Statement of Faith – Rose City Baptist Church
WE BELIEVE:
1. The Scriptures
That the Holy Scriptures were divinely inspired by God and given to man as the only complete and final revelation of the will of God to man. By the "Holy Scriptures," we mean that collection of sixty-six books, from Genesis through Revelation, which we believe is the very Word of God. Because inspiration without preservation would be meaningless, and the original manuscripts are no longer in existence, God has supernaturally and providentially preserved His Word, without error, for us today in the KJV English interpretation of the Holy Scriptures. We believe that this preserved Word is the final authority for us in all matters of faith, doctrine, and practice. Finally, we believe that those who claim to be "born-again or saved" should not only believe the Word, but also do what it commands and teaches.
(Psalm 12:6-7; 11 Timothy 3:15-17; James 1:22-25; ll Peter 1:21)
2. The True God
That there is but one true and living God, eternally existing and manifesting Himself to us in three divine Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, who are equal in every divine perfection and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption.
(Genesis 1:26; Isaiah 45:21-22; Matthew 28:19; John 10:30; 14:10, 26; 15:26; I John 5:7)
3. The Son of God
That the Lord Jesus Christ, eternal with the Father, was begotten of the Holy Ghost in a miraculous manner, born of Mary, a virgin, and is both the Son of God and God the Son. He is both true man and true God; one person with two natures; tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin.
(Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-35; John 1:1, 2, 14; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 4:14-15)
4. The Holy Ghost
That the Holy Ghost convicts of sin, converts the repentant sinner and places him into Christ, seals the believer, interprets the Scripture, and endues God’s children with power to be bold witnesses.
(John 16:8-11; John 3:5-6; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 2:10-14; 12:13; Ephesians 1:13-14)
5. Satan
That Satan was once perfect in his ways before God until iniquity was found in him. Through pride and ambition to be as the Almighty, he fell and drew after him a host of angels. He is now the prince of the power of the air, and the unholy god of this world. We hold him to be man’s great tempter, the enemy of God and Jesus Christ, the accuser of the brethren, and the author of all false religions. He is destined, however, to final defeat at the hands of God’s Son and the judgment of an eternal justice in the lake of fire, a place prepared for him and for his angels, as well as all of the unbelievers of the ages.
(Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:12-17; John 8:44; II Corinthians 4:4; I Peter 5:8-9; Revelation 12:9-10; 20:10)
6. Creation
In the seven day Genesis account of creation, and that it is to be accepted literally, and not allegorically or figuratively; that man was created directly in God’s own image and after His own likeness; that man’s creation was not a matter of evolution or evolutionary changes of species, or development through interminable periods of time from lower to higher forms; that all animal and vegetable life was made directly; and God established that they should bring forth only "after their kind." We reject any form of theistic or atheistic evolution.
(Genesis 1:1; Exodus 20:11; John 1:3; Romans 1:20; Revelation 10:6)
7. Sin
That Adam was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam’s sin the human race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God; so all men are sinners by birth and by choice and are of themselves utterly unable to remedy their lost condition. Thus, the need for the wages of every individual's sin had to be paid by a perfect Saviour, Jesus Christ, who did not sin but died for individual man thereby paying that debt for whosoever will receive Him.
(Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 3:22-23; 5:12; 6:23; Ephesians 2:l-3; 4:17-19)
8. Salvation
That salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace. It is received by repentance toward God and personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who shed His precious blood on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins. We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be born again, and that the new birth is instantaneous and not a process.
(Jeremiah 7:14; Joel 2:32; John 1:12, 3:3; Acts 20:21; Romans 10:9-13; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-10; I Peter 1:18-19)
9. Eternal Salvation
That all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are secure in Christ forever. However, we believe that God’s Word clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh.
(John 3:15-16, 6:47, 10:27-29; Romans 8:34-39; Galatians 5:13; Ephesians 4:30; 1 John 5:12-13)
10. Heaven and Hell
That those who have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation do, at death, immediately pass into His presence to be with the Lord in Heaven.
We believe that unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious misery in hell until the Great White Throne Judgment at the close of the millennium. Upon final judgement, they shall be cast into the lake of fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting torment.
We wholly reject any teaching of purgatory, soul sleep or stasis, or any other teaching that takes away from the finality and seriousness of the judgement of God on the unbeliever.
(Luke 16:19-26; 23:43; 1 Corinthians 15:53-58; II Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; II Thessalonians 1:7-9; Revelation 20:1-15)
11. The Church
That church was established on Earth in the wilderness according to Acts 7:38. It continues as a congregation and assembly of baptized believers, associated together by a covenant of faith, based solely upon the Word of God. The offices of ordination pertain to pastors and deacons, which should be elders, not novices and first proven. We believe in the autonomy of the local church, free from any external authority or control. We believe the mission of the church is to realize their assembly and meeting place is a continuation and pattern of what God laid forth in the Scriptures. Its members are to preach the Gospel to the lost, baptize those that believe, and teach and instruct them in the Word of God so that they may grow thereby.
