Bible Baptist Church
Section One: The following shall constitute the articles of faith of the Bible Baptist Church of Cottage Hills, Illinois.
Section Two: THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. We believe in the verbal and plenary inspiration of Scripture. By that we mean that God so superintended the human authors, that as they recorded His Word, it was kept free from error and omission in the original manuscripts. We believe the Scriptures alone to be the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions, shall be tried. We believe that the Word of God has been preserved in the extant manuscripts of the Old and New Testament Scripture. We believe the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments are the complete and divine revelation of God to man.
We believe the church should be very careful about using just any translation of the Scriptures and we completely reject the Revised Standard Version or any other work of the National Council of Churches or the World Council of Churches. We believe that the church should use translations such as: The King James Version; New King James Version or the New American Standard Bible or other translations made by reputable evangelical scholars, who believe in the inerrancy and authority of God’s Word. (2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:19-21)
Section Three. GOD. We believe there is one true and living God, one in essence, possessing three eternal and personal distinctions, which are revealed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – equal in every divine perfection, yet executing distinct but harmonious offices. He is the Sovereign Ruler and Maker of the universe, inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy of all praise, confidence, and love. (Exodus 20:2,3; Deuteronomy 6:4; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Revelation 4:11)
Section Four: JESUS CHRIST. We believe Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, Who manifested Himself in the likeness of sinful flesh, being virgin born, and impeccable in His human nature. He died on the cross, being made a curse to redeem mankind. His death was a perfect substitutionary sacrifice for the sins of His elect people. We believe that He bodily arose from the dead, ascended into heaven where He is seated on the right hand of God interceding for His people, and will return to the earth in keeping with His promise. (Luke 1:30-35; John 1:18; Philippians 2:7; Hebrews 4:15; Galatians 3:13, 1 Peter 3:18, Matthew 28:1-6, John 20:20; Acts 1:9-11; Hebrews 7:25; 8:1; John 14:1-3)
Section Five: THE HOLY SPIRIT. We believe the Holy Spirit to be the third person of the triune Godhead, equal with God the Father and God the Son, and possessing the same nature; that He was involved in creation, revelation, and inspiration; that He is in the world today convincing men of sin, righteousness, and judgment; that He works on behalf of the elect by regenerating them, renewing them, to serve in the body, that these gifts are sovereignly bestowed and all believers have one or more gifts; that He also fills, leads, teaches, and prays on behalf of all believers. (Matthew 28:19; 1 Corinthians 2:11, 12; Psalm 139:7; Genesis 1:1-3; 2 Peter 1:21; John 16:8-11; Titus 3:5, 1 Corinthians 6:19; 12:13; Ephesians 4:30; 1 Corinthians 12:11; 1 Peter 4:10; Ephesians 5:18; Romans 8:14; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Romans 8:26)
Section Six: SALVATION. We believe that salvation is the gift of God, bestowed upon those who trust on Jesus Christ alone as Lord and Savior; that meritorious works are of no value in obtaining salvation, for all of man’s righteous deeds are as filthy rags; that salvation is based on the vicarious atonement of Christ, who paid the full redemptive price for the sins of God’s people and satisfied the righteous demands of God the Father for them also. Those who trust in Christ for salvation receive eternal life and are justified before God, and are now able and obligated to perform good works. Believers will persevere because they are kept by the Father for Jesus Christ.
We also believe that salvation is a divine plan conceived of God in eternity past to secure infallibly the glorification of His elect people. God the Father chose in Jesus Christ a definite group of people, for whom Jesus Christ laid down His life and the Holy Spirit most effectually calls to salvation. Jesus Christ also is sanctifying them with the ultimate goal of bringing them to glory. Not one will be lost in the process. (Ephesians 2:8, 9; Isaiah 64:6; Galatians 3:13; Romans 3:24-26; Ephesians 2:10; 1 Peter 1:5 [cf., John 17:24]; Romans 8:28-30; Ephesians 1:4; John 10:15; John 6:37, 44, 45, 65; Ephesians 5:16)
Section Seven. MAN. We believe in the Genesis account of man’s creation, and that it is to be accepted literally (not allegorically or figuratively); that man was originally created in God’s image, after His likeness; that his creation was a special creation by divine fiat, and not through evolutionary processes of development from lower to higher forms.
