Heritage Baptist Church shall be
Biblical in its theology, Fundamental in its practice, and Premillennial
in its hope.
The following is a condensed statement of faith from our church constitution:
1. The
Holy Scriptures:
We believe that the Holy Bible, both Old and New Testaments is the
very Word of God; that it is the full, final, and complete revelation
of God's will to man; and that it is infallible, verbally inspired,
and inerrant.
2. The Godhead:
We believe that there is One and only One true and living God, and
that He is absolute in nature, perfect in attributes, and holy in character;
that He is the maker and supreme ruler of heaven and earth; that He
is infinite in wisdom, marvelous in power, and amazing in love; that
He unites in Himself the infinite, the eternal, and the Almighty Three-God:
God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit; and that the three
Persons of the Godhead subsist in the same divine nature, essence,
and being, and that they co-exist and are co-equal in every divine
attribute, with each One executing distinct but harmonious offices
in the great work of man's redemption.
3. The Devil:
We believe that Satan is an actual person and not an imaginary influence
or force; that he is the author of sin and brought about the fall of
Adam and Eve; that he operates today as the god of this world, the
prince of the power of the air; that he is a diabolical inventor, deceiver,
and the father of all lies, and the greatest enemy, the mightiest tempter,
and the most relentless accuser of the saints; and that he will meet
his end in the never ending torment of the Lake of Fire.
4. The Creation:
We believe that the Genesis account of creation is literal, not allegorical
nor figurative, and that God personally created the heavens and the
earth out of nothing; and reject as false all forms of evolution, for
all of His creative acts, including man, were perfect in themselves,
with not one of them conditional upon changes wrought over an indeterminable
period of time.
5. The Doctrine of Salvation:
We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly by grace through
faith alone in the finished blood sacrifice, death, and literal and
bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ; that all who receive
Him as their personal Savior are regenerated by the Holy Spirit, and
become children of God; that no rite, ceremony, work, sacrament, merit
or church can avail for the sinner's salvation, nor make the believer's
salvation more secure; and that the Lord Jesus Christ is the only and
all-sufficient Savior.
6. The Security of The Believer:
We believe that salvation wrought by God's grace is everlasting; that
those begotten of the Holy Spirit are kept, not by their own power,
but by the power of God; that security is not limited to salvation
alone, but also to the new life in Christ, manifested by the changes
that occur in those that are redeemed from the marketplace of sin;
and that security is forbidden to be taught or practiced as a license
to any form of sin.
7. The Doctrine of Separation:
A. Personal
We believe that every believer should keep himself unspotted from the
world, and in so doing, will abstain from worldly practices, habits,
attitudes, and dress; and that every believer should compliment
his abstinence with separation to the Lord and His will
for their lives.
B. Ecclesiastical
We believe that we must raise a holy standard against and separate
from groups, organizations, fellowships, churches, and movements
that do not uphold, or who compromise the historic Christian fundamentals
of the faith as expressed by the Word of God; and that we have
a Biblical mandate to be obedient to the Word in order to keep
the local church pure from the leaven seeking entrance or cooperation.
8. The Doctrine of Future Things:
We believe in the literal, bodily, personal, Premillennial, and imminent
Coming of our Lord in the air, to catch away His children to Himself,
BEFORE the Tribulation period of seven years starts on the earth; and
in the personal, visible, and glorious return of Christ to the earth
with His saints at the close of the Tribulation period, at the battle
of Armageddon; to judge the nations and to set up His Millennial Kingdom
upon the earth for 1,000 years.
9. The King James Version:
We believe that the King James Version of the Bible to be the most
accurate, scholarly, literal, and true to the faith of any and all
translations or versions. It is to be used in all services of teaching
or preaching. We also believe that the King James Version needs no
revision, and even if it suffers increasing apathy by some, and sacrilege
by others, it remains stately, spiritual and reverent as the infallible
Word of God.
10. Doctrine of Stewardship:
We believe that stewardship is the active recognition of the Lordship
of Christ over all believers, and that it is the believer's responsibility
and privilege to give back to the Lord tithes and offerings of our
finances, our abilities, and our time; and that this method is the
prescribed plan for financing and carrying on the work of His churches
and spreading the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
11. Doctrine of Missions:
We believe that all men that are without Christ are eternally lost.
Since man cannot believe in a Christ in whom he has never heard of,
believer's are debtors to all mankind and have the responsibility of
getting to them and giving them the saving Gospel of Christ. Believers
therefore, are to support and pray for those who are called to the
mission field under approved and scripturally sound and separated mission
boards or as independents. Both home and foreign missions are included.
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