The Scriptures -

We believe the Holy Scriptures, the sixty-six books in the Old and New Testaments, to be the very Word of God, the product of the breath of God and thus verbally inspired in all parts. Therefore, the Holy Scriptures are without error as originally given by God and composed and recorded in the original writings. They are altogether sufficient in themselves as our only infallible rule of faith and practice. In addition, they are the supreme standard by which all human conduct, beliefs and opinions should be tried.

2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:19-21

God -

We believe there is one true and living God who is self-existent in three persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit without division of nature, essence, or being, and each having a distinct ministry in God's relation to His creation and people, each of whom is to be honored and worshipped equally as true God. God is knowable and has revealed himself to mankind in creation and through His Word. God is separate from and above the world as its Creator and still present everywhere as sustainer of the world.

Psalm 104:1-35, Mark 12:29, John 5:23-26, 1 Corinthians 8:6, Revelation 4:11.

The Father –

We believe God the Father spoke creation into being and reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, and human history according to the purposes of His grace. He is all-powerful, all knowing, all loving, and all wise. He planned the redemption of mankind and sent His own Son into the world. God is Father in truth to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. He is Father of all men by creation.

Genesis 1:1; 2:7; Exodus 3:14; 6:2-3; 15:11ff.; 20:1ff.; Leviticus 22:2; Deuteronomy 6:4; 32:6; 1 Chronicles 29:10; Psalm 19:1-3; Isaiah 43:3,15; 64:8; Jeremiah 10:10; 17:13; Matthew 6:9ff.; 7:11; 23:9; 28:19; Mark 1:9-11; John 4:24; 5:26; 14:6-13; 17:1-8; Acts 1:7; Romans 8:14-15; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 4:6; Colossians 1:15; 1 Timothy 1:17; Hebrews 11:6; 12:9; 1 Peter 1:17.

The Son –

We believe Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation as Jesus Christ He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. Jesus perfectly revealed and accomplished the will of God, taking upon Himself human nature with its demands and necessities and identifying Himself completely with mankind yet without sin. He honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and in His substitutionary death on the cross He made provision for the redemption of men from sin. He was raised from the dead with a glorified body and appeared to His disciples as the person who was with them before His crucifixion. He ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where He is our One Mediator, fully God, fully man, who has reconciled God and man. He will return in power and glory to judge the world and to consummate His redemptive mission. He now dwells in all believers as the living and ever present Lord.

Genesis 18:1ff.; Psalm 2:7ff.; 110:1ff.; Isaiah 7:14; 53; Matthew 1:18-23; 3:17; 8:29; 11:27; 14:33; 16:16,27; 17:5; 28:1-6,19; Mark 1:1; 3:11; Luke 1:35; 4:41; 22:70; 24:46; John 1:1-18,29; 10:30,38; 11:25-27; 12:44-50; 14:7-11; 16:15-16,28; 17:1-5, 21-22; 20:1-20,28; Acts 1:9; 2:22-24; 7:55-56; 9:4-5,20; Romans 1:3-4; 3:23-26; 5:6-21; 8:1-3,34; 10:4; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2:2; 8:6; 15:1-8,24-28; 2 Corinthians 5:19-21; 8:9; Galatians 4:4-5; Ephesians 1:20; 3:11; 4:7-10; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:13-22; 2:9; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; 3:16; Titus 2:13-14; Hebrews 1:1-3; 4:14-15; 7:14-28; 9:12-15,24-28; 12:2; 13:8; 1 Peter 2:21-25; 3:22; 1 John 1:7-9; 3:2; 4:14-15; 5:9; 2 John 7-9; Revelation 1:13-16; 5:9-14; 12:10-11; 13:8; 19:16.

The Holy Spirit –

We believe the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, a person fully divine. He inspired prophets to write the Scriptures. Through illumination He enables men to understand truth. He exalts Christ and empowered His earthly ministry. He convicts men of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He calls men to the Savior, and effects regeneration. At the moment of regeneration, He baptizes every believer into union with Christ. He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts by which they serve God through His church. He seals the believer unto the day of final redemption. His presence in the Christian is the guarantee that God will bring the believer into the fullness of the stature of Christ. He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service.

Genesis 1:2; Judges 14:6; Psalms 51:11; 139:7ff.; Isaiah 61:1-3; Joel 2:28-32; Matthew 1:18; 3:16; 4:1; 12:28-32; 28:19; Mark 1:10,12; Luke 1:35; 4:1,18-19; 11:13; 12:12; 24:49; John 4:24; 14:16-17,26; 15:26; 16:7-14; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4,38; 4:31; 5:3; 6:3; 7:55; 8:17,39; 10:44; 13:2; 15:28; 16:6; 19:1-6; Romans 8:9-11,14-16,26-27; 1 Corinthians 2:10-14; 3:16; 12:3-11,13; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30; 5:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:19; 1 Timothy 3:16; 4:1; 2 Timothy 1:14; 3:16; Hebrews 9:8,14; 2 Peter 1:21; 1 John 4:13; 5:6-7; Revelation 1:10; 22:17.

