WHAT WE BELIEVE
- We believe that the King James Bible is the preserved, infallible, inerrant, inspired words of God in the English language (Psalm 12:6-7). It is the absolute final authority for all matters of faith and practice and for all matters of life (2 Timothy 3:16).
- We believe that God exists in three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are one God (1 John 5:7).
- We believe in the deity of Jesus Christ (John 1:1), His virgin birth (Matthew 1:21-23), His sinless life (2 Corinthians 5:21), His miracles (John 2:23), His death for all the sins of the world (John 1:29), His bodily resurrection (John 20: 1-14), His ascension to the right hand of the Father (Acts 1:9, Romans 8:34), and His return which is yet to come (John 14:3).
- We believe that a person is saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8).
- We believe that good works should follow after a person is saved (Romans 12:1-2, Ephesians 2:10).
- We believe that works and good deeds, either before or after a person is saved, has no bearing on that person’s salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9). Once a person is saved he or she cannot lose his or her salvation (Romans 8:38-39).
- We believe that every saved person has the Holy Spirit living in him, who seals that person from losing their salvation (1st Corinthians 6:19, Ephesians 4:30).
- We believe that each New Testament church is the only medium through which the Lord works in this present world. Each local independent church consists of a local assembly of born-again, baptized believers in the Lord Jesus Christ who are sound in doctrine (Acts 13:1; 14:23; 15:4; 18:22, Romans 16:1, 1 Corinthians 1:2; 4:17; 16:19, Revelation 2:1, 8, 12, 18, 3:1, 7, and 14). The local church has Jesus Christ as its head and its pastor as overseer (Matthew 18:17; 28:18; Acts 4:9-11).
- We believe that there are only two ordinances for the New Testament church which are Baptism and the Lord's Supper. Since they are "church" ordinances they are to be administered only by the local church (Matt. 28:18-20). To have scriptural baptism you must have 1) a proper candidate - someone who is born-again (Acts 2:41); 2) proper authority - a New Testament church (Matt. 28:18-20); and 3) proper mode - immersion (Matt. 3:16; Acts 8:39). The Lord's Supper, as administered by the local church, is to be observed by the members only and they are to use grape juice and unleavened bread (1 Cor. 11:23-31).
- We believe in the pre-tribulation rapture, or catching away, of all saved people (1st Thessalonians 4:13-18). We believe that Jesus will take His own out of this world and then the seven year tribulation period will begin. After the seven year tribulation, Jesus will return to set up His Millennial Kingdom (Romans 5:9, Revelation 4:1 - 22:21).
© Copyright 2011 - New Testament Baptist Church, Rochester, MN