Bible Baptist Church of New Milford
Confession of Faith
SECTION I – THE SCRIPTURES
We believe that the Holy Bible, as originally written, was verbally inspired (i.e. every word in the original languages was inspired by God) and the product of Spirit controlled men, and therefore has truth without the admixture of error for its matter. We believe that it is the true center of Christian union and the only infallible rule for all human conduct, creeds and opinions. (II Timothy 3:16 – 17; II Peter 1:19-21)
SECTION II – THE TRUE GOD
We believe that there is only one living and true God, infinite in every excellence; that in the unity of the Godhead there are three distinct persons – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – yet one in substance and equal in every divine perfection. (II Corinthians 13:14; Exodus 20: 2-3; I Corinthians 8:6; Matthew 3:13-17)
We believe in the Deity of the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ; being very God of very God, existing from all eternity co-equal with the Father and the Spirit; and that His humiliation did not consist in laying aside His deity; that as man He was miraculously begotten of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. (John 1:1-2; I John 5:20; Matthew 1:20; Luke 1:26 – 38)
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person equal with the Father and the Son and of the same substance and nature; that he convicts of sin, righteousness and judgment, bears witness to the truth, is the Agent of the New Birth and that He seals, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses to, sanctifies, and helps the believer, indwelling every true child of God. (John 15:26; I Corinthians 12:13; II Corinthians 13:14; John 14:16-17; Romans 8:14-27)
SECTION III – THE DEVIL, OR SATAN
We believe in the distinct personality of Satan, that he is the unholy god of this age, author of all powers of darkness and sin, the adversary of every Christian, and is destined to the judgment of an eternal justice in the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:10; Matthew 4:1-3; II Corinthians 4:4)
SECTION IV – CREATION
We believe that God created the heavens and the earth, including all life, “each after its own kind”, by direct immediate act, and not by the process of evolution. (Genesis 1:2; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16-17)
SECTION V – THE FALL OF MAN
We believe that man, in the person of the first Adam as our federal head was created in innocence, but by voluntary transgression through the temptation of Satan fell into sin, thus plunging the entire human race into condemnation and death, so that now all mankind is born in sin and as sinners are without excuse before God. (Romans 5:12; Genesis 3; Romans 5:10-19)
SECTION VI – REDEMPTION FROM SIN
We believe that the only escape from sin is through redemption by Jesus Christ when He voluntarily took upon Himself a human body and nature, yet without sin, and by His life, suffering, substitutionary death, and bodily resurrection made full satisfaction to the justice of God for the sin of man; that the blessings of this salvation are given on the grounds of grace to all who believe. (John 1:1-3, 14; 3:1-7; Acts 16:31; 16:30-33; Romans 10:9-10; Hebrews 10:4-14)
Salvation is by faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary’s Cross is the only method of salvation from sin and that this salvation is wholly by God’s sovereign grace; and that no works, however good, make that salvation more secure. (Acts 16-31; Romans 10:9-11; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3: 5-7)
We believe that all who are born from above will repent and are eternally secure in Christ. (John 10:28-29; Romans 6:1-4; Romans 8:35-39; Philippians 1:6)
SECTION VII – THE CHURCH
We believe that the Church universal is the New Testament institution; unknown to the Old Testament prophets; established by Jesus Christ, Who is its sole Head as revealed through the Holy Apostles; that it is empowered and perpetuated by the Holy Spirit; that it is Christ’s “body” for service and His “bride” for glory. It began with the New Testament saints and will be consummated at the return of Christ. (Matthew 16:18; Acts 1:8; 2:1-13; 2:41-47; 15:14; Romans 16:26; I Corinthians 12:12-18; Ephesians 1:22-23; 3:21; 5:22-33; Colossians 1:18; I Thessalonians 4:13-18)
We believe that the Church universal is manifested through the local Church, which is a congregation of immersed believers, associated by covenant of faith and fellowship of the Gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws; exercising the gifts, offices, rights, and privileges invested in it by His word.
We believe that the local church is self governing, and that all issues of membership, polity and government reside with the membership and its appointed or elected leaders (Matthew 18:15-17; I Corinthians 1:2; 6:4-5; 7:17; 11:16; I Timothy 3:1-15)
SECTION VIII – THE ORDINANCES
We believe that there are two church ordinances: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
Baptism is the immersion of a believer in water and is properly called “Believer’s Baptism”. It sets forth in a beautiful and solemn way our faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Savior, with the effects of that faith in our lives as it produces death to sin and resurrection to a new life (Acts 2:41-42). Baptism is a prerequisite to the privileges of Church relation. (Acts 8:36-39; Romans 6:3-5)
The Lord’s Supper is the commemoration of our Lord’s death until He comes and our continual fellowship with Him. It should always be preceded by careful self-examination. (I Corinthians 11:23-32)
SECTION IX – THE WICKED
All who continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight wicked, and under the curse; and therefore stand condemned before God to separation from God in a place prepared for the Devil and his angels. (Malachi 3:18; Matthew 25:34-41; Luke 6:25; John 3:18; 8:21; Romans 6:16-23)
SECTION X – THE RETURN OF CHRIST
We believe in the bodily, personal, imminent, premillennial return of Jesus Christ; and that He will afterwards return with His Church at the close of the tribulation to judge the living nations and to set up His kingdom on earth. (Matthew 25:31-46; I Thessalonians 4:16; Revelation 19:11-21)
SECTION XI – THE RESURRECTION
We believe in the resurrection of the bodies of the just and the unjust; that believers who sleep in Jesus will be raised at the coming of Christ for His church and caught up with the transformed living saints to meet the Lord in the air (the Rapture), and that the wicked dead will all be raised at the close of the Millennial kingdom and stand in their bodies at the Great White Throne of judgment to receive their final doom in a Christless eternity. (Daniel 12:12; John 5:21-30; I Thessalonians 4:16; Revelation 7:9-17; 20:11-15)
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