Northview Baptist Church Statement of Faith
Section 1 - Statement of Faith
(A) The Holy Scriptures - We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments were written by men who were supernaturally inspired by God. What they wrote is truth without any mixture of error and is therefore the only complete and final revelation of the will of God to mankind. We believe the King James Version to be the Holy Bible, the preserved Word of God in the English language. We do not mean that the English language translators were inspired as they translated. However, because what they translated is an accurate and faithful translation of the inspired Hebrew and Greek texts, the King James Version is therefore the preserved Word of God in the English language. We believe the Masoretic Hebrew text and the Textus Receptus Koine Greek text to be the preserved Word of God in the Hebrew and Koine Greek languages. (Matthew 24:35, 2 Peter 1:19-21, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Psalm 12:6-7, 119:160)
(B) Dispensationalism - We believe that the Scriptures interpreted in their natural, literal sense reveal divinely determined dispensations, or rules of life, which define man's responsibilities in successive ages. These dispensations demonstrate God's grace through time, and are divinely ordered stewardships by which God directs man according to His purpose. Three of these dispensations the age of Law, the age of the Church, and the age of the Kingdom are subjects of detailed revelation in Scripture. (Genesis 1:28; 1 Corinthians 9:17; 2 Corinthians 3:918; Galatians 3:1325; Ephesians 1:10, 3:210; Colossians 1:2527; Revelation 20:26)
(C) The Godhead - We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- each coeternal in being, coidentical in nature, coequal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections. (Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19; Mark 1:9-11; John 14: 10-11, 26, 15:26; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 Timothy 3:16; 1 John 5:7)
(D) The Person and Work of Christ
(1) We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men. (Isaiah 7:14, 9:6; Matthew 1:23; Luke 1:35; John 1:12, 14; 2 Corinthians 5:1921; Galatians 4:45; Philippians 2:58; 1 Timothy 3:16)
(2) We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through his death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and, that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead. (Acts 2:1836; Romans 3:2425; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:35, 2:21-25)
(3) We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven, and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate. (Acts 1:910; Romans 8:34; Hebrews 4:15 7:25, 9:24; 1 John 2:1-2)
(E) The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit
(1) We believe that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and, that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption. (John 16:811; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 12:1214; 2 Corinthians 3:6; Ephesians 1:1314)
(2) We believe that He is the Divine Teacher who assists believers to understand and appropriate the Scriptures and that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the Spirit. (John 14:26; Ephesians 1:1718, 5:18; 1 John 2:20, 27)
(3) We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowal of spiritual gifts to every believer. God uniquely uses evangelists, pastors, and teachers to equip believers in the assembly in order that they can do the work of the ministry. (Romans 12:38; 1 Corinthians 12:411, 28; Ephesians 4:712)
(4) We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and the gift of healing were temporary. We believe that speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit. The ultimate deliverance of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection, though God frequently chooses to answer prayers of believers for physical healing. (1 Corinthians 1:22, 14:2122; 2 Corinthians 12:12; Hebrews 2:3-4)
(F) The Condition of Man - We believe that the first man was created in the image and likeness of God, in innocence and without sin. However in Adam’s sin the human race fell, inherited a sinful nature and became alienated from God. Therefore every man is a sinner by both nature and imputation and is thereby justly condemned to eternal damnation without defense or excuse, and man, of himself, is incapable of remedying his sinful condition by his own means. (Genesis 1:26-27; 3:1-24; Romans 3:10-18, 23; 5:12, 19; Ephesians 2:1-3; Titus 3:5)
(G) Salvation - We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins. (John 1:12; Romans 5:8, 6:23, 10:9-10, 13; Ephesians 1:7, 2:810; 1 Peter 1:1819)
(H) The Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers
(1) We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God's power and are thus secure in Christ forever. (John 6:3740, 10:2730; Romans 8:1, 3839; 1 Corinthians 1:48; 1 Peter 1:45)
(2) We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God's Word, which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh. (Romans 13:1314; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Galatians 5:13; Titus 2:1115; 1 Peter 2:16)
(I) The Church
(1) We believe that the local church, which is the body and the espoused bride of Christ, is solely made up of bornagain persons. (1Corinthians 12:1214; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 1:2223, 5:2527; 1 Timothy 3:16)
(2) We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures. (Acts 14:27; 20:17, 2832; 1 Timothy 3:113; Titus 1:511)
(3) We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any external authority or control. (Acts 13:14, 15:1931, 20:28; Romans 16:1, 4; 1Corinthians 3:9, 16, 5:47, 13; 1 Peter 5:14)
