First Baptist Church of Colchester

Our Statement of Faith is subordinate to the Word of God. This statement is based upon our understanding of the Word of God. We have included Scripture passages that provides the rational for why we hold the positions that we hold. 

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Statement of Faith

 

Section 1 - Concerning the Holy Scriptures

 

           We believe that the Bible, consisting of a total of sixty-six books in the Old and New Testaments, is without error in the original manuscripts. The author of the Bible was God the Holy Spirit who guided the human authors without distorting their person or character so that the writings they produced were verbally and plenarily inspired.  By His singular care and providence they have been kept pure in all ages and is therefore the authentic Word of God today.  We believe that the Bible is the sole authority for faith and practice.

 

(Prov. 30:5-6; John 17:17; II Pet. 1:19-21; Heb. 1:1-2; 11 Sam. 23:2 with Acts 1:16; II Thess. 3:17; Matt. 5:18; John 10:35; II Tim. 3:16; Matt. 5:18; John 10:35; II Tim. 3:16; Acts 17:11; I Cor. 10:6-12; Eph. 6:17; II Tim. 3:15-17; I John 4:1)

 

Section 2 - Concerning the True God

 

           We believe that there is only one living and true God who is an eternal, self-existing, perfect Spirit. He is a personal Being and the Creator and Upholder of the universe.  Though one God He exists in three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These Persons are equal in essence and in every divine perfection, but each has His own distinct work to perform.

 

(Deut. 6:4-5; Jer. 10:10; Hab. 1:12; John 4:24; James 1:17; Gen. 1:1-25; Heb. 1:10; Col. 1:15-17; Matt. 3:16; 28:10; II Cor. 13:14; John 10:30; 14:10; 17:5; I Cor. 8:6; Phil. 2:5-6; John 14:26; 15:26; Eph. 1:3-4, 6-7, 13-14)

 

Section 3 - Concerning Creation

 

           We believe that the Genesis account of creation is to be accepted literally and not figuratively. We believe that the six days of creation mentioned in Genesis chapter one were solar hour days.  We believe that all animal and vegetable life was made directly and that they follow God’s law in multiplying “after their kind.” We believe that the entire human race sprang from one man, Adam, and one woman, Eve, literal people, who were created directly in God’s image and after His likeness and did not evolve from any lower form of life.

 

(Gen. 1:1-2:25; Neh. 9:6; Ps. 33:6-9; John 1:3; Heb. 11:3; Col. 1:16-17; Ex. 20:11; 31:17; Gen. 1:11, 12, 21, 24, 25; Gen. 1:26-27; 5:2)

 

Section 4 - Concerning the Fall of Man and Sin

 

           We believe that man was originally created a sinless being. By voluntary transgression he fell from that sinless state, and, as a result, all mankind are now sinners by nature and by conduct and are justly under divine condemnation.

 

(Gen. 1:27, 31; 2:16-17; Eccles. 7:29; Gen. 3:6-7; Rom. 5:12, 19; Ps. 51:5; Is. 53:6; Rom. 3:9-18, 23; 5:15-19; James 2:10; John 3:36; Rom.1:20)

 

Section 5 - Concerning the Lord Jesus Christ

 

           We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God who is today both truly God and truly man. His literal human body was miraculously conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, and He was born of a human mother who was a virgin. At conception He became the God-Man with two natures, divine and human. After His birth He lived a sinless life on earth, died on the cross as a substitute for sinners and bearing the judgment of their sins, and was raised bodily from the tomb as a testimony to the sufficiency of His sacrifice and as a guarantee of His people’s future resurrection. He now is in heaven as the great High Priest of His people. He will return at the Rapture for His church, and later to the earth to reign following the tribulation period.

 

(Heb. 1:1-2; Ps. 2; John 10:30; Phil. 2:5-8; Is. 7:14; Luke 1:26-38; John 1:1-2; John 8:58; Phil. 2:7-8; Luke 24:1-6; I Pet. 2:21-24; Luke 24:1-6; I Cor. 15:1-7, 23-26; Heb. 4:14; II Thes. 4:16-17; I Cor. 15:51-52; Matt. 24:30-31, 25-31)

 

Section 6 - Concerning the Holy Spirit

 

           We believe that the Holy Spirit is an eternal and divine Person, co-equal with God the Father and God the Son. He was active in creation. He convicts men of sin. He indwells each believer. He performs various ministries such as regenerating, sealing, guiding, teaching, sanctifying and strengthening.

           Each believer has been sanctified positionally in Christ, is being sanctified by the continuing work of the Spirit, and ultimately at Christ’s coming will be completely sanctified. While the believer can have victory over sin through the power of the Spirit, his sin nature will not be eradicated in this life.

           It is the believer’s privilege to be filled with the Spirit and thus to produce fruit unto God and to live a joyous and productive Christian life.

