OUR PURPOSE

Praise God

The purpose of this church is to proclaim the Word of God in its entirety that sinners may come to repentance and be born again through faith in Jesus Christ: that saints may be edified in the Christian faith and be made useful for His service; and, that the heathen in the uttermost part of the earth may receive from our hands the gospel of God’s grace expressed in the shed blood and finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary.

These purposes are to be accomplished through prayer, singing praises, reading, expounding and preaching the Word of God, administering Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, exercising discipline, and making collections for the support of the ministry.

OUR BELIEFS

The Bible

We believe that the Bible, consisting of the sixty-six canonical books of the Old and New Testaments, was, as originally given, written by holy men of God as they were moved by the Holy Spirit; that it is verbally inspired of God; that it is inerrant, sufficient, and eternal, and therefore of supreme and final authority in faith and life. For all church functions, we will use literal and reliable translations: eg. KJV, NKJV, NASB, and ESV. The selection of such literal and reliable translations will be the responsibility of the church elders. (Psalm 19:7-11; 119:89; II Timothy 3:-16-17; II Peter 1:16-21).

God

We believe in the triune nature of God: that there is but one God existing in three Persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – who are all Co-eternal and Co-equal (John 16:7-15; I John 5:1-8).


The Father: We believe that God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, is the Heavenly Father to all who have come to a saving knowledge of His only begotten Son (John 1:14; I Peter 1:3-5).


The Son, Jesus Christ: We believe in the absolute Deity of Jesus Christ. His incarnation by means of the Holy Spirit’s conception and virgin birth, His sinless life and miraculous ministry on earth, His death on the cross as a substitutionary atonement for the sins of all men, His bodily resurrection from among the dead, His exaltation to the right hand of the majesty on high as Lord, Mediator, Priest, and Advocate, and His personal imminent return to bring into consummation His work of redemption by ultimate triumph over Satan and his hosts (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-56; 2:1-20; Hebrews 4:15; 7:26; John 3:1-2; 20:30-31; I Corinthians 15:1-28; Hebrews 4:14; 7:25; 9:24; I Peter 1:18-21).


The Holy Spirit: We believe in the personality and deity of the Holy Spirit, that it is by His energy that sinners are brought under conviction of sin and are drawn to Jesus Christ for salvation, that through Him men are regenerated and sanctified, that by Him saints are indwelt with the Divine Presence, and that by His endowment and imbuement God’s people are to serve the Lord acceptably. We believe that He is the Divine Witness, Seal, Earnest, Anointing, Guide, Teacher, and Administrator (John 14:26; 16:7-13; Acts 1:5,8; Romans 8:14-27; 15:16; I Corinthians 12:1-14; II Corinthians 1:21-22; Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30; 5:18; I John 2:20,27).

The Second Advent of Jesus Christ

We believe in the pre-tribulational, pre-millennial, personal, imminent, coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in the air for all who are in Jesus Christ, our “Blessed Hope”; and the post-tribulational visible appearance of our Lord with His saints on the earth to set up His millennial kingdom (Matthew 24:29-30; Luke 1:31-33; with Acts 1:6-7, with Isaiah 11; I Thessalonians 4:16-17; 5:9-10; Jude 14; Revelation 19; 11-16).

Creation

We believe that the entire universe was brought into existence by the creating act of the great Triune God and that the creation account represents seven literal days (Gen 1:1-2:3, John 1:1-3).

Man

We believe that man was originally created by God in His image, but that by disobedience to his Creator he incurred both physical and spiritual death, and that the entire human race was plunged into sin and death; that all men inherit an evil nature and are totally depraved, and if not saved after the time of accountability will endure eternal punishment in the lake of fire (Genesis 1:26-27; 2:7-3:24; Matthew 18:10-14; Romans 5:12; 6:23; 8:5-8; I Corinthians 15:45; Galatians 5:17; II Samuel 12:23; Revelation 20:14-15).

Satan

We believe in the personality of Satan, “the old serpent, the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world”, that he is the arch-enemy of God and man, and that in God’s own appointed time he will suffer ultimate defeat at the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ and will be tormented throughout eternity in the fires of Hell (Isaiah 14:12-17; Matthew 4:1-11; John 8:44; Revelation 12:9-10; 20:1-2,7-10).

Sin

We believe in the universality and exceeding sinfulness of sin and that there is no remission of sins apart from the shedding of the blood of the Son of God and man’s repentance (Ezekiel 18:4; Luke 24:46-47; Romans 3:10-26; 6:23; 7:13-14; Hebrews 9:22; I Peter 1:18-19).

Salvation

The Atonement: We believe in the single substitutionary sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ for sinners, One for all and once for all; that salvation is wholly of divine grace apart from any works of merit of the sinner; that it is provided in the atonement of Jesus Christ, wrought by God, and is received by a sinner when he repents towards God and puts his trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as his own personal Savior; that all who receive the Lord Jesus Christ by personal faith as Savior, are thereby born again, and have eternal life through the indwelling of Jesus Christ; that the unbelievers will suffer eternally for their sins (Psalm 49:7; Jonah 2:9; Mark 1:14-15; Luke 13:3; 24:46-47; John 1:1-13; 3:16,18,36; 5:24; 8:24; Acts 16:31; 17:30-31; 20:20-21; Romans 4:2-5; 5:8; 10:9-10; II Corinthians 5:14; Galatians 6:15; Ephesians 2:8-10; I Timothy 4:10; Titus 3:4-7; Hebrews 10:10; I John 5:11-12; Revelation 21:8).


The Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers: We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Jesus Christ forever (John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Romans 8:1,38-39; I Corinthians 1:4-8; I Peter 1:5). We believe that it is the privilege of the believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word; which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh (Romans 13:13-14; Galatians 5:13; Titus 2:11-15).


The Two Natures of the Believer: We believe that every saved person possesses two natures, with provisions for the victory of the spiritual nature over the carnal, fleshly soul-filled nature through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, and that all claims to the eradication of the old nature in this life are unscriptural (Romans 6:13; 8:12-13; Galatians 5:16-25; Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:10; I Peter 1:14-16; I John 3:5-9).


Sanctification: We believe in the positional sanctification of each believer in Jesus Christ at the time of salvation, and a practical sanctification which is progressive, depending upon the believer’s appropriation of divine means; and all without a second work of grace (John 17:17; I Corinthians 1:2,30).

The Church

The Body of Jesus Christ: We believe that the Church, the body of Jesus Christ, is a spiritual body made up of all born again believers of this present age; that it was constituted and empowered by the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost; that it was purchased with the blood of Jesus Christ; that it was founded upon Jesus Christ; that its mission is to bear to the ends of the earth a spirit-filled testimony to the judgment of God against sin and the salvation of sinners who repent towards God and exercise faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 16:17-18; 28:18-20; Acts 2; I Corinthians 3:11; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 5:25-27; Colossians 1:18).


The Local Church: We believe that the establishment and the continuance of the local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures; that a local New Testament church is a body of believers in Jesus Christ that have followed the Lord Jesus Christ through the waters of baptism, associated together under the direction and government of the Holy Spirit for worship, instruction, fellowship, service, and the spread of the gospel to the uttermost part of the earth; that it is absolutely sovereign, under the administration of the Holy Spirit, in the handling of its own affairs and in determining its own relationship (Matthew 16:17-18; 28:18-20; Acts 14:27; 20:17, 28-37; I Corinthians 3:9-17; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 5:25,17; Colossians 1:18; I Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11).

Ordinances

Baptism: We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the Name of the Father, the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; that it sets forth in picture the essential facts in redemption – the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the essential facts in the experience of the believer – death to sin and resurrection to walk in newness of life, and the essential facts in the hope of the believer – that he should experience physical death and he will be raised from the dead to participate in the glory of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Matthew 26:13-20; Romans 6:4).


The Lord’s Supper: We believe that the Lord’s Supper is a commemoration of the Lord’s death to be observed until He comes; the bread and the fruit of the vine are only symbols of His broken body and shed blood, and that our observance of it is a pictorial testimony of the believer’s fellowship with the crucified Savior and should be preceded by solemn heart-searching and self-judgment(Matthew 26:26-30; I Corinthians 10:16-21; 11:17-34).

Civil Government

We believe that all governmental authority is ordained of God for the good of the citizens under its jurisdiction, that the believers in Jesus Christ are to be the most ardent to obey its every ordinance for the Lord’s sake, and that we are to faithfully pray for those who occupy civil authority. We believe, however, in the separation of church and state, that each hath been ordained of God to render service in entirely different spheres and for different purposes (Matthew 22:21; Romans 13:1-7; I Timothy 2:1-6).

World Evangelism

We believe that it is the heart’s desire of Almighty God to save sinners, that He has committed Himself to the faithful witness of His redeemed children to reach them with the gospel, and that He has commissioned His people to be diligent and zealous in proclaiming the saving message of Jesus Christ throughout all of the world so that sinners will be persuaded to repent of their sins, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thus be saved (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:46-48; Acts 1:8; I Timothy 2:3-6; II Peter 3:9).

The Separated Life

We believe in the separation of believers unto Jesus Christ and from the world so as to maintain good works and to have no fellowship with the evil works of darkness but rather reprove them; that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon our Savior and Lord; and, that separation from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices, and associations is commanded by God. We therefore urge upon every member of Berean Baptist Church to abstain from every questionable thing, keeping himself/herself from “every appearance of evil”, according to the teachings of God’s Holy Word (Romans 12:1-2; 14:13; II Corinthians 6:14-18; Galatians 5:6; 17:23; Ephesians 2:8-10; 4:1-32; Philippians 2:12-16; II Thessalonians 3:11-12; II Timothy 3:1-5; Titus 3:1-11; James 4:4; I Peter 4:12-19; I John 2:15-16; II John 9-11).

Eternity

We believe that eternity will be composed of Heaven and Hell: that Heaven is a place of eternal blessedness and that Hell is the place of eternal suffering; that all true believers in Jesus Christ will be fully redeemed from sin’s penalty, power, and presence, will be glorified with the Lord when He comes, and will enjoy the blessing of the unbroken fellowship with God in Heaven forever; that all the unrepentant sinners and rebels against God will be judged by the Lord Jesus Christ according to their deeds, without respect of persons, by the glorious gospel of God, and will be cast out from God’s presence to suffer the torments of the Lake of Fire in Hell forever (Matthew 25:46; Luke 16:19-31; Romans 2:1-16; II Corinthians 5:1-10; Philippians 3:20; Revelation 20:1-15; 21:22).


We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment (Matthew 25:46; John 5:28-29; 11:25-26; Revelation 20:5-6, 12-13).


We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord Jesus Christ, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection, when spirit, soul, and body, are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord (Luke 23:43; Revelation 20:4-6;l II Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23; 3:21; I Thessalonians 4:16-17).


We believe that the souls of the unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious misery until the second resurrection, when with soul and body reunited they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment, and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment (Luke 16:19-26; Matthew 25:41-46; II Thessalonians 1:7-9; Jude 6-7; Mark 9:43-48; Revelation 20:11-15).