(4) We recognize water baptism and the Lord's Supper as the Scriptural ordinances for the Church in this age. (Matthew 28:1920; Acts 2:41, 8:36-38; 1Corinthians 11:2326)
(J) Separation – We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord. God commands his people to separate from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices, and associations. (Leviticus 19:28; Romans 12:1-2; 14:13; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; 1 John 2:15-17; 2 John 9-11)
(K) The Second Advent of Christ - We believe in that "blessed hope," the personal, imminent return of Christ Who will rapture His Church prior to the sevenyear tribulation period. At the end of the Tribulation Christ will personally and visibly return, with His saints, to establish His earthly Messianic Kingdom, which was promised to the Nation of Israel. (Psalms 89:34; Daniel 2:3145; Zechariah 14:4, 11; 1Thessalonians 1:10; 4:1318; Titus 2:13; Revelation 3:10, 19:1116, 20:16)
(L) The Eternal State
(1) We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment. (Matthew 25:46; John 5:2829, 11:2526; Revelation 20:513)
(2) We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection, when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord. (Luke 23:43; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Phil 1:23, 3:21; 1 Thessalonians 4:1617; Rev. 20:46)
(3) We believe that the souls of the unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious punishment and torment until the second resurrection, when with soul and body reunited they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment, and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment and torment. (Matthew 25:4116; Mark 9:4348; Luke 16:1926; 2 Thessalonians 1:79; Jude 67; Revelation 20:1115)
(M) The Personality of Satan - We believe that Satan is a fallen Cherub, the author of sin, the tempter of all humanity and the accuser of believers; 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 1:67; Isaiah 14:1217; Ezekiel 28:11-19; Matthew 4:211, 25:41; Luke 4:1-13; 1 Thessalonians 3:5; Revelation 20:10)
(N) Creation - We believe that God created the universe in six literal, 24hour periods. We reject evolution, the DayAge Theory, and Theistic Evolution as unscriptural theories of origin. (Genesis 112; Exodus 20:11)
(O) Civil Government - We believe that God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: (1) the home; (2) the Church; and (3) the state. Every person is subject to these authorities, but all (including the authorities themselves) are answerable to God and governed by His Word. God has given each institution specific Biblical responsibilities and balanced those responsibilities with the understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the other. The home, the Church, and the state are equal and sovereign in their respective Biblically assigned spheres of responsibility under God. (Romans 13:17; Ephesians 5:2224; Hebrews 13:17; 1 Peter 2:1314)
(P) Human Sexuality
We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between one man and one woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, beastiality, incest, fornication, adultery, and pornography are sinful perversions of the intimacy that God has reserved for marriage. We also believe that God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one’s gender by surgery or appearance. (Genesis 2:24; Genesis 19:5, 13; Genesis 26:8-9; Leviticus 18:1-30; Deuteronomy 22:5; Romans 1:26-29; 1 Corinthians 5:1; 6:9; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8; Hebrews 13:4)
We believe that the only Scriptural marriage is the joining of one man and one woman. Since fornication and adultery are grounds for the discipline of a church member (Article III, Section 4) unrepentant individuals practicing these sins can not be considered for church membership. (Genesis 2:24; Romans 7:2; 1 Corinthians 7:10; Ephesians 5:22-23)
We believe that in order to preserve the function and integrity of the local church as a body of believers, and to provide a Biblical role model to the church members and the community, it is imperative that all persons employed by the church in any capacity, or who serve as volunteers, abide by and agree to this Statement on Human Sexuality and conduct themselves accordingly. (1Corinthians 12:1214; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 1:2223, 5:2527; 1 Timothy 3:15)
(Q) Family Relationships
We believe that men and women are spiritually equal in position before God but that God has ordained distinct and separate spiritual functions for man and woman in the home and the church. The husband is to be the leader of the home, and men are to be leaders (pastors and deacons) of the church. Accordingly, only men are eligible for licensure and ordination by the church. (Galatians 3:28; Colossians 3:18; 1 Timothy 2:8-15; 3:4-5, 12)
We believe that God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. The husband is to love his wife as Christ loves the church. The wife is to submit herself to the Scriptural leadership of her husband as the church submits to the headship of Christ. Children are a heritage from the Lord. Parents are responsible for teaching their children spiritual and moral values and leading them, through consistent lifestyle example and appropriate discipline, including Scriptural corporal correction. (Genesis 1:26-28; Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Psalms 127:3-5; Proverbs 19:18; 22:15; 23:13-14; Mark 10:6-12; 1 Corinthians 7:1-16; Ephesians 5:21-33; 6:1-4; Colossians 3:18-21; Hebrews 13:4; 1 Peter 3:1-7)
