BETHANY BAPTIST CHURCH

SCRIPTURES
We believe that the Holy Bible, as originally written, was verbally inspired and the product of Spirit-controlled men, and therefore it is truth without error for its content, and is the only infallible rule for all human conduct, creeds and opinions.  II Peter 1:20,21; II Timothy 3:16,17; John 17:17.

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 personal distinctions:

Yet they are ONE in substance and equal in every Divine perfection.  Exodus 20:2,3; I Corinthians 8:6; Deuteronomy 6:4.

We believe in the absolute Deity of the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ; that He was Divine as no other man can be, being very God of very God, existing from all eternity co-equal with the Father and the Spirit; that He never ceased to be God for one instant and that His humiliation did not consist in the laying aside of His Deity; that as a man He was miraculously begotten of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.  Luke 1:26-38; Matthew 1:20; John 1:1-12; I John 5:20.

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.  We believe that the gift of tongues was a sign-gift and ceased when the Scriptures were completed.  II Corinthians 13:14; John 14:16,17; Romans 8:14-17,26,27; I Corinthians 13:8.

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, and is destined to the judgment of an eternal justice in the lake of fire.  Matthew 4:1-3; II Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 20:10.

CREATION
We believe that God created the heaven and the earth including all life, each "after his kind", by direct act, and not by any process of evolution.  Genesis 1 & 2; Colossians 1:16,17; John 1:3.

FALL OF MAN
We believe that man, in the person of the first Adam, was created in innocence, but by voluntary transgression fell into sin, thus plunging the whole race into condemnation and death, so that now all mankind is born in sin and shapen in iniquity and become willful sinners with the first expression of personal choice, and so are without excuse before God.  Genesis 3: Romans 5:10-19.

REDEMPTION FROM SIN
We believe that the only escape from the condemnation of sin is through the redemption wrought by Jesus Christ when He voluntarily took upon Him a human body and nature, yet without sin, and by His suffering, death and 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 and confess, and that it is the immediate duty of all to accept these offers of mercy.  I Peter 1:18,19; John 1:1-3,14; 3:1-7, 16,17; Hebrews 10:4-14; Acts 16:30-33; Romans 3:25.

SALVATION BY GRACE
We believe that faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ is the only condition of salvation from sin, and this salvation is wholly by grace; that no works however good, make that salvation more secure.  We believe that all who take Christ as their Savior are born from above and are eternally secure in Christ.  Ephesians 2:8-10; Titus 3:5-7; Romans 10:9-13; John 10:28,29; Romans 8:35-39; Philippians 1:6.

THE CHURCH
We believe that the church universal is a New Testament institution; unknown to the Old Testament prophets; established by Jesus Christ who is its sole Head; revealed through the holy apostles; empowered and perpetuated by the Holy Spirit; Christ's "body" for service and His "bride" for glory.  It began with the New Testament saints and will be consummated at the coming of Christ in the Rapture.  Matthew 16:18; Acts 1:8; 2:1-11, 41-47; 15:14; Romans 16:25,26; I Corinthians 12:12-27; Ephesians 1:22,23; 3:21; 5:23-33; I Thessalonians 4:13-18.

We believe that the church universal is manifest through the local church, which is a congregation of immersed believers associated by a covenant of faith and fellowship of the gospel, observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws, exercising the gifts, rights and privileges invested in it by His Word; that its Scriptural officers are bishops (or pastors) and deacons; that it has the absolute right of self-government directed by the Holy Spirit, and it is answerable only to Christ; and that in all matters of membership, policy, government, discipline and benevolence the will of the local church is final.  Matthew 18:15-17; I Corinthians 1:2; 6:4,5; 7:17; 11:16; I Timothy 3:1-15.

THE ORDINANCES
We believe that there are two church ordinances:

We believe that baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and is properly called "believer's baptism".  It sets forth in a beautiful and solemn way our faith in our lives producing death to sin and resurrection to a new life.  Matthew 28:19; Acts 8:36-39; Romans 6:3-5.

We believe the Scriptures teach that the "Lord's Supper" is a provision of bread and fruit of the vine as symbols of Christ's body and blood, partaken of by believers in commemoration of the suffering and death of their Lord "till He come"; showing their faith and participation in the merits of His sacrifice and their hope of eternal life through His resurrection from the dead, its observance to be preceded by faithful self-examination.  I Corinthians 11:23-32; Matthew 26:26-29.

THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE WICKED
We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that only such as through faith are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and sanctified by the Spirit of God, are truly righteous in God's esteem; while all such who continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight wicked and under the curse; and that this distinction holds among men both during life and after death, in the everlasting conscious felicity of the saved and the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost.  Malachi 3:18; Romans 6:17-23; Matthew 25:31-46; John 8:21.

THE RETURN OF CHRIST
We believe in the bodily, personal, premillennial return of Jesus Christ; that He will come before the seven year tribulation period to catch away His church, coming only into the air; and that He will come with His church at the close of the tribulation to judge the living nations and to set up His kingdom on earth.  I Thessalonians 4:14-18; Matthew 25:31-46; Revelation 19:11-21.

THE RESURRECTION
We believe in the resurrection of the bodies of the dead; that believers who have died 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, and that the wicked dead will 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.  John 5:21-30; I Thessalonians 4:16; Revelation 7:9-17, 20:11-15.

THE LORD'S DAY
We believe the Scriptures teach that the first day of the week, Sunday, is the Lord's Day and is to be kept sacred to religious purposes by the devout observance of the day.  Acts 20:7; I Corinthians 16:1,2; Hebrews 10:25.

CIVIL GOVERNMENT
We believe that civil government is of Divine appointment for the interests and good order of human society; that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored and obeyed, except in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ.  We believe in the separation of church and state, and in religious liberty for all men.  Romans 13:1-7; Acts 4:19; 5:39; 23:5; I Timothy 2:1-8.

MARRIAGE
We believe in the sanctity of marriage, that it is an institution ordained by God, a relationship between one man and one woman, Divinely intentional to be severed only by death.  Mark 10:9; Romans 7:2,3; Ephesians 5:22,23.

SEPARATION
We believe that the local church should separate itself from and not seek fellowship with people, groups or organizations, which deny the Word of God and Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ.  II Corinthians 6:14-18; II John 10,11; I John 4:1,2.