WHAT WE BELIEVE
The First Baptist Church of Jackson
THE SCRIPTURES
We believe that the Bible is the word of God and is the only complete and final revelation of the will of God to man. The Holy Bible, written by men inspired by the Holy Spirit, is infallible and has been preserved inerrant by God. Due to reasons of textual reliability, we believe God through divine providence has preserved His word for English speaking peoples in the Authorized Version, otherwise referred to as the King James Version of the Bible. The Bible is the divinely inspired final authority for every age and every life.
– By the “Holy Bible” we mean the collection of sixty-six books from Genesis to Revelation.
– By “Inspired” we mean that the books of the Bible were originally written by men of God as they were moved by the Holy Ghost in such a way that their writings were supernaturally controlled by God and were free from error as no other writings have been or ever will be inspired.
– By “divine providence has preserved” we mean that God through the ages has, in His divine providence, preserved His complete inerrant word and conveyed the same to English speaking peoples through the Authorized Version – King James Bible, 1611.
– By “textual reliability” we mean that the underlying New Testament Greek manuscripts used by the King James translators were superior as they were ultimately, in time past, copies of copies in constant use by local assemblies of believers throughout Church History, that the underlying Old Testament manuscripts used in the translation were the Masoretic Hebrew texts copied by and entrusted to the Jews and that both of these texts were not hidden away but recognized, circulated, and validated by the New Testament priesthood of believers traced back to Antioch, Syria where they were first called “Christians.”
Psalms 12:6-7; 19:7-11; 33:1; 78:1-8; 100:5; 105:8; 119:89, 105, 111, 152, 160
Proverbs 22:20-21; 30:5-6
Ecclesiastes 3:14
Isaiah 8:20; 40:8; 59:21
Matthew 5:17-18; 24:35
Luke 16:31; 21:33; 24:25-27, 44, 45
John 1:1; 5:39, 45-47; 10:34-36; 12:48; 17:17
Acts 1:16; 11:26
Romans 3:2; 15:4
Ephesians 6:17
II Timothy 3:15-17
I Peter 1:23-25
II Peter 1:19-21
Revelation 22:19
THE GODHEAD
We believe that there is only one loving and true God existing eternally in three persons: The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit — equal in every divine perfection and executing distinct, but harmonious functions in the great work of redemption. God is the absolute and sole creator of the universe, is inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and is worthy of all possible honor, praise, confidence, and love.
Genesis 1:1, 26
Exodus 20:2-3; 15:11
I Chronicles 29:11
Psalms 83:18; 90:2; 96:4-5; 145:17; 147:5
Isaiah 6:3
Jeremiah 10:10
Matthew 28:19
Mark 12:30
John 4:24; 10:30; 15:26; 17:5
Acts 5:3-4
Romans 11:33
I Corinthians 2:10-11; 8:6; 12:4-6
II Corinthians 13:14
Ephesians 2:18; 4:6
Philippians 2:5-6
I Timothy 1:17
I John 5:7
Revelation 4:8, 11
THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person and that He is equal to and is of the same nature as God the Father and God the Son. To the unbelieving world, the Holy Spirit bears witness to the truth of the Gospel, and convicts of sin, righteousness, and judgment. The Holy Spirit indwells, baptizes, seals, and sanctifies all believers at the moment of their salvation. He also endues, guides, teaches, witnesses, and fills all believers in response to confession of sin and yieldedness. We further believe that the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance) and permanent spiritual gifts are evidence of His indwelling rather than speaking in tongues or other ecstatic and spectacular demonstrations. He is also referred to in the scriptures as the Holy Ghost.
Genesis 1:1-3; 6:3
Psalms 139:7
Matthew 3:11; 28:19
Luke 1:35; 3:22; 12:12
John 1:33; 3:5-6; 14:16, 17, 26; 15:26-27; 16:7-15
Acts 5:30-32; 11:16
Romans 8:9-16, 26, 27
I Corinthians 3:16; 6:11, 19; 12:1-11; 13:8-10
Galatians 5:22-23
Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30; 5:18
Hebrews 9:14
I Peter 1:2
THE SON
We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten of the Holy Spirit in a miraculous manner born of Mary, a virgin, and that He is both the Son of God and God the Son. As both God and man, He lived a sinless life, taught with authority, wrought mighty works, wonders and signs, was crucified and died as a substitutional, sacrificial payment for our sins, was buried, and was raised from the dead bodily on the third day. He later ascended to the Father’s right hand where He is the Head of the Church, is interceding for the believers, is preparing an abode for His children, and from whence He is coming in the clouds to rapture His church immediately prior to the Tribulation and from whence He is coming again personally, bodily, and visibly to this earth at the conclusion of the Tribulation to set up His Millennial Kingdom.