(R) Divorce and Remarriage - We believe that God forbids divorce and intends marriage to last until one of the spouses dies. Divorce and remarriage is regarded as adultery except on the grounds of fornication. Although divorced and remarried persons or divorced persons may hold positions of service in the Church and be greatly used of God for Christian service, they may not be considered for the offices of pastor or deacon. (Malachi 2:1417; Matthew 19:312; Romans 7:13; 1 Timothy 3:2, 12; Titus 1:6)
(S) Abortion - We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the mental well-being of the mother are acceptable. (Job 3:16; Psalms 51:15, 139:1416; Isaiah 44:24; 49:1, 5; Jeremiah 1:5, 20:1518; Luke 1:44)
(T) Euthanasia – We believe that the direct taking of an innocent human life is a moral evil, regardless of the intention. Life is a gift of God and must be respected from conception until natural death. Thus we believe that an act or omission which, of itself or by intention, causes death in order to eliminate suffering constitutes a murder contrary to the will of God. Discontinuing medical procedures that are extraordinary or disproportionate to the expected outcome can be a legitimate refusal of over-zealous treatment. (Exodus 20:13, 23:7; Matthew 5:21; Acts 17:28)
(U) Love – We believe that we should demonstrate love for others, not only toward fellow believers, but also toward those who are not believers, those who oppose us, and those that engage in sinful actions. We are to deal with those that oppose us graciously, gently, patiently, and humbly. God forbids the stirring up of strife, the taking of revenge, or the threat or the use of violence as a means of resolving personal conflict or obtaining personal justice. Although God commands us to abhor sinful actions, we are to love and pray for any person who engages in such sinful actions. (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 5:44-48; Luke 6:31; John 13:34-35; Romans 12:9-10, 17-21; 13:8-10; Philippians 2:2-4; 2 Timothy 2:24-26; Titus 3:2; 1 John 3:17-18)
(V) Lawsuits Between Believers - We believe that Christians are prohibited from bringing civil lawsuits against other Christians or the Church to resolve personal disputes. We believe the Church possesses all the resources necessary to resolve personal disputes between members. We do believe, however, that a Christian may seek compensation for injuries from another Christian's insurance company as long as the claim is pursued without malice or slander. (1 Corinthians 6:18; Ephesians 4:3132)
(S) Missions - We believe that God has given the Church a Great Commission to proclaim the Gospel to all nations so that there might be a great multitude from every nation, tribe, ethnic group, and language group who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. As ambassadors of Christ we must use all available means to go to the foreign nations and not wait for them to come to us. (Matthew 28:1920; Mark 16:15; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; 2 Corinthians 5:20; Revelation 22:17)
(U) Giving - We believe that every Christian, as a steward of that portion of God's wealth entrusted to him, is obligated to support his local church financially. We believe that God has established the tithe as a basis for giving but that every Christian should also give other offerings sacrificially and cheerfully to the support of the Church, the relief of those in need, and the spread of the Gospel. We believe that a Christian relinquishes all right to direct the use of the tithe or offering once the gift has been made. (Genesis 14:20; Proverbs 3:910; Acts 4:3437; 1Corinthians 16:2; Galatians 6:6; Ephesians 4:28; 1 Timothy 5:1718; 1 John 3:17)
Section 2 Authority of the Statement of Faith
The Statement of Faith does not exhaust the extent of our faith. The Bible itself is the sole and final source of all that we believe. We do believe, however, that the foregoing Statement of Faith accurately represents the teaching of the Bible, and therefore, is binding upon all members.
Section 3 Covenant
Having been led, as we believe, by the Spirit of God, to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, and on profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of our Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, we do now, in the presence of God, the angels, and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another, as one body in Christ.
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, discipline and doctrines; to give it a sacred preeminence of all institutions of human origin; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the Church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the Gospel through all nations.
We also engage to maintain family and private devotions; to religiously educate our children; to seek the salvation of our kindred, acquaintances, and all others; to walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful to our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment; to avoid all tattling, backbiting, and excessive anger; to abstain from worldly amusement such as movie attendance, gambling, rock music, and dancing; to be free from all oathbound secret societies and partnerships with unbelievers; to abstain from the sale or use of tobacco in any form, narcotic drug, or intoxicating drink as a beverage; and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Savior.
We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember each other in prayer; to aid each other in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and courtesy of speech; to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation without delay.
We moreover engage that when we remove from this place, we will as soon as possible, unite with some other Church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God's Word.
