WHAT WE BELIEVE
 

Our Purpose
Bethel Baptist Church exists to help others KNOW HIM AND MAKE HIM KNOWN. We can know Him by believing in Him as Savior and Lord. Our church exists to help each other grow in his or her relationship with Christ by becoming fully devoted followers of Christ. Our desire is for one another to make God known by providing opportunities to serve and to share his or her faith in Jesus Christ with others.”

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Our Objective

Our objective is to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to share Christ with as many people as possible in our church, community, and throughout the world. To be a worshiping fellowship, experiencing an awareness of God, recognizing His person, and responding in obedience to His leadership. To experience an increasingly meaningful fellowship with God and fellow believers. To help people experience a growing knowledge of God and man. To be a church with ministers unselfishly to persons in the community and the world in Jesus' name. To be a church whose purpose is to be Christlike in daily living by emphasizing total commitment of life, personality, and possessions to the Lordship of Christ.

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We affirm the Holy Bible as the inspired, infallible, inerrant, authoritative Word of God and the basis for our beliefs. This church subscribes to the doctrinal statement of the Baptist Faith and Message as adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention. We voluntarily band ourselves together as a body of baptized believers in Jesus Chris, personally committed to sharing the good news of salvation.

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Statement of Faith
We are called to have unity.
“There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call - one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” – Ephesians 4:4-6

We are called to have liberty.
“As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions... Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls... So then each of us will give an account of himself to God... The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God.” – Romans 14:1,4,12,22

We are called to show love.
“…And if I understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.” – 1 Corinthians 13:2
 

STATEMENT OF BELIEFS 

 

About God the Father
God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed in three personalities: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are coequal and are one God.
(See Genesis 1:1,26 & 27; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19;2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 Peter 1:2)

About Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is coequal with the Father. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven’s glory and will return again some day to earth to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
(See Matthew 1:22,23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5, 14:10-30; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 4:14,15; 1 Corinthians 15:3,4; Romans 1:3,4; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Timothy 6:14,15)

About The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son of God. He is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian giving power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. He gives every believer a spiritual gift when they are saved. As Christians, we seek to live under His control daily.
(See 2 Corinthians 3:17; John 16:7-13; 14:16,17; Acts 1:8; Ephesians 5:18; 1 Corinthians 2:12, 3:16; Ephesians 1:13; Galatians 5:25)

About The Bible
The Bible is God’s Word to us. It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. Because it is inspired by God, it is the truth without any mixture of error.
(See 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21; 2 Timothy 1:13; Psalm 119:105,160, 12:6; Proverbs 30:5)

About Human Beings
People are made in the spiritual image of God, to be like Him in character. People are the supreme object of God’s creation. Although every person has tremendous potential for good, all of us are marred by sin through our sinful nature and disobedience toward God. Sin separates people from God and causes many problems in life and the wages of sin is death.
(See Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6; Romans 3:23; Isaiah 59:1,2)

About Salvation
Salvation is God’s free gift to us. We can never make up for our sin by self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God’s offer of forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin’s penalty. When we turn from our self-ruled life and turn to Jesus in faith we are saved. Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into his life by faith.
( See Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:9; John 14:6, 1:12; Titus 3:5; Galatians 3:26; Romans 5:1)

About Eternal Security
Because God gives us eternal life through Jesus Christ, the true believer is secure in that salvation for eternity. If you have been genuinely saved, you cannot “lose” your salvation. Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the Christian. It is the grace and keeping power of God that gives us this security.
(See John 10:29; 2 Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 7:25; 10:10, 14; 1 Peter 1:3-5)

About Eternity
People were created to exist forever. We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation through Christ. To be eternally separated from God is Hell. To be eternally in union with Him is eternal life. Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal existence.
(See John 3:16; 1 John 5:11-13; Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:15)

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CHURCH COVENANT

Having been led as we believe by the Spirit of God to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and, on the profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we do now in the presence of God and this assembly most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another as one body in Christ.

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We engage, therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this church in knowledge, holiness, and comfort; to promote its prosperity and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, doctrines, and discipline; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, and the relief of the poor, and the spread of the gospel through all nations.

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We also engage to maintain family and secret devotions; to religiously educate our children; to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances; to walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment; to avoid all tattling, backbiting, and excessive anger; to abstain from the sale of and use of intoxicating drinks as a beverage; to use our influence to combat the abuse of drugs and the spread of pornography; and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Savior.

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We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember one another in prayer; to aid one another in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and Christian courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation and mindful of the rules of our Savior to secure it without delay.

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We moreover engage that when we remove from this place we will as soon as possible unite with some other church where we carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God’s Word.