Genesis 3:15
Psalms 2:7
Isaiah 7:14; 52:13-15; 53:1-9
Matthew 1:18-25; 28:5-6
Mark 1:1
Luke 1:31, 35
John 1:1, 2, 14, 18; 14:2-3; 19:16-18, 30, 33
Acts 1:9, 11
Romans 3:24-26; 4:25
I Corinthians 15:3-4, 12-19, 47, 51-53
II Corinthians 5:21
Galatians 4:4
I Thessalonians 4:14-17
Titus 2:13
Hebrews 4:14-16; 7:23-25; 9:24
I John 2:1-2; 3:2; 5:20
THE DEVIL
We believe that Satan was once perfect and enjoyed heavenly honors (then named Lucifer), but through pride and ambition to be as God, fell and took with him a host of angels. He is now the malignant prince of the power of the air and the unholy god of this world. Satan is man’s great tempter, the enemy of Christ, the accuser of the saints, the father of lies, the author of all false religions, the lord of the antichrist, and the author of all powers of darkness. He is, however, destined to a final defeat at the hands of God’s Son and to the judgment of an eternal hell — a place prepared for him and his angels.
Genesis 3:14-15 I Peter 5:8
Isaiah 14:12-15 II Peter 2:4
Ezekiel 28:14-17 I John 2:22; 3:8; 4:3
Zechariah 3:1 II John 7
Matthew 4:1, 3, 6, 9; 13:25, 37-39; 25:41 Jude 6
Mark 13:21-22 II Thessalonians 2:8-11
Luke 22:3-4
John 8:44; 14:30
II Corinthians 11:13-15
Ephesians 2:2
I Thessalonians 3:5
Revelation 12:7-12; 13:13-14; 19:11, 16, 20; 20:1-3, 10
THE DEPRAVITY OF MAN
We believe that man was created in complete innocence in a perfect environment, but of his own volition, transgressed God. The result of Adam’s sin is not only physical death and spiritual death (separation from God for eternity) for all mankind, but the fall also endowed upon all mankind a sinful nature. Therefore, all people are sinners, not only by constraint, but also by choice. They are unable, in and of themselves to rectify their condition and regain the former position of innocence, and are under just condemnation without defense or excuse before God.
Genesis 3:1-6
Psalms 51:5; 53:1, 3
Isaiah 64:6
Ezekiel 18:19-20
John 3:18
Romans 1:18, 20, 28, 32; 3:10-19, 23; 5:12, 19; 6:23
Galatians 3:22
Ephesians 2:1, 3, 12
Hebrews 2:3
SALVATION
We believe that salvation is a gift of God, available to every person, by grace through a personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ alone and that this faith is more than intellectual assent, but is comprised of: repentance of sin, surrender of will, and a commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Salvation was made possible by the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ who made a full and vicarious atonement for our sin, providing redemption from the curse of the law. This justification of the sinner through His substitutionary death on the cross, when personally received by faith, results in salvation or being “born again.” The new birth (regeneration) results in a new creature (transformation) in Jesus Christ that is instantaneous and not a process. In the new birth, the one dead in trespasses and sins responds to the gospel according to the scriptures, and is imparted a new nature and spiritual life not previously possessed, is forgiven of sin, and is given eternal life solely by the power of the Holy Spirit. Salvation is totally apart from any effort of man such as good works, baptism, or church membership. Proper evidences of salvation are repentance, faith, and newness of life, as well as the evidence of the fruit of the spirit (love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance). A true believer is eternally secure— he cannot lose his salvation, but sin in his life may interrupt the joy of his fellowship with God, the loss of salvation assurance, and bring the loving discipline of His Heavenly Father.
