hell in the church and in the world. However, the Bible’s teaching about hell is very clear. 1) Hell will be the future home of the angels who rebelled against God in heaven (2 Peter 2:4). 2) Hell will be the abode of all people who have not placed their faith in Jesus Christ for salvation (Revelation 20:15). 2) Hell is for all sinners, not just those who commit murder or adultery (Matthew 5:22). 3) Hell is more than just being separated from God. It is a place of punishment (Matthew 10:48). 4) Hell is eternal. Sinful man has violated the infinite holiness of God and is deserving of infinite punishment. This punishment, like the saints’ reward in heaven, will never end but continue into eternity (Mark 9:42-48).
Inspiration: The Bible is the Word of God. The Apostle Paul says that all Scripture is “God breathed” (2 Tim. 3:16). This is where we get the word inspired (and inspiration). This inspiration means that God supernaturally influenced the writers so that what they willingly wrote is exactly what God wanted them to write. Peter says that the Bible was written by men as the Holy Spirit moved them (2 Peter 1: 19-21). God spoke through the human authors of Scripture to produce an inerrant, infallible revelation of Himself and His acts of redemption for His people.
Justification: Justification is the linchpin of evangelical theology. By it we stand or fall. It is the basis by which we may be saved. In justifying sinners God imputes Christ’s righteousness to us, His perfect obedience becomes ours, and God declares us innocent. Our role in all this? Faith. We must trust God to do what He has promised through the work of Jesus Christ.
Knowledge of God: The Scriptures teach that God knows all things past, present and future. We summarize this by saying that God is omniscient or all knowing. While many today reject this idea of God’s exhaustive knowledge, we hold firm to the Scripture and to this historical Christian doctrine. In the book of Isaiah God dismisses the “gods” of the pagans because they have no knowledge of the future (Isaiah 41:21-24). Then God provides the proof of His Lordship by His ability not only to tell future events but to sovereignly control them (Isaiah 46:8-11). This is the God to whom we humbly submit and gratefully praise!
Lordship Salvation: The call to salvation is a call to discipleship. This is what “Lordship Salvation” means. When a person puts their faith in Christ and repents of their sins, by the grace of God they have become a new creature. What naturally flows from that decision is a total submission to Jesus as “Lord.” Jesus said in Luke 9:23, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” Salvation is not about me, but only about Christ. It is an exchange of all that I am for all that He is.
Man: God created man in His image as the crown of His creation to bring glory to Himself. Man willingly chose to disobey his Creator and as sin entered the world though one man, and death through sin, so death spread to all men, because all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Therefore, man is separated from God and is incapable of pleasing God apart from God’s own grace.
New Covenant: The New Covenant was promised by God through the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31). Under the New Covenant God’s people are saved entirely by God’s grace through faith in His Chosen One, Jesus. This covenant replaces the Old Covenant which, though given by God’s grace as well, required perfect obedience to God’s Law. No fallen human being can comply with this requirement. Thus, we need something else. We need a Savior who could do this for us. In Jesus Christ, the True Israel (Galatians 3:16), the Old Covenant has been fulfilled. Believers today are counted righteous under the New Covenant because of Christ’s obedience under the Old.
Omnipotence: Omnipotence is an attribute of God, which refers to His ability to do whatever He wills in the way that He wills it. However, He does not do anything contrary to His own nature of wisdom and holiness. God’s eternal purposes for history are not frustrated, but fulfilled in the way He chose to accomplish them (Eph. 1:11).
Perseverance and Preservation of the Saints: The Bible teaches that all people who have been saved by God’s grace will continue in their faith and will never ultimately fall away. While we do not prefer the common phrase “Once saved, always saved”, we do agree with the intent. The Bible says that God will guard His children and not one will be lost (John 6:39 and 1 Peter 1:5). As God’s adopted children who have been redeemed by Christ, we can rest assured that nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8, John 10:27-28). The condition to this promise is that it is only for those who have truly been born again (John 8:31-32, Colossians 1:21-23, 1 John 2:19).
Quiet: Quietness is unfamiliar to most, but found throughout Scripture. The Bible gives examples of men who desired quietness. Scripture demands silence before the Lord (Zephaniah 1:7). David tells his soul to “wait in silence for God only” (Psalm 62:5). In quietness Elijah heard the gentle whisper of God (1 King 19:11-13). God gives us quietness so the heart is humbled, the soul is refreshed, and the mind hears the whisper of God.
Temptation: A temptation is the effort of the devil, world, or flesh to draw us away from Christ and to sin against His commands. We are tempted in a threefold manner: the lust of the flesh and eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16); but we are never tempted by God (James 1:13). Because of giving into temptation all have sinned and deserve death (Romans 3:23; 6:23), but because Christ overcome temptation believers are declared righteous on His merit (Matthew 4:1-11, Hebrews 9:13-14; Romans 3:24).
Unmerited Grace: The unmerited grace of God speaks of God’s kind gift of salvation according to His own will and purposes. Unmerited grace is given by God to unworthy creatures who in no way deserve or can repay God’s goodness for they are children deserving of punishment instead (Ephesians 2:3). Unmerited grace speaks specifically of God’s gift of salvation to sinners who deserve nothing but God’s wrath who, nonetheless, enjoy the favor of God not because of who they are but because of who He is (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Victory: Can the non-Christian ever claim final victory? Is it just an end to life’s pain? A respite from suffering? In stark contrast to the unsatisfying “answers” of the unbeliever, Christianity characterizes victory very differently. 1 Cor. 15:54-55 records that “Death is swallowed up in victory.” It is grounded in the most investigated event of the last 2,000 years–Christ’s supernatural bodily resurrection from the dead. Had he remained in the tomb, we would be without hope; but for anyone with eyes to see and ears to hear, that tomb is filled with many people today–all looking for someone –who is not there. He sits in heaven as King of kings and Lord of lords. What greater victory could there be? By virtue of His resurrection, we know that life does not signify nothing, as one of Shakespeare’s characters cried. Rather, victory is assured; because He lives, we also will live.
Worship: Our English word means “worth-ship,” denoting the worthiness of an individual to receive special honor in accordance with that worth. The principle in biblical terms is applied in most cases to God. Our worship of Him is pure adoration, the lifting up of the redeemed spirit toward Him because of His holy perfection. Our Lord made possible a more intelligent worship by revealing the incarnate Son, Jesus. As the Messiah, He is deserving of the same reverence as God (John 9:38; 20:28; Heb. 1:6; Rev. 5:6-14).