Creation –

We believe God is the Creator and there was nothing else that existed beside Him. Everything was created Ex Nihilo (out of nothing) with meaning and purpose. God remains distinct from His creation, yet creation is and always will be dependent upon God. In Genesis 1 each time the word “day” is mentioned, it should be understood as a literal 24-hour period of time.

Genesis 1:1; Exodus 20:11; Psalm 33:6,9; Psalm 90:2; John 1:3; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Ephesians 4:6.

Man –

We believe man is the special creation of God, made in His own image. He created them male and female as the crowning work of His creation and gave them the responsibility of the stewardship of creation. The gift of gender is thus part of the goodness of God's creation. In the beginning man was innocent of sin and was endowed by his Creator with freedom of choice. By his free choice man sinned against God and brought sin into the human race. Through the temptation of Satan man disobeyed the command of God, and fell from his original innocence whereby his posterity become transgressors under condemnation and inherit a nature inclined to sin. Only the grace of God can bring man into His holy fellowship and enable man to fulfill the creative purpose of God. The sacredness of human personality is evident in that God created man in His own image, and in that Christ died for man; therefore, every person of every ethnicity possesses full dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love.

Genesis 1:26-30; 2:5,7,18-22; 3; 9:6; Psalm 1:1-6, 8:3-6, 32:1-5, 51:5; Isaiah 6:5; Jeremiah 17:5; Matthew 16:26; Acts 17:26-31; Romans 1:19-32; 3:10-18,23; 5:6,12,19; 6:6; 7:14-25; 8:14-18,29; 1 Corinthians 1:21-31; 15:19,21-22; Ephesians 2:1-22; Colossians 1:21-22; 3:9-11.

Sin –

We believe sin is defined as falling short of the glory of God and a failure to conform to the moral law God. Sin must not be taken lightly because it is more than just an action with negative consequences.

Sin is a contradiction of the excellence of God’s moral character and invokes God’s wrath. God is not the author of sin; sin is the direct responsibility of created beings. Temptations to sin come from three sources: the world, the flesh and spiritual powers.

Deuteronomy 32:4; Romans 3:23; James 1:13; 1 John 3:8.

The World -

The organized system of human civilization that is hostile to the rule of God.

John 7:7; John 14:27; 1 Corinthians 1:21; 1 Corinthians 6:2; 1 Corinthians 11:32; 2 Corinthians 7:10; James 1:27; 1 Peter 5:9; 2 Peter 1:4; 2 Peter 2:20; 1 John 3:1, 13; 1 John 4:5; 1 John 5:19.

The Flesh –

The corrupted human nature that influences the sinner to make decisions apart from faith and is opposed to the rule of God.

Romans 8:3,5; Galatians 5:16; 6:8; Ephesians 2:3; Colossians 2:23.

Spiritual Powers –

Fallen angels including Satan are spiritual beings rather than a personification of evil. They oppose all that is true and godly by blinding the world to the gospel, tempting saints to do evil, and warring against the Son of God.

Genesis 3:15; John 8:44; 2 Corinthians 4:3-4; Ephesians 6:11; 1 Peter 5:8; Revelation 20:1-10.

Salvation –

We believe salvation is offered freely to all and given to those who repent and believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer. In its broadest sense salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.

Election -

Election is the gracious eternal purpose of God, according to which He chose to predestine, call, justify, and glorify sinners. It is consistent with human responsibility and comprehends all the means by which God accomplishes His ends. It is the glorious display of God's sovereign goodness, and is infinitely wise, holy, and unchangeable. It excludes our boasting and should promote humility.

Atonement –

This is the sacrifice of Christ to achieve the salvation of men. The atonement is a consequence of God’s decision to save men. It consists of Christ’s perfect obedience to the will of the Father on our behalf, and Christ’s sufferings and death, in which He took the penalty for our sins. Christ’s penal substitutionary atonement meets our needs of a ransom, propitiation, reconciliation, and redemption.

Regeneration –

Regeneration (the new birth) is a work of God's grace by which a believer becomes a new creation in Christ Jesus. It is a change of heart effected by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, when the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Repentance and faith -

These are inseparable experiences of grace. Repentance is a genuine turning from sin toward God. Faith is the acceptance of Jesus Christ and commitment of the entire person to Him as Lord and Savior.