Genesis 15:6
Psalms 37:24; 51:1-4, 7, 10, 12
Isaiah 53:4-7, 11, 12; 55:6-7
Matthew 4:17; 16:24-25; 18:11
Mark 1:15
Luke 12:8; 18:13-14
John 1:12-13; 3:3, 5-8, 16-17; 5:24; 6:37; 10:18, 27-30
Acts 2:37-38; 13:38-39; 15:11; 16:30-31; 20:21
Romans 1:17; 3:24-25, 28; 4:1-8; 5:1, 8-9, 15, 20; 6:1-2, 10-13, 23; 8:1,16-17, 29-39; 9:11; 10:9-13
Salvation continued …
I Corinthians 3: 12-15; 15:3-4, 20
II Corinthians 5:17-19, 21
Galatians 1:4; 3:11; 5:22-25
Ephesians 1:7; 2:1, 8-10; 4:30; 5:9
Philippians 2:5-8
Colossians 2:13
Titus 3:3-7
Hebrews 2:14; 7:25; 8:12; 9:12, 22; 10:38; 12:2, 5-8; 13:5
James 2:14-26
I Peter 1:23; 2:24; 3:18
II Peter 1:4
I John 2:1-2; 4:10, 15; 5:11-13
Revelation 3:20
SANCTIFICATION
We believe in immediate positional sanctification at the moment of salvation, whereby God eternally sets the believer apart as belonging to Him by redemption and places the believer into the family of God as children, joint heirs with Jesus Christ. We are made partakers of God’s holiness in the process of progressive sanctification that begins at the new birth and is carried on in the heart of the believer as he yields his life to the presence and power of the Holy Spirit; through the word of God, surrendered will, prayer, watchfulness, and self-examination. Ultimate sanctification will be the portion of every believer when finally in the presence of the Lord, the soul and spirit will be united in the resurrected body; complete and free from every trace or effect of sin and rebellion.
John 1:12; 17:17
Acts 20:32; 26:18
Romans 8:14-17; 15:16
I Corinthians 1:2; 6:11, 20
II Corinthians 6:18; 13:5
Galatians 3:29; 4:7
Ephesians 5:26; 6:18
Philippians 2:12-13; 3:20-21
I Thessalonians 4:3; 5:23
II Timothy 2:21
Titus 3:7
Hebrews 2:10; 10:10-14; 11:7
James 2:5
I Peter 3:7
I John 3:1-2
SEPARATION
We believe in a three-fold doctrine of separation encompassing: (1) the separation of the believer from all worldly practices that may dishonor Jesus Christ, that contradict biblical instruction, or that might damage the testimony of the individual believer or the church, (2) the separation of the local church from all affiliation and fellowship with those individuals or organizations that deny the verities of the faith, and (3) the separation of church and state.
Matthew 22:21
Romans 12:1-2; 14:13, 21
I Corinthians 8:9
II Corinthians 6:11-7:1
II Timothy 3:1-5
James 4:4
I John 2:15-17
II John 9-11
THE ETERNAL STATE
We believe that the spirit and soul of every believer do, at death, immediately pass into the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ in Heaven and there remain in conscious bliss until the resurrection of the body at the rapture of the church, when the body and soul and spirit will be reunited and will be in glory forever with Him. The souls of unbelievers, at death, immediately pass into conscious torment in hell until the final judgment at the Great White Throne, when the body and soul will be reunited and cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to be punished with an everlasting separation from the Holiness, glory, power, and love of God.
Psalms 9:17
Isaiah 14:9-11
Ezekiel 32:21
Matthew 7:21-23; 25:46
Luke 16:19-26; 23:43
John 3:14-18
I Corinthians 15:51-54
II Corinthians 5:8
Philippians 1:23; 3:20
I Thessalonians 4:16-17
II Thessalonians 1:7-9
Hebrews 9:27
II Peter 2:9
Revelation 14:13; 20:11-15; 21:1, 4, 27; 22:14
THE CHURCH
We believe in the Church — a living, spiritual body of which Christ is the Head and in which all regenerated people in this dispensation are member; and that those who are truly born again are baptized by the Holy Spirit into a vital union with Christ and into the worldwide Church which is his body and Bride. The local church is the visible expression of the Body of Christ and is a congregation of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, scripturally baptized, and associated by covenant for worship, teaching, evangelism, edification, observance of the ordinances, and fellowship. The mission of the local church is to glorify God by making individual disciples, baptizing them, and teaching them, in order to see them mature and able to reproduce reproducing believers and local churches. The local church has the absolute right of self-government, free from the interference of any earthly hierarchy of individuals or organizations. The only officers of the local church are pastors and deacons. The local church is the center of God’s program for this age. The Church, as Christ’s one body, began when Jesus died on the cross.