We believe that man was created upright under the Law of his Maker; that he by a willful act of disobedience fell from his original condition, in consequence of which all mankind experiences its effect; that men as such, are sinners by nature and by choice; that they are totally depraved and in their natural state can do nothing to please God, nor can they save themselves from the just condemnation of their sins, apart from the justifying grace of God. (Genesis 1:26-2:5; Ecclesiastes 7:29; Genesis 2:6-19; Romans 5:12-19; Psalm 51:5, John 3:19; Romans 8:8, Ephesians 2:8-9; Ephesians 2:5, Romans 5:1)
Section Eight: SATAN. We believe that Satan is a person, the author of sin and cause of the fall; that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man; and, that he shall be eternally punished in the lake of fire. (Job 1:6-7; Isaiah 14:12-17; Matthew 4:2-11; 25:41; Revelation 20:10)
Section Nine: THE CHURCH, We believe in the true church which is called Christ’s body. It is composed of all true believers from the day of Pentecost to the translation of the Church. The characteristic which distinguishes the church from all other entities is the baptism of the Holy Spirit; and those who are part of the body are neither Jew nor Gentile, but are one in Christ. (Matthew 16:16-18; Acts 2:42-47; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Colossians 3:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)
We believe that the local church is a body of professed believers, organized with offices of pastor(s) and deacons, baptized and united in covenant to build up the saints in the most holy faith in the public worship of God and to evangelize the lost, and to carry out the ordinances. (Acts 2:41; 1 Corinthians 11:2; Acts 20:17-28; 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Mark 16:15)
Section Ten: ORDINANCES. We believe that the Lord Jesus instituted the ordinance of baptism by immersion in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and that all believers should observe this service as a testimony to the world that they have died with Christ to sin and are raised to a new life of righteousness. We do not believe in baptizing babies and small children.
The Lord Jesus instituted the Lord’s Table for the Christian to partake of in remembrance of His death on the cross, until He comes again for His church. This is the Lord’s table and everyone who has been born again and scripturally baptized is invited to the table; but, Paul exhorts those who come to first examine themselves and judge the sin in their own hearts before partaking. (Matthew 28:19-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; Acts 16:31)
Section Eleven: THINGS TO COME. We believe the Bible foretells certain events which are yet future; The Rapture of the Church: We believe that Christ is coming back before the Tribulation Period to translate living saints (His Church) to heaven. Those church saints who have died in the Lord will precede them by resurrection. Together they will be taken to heaven at which time they will be rewarded at the Judgment Seat of Christ and banquet at the marriage supper of the Lamb. (John 14:1-3; Acts 1:11; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Romans 14:10-11; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 19:1-10)
The Second Coming of Christ: We believe in the literal visible return of Jesus Christ to this earth to set up His millennial reign. His reign is preceded by the completion of Daniel’s seventieth week, when God’s program for Israel will be completed. They will be judged and regathered to fulfill the promises to the Patriarchs and the prophets. At which time He will also judge the nations, dividing the sheep from the goats. Believing Jews and Gentiles will comprise the initial population for the millennium. (1 Thessalonians 1:3-10; Revelation 20:4; Daniel 9:24-27; cf., Dan 9:12; Ezekiel 20:34-38 Romans 9:4; 11:1-2, 25-29; Matthew 25:31-46)
Judgment of the Living and Dead: We believe that all judgment has been committed to the Son of God, who will judge the living and dead at His coming and kingdom. Those who are righteous shall enter into eternal bliss in heaven with Christ; the wicked shall be cast into the lake of fire, forever banished from heaven. (John 5:27; 2 Timothy 4:1; 2 Corinthians 5:6-8; Revelation 20:15)
Section Twelve: CIVIL GOVERNMENT. We believe that civil government is ordained by God for the orderly management of society; that its rulers should punish evildoers and praise law-abiding citizens. We believe in order to promote the welfare of the state that Christians should earnestly pray for their leaders, that they might live a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and fear; and that they should submit to every ordinance of man for testimony and conscience’s sake. We believe that no Christian should be involved in outright civil disobedience, unless they are required to violate God’s law. Those who disobey authorities should suffer the consequence of such action joyfully; but at the same time have the right to defend themselves by due process of law.