Justification -

Justification is God's gracious declaration that Christ’s righteousness is imputed to every sinner who repents and believes the gospel. Justification brings the believer into a relationship of peace and favor with God.

Sanctification -

This is the experience, beginning at conversion, by which the believer is set apart to God's purposes and is enabled to progress by faith toward spiritual maturity and obedience through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in him. Growth in grace should continue throughout the regenerate person's life.

Glorification -

Glorification is the culmination of salvation for the redeemed. They will be perfected in body and soul and dwell in the presence of God.

Genesis 3:15; Matthew 1:21; 4:17; 16:18-26; 21:28-45; 24:22,31; 25:34; 27:22-28:6; Luke 1:68-79; 2:28-32; 24:44-48; John 1:11-14,29; 3:3-21,36; 5:24; 6:44-45,65; 10:9,28-29; 15:1-16; 17:6,12,17-18; Acts 2:21; 4:12; 15:11; 16:30-31; 17:30-31; 20:32; Romans 1:16-18; 2:4; 3:23-25; 4:3ff.; 5:8-10; 6:1-23; 8:1-18,29-39; 10:9-15; 13:11-14; 1 Corinthians 1:1-2,18,30; 6:19-20; 15:10,24-28; 2 Corinthians 5:17-20; Galatians 2:20; 3:13; 5:22-25; 6:15; Ephesians 1:4-28; 2:8-22; 3:1-11; 4:11-16; Philippians 2:12-13; Colossians 1:9-22; 3:1ff.; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14; 2 Timothy 1:12; 2:10,19; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 2:1-3; 5:8-9; 9:24-28; 11:1-12:8, 12:14, 12:39-13:2; James 1:12; 2:14-26; 1 Peter 1:2-23, 2:4-10; 1 John 1:6-2:11,19; 3:2; Revelation 3:20; 21:1-22:5.

The Church -

A New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel, observing the two ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word, and seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth. Under the lordship of Christ, authority in the church belongs to the congregation. Each member is responsible and accountable to Christ as Lord. Its scriptural officers are elders and deacons. While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, these offices are limited to men as specified by Scripture.

The New Testament speaks also of the church as the Body of Christ, which includes all of the redeemed believers of this dispensation.

Matthew 16:15-19; 18:15-20; Acts 2:41-42,47; 5:11-14; 6:3-6; 13:1-3; 14:23,27; 15:1-30; 16:5; 20:28; Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 3:16; 5:4-5; 7:17; 9:13-14; 12; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 3:8-11,21; 5:22-32; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:18; 1 Timothy 2:9-14; 3:1-15; 4:14; Hebrews 11:39-40; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Revelation 2:1-3:22; 21:2-3.

Corporate Assembly -

The first day of the week is the Lord's Day on which the church regularly gathers to commemorate the resurrection of Christ from the dead. These gatherings include worship, teaching, discipleship, fellowship, prayer, and evangelism. The church may choose to assemble at other times and places for these purposes.

Acts 20:7; Romans 14:5-10; I Corinthians 16:1-2; Colossians 2:16; 3:16; Revelation 1:10.

Baptism and the Lord’s Supper -

Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer's faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Savior, the believer's death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. It is a public testimony of his faith. It is prerequisite to the privileges of church membership and participation in the Lord's Supper.

The Lord's Supper is a symbolic act of obedience by which members of the church, through partaking of the bread and the fruit of the vine, memorialize the death of the Redeemer and anticipate His second coming. Baptized members of churches of like faith and practice are welcome to participate.

Matthew 3:13-17; 26:26-30; 28:19-20; Mark 1:9-11; 14:22-26; Luke 3:21-22; 22:19-20; John 3:23; Acts 2:41-42; 8:35-39; 16:30-33; 20:7; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians 10:16,21; 11:23-29; Colossians 2:12.

Spiritual Gifts -

Distinctive, divinely originated endowments from the Spirit to serve God for the common benefit of His people, the edification of the church. Some gifts, such as tongues and predictive prophecy, have ceased with the apostolic age and are no longer in use in this dispensation.

Romans 12:4-5 ; 1 Corinthians 12:7 ; Ephesians 4:12-13 ; 1 Peter 4:10

.

Offices of Elder and Deacon -

We believe that each local church is to be governed and led by a plurality of biblically qualified men. The Bible uses several terms for these men including: elders, pastors, and overseers (these titles refer to the same office). The primary responsibility of the elders is the spiritual oversight of the church. Under the leadership of the elders is a plurality of biblically qualified deacons, whose primary responsibility is to serve the physical needs of the church.

Acts 6:1-6; 14:23; 20:17-32; 1 Timothy 3:1-8; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Peter 5:1-4

.

