Exalting Christ and Loving People
Alta Vista Baptist Church
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"Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment."   1 Corinthians 1:10 (NASB)

DOCTRINAL STATEMENT

The doctrines of this church shall be those, and only those found in the Word of God. We believe these to be basically expressed in our "Statement of Faith".

STATEMENT of FAITH

1. Bible:

We believe the Bible to be the complete Word of God; that the sixty-six Books, as originally written, comprising the Old and New Testaments, were verbally inspired by the Spirit of God and were entirely free from error; that the Bible is the final authority in all matters of faith and practice and the true basis of Christian union. (Mark 12:26-36; John 16:12,13; Timothy 3:16,17; Peter 1:21)

2. God:

We believe in one God, Creator of all, holy, sovereign, eternal, existing in three equal Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. (Genesis 1:26; 3:22; 11:6-8; Isaiah 63:8-10; Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 12:29; John 1:1-4,14; 3:3; 3:16-18; Acts 5:3,4; Romans 8:15-17; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Hebrews 1:1-3; Revelations 1:4-6)

3. Christ:

We believe in the absolute and essential deity and humanity of Jesus Christ, in His eternal existence with the Father in pre-incarnate glory, in His virgin birth, sinless life, substitutionary death, bodily resurrection, triumphant ascension, mediatorial ministry and personal return. (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-23; Luke 1:35; John 5:39; Acts 17:2,3; 18:28; 26:22,23; 28:23)

4. The Holy Spirit:

We believe in the absolute and essential deity and personality of the Holy Spirit Who convinces of sin, of righteousness, and of judgement; Who regenerates, sanctifies, illuminates and comforts those who believe in Jesus Christ. (1 Samuel 16:13; Zechariah 4:6; John 7:38,39; 14:16,17; 15:26; 16:13-15; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4)

5. Satan:

We believe that Satan exists as an evil personality, the originator of sin, the arch-enemy of God and man. This Satan will, at the end of time, receive his full penatly at the Last Judgement. (Genesis 3:14,15; Job 1:6-12; 2 Corinthinians 11:13-15; Hebrews 2:14; Revelations 9:11; 20:2,7)

6. Mankind:

We believe that man was divinely created in the image of God; that he sinned, becoming guilty before God, resulting in the total depravity, thereby incurring spiritual and physical death. (Genesis 1:26; 2:17; 6:5; Psalm 14:1-3; 51:5; Isaiah 64:6; Jeremiah 17:9; John 3:6; 5:40; 6:53; Romans 5:12-19; Ephesians 2:1-3; 1 Timothy 5:6)

7. Salvation:

We believe that salvation is by the sovereign, electing grace of God; that by the appointment of the Father, Christ voluntarily suffered a vicarious expiatory and propitiatory death; that justification is by faith alone in the all-sufficient sacrifice and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and that those whom God has effectually called shall be divinely preserved and finally perfected in the image of the Lord. (Leviticus 17:11; Matthew 26:28; John 1:12; Romans 5:6-9; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:13; 6:15; Ephesians 2:8,9; Titus 2:11-14; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:18,19,23; 2:24)

8. Future Things:

We believe in the personal, bodily and glorious return of the Lord Jesus Christ; in the resurrection of the just and unjust; in the eternal blessedness of the redeemed and in the judgement and conscious, eternal punishment of the wicked. (Psalm 90:3,4; Isaiah 26:19, Daniel 7:22-27; 12:2,3; Zechariah 14:4-11; John 5:28,29; Acts 15:16,17; Romans 1:4; 8:17,23; 1 Corinthians 15; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 4:13-18; 2 Peter 2:9; Revelations 3:10; 19:11-16; 20:1-6,11-15; 21:8; 22:11)

9. The Local Church:

We believe that a church is a company of immersed believers, called out from the world, separated unto the Lord Jesus, voluntarily associated for the ministry of the Word, the mutual edification of its members, the propagation of the faith, and the observance of the ordinances. We believe it is a sovereign, independent body, exercising its own divinely awarded gifts, precepts, and privileges under the Lordship of Christ, the Great Head of the church. We believe that its leaders are Elders and Teaching Elders (Pastors). (Romans 12:5; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Ephesians 4:3-10; Colossians 2:19)

10. Ordinances:

We believe that there are only two ordinances for the church regularly observed in the New Testament in the following order:

1. Baptism which is the immersion of the believer in water, whereby he obeys Christ's command and sets forth his identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. (Matthew 28:19,20; Acts 2:38; 8:12)

2. The Lord's Supper which is the memorial wherein the believer partakes of the two elements, bread and wine which symbolize the Lord's body and shed blood, proclaiming His death until He come. (Luke 22:19,20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-28)

11. The Church and State:

We believe in the separation of church and state. (Matthew 22:21; Mark 12:17; Luke 20:25)

12. Religious Liberty:

We believe in religious liberty; that every man has the right to practice and propagate his beliefs.

13. The Lord's Day:

We believe that the first day of the week is the Lord's Day and the accepted day for worship and spiritual exercise. (Acts 20:7)

14. Civil Government:

We believe that the civil government is of divine appointment for the interest and good order of society; that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honoured and obeyed except only in the things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the only Lord of the conscience and Prince of the kings of the earth. (Acts 13:27; Romans 13:3; Titus 3:1)


For further information please see the Contacts page or contact the Church Office.


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