 

(II Cor. 13:14; Gen. 1:1-2; John 16:8-11; I Cor. 6:19-20; John 3:3; Rom. 8:14; Eph. 1:13, 17; 3:16; I Cor. 1:2; 12:4-7, 11; II Cor. 3:18; Rom. 7:18-25; I John 1:8; Eph. 5:18; Gal. 5:22, 23)

 

Section 7 - Concerning Personal Godliness

 

           We believe that the result of being filled with the Spirit is a life of personal godliness. The believer is to repudiate the world and its patterns of life and thought, and to present himself as a living sacrifice to God. Christians must guard against the notion that holiness is produced by obedience to rules and regulations, as well as the concept that life under grace permits us to indulge in the sins of the flesh.  Life under grace does not allow the believer to live as he wishes.

He is under a divine mandate to be holy. The teaching of Scripture regarding the Christian life is not merely positive in nature, but is also negative, warning the believer against sin.  A fruitful Christian life is produced through daily fellowship with the Lord and the control of the Holy Spirit.

           We stand against immorality for it is condemned in God’s Word.  We believe that the marriage bond is holy and that there should be no sexual relationships between persons who are not married to one another as husband and wife. We believe that any sexual relationship outside the bounds of a biblical marriage is contrary to the explicit teachings of Scripture and is to be condemned.

 

(Titus1:1; 2:11-12; John 2:15-17; Rom. 12:1-2; Rom. 6:1-2, 12-13; Titus 2:11-14; I Peter 1:16; Gal. 5:16-24; I Cor. 5:9; 6:9-11; Eph. 5:3; Ex. 20:14; I Cor. 6:18; Prov. 5:1-21; Heb. 13:4; Lev. 20:13; Rom. 1:26-27)

 

Section 8 - Concerning Angels

 

           We believe in the existence of angels who are mighty spiritual beings that were created by God.  They serve Him in various ways and are specially appointed to watch over and minister to God’s people.

           We believe that at some time in the past a large number of angels, under the leadership of him who is called Satan, rebelled against God and were removed from His presence. They now roam the universe and are especially active on earth, opposing God and His purposes and ruling over the spiritual darkness of this world. Satan, also called the Devil, is a real personality who has tremendous power and is the enemy of God’s people. He is destined to be judged by Christ at His return, and finally to be eternally incarcerated in the lake of fire.

 

(Heb. 1:6, 14; Rev. 12:4; Matt. 25:41; I Tim. 4:1; Eph. 6:12; I Pet. 5:6-9; Rev. 12:9-10; Rev. 20:1-3, 10)

 

Section 9 - Concerning Salvation

 

           Salvation is made free to all by the Gospel. It is initiated by God, and is accomplished by grace apart from any human works.  It is the duty of all persons to accept it by personal faith.  All who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ are forgiven, regenerated, and justified. The perfect righteousness of Christ is imputed to them. They are given spiritual life, which is manifested in their growth in grace. True believers are saved forever and can never be lost.

 

(Rom. 3:24; I Tim. 2:4; 4:10; Eph. 2:8-9; John 3:16; Acts 16:31; Rom. 5:1; Eph. 1:7; I Peter 1:23; II Cor. 5:21; II Peter 3:18; John 10:27-30; Rom. 8:1, 35-39)

 

Section 10 - Concerning the Church

 

           We believe that the Church, the Body of Christ, is composed of all true believers who are placed into that Body by the baptizing work of the Holy Spirit. The Church is distinct from Israel.

           We believe that a local, visible church is an organized congregation of immersed believers, associated together by a common faith and fellowship in the Gospel.  Such a church is to be governed by the Word of God, and to observe the ordinances of baptism (the immersion of true believers only) and the Lord’s table. Its Scriptural officers are male believers referred to in Scripture as bishops and deacons.  The qualifications of the church officers are defined in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus.

           A local church is autonomous, is not to be subject to the control of any outside persons or organizations and has the power and right to confess its own faith and conduct its own affairs in accordance with the teachings of the New Testament.  On all matters of membership, policy, government, discipline, and benevolence the will of the local church is final.

           We believe that both Christian baptism and the Lord’s Supper are each a symbolic memorial and a prophecy. We believe that Christian baptism is the single immersion in water of a believer, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It shows forth, in solemn and beautiful figure, our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior, and our death to sin and resurrection to a new life. Baptism is prerequisite to the privileges of church membership and participation in the Lord’s Supper. At the Lord’s Supper, which is not optional for the church member, the members of the Church, by the use of bread and the fruit of the vine, commemorate together the death, resurrection, and second coming of Christ. This commemoration should always be preceded by careful self-examination.

           The church and its members should have as primary goals the evangelization of their own area, the extension of the gospel to the ends of the earth through Biblical missionary methods, and the edification of believers.

