What We Believe The Articles of Faith for Trinity Baptist Church 1. We believe that the Bible from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21 is the verbally inspired and infallible Word of God. Because we believe that the Authorized King James Version is the preserved Word of God for English-speaking people and that God rejects any effort to add to, take away, or change His Word, we strictly use the Authorized KJV in all areas of our ministry. We regard the Bible as our sole authority for faith and practice. (Deuteronomy 4:2, Psalm 12:6-7, Romans 15:4, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:19-21, Revelation 22:18-19). 2. We believe Jesus Christ was born of Mary the Virgin, and is the Son of God, and God the Son. (Isa. 7:14, 9:6; Luke 1:35; John 1:1-2) 3. We believe that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God. (Rom. 3:23-26; 1 Pet. 2:24, Eph. 1:7) 4. We believe that Christ rose from the grave the third day according to the Scriptures. (Matthew 28:1-7; 1 Cor. 15:1-4) 5. We believe that He, only, is our great High Priest, and we need no other to intercede for us. (Romans 8:34, Hebrews 7:24-28) 6. We believe in one triune God, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – each co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, coequal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections. (Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14; John 14:10, 26) 7. We believe that in order to be saved, the soul must be born again. A person is not saved by works or keeping the law, but by placing their faith in Jesus Christ. (John 3:3; Galatians 2:16) 8. We believe that every truly born again soul should declare his faith by the act of baptism (immersion in water), setting forth the Lord’s death, burial and resurrection. Baptism is not a requirement for salvation, but it is the first step of obedience for a new Christian. (Acts 8:35-39; Colossians 2:12) 9. We believe in the eternal security of the believer – that Christ keeps those who are truly born again and they cannot lose their salvation (II Timothy 1:12, John 10:28). 10. We believe that all Christians are called unto a life of separation from worldly and sinful practices, and to a life of usefulness for Christ (II Corinthians 6:17, II Peter 1:2-9, 1 Thessalonians 5:22). 11. We believe that a local church is a body of baptized believers whose only mission is, not to “reform the world,” but to preach and teach the Gospel of Salvation to the individual soul. (Matthew 28:18-20) We believe that God’s Word defines only two ordinances to be observed by the local church – baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Baptism is the immersion in water of a believer in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, by the authority of the local church. It is the first step of obedience after a person becomes a Christian and shows forth to the world that they have died to their sins and been raised to walk in newness of life. The Lord’s Supper is a sacred ceremony by which believers commemorate Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, and should be entered into only after solemn self-examination. (Acts 2:41; Matthew 26:26-29) 12. We believe in the pre-tribulation rapture of the saved, that at Christ’s coming in the air, the bodies of the dead in Christ shall be raised incorruptible and reunited with soul and spirit; the bodies of Christians who are alive shall be changed and glorified, and without dying, shall be caught up to be with the Lord (I Thessalonians 4:13-17, I Corinthians 15:51-53). The saved will then appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ to be rewarded for their deeds (II Corinthians 5:10, 1 Corinthians 3:11-15). After these things, Christ will return in Person, bodily and visibly to the earth, with His Saints, and shall rule the world in righteousness for a thousand years at the end of which, the unsaved dead will be resurrected and their judgment and condemnation shall take place (Matthew 24:30-31; Revelation 19:11-16, 20:5-6, 20:11-15). |