We believe as Christian citizens in a free society, such as the United States of American where we are accorded the privilege to vote, that we aught to be patriotic in our duty, exemplary in our actions and faithful in our financial obligations to the state. We believe that the good of the State is bound up in the morality of its leaders and citizens, so that righteousness exalts a nation and sin is its reproach. As good citizens, we ought to oppose legislation and executive orders which promote wickedness through every legal means available. (Romans 13:1-7; 1 Timothy 2:1-2; 1 Peter 2:13-17 Titus 3:1; Matthew 22:21; Acts 529 [cf. Daniel 3:18]’ Acts 16:37; 25:11; Proverbs 11:10-11; 14:34; 28:12; 29:2)
Section Thirteen: THE RESPONSIBILITY OF BELIEVERS. We believe that all believers should seek to walk in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Lord and Savior and that separation from worldly pleasures and practices is the command of God. (Romans 6:11-14; 8:2,4,12,14; 12:1-2; Galatians 5:16, 23; 1 John 1:4-7)
We believe that it is the obligation of every believer to witness by life and word to the truths of the Scriptures and to seek to proclaim the gospel to all the world (Acts 1:8)
We believe it is the responsibility of all believers to remember the work of the Lord in prayer and to support with their means God’s work as the Lord prospers them (1 Corinthians 1:2), and to faithfully attend the services of the church.
Section Fourteen: NEO-PENTECOSTALISM. We believe that the Charismatic movement is not of God. While there are no doubt true evangelical believers in its rank, the movement as a whole does not have a Scriptural foundation. We believe that miraculous gifts such as: healing, miracles, tongues, et al., ceased during the first century of the church. Just as during the first century of the church the Corinthian church was preoccupied with tongues and abused its practice, so also the modern-day Charismatic movement does the same. We believe that the Biblical manifestation of a spiritual walk is the fruit of the Spirit and not some sort of ecstatic utterance. We believe that Spirit baptism is a one time event accomplished on the day of Pentecost wherein all true believers were placed into one body, the church. (1 Corinthians 13:8-10; Hebrews 2:1-4; 1 Corinthians 12-14; Galatians 5:16; 1 Corinthians 12:13)
Section Fifteen: THE ECUMENICAL MOVEMENT. We believe that the contemporary ecumenical movement is an attempt under the guise of Church cooperation to unite divergent Christian (so-called) bodies for the advancement of the “social gospel.” This movement is devoid of doctrine. Its agenda is the advancement of Liberation theology, which is Marxism masked in Biblical and theological jargon. We cannot cooperate with those who deny the verbal inspiration of the Bible, the virgin birth and deity of Christ, the substitutionary atonement of the Saviour, His visible resurrection and ascension, and salvation by grace alone through the meritorious work of Christ. We believe that the invocation of our Lord in His high priestly prayer was for the unbroken unity of His elect people, which the Father has given Him out of the world. We affirm that the believers of each local assembly are under divine obligation to strive for the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. We further affirm that even though the local church is autonomous, it may cooperate with other like-minded churches for the cause of the advancement of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ both at home and abroad. (2 Corinthians 6:4-18; John 17:11; Ephesians 4:1-3; cf. 2 Corinthians 8:4)