Evangelism and Missions -

The Lord Jesus Christ has commanded all believers to make disciples of all nations. It is the duty of every child of God to share the gospel with the lost by verbal witness undergirded by a Christian lifestyle and to support mission efforts around the world.

Matthew 9:37-38; 10:5-15; 13:18-30, 37-43; 16:19; 22:9-10; 24:14; 28:18-20; Luke 10:1-18; 24:46-53; John 14:11-12; 15:7-8,16; 17:15; 20:21; Acts 1:8; 8:26-40; 10:42-48; 13:2-3; Romans 10:13-15; Ephesians 3:1-11; 1 Thessalonians 1:8; 2 Timothy 4:5; 1 Peter 2:4-10; Revelation 22:17.

The Family -

God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. It is composed of persons related to one another by marriage, blood, or adoption.

Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. It is God's unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His church and to provide for the man and the woman in marriage the framework for intimate companionship, the channel of sexual expression according to biblical standards, and the means for procreation of the human race.

The husband and wife are of equal worth before God, since both are created in God's image. The marriage relationship models the way God relates to His people. A husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church and has the God-given responsibility to provide for, to protect, and to lead his family. A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ and has the God-given responsibility to respect her husband and to serve as his helper.

Children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord. Parents are to demonstrate to their children God's pattern for marriage. Parents are to teach their children spiritual and moral values and to lead them, through consistent lifestyle example and loving discipline, to make choices based on biblical truth. Children are to honor and obey their parents.

Genesis 1:26-28; 2:15-25; 3:1-20; Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Joshua 24:15; 1 Samuel 1:26-28; Psalms 51:5; 78:1-8; 127; 128; 139:13-16; Proverbs 1:8; 5:15-20; 6:20-22; 12:4; 13:24; 14:1; 17:6; 18:22; 22:6,15; 23:13-14; 24:3; 29:15,17; 31:10-31; Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; 9:9; Malachi 2:14-16; Matthew 5:31-32; 19:3-9; Mark 10:6-12; Romans 1:18-32; 1 Corinthians 7:1-16; Ephesians 5:21-33; 6:1-4; Colossians 3:18-21; 1 Timothy 5:8,14; 2 Timothy 1:3-5; Titus 2:3-5; Hebrews 13:4; 1 Peter 3:1-7.

Life -

We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions from conception to natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life.

Psalm 139:1-24

Last Things -

We believe Christians are instructed to anticipate the imminent return of Christ as He promised to rapture the Church, as this is the next prophetic event. Following the rapture God will pour out his wrath on the Earth and its inhabitants producing cataclysmic events and widespread death for a period of seven years called the Tribulation for the purpose of judging his enemies and drawing Israel to repentance.

Daniel 9:24-27; Matthew 24:1-51; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:11; 1 Corinthians 15:51-57; 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-17; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12; Titus 2:13; Revelation 6:1-19:21

Believers will be rewarded at the Bema Seat for their works and service to Christ. Only those works that were built on the foundation of Jesus Christ will survive. All others will be burned up (). This judgment takes place in heaven after the rapture of the church.

1 Corinthians 3:11-15; 2 Corinthians 5:1-10

At the end of the Great Tribulation, Christ will return to Earth to establish His Millennial Kingdom. This kingdom is marked by the restoration of Israel and fulfillment of God’s covenant promises to her. Christ, the promised Messiah, will reign on the throne of David in Jerusalem for one thousand years as promised throughout the Old Testament.

Satan will be bound, and harmony, justice, peace, righteousness, long life and bounty will characterize life under Christ’s reign. At the end of the thousand years, Satan will be “released from prison,” deceive the nations, and mount one last revolt against God. The revolt will be short-lived as God destroys His enemies and casts Satan into the Lake of Fire.

Revelation 5:1-14, 20:1-15

Unbelievers will be judged at the Great White Throne judgment. Whoever is not found written in the Book of Life will be judged, receive justice and be cast into the Lake of Fire. When unbelievers are judged they will be eternally separated from God and in constant torment.

God will destroy heaven and earth with fire and create a new heaven and a new earth. A New Jerusalem will descend where God will dwell with his people for all eternity.

2 Peter 3:10-11; Revelation 20:1-22:21

We understand that faithful believers disagree with the timing of the return of Christ to rapture the church and the events of the Great Tribulation. Therefore, we do not believe full agreement with these teachings is necessary for membership; however, only these teachings will be taught at NTBC.

Final Authority for Matters of Belief and Conduct -

The statement of faith does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. The Bible itself, as the inspired and infallible Word of God that speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind, is the sole and final source of all that we believe. For purposes of New Testament Baptist Church’s faith, doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline, our elders are the church’s final interpretive authority on the Bible’s meaning and application.