WHAT WE BELIEVE
Section 1: The Bible
We believe the Bible to be the pure Word of God, wholly true, from which nothing can be subtracted and to which nothing can be added. We believe in the plenary, verbal inspiration of the Scriptures in their original manuscripts.
Section 2: God
We believe that there is one and only one living and true God. He is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal Being, the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver and Ruler of the universe. God is infinite in holiness and all other perfections. To Him we owe the highest love, reverence, and obedience. The eternal God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence or being. God as Father reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, and the flow of the stream of human history according to the purposes of His grace. He is all powerful, all loving, and all wise. God is Father in truth to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. He is fatherly in His attitude toward all man.
Section 3: Christ and His Kingdom
We believe in Jesus Christ, the second person of the Godhead, co-equal and co-eternal with God, God's unique Son, as the God-man born of a virgin, sinless in His life; that He died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, as a substitutionary sacrifice for us; that all who believe in Him are justified on the grounds of His shed blood and reconciled by His death; that He not only died on the cross for our sins, but that He was resurrected bodily for our justification; that He is now at the right hand of God the Father, acting as our High Priest and our Advocate before the Father; that He is coming again in power at any time and shall rule supreme over this universe.
Section 4: The Holy Spirit
We believe in the person of the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead, co-equal and co-eternal with God the Father and God the Son and who exists in the world today to reveal the fullness of Christ, convicting the world of sin, of righteousness and judgment, regenerating, sanctifying and sealing forever those who have been born again through faith in Jesus Christ. We believe that no one can be saved from sin or be born again without the supernatural activity of the Holy Spirit in his life. We believe that no one can attach himself to the Body of Christ unless the Holy Spirit energizes that attachment. We believe the Holy Spirit provides the necessary spiritual, mental and physical gifts to individuals within each element of God's church for the care of fellow Christians and to accomplish God's will.
Section 5: Salvation
We believe that each individual is born in sin and therefore is a sinner by nature, having nothing whereby he might justify himself before God the Father; that each individual must therefore receive the death of Jesus Christ and the shedding of His blood on the cross as for himself, and in repentance must ask God's forgiveness for his sins; that having received Jesus Christ as his Savior and Lord by faith, he is spiritually saved or born again; that in regeneration the Holy Spirit is sent to permanently indwell, enable and empower the believer to walk in newness of life. Each believer is thereby a child of God and a member of the family of God for time and eternity.
Section 6: The Church
A. The Church of Jesus Christ.
We believe the Church of Jesus Christ consists of those who have personally believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who are born again, and baptized into His Body by the Holy Spirit. These believers constitute the Body or the Bride of Christ. This church consists of individual believers meeting and worshipping as groups of believers anywhere in the world. No one belongs to the Church of Jesus Christ simply by virtue of having his name on a church roll or attending services with a local congregation. In spite of minor doctrinal differences and practices existing among local churches, members of the Body of Christ are to love, appreciate and bear the burdens of other Christians.
B. The Local Church.
Since the time of the New Testament, groups of believers have banded together to praise and worship God, share their gifts of the Holy Spirit for the common good of the congregation, and jointly carry the message of salvation to the community and area. It is in this sense that BETHSAIDA BAPTIST CHURCH exists and is known as such. The local church is composed of born-again believers who have voluntarily united together for the purposes of worshipping God, ministering to the saints (fellow believers), evangelizing the world and discipling new believers. It provides an opportunity for those who are of the same mind in Christ to meet together for the study of God's Word,, common prayer, social contact and mutual uplifting. Bethsaida Baptist Church will never seek to exclude from its general fellowship other believers who may belong to other churches or other denominations or who may differ from us in minor matters, but nevertheless belong to the Body of Christ.
We believe the Church of Jesus Christ consists of those who have personally believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who are born again, and baptized into His Body by the Holy Spirit. These believers constitute the Body or the Bride of Christ. This church consists of individual believers meeting and worshipping as groups of believers anywhere in the world. No one belongs to the Church of Jesus Christ simply by virtue of having his name on a church roll or attending services with a local congregation. In spite of minor doctrinal differences and practices existing among local churches, members of the Body of Christ are to love, appreciate and bear the burdens of other Christians.
B. The Local Church.
Since the time of the New Testament, groups of believers have banded together to praise and worship God, share their gifts of the Holy Spirit for the common good of the congregation, and jointly carry the message of salvation to the community and area. It is in this sense that BETHSAIDA BAPTIST CHURCH exists and is known as such. The local church is composed of born-again believers who have voluntarily united together for the purposes of worshipping God, ministering to the saints (fellow believers), evangelizing the world and discipling new believers. It provides an opportunity for those who are of the same mind in Christ to meet together for the study of God's Word,, common prayer, social contact and mutual uplifting. Bethsaida Baptist Church will never seek to exclude from its general fellowship other believers who may belong to other churches or other denominations or who may differ from us in minor matters, but nevertheless belong to the Body of Christ.
Section 7: Doctrinal Distinctiveness
A. Christ.
The pre-eminence of Jesus Christ as our risen, living Lord and Savior.
B. Scriptures.
The supreme authority and profitability of the Scriptures. We believe in the verbal plenary inspiration of the Old and New Testament in their original manuscripts.
C. Priesthood of Believers.
The competency of the individual to direct approach and access to God.
The pre-eminence of Jesus Christ as our risen, living Lord and Savior.
B. Scriptures.
The supreme authority and profitability of the Scriptures. We believe in the verbal plenary inspiration of the Old and New Testament in their original manuscripts.
C. Priesthood of Believers.
The competency of the individual to direct approach and access to God.
Section 8: The Symbolic Ordinances
A. Baptism.
We believe in baptism by immersion as the Lord was baptized as an act of obedience. We further believe that the physical element
of water in baptism does not save a sinner but is a voluntary external testimony to the work which the Holy Spirit has already done in the heart of the believer. We believe a person is baptized by the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ upon conversion.
B. The Lord's Supper.
Jesus said: “This do in remembrance of Me.” We believe the physical elements of bread and the fruit of the vine are not the actual body and blood of Christ but are symbolic of His body broken for us and His blood which was shed for our justification before God. In BETHSAIDA BAPTIST CHURCH, all persons of like faith and order are invited to partake of communion. This ordinance will be observed at least once each quarter, usually on each fifth Sunday. The Lord's Supper is always an occasion of remembrance and self–examination and is not to be taken of unworthily.
We believe in baptism by immersion as the Lord was baptized as an act of obedience. We further believe that the physical element
of water in baptism does not save a sinner but is a voluntary external testimony to the work which the Holy Spirit has already done in the heart of the believer. We believe a person is baptized by the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ upon conversion.
B. The Lord's Supper.
Jesus said: “This do in remembrance of Me.” We believe the physical elements of bread and the fruit of the vine are not the actual body and blood of Christ but are symbolic of His body broken for us and His blood which was shed for our justification before God. In BETHSAIDA BAPTIST CHURCH, all persons of like faith and order are invited to partake of communion. This ordinance will be observed at least once each quarter, usually on each fifth Sunday. The Lord's Supper is always an occasion of remembrance and self–examination and is not to be taken of unworthily.