 

(Matt. 16:18; I Cor. 12:13; Eph. 1:22-23; Eph. 3:3-6; Acts 2:41-42;  II Tim. 3:16-17; Matt. 28:19-20; I Cor. 11:23-24; I Tim. 3:1-16; Titus 1:5-9; Matt. 18:15-18; Acts 6:3-5; I Cor. 5:4-5, 13; I Tim. 3:15; Rom. 6:3-4; I Cor. 11:26; Acts 8:36-39; Matt. 28:19; Rom. 6:3-4; Acts 2:41-42; Matt. 28:19-20; I Cor. 11:26; Matt. 26:29; I Cor. 11:28; Acts 1:8; 11:19-26; 13:1-14:28)

 

Section 11 - Concerning Theological Error

 

           We believe that the Word of God predicts widespread departure from the revealed Word of God as the time of Christ’s coming draws nearer, and that obedient believers and local churches are to practice complete separation from these who deny the faith.  The Scripture teaches that we are not to seek to win them back to the faith by fellowshipping with them, but rather we are to identify them, rebuke them, and withdraw ourselves from any spiritual communion with them.

           We also believe that we are to refuse ecclesiastical fellowship and organizational cooperation with those who are truly born again, but who espouse doctrines that are contrary to Scripture or are engaged in practices that are not consistent with the Word of God.

 

(I Tim. 4:1-3; II Pet. 2:1-3; I John 4:1; Ps. 1:1; Rom. 16:17; II Cor. 6:17; Titus 1:13; Gal. 2:11-21; II Thes. 3:6-12)

 

Section 12 - Concerning Spiritual Gifts

 

           We believe the Bible teaches that there are both permanent and temporal gifts.  The temporal or sign gifts including tongues, the interpretation of tongues and the gifts of healing were given by God to lend credibility to the establishment of the early church.  These sign gifts of the Holy Spirit are completed and are not applicable to the work of the Holy Spirit today.

 

(I Cor. 12:8-10, 28-30; 13:8-14)

 

Section 13 - Concerning Civil Government and Religious Liberty

 

           We believe that civil government is of divine appointment and is for the maintenance of good order in human society. Believers are to pray for, honor and obey civil authorities except where to do so would be to violate plain commands and principles of the Word of God. The

Church and the State have separate spheres of authority and the state has no valid jurisdiction over the ministry of the Church. The state should not favor one ecclesiastical group over another nor should the state impose taxes for the support of any form of religion.  A free church in a free state is the Christian ideal.

 

(Rom. 13:1-7; Titus 3:1; I Pet. 2:13-14; I Tim. 2:1-3; Acts 4:18-20; 5:29; Matt. 22:21)

 

Section 14 - Concerning the Lord’s Day

 

           We believe that the first day of the week is the Lord’s Day and is a Christian institution that is to be kept sacred to spiritual purposes insofar as is possible on the part of the individual believer.  It commemorates the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead. It is a time for public worship and for spiritual growth.

 

(John 20:1, 19; Acts 20:7; I Cor. 16:1-2; Heb. 10:24-25)

 

Section 15 - Concerning World Evangelization and Missions

 

           We believe that God has given a “great commission” to every Christian to be a personal witness of the resurrected and living Christ.  We understand this mandate as follows:

 

                  A.  The Strategy of the Commission: Matt. 28:19-20

                        To make disciples through baptism and teaching.

                  B.  The Scope of the Commission: Mark 16:15

                        To reach every creature in the world.

                  C.  The Substance of the Commission: Luke 24:44-48

                        To preach repentance and remission of sins based upon the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

                  D.  The Submission of the Commission: John 20:21

                        To submit to the commission as Christ submitted to the will of the Father.

                  E.   The Strength of the Commission: Acts 1:8

                        To rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish the task of the great commission.

 

Section 16 - Concerning Future Events

 

           We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked.  Those who are righteous will enter into eternal bliss with Christ and those who are wicked will be lost forever.

           We believe that the Scriptures teach that at death the spirit/soul of the believer pass into the presence of Christ and remain in conscious joy until the resurrection of the body when Christ comes for His own. The blessed hope of the believer is the imminent, personal, pretribulational, premillennial appearance of Christ to rapture the Church, His bride, prior to the seventieth week

of Daniel.3 God’s righteous judgments will then be poured out upon an unbelieving world during the seven years of tribulation. The climax of this fearful era will be the physical return of Jesus Christ to the earth in great glory to reestablish the Davidic kingdom. Israel will be saved and restored as a nation. Satan will be bound and the curse essentially will be lifted from the physical creation. Following this thousand year reign of Christ (the Millennium), the Great White Throne judgment will occur, at which time the bodies and souls of the wicked shall be reunited and cast into the lake of fire, a divinely-appointed place of eternal torment. The saved will enter into the city, which God has prepared for His own and will live with the Lord in resurrected and glorified bodies forever.

 

(Mal. 3:18; John 3:16-18; I Cor. 15:51-57; II Cor. 5:8; I Thess. 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; Rev. 6:17; Rev. 19:11-20:6; Rom. 11:26-27; Is. 35:1-7; Rev. 20:7-15; Phil. 3:20-21; Rev. 21:1-3)

 

Section 17 - Concerning Human Relationships

 

           We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman.  We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, incest, fornication, adultery, and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s clear plan for mankind and must be rejected.  We believe the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one woman.

 

(Gen. 2:24, 19:5, 13; 26:8-9; Lev. 18:1-30; Rom. 1:26-29; I Cor. 5:1, 6:9; I Thess. 4:1-8; Heb. 13:4)