Doctrinal Statement
We, the membership of Heritage Baptist Church, believe the Bible, the whole Bible and nothing but the Bible to be our infallible rule of faith and of practice. We understand our responsibility to make known the divine message of the Bible, and we present the following articles as a statement of those basic truths taught in the Bible which are common to our Christian faith and practice.
1. The Bible: the Word of God, the sixty-six Books of the Old and New Testaments, verbally inspired in all parts and wholly without error as originally given of God (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:21).
2. The one True God: Who spoke all things into existence (Col 1:16; Is 44:24), existing eternally as three persons: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Luk.3:22; Mat. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14).
3. The Lord Jesus Christ: His preexistence and deity (Joh. 1:1-3), incarnation by the virgin birth (Joh. 1:14; Mat. 1:18-23), sinless life (Heb. 4:15), substitutionary death (2 Cor. 5:21), bodily resurrection (Luk.24:36-43), ascension into heaven and present ministry (Heb. 4:14-16) and coming again (Acts 1:11).
4. The Holy Spirit: His personality (Joh. 16:7-15), deity (Acts 5:3-4) and His work in each believer; baptism and indwelling at the moment of regeneration (1 Cor. 12:13; Rom. 8:9); and filling (Eph. 5:18) to empower for Christian life and service (Eph. 3:16; Acts 1:8; Gal. 5:22-23).
5. Man: his direct creation in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-28); his subsequent fall into sin resulting in spiritual death for all mankind (Gen. 3:1-24; Rom. 5:12); and the necessity of the new birth for his salvation (Joh. 3:3-5).
6. Salvation: a complete and eternal salvation by God’s grace alone, received as the gift of God through personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work (Eph. 2:8-9; Tit. 3:5-7; 1 Pet. 1:18-19).
7. The Church: one true Church, the body and bride of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23, 5:25-32), composed of all true believers of the present age (1 Cor. 12:12-13) and the organization of its members in local churches for worship, for edification of believers and for worldwide gospel witness; each local church being autonomous but cooperating in fellowship and work (Eph. 4:11-16).
8. Christian Life: a life of righteousness, good works and separation unto God from the evil ways of the world (Rom. 12:1-2); manifested by speaking the truth (Jam. 5:12); maintaining the sanctity of the home (Eph. 5:22 – 6:4); settling differences between Christians in accordance with the Word of God (Mat. 18:15-17; 1 Cor. 6:1-8); not engaging in carnal strife but showing a Christ-like attitude toward all men (Rom. 12:17-21); exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23); maintaining a life of prayer (Eph. 6:18; Php. 4:6); and edifying the brethren by use of their spiritual gifts (1 Cor 14:12).
9. Ordinances: the Christian should observe the ordinances of our Lord Jesus Christ which are: (1) baptism of believers by immersion (Mat. 28:19) and (2) the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:23-26).
10. Satan: his existence and personality as the great adversary of God and His people (Rev. 12:1-10), his judgment (Joh. 12:31) and final doom (Rev. 20:10)
11. Second Coming: The personal, visible and imminent return of Christ to remove His Church from the earth (1 Thes. 4:16-17) before the tribulation (1 Thes. 1:10; Rev. 3:10) and afterward to descend with the Church to establish His millennial kingdom upon the earth (Rev. 19:11-20:6).
12. Future Life: The conscious existence of the dead (Php. 1:21-23; Luk. 16:19-21), the resurrection of the body (Joh. 5:28-29), the judgment and reward of believers (Rom. 14:10-12; 2 Cor. 5:10), the judgment and condemnation of unbelievers (Rev. 20:11-15), the eternal life of the saved (Joh. 3:16), and the eternal punishment of the lost (Mat. 25:46, Rev. 20:15).