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1. Word
of God
We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, fully inspired and
without error in the original manuscripts, written under the inspiration
of the Holy Spirit, and that it has supreme authority in all matters
of faith and conduct.
2.
The Trinity
We believe that there is one living and true God, eternally existing
in three persons, that these are equal in every divine perfection,
and that they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work
of creation, providence and redemption.
3. God
the Father
We believe in God, the Father, an infinite, personal spirit, perfect
in holiness, wisdom, power and love. We believe that He concerns
Himself mercifully in the affairs of each person, that He hears
and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who
come to Him through Jesus Christ.
4. Jesus
Christ
We believe in Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son, conceived
by the Holy Spirit. We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life,
miracles and teachings. We believe in His substitutionary atoning
death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession
for His people, and personal visible return to earth.
5. Holy
Spirit
We believe in the Holy Spirit who came forth from the Father and
Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment,
and to regenerate, sanctify, and empower all who believe in Jesus
Christ. We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer
in Christ, and that He is an abiding helper, teacher and guide.
6. Regeneration
We believe that all people are sinners by nature and by choice
and are, therefore, under condemnation. We believe that those
who repent of their sins and trust in Jesus Christ as Savior are
regenerated by the Holy Spirit.
7. The
Church
We believe in the universal church, a living spiritual body of
which Christ is the head and all regenerated persons are members.
We believe in the local church, consisting of a company of believers
in Jesus Christ, baptized on a credible profession of faith, and
associated for worship, work and fellowship. We believe that God
has laid upon the members of the local church the primary task
of giving the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world.
8. Christian
Conduct
We believe that Christians should live for the glory of God and
the well-being of others; that their conduct should be blameless
before the world; that they should be faithful stewards of their
possessions; and that they should seek to realize for themselves
and others the full stature of maturity in Christ.
9. The
Ordinances
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances
to the local church: baptism and the Lord's Supper. We believe
that Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water
into the name of the triune God. We believe that the Lord's Supper
was instituted by Christ for commemoration of His death. We believe
that these two ordinances should be observed and administered
until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
10. Religious
Liberty
We believe that every human being has direct relations with God,
and is responsible to God alone in all matters of faith; that
each church is independent and must be free from interference
by any ecclesiastical or political authority; that therefore Church
and State must be kept separate as having different functions,
each fulfilling its duties free from dictation or patronage of
the other.
11. Church
Cooperation
We believe that local churches can best promote the cause of Jesus
Christ by cooperating with one another in a denominational organization.
Such an organization, whether it is the Conference or a district
conference, exists and functions by the will of the churches.
Cooperation in a conference is voluntary and may be terminated
at any time. Churches may likewise cooperate with interdenominational
fellowships on a voluntary independent basis.
12. Marriage
We believe
that God has ordained marriage as a monogamous spiritual and physical
union between a man and a woman for the glory of God; and which
union, as affirmed to us by our Lord, Jesus Christ, and the Apostle
Paul, ahs been placed by God as a divine institution of the highest
order.
13. The
Last Things
We believe in the personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus
Christ to earth and the establishment of His kingdom. We believe
in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, the eternal
felicity of the righteous, and the endless suffering of the wicked.
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Adopted by the Baptist General Conference in 1951, reaffirmed
in 1990 and amended in 1998.