Ephesians 2:16
Matthew 16:16-18; 28:19-20
Acts 2:41-47; 4:32-37; 6:1-6; 14:23, 27; 15:22; 20:17-28
I Corinthians 3:9-11; 5:1-5, 11-13; 6:1-3; 11:2; 12:12-27; 16:1-2
II Corinthians 8:23-24
Galatians 3:27
Ephesians 1:22-23; 4:11-16; 5:23-27
Colossians 1:18, 24
I Timothy 3
Titus 1:5-11
I Peter 5:1-4
Revelation 2-3
THE ORDINANCES OF THE CHURCH
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ instituted two ordinances to be observed by all believers until His return — baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Baptism is the believer’s first act of obedience to Christ and involves immersion once in water in the name of the Father, and the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (also called the Holy Ghost); to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, and our identification with the Saviour in death to sin and resurrection to new life — a public recognition of the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Baptism follows a public confession of the believer’s salvation and is a prerequisite to church membership.
The Lord’s Supper (Communion) is a memorial service in which the elements of bread and the fruit of the vine symbolize the body and blood of Christ, reminding the believer of the love of God. Participation in the Lord’s Supper is for those who are members, regular attendees, or guests (only born again believers) of this local church and is always preceded by careful self-examination.
Matthew 26:26-38; 28:19
John 3:23
Acts 2:38-42, 47; 8:12, 36-39; 9:17-18; 10:44-48; 16:14-15, 32, 33; 18:8; 19:4-5
Romans 6:3-6
I Corinthians 11:23-30
Colossians 2:12
HUMAN SEXUALITY
We believe God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of marriage between a man and a woman, that fornication and adultery are a clear violation of scripture. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, pedophilia, incest, and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex. We believe that God disapproves of any attempt to alter one’s gender by surgery or appearance, and that intentional brazen effeminate behavior by men and blatant purposed masculine conduct by women is equally wrong. We believe that anyone committing these acts can repent, receive forgiveness and be restored to a right relationship with God and within the local church.
Genesis 2:24; 19:5, 7, 13
Exodus 20:14
Leviticus 18:1-30
Romans 1: 24-31
1 Corinthians 5:1; 6:9-10, 18
Colossians 3:5
1 Thessalonians 4:1-8
Hebrews 13:4
Jude 1:7
We believe that the only biblically legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one woman.
Genesis 2:24
Romans 7:2
1 Corinthians 7:10
Ephesians 5:22-23
FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS
We believe that men and women are spiritually equal in position before God, but that He has ordained distinct and separate spiritual functions for men and women in the home and the church. The husband is to be the leader of the home and men are to be the leaders (pastors and deacons) of the church. (Accordingly, only men are eligible for licensure and ordination by the church.)
Galatians 3:28
Ephesians 5:21-24
Colossians 3:18
1 Timothy 2:8-15; 3:4-5, 12
The few times female leadership, as it were, is found in scripture, the context explains unusual temporary circumstances – Jud. 4:1-9; 17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25; Heb. 11:32
We believe that God has ordained the family as a foundational institution of human society. The husband is to love his wife as Christ loves the church and gave himself for it. The wife is to submit herself to the scriptural leadership of her husband as the church submits to the headship of Christ. We believe life begins at conception and that children are a heritage from the Lord. Parents are responsible for teaching their children spiritual and moral values and leading them through consistent lifestyle example and appropriate discipline, which can also include scriptural corporal correction when deemed necessary.
Genesis 1:26-28
Exodus 20:12; 21:22
Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Job 31:15
Psalms 127:3-5; 139:13-16
Proverbs 13:24; 19:18; 22:6, 15; 23:l3-14
Isaiah 13:18; 44:2, 24; 46:3; 49:5
Jerimiah 1:5
Mark 10:6-12
l Corinthians 7:l-16
Ephesians 5:21-33; 6:l-4
Colossians 3:18-21
Hebrews 13:4
1 Peter 3:1-7
DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGE
We believe that God disapproves of divorce and intends marriage to last until one spouse dies. In this case a believer is free to remarry, but only another believer. In the event of an imminent divorce where the scriptural provisions of unfaithfulness or desertion are present, the offended spouse should seek reconciliation and be willing to forgive the offender if they are sincere and willing to repent and reconcile. If they are unwilling to repent and change their sinful conduct, and/or if they desire to desert or divorce, the offended believer is not under bondage to remain married. We believe that anyone committing these acts can repent, receive forgiveness and be restored to a right relationship with God and within the local church.