(Exodus 25:9, 40; 1 Chronicles 28:12; Psalm 74:2; Matthew 18:15-20; 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; 6:1-7, 7:38; 1 Corinthians 11:20-34; I Timothy 3:1-13; II Timothy 2:2)
12. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper
That salvation must precede water baptism. We believe that Scriptural baptism is the immersion in water of a believer, in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost under the authority of the local church. It is to picture, in a solemn and beautiful emblem, our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, showing forth our death to sin and resurrection to a new life. Salvation and baptism are prerequisite to the privilege of church membership.
The Lord’s Supper was a Passover remembrance and command by Jesus to an assembled local group of believers as a church in Jerusalem. Later repeated by the Apostle Paul to the church in Corinth was the reminder of this ordinance and solemn use of unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine (unfermented grape juice). These are to commemorate the love of Christ shown at Calvary by the giving of His body and blood. This ordinance should always be preceded by explanation and solemn self-examination, realizing that we are showing forth the Lord’s death till He comes.
(Matthew 3:16; 28:19-20; John 3:23; Acts 2:41-42; 8:36-39; Romans 6:3-5; I Corinthians 11:23-31; Colossians 2:12)
13. Separation
In the Scriptural doctrine of separation which encompasses three things: (1) the separation of the local church from all affiliation with those who deny the verities of the "faith which was once delivered to the saints, and those who teach that salvation, at any time or for anyone. was another plan other than the will of God in Christ Jesus who was the lamb slain from the foundation of the world; (2) the separation of the individual believer from all worldly practices that may dishonor the Saviour; and (3) the separation of powers between church and state.
(Psalm 74:2; Romans 12:1-2; II Corinthians 6:14-7:1; II Thessalonians 3:6, 14, 15; 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 1:2; 1 Peter 1:20; 1 John 2:15-17; I John 9-11; Jude 3)
14. Giving
That God’s method of financing His earthly work of spreading the Gospel to all nations, the care of the churches, and the support of the ministry is by the tithes and offerings of God’s people given through their local church. We believe that the time to tithe and give offerings is as soon as possible after God has blessed with an income or increase or prosper. We believe God has established that the tithe is the Lord’s, and that every Christian should also give other offerings, sacrificially and cheerfully.
(Proverbs 3:9-10; Malachi 3:8-10; Acts 4:34-37; 1 Corinthians 16:2; II Corinthians 9:6-7; Galatians 6:6; I Timothy 5:17-18)
15. Missions
That all men everywhere are lost and condemned, and that the command to go and preach the Gospel to the world is clear and unmistakable. God has given the church a great commission to proclaim the Gospel to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem, Judaea, Samaria and to the uttermost, so that there might be a great multitude from every nation and tribe who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
(Psalm 67:2, 96:3; Isaiah 45:22; Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8)
16. The Second Coming
In the return of Jesus Christ for all believers. This event will happen "in a moment" and all believers alive will be caught up in the air to meet the Lord joining all believers already present with Him. We then shall spend seven years in Heaven with the Lord. During these seven years, the earth will experience the great Tribulation, also known as a time of "Jacob's trouble." At the end of the Tribulation, Christ will personally and visibly return with His saints to establish His earthly Messianic kingdom which was promised to the nation Israel.
(Isaiah 9:6-7; Jeremiah 30:7; Luke 1:32-33; Acts 1:11; I Corinthians 15:51-55; I Thessalonians 3:13; Revelation 1:7)
17. Unchaste Conduct
That God ordained marriage between one man and one woman and that is His will. The two becoming one includes the intimate relationship between that one man and one woman. God has commanded that no intimate physical or mental, sexual in nature, activity be engaged in with any other person or animal or AI created things. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, and pornography is a sinful perversion of God’s original intent for a healthy relationship between a husband and wife defined in scripture as male for the husband and female for the wife.
(Genesis 2:24; Leviticus 18:1-30; Romans 1:20-32; I Corinthians 5:1; 6:9, 16; I Thessalonians 4:l-8; Hebrews 13:4)
18. Abortion
That human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, inexcusable taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the mental well-being of the mother are acceptable.
(Job 3:16; Psalm 51:5; 139:14-16; Isaiah 44:24; 49:1, 5; Jeremiah 1:5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:44)
19. Civil Government
That God has ordained and created all authority which consists of three basic institutions: (1) the home; (2) the church; and (3) the state. Every person is subject to these authorities, but all (including the authorities themselves) are answerable to God and are governed by His Word. God has given each institution specific Scriptural responsibilities and has balanced those responsibilities with the understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the other. The home, the church, and the state are equal and sovereign in their respective Scripturally assigned spheres of responsibility under God. (Isaiah 33:22; Romans 13:1-7; Ephesians 5:21-6:4; Hebrews 13:17; I Peter 2:13-15)
