|
Seventh Day
Baptists
The following
statement is
not intended to be exhaustive, but is an expression of our common
belief,
which is derived from our understanding of Scripture.
2 Corinthians
3:17-18;
2
Timothy 2:15; Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:3-6, 15; Romans 10:17; 2 Timothy
3:16-17.
I. God
We believe in one
God,
infinite
and perfect, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe who exists
eternally
in three persons‹Father, Son, and Holy Spirit‹and desires to share His
love in a personal relationship with everyone.
1 Timothy 1:17;
Deuteronomy
6:4; 1 Kings 8:27; 1 John 1:5; Genesis 1:1-2; Acts 17:24-25, 28; Psalm
90:1-2; Matthew 28:19; John 3:16; Isaiah 57:15; 2 Peter 3:9.
The Father
We believe in God
the
Father,
who is sovereign over all, and is loving and just as He forgives the
repentant
and condemns the unrepentant.
1 Corinthians 8:6;
Ephesians
4:6; Ezekiel 33:11; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-8; John 5:24; John 3:16-18.
The Son
We believe in God
the
Son,
who became incarnate in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. He gave
Himself
on the cross as the complete and final sacrifice for sin. As our Risen
Lord, He is the mediator between God the Father and mankind.
John 1:34; Hebrews
1:3;
John 1:14-18; Romans 1:3-4; 1 John 3:16; 1 Peter 2:24; Hebrews
10:10-14;
1 Corinthians 15:20-21; 1 Timothy 2:5; John 14:6; 1 John 2:1-2.
The Holy Spirit
We believe in God
the
Holy
Spirit, the Comforter, who gives spiritual birth to believers lives
within
them, and empowers them for witnessing and service. We believe the Holy
Spirit inspired the Scriptures, convicts of sin and instructs in
righteousness.
John 14:16; 3:5-8;
14:17;
Romans 5:5; 1 Corinthians 12:4-7; 2 Peter 1:20-21; John 16:7-11.
II. The Bible
We believe that the
Bible
is the inspired Word of God and is our final authority in matters of
faith
and practice. We believe that Jesus Christ, in His life and teachings
as
recorded in the Bible, is the supreme interpreter of God's will for
mankind.
2 Peter 1:20-21;
Romans
3:2; 2 Peter 3:1-2, 15-16; 2 Timothy 3:14-17; Matthew 5:17-19; Psalm
119:105;
John 20:30-31; Hebrews 1:1-2.
III. Mankind
We believe that
mankind
was created in the image of God and is therefore the noblest work of
creation.
We believe that human beings have moral responsibility and are created
to enjoy both divine and human fellowship as children of God.
Genesis 1:26-27;
Psalm
8:3-9;
Micah 6:8; Matthew 5:44-48; 1 John 1:3; John 1:12.
IV. Sin and
Salvation
We believe that sin
is
disobedience
to God and failure to live according to His will. Because of sin all
people
have separated themselves from God. We believe that because we are
sinners,
we are in need of a Savior.
We believe that
salvation
from sin and death is the gift of God by redeeming love accomplished by
Christ's death and resurrection, and is received only by repentance and
faith in Him. We believe that all who repent of their sin and receive
Christ
as Savior will not be punished at the final judgment but enjoy eternal
life.
1 John 3:4-5;
Romans 3:23-25;
Isaiah 59:2; 1 John 1:8-10; Romans 5:6-8; Romans 6:23; Hebrews
10:10-14;
1 Peter 1:3; John 3:16-18, 36; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 14:6; Matthew
25:41-46;
Romans 5:10.
V. Eternal Life
We believe that
Jesus
rose
from the dead and lives eternally with the Father, and that He will
come
again with power and great glory. We believe that eternal life begins
in
knowing God through a commitment to Jesus Christ. We believe that
because
He died and lives again, resurrection with spiritual and imperishable
bodies
is the gift of God to believers. 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, 20-23; John
14:1-3;
Matthew 24:30; Titus 2:13; John 17:3; 1 John 5:11-13; 1 Corinthians
15:42-44;
John 10:27-28; John 6:40.
VI. The Church
We believe that the
church
of God is all believers gathered by the Holy Spirit and joined into one
body, of which Christ is the Head. We believe that the local church is
a community of believers organized in covenant relationship for
worship,
fellowship and service, practicing and proclaiming common convictions,
while growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior
Jesus
Christ.
We believe in the
priesthood
of all believers and practice the autonomy of the local congregation,
as
we seek to work in association with others for more effective witness.
Acts 20:28; 1
Corinthians
12:13, 14, 27; Romans 12:4-5; Colossians 1:18; Acts 2:42; Ephesians
2:19-22;
Romans 15:5-7; Ephesians 4:11-16; 2 Peter 3:18; 1 Peter 2:4-10; Matthew
18:20; Hebrews 10:24-25.
VII. Baptism
We believe that
baptism
of believers in obedience to Christ's command is a witness to the
acceptance
of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. We believe in baptism by immersion
as a symbol of death to sin, a pledge to a new life in Him.
Romans 6:3-4;
Matthew
28:19-20;
Acts 2:41; Colossians 2:12; Romans 6:11; Galatians 3:26-27
VIII. The
Lord's
Supper
We believe that the
Lord's
Supper commemorates the suffering and death of our Redeemer until He
comes,
and is a symbol of union in Christ and a pledge of renewed allegiance
to
our risen Lord.
Mark 14:22-25;
Matthew
26:26-29;
1 Corinthians 10:16-17, 11:23-30.
IX. Sabbath
We believe that the
Sabbath
of the Bible, the seventh day of the week, is sacred time, a gift of
God
to all people, instituted at creation, affirmed in the Ten Commandments
and reaffirmed in the teaching and example of Jesus and the apostles.
We believe that the
gift
of Sabbath rest is an experience of God's eternal presence with His
people.
We believe that
in
obedience
to God and in loving response to His grace in Christ, the Sabbath
should
be faithfully observed as a day of rest, worship, and celebration.
Genesis 2:2-3;
Exodus 16:23-30;
Exodus 20:8-11; Matthew 5:17-19; Mark 2:27-28; Luke 4:16; Acts 13:14,
42-44;
16:11-13; 17:2-3; 18:4-11; Ezekiel 20:19-20; Hebrews 4:9-10; John
14:15;
Isaiah 58:13-14; Luke 23:56.
X. Evangelism
We believe that
Jesus
Christ
commissions us to proclaim the Gospel, to make disciples, to baptize
and
to teach observance of all that He has commanded. We are called to be
witnesses for Christ throughout the world and in all human
relationships.
Matthew 24:14; Acts 1:8; Matthew 28:18-20; 2 Corinthians 4:1-2, 5-6; 1
Peter 3:15; 2 Corinthians 5:17-20; Ephesians 6:14-20.
See http://www.seventhdaybaptist.org/cov2.html
for
morew details
|