Malachi 2:14-17
Matthew 5:31-32; 19:3-12
Romans 7:1-3
1 Corinthians 7:15, 27-28, 39
1 Timothy 3:2, 12
Titus 1:6
WHAT WE DO NOT BELIEVE
The devil is the master of deception and confusion and loves to work through things that appear to be a part of the “safe haven” of professing Christianity. We feel it necessary in these critical times to list briefly some additional information aimed at avoiding confusion. By these declarations we do not wish to offend individuals, but to simply “speak the truth in love” as we judge these erroneous teachings by the only legitimate standard for truth, God’s word, The Bible
II Timothy 2:15
We acknowledge that there are dear souls within the influences described here who are born again. We pray that they may, by study of the scriptures, come to align themselves more rightly with the “whole counsel of God” and thus be separated from these errors and to the joy found only in God’s truth.
We do not believe: that water baptism is an essential element or portion of a salvation process where the individual contacts the Blood of Christ or connects with the grace of God, in that water. These errors are taught in denominations such as the Church of Christ, the Disciples of Christ, and most “Christian” churches.
Acts 8:35-37
Mark 16:15, 16
I Corinthians 1:17, 18
We do not believe: in the works oriented, fear and superstition driven concepts ingrained in Roman Catholicism; nor in practices such as the veneration of Mary and a perverted view of the Lord’s Supper.
Romans 4:5-7
Ephesians 2:8, 9
Titus 2:11
We do not believe: that Christ’s death on the cross only provided atonement and salvation for a group erroneously termed the elect and that all others are without hope of the new birth because God has willed it so. These and other unscriptural declarations as contained in Reformed Theology and / or Calvinism are an abominable misrepresentation of our loving, gracious and just God who draws all men unto himself and desires for all to be saved.
Isaiah 53:6
John 12:32
I Timothy 4:10
Hebrews 2:9
I Peter 3:9
I John 2:2
We do not believe: that speaking in tongues, signs and wonders, a “second blessing” or an inordinate focus on physical healing or financial prosperity are God’s ways concerning church conduct or practices for this dispensation. Some of these occurrences were sign gifts for the Jews of the day and are rendered unnecessary by the availability of the completed Holy Bible. We speak here of the Charismatic movement which also holds to the error that a truly born again individual can lose their salvation.
John 5:24
I Corinthians 13:9-11
I Corinthians 14:18, 19, 22
We do not believe: that mini Sermons with a weak, shallow therapeutic approach to the Scriptures is an adequate or Christ honoring way to equip a “good soldier of Jesus Christ.” We sorrow over the scarcity of strong, Bible believing Churches and stand opposed to the thousands of liberal, modernistic and humanistic so called “Churches” that offer little more than a social gathering place to a lost and dying world.
Acts 20:26-28
II Timothy 2:1-5, 15; 3:5
We do not believe: that the church, the body of Christ, began in Acts 2, 9, 18, 28 or afterward; nor do we believe there are or were multiple bodies of Christ. These errors are propagated in an attempt to eliminate Baptism by immersion and/or the Lord’s Supper (often called Communion). This is a strange, complex and confusing system of belief we refer to as “Hyper-Dispensationalism.” There has been and is only one living spiritual body of Christ and it began when Jesus died on the cross.
I Corinthians 10:32
Ephesians 4:4
Ephesians 2:16
We do not believe: in replacement theology. This diabolical teaching claims that the church has replaced the nation of Israel, and that God is finished with the Jew. It takes a deceptive effort in scriptural acrobatics to eliminate the Jew from God’s future plans and purposes. The scriptures clearly state that Jesus Christ will, one day, restore the nation of Israel and bless the Jewish people; this false teaching, which eliminates Israel and replaces her with something else, is cursed by God.
Genesis 12:1-3
Romans 11:25-29
We do not believe: we are the only Church, Church group or “name” (Baptist) that is proclaiming the true Bible message. We do, however, diligently seek to set forth, with God’s help, the only true way of salvation. This is not exclusive and anyone or any group can discern it as we do through a Holy Spirit led, unbiased, careful and sincere consideration of the gospel and all of Scripture.
Matthew 11:28-29
Thank you for taking the time to read through our statement of faith. If you have any questions concerning “What We Believe,” our church, or anything related to God, the Christian life, or the Bible, please call our church office at 330-854-9710.
On behalf of the FBCJ pastors and deacons,
Pastor Thomas Gang