New Home Baptist Church
A. The Holy Scripture - We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the verbally and plenary inspired Word of God. The Scriptures are inerrant, infallible and God-breathed, and therefore are the only rule of faith and practice. The sixty-six books of the Old and New Testament are the complete and divine revelation of God to man. The Scriptures shall be interpreted according to their Norman grammatical-historical meaning. The King James Version of the Bible shall be the official and only translation used by the church. (II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:20-21)
B. The Godhead - We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit-each co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections. (Deuteronomy 6:4, Matthew 28:19, I Corinthians 13:14, John 14:10,26)
(1) God the Father
God as Father reigns with providential care over all of His creation. He is all powerful, all loving, and all wise. God is Father in truth to those who become His children through faith in Jesus Christ.
(2) God the Son
Christ is the eternal Son of God who became man without ceasing to be God He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary in order that he might reveal God and redeem sinful men. His death on the cross as a vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice provided for the redemption of all men from sin. His literal, physical resurrection form the dead with a glorified body makes sure our justification. He ascended into Heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where He fulfills the ministry of Intercessor and Advocate. (Luke 1:35; Philippians 2:5-8; Acts 2:18-36; Romans 3:24, 26; Hebrews 9:24; and I John 2:1-2)
(3) God the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. He convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and, he exalts Christ. He calls men to the Savior and is the supernatural agent in regeneration. He is the divine teacher. He inspired Holy men of old to write the Bible. Through illumination, He enables us to understand the scriptures. He bestows spiritual gifts by which every Christian should serve God through the local church. We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and the gift of healing were temporary. We believe that miraculous spiritual manifestation gifts were done away with when the Bible was completed. Faith, hope, and love are the vital abiding spiritual gifts. (I Corinthians 12-14; John 16:8-11; II Peter 1:20-21; I Corinthians 13:8; 14:21-22)
C. MAN - We believe that man was created by a special act of God in the image and likeness of God, but by choice man sinned resulting in the fall of the human race, inheriting a sinful nature and became alienated from God. Man is totally depraved, and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition. (Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 3:22-23; 5:12)
D. Salvation - Salvation is a gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. In its broadest sense, salvation includes regeneration, (being born again). Sanctification and glorification. (John 1:12, 3:3; Ephesians 2:8-10; II Corinthians 1:10)
(1) Regeneration - The change of heart through conviction of sin by the Holy Spirit to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ.
(2) Sanctification – The experience by which the believer is set apart for God’s purposes and set apart from the world encouraging Christ-likeness, Spirit fullness, and growth in grace. We believe that all saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Savior or the church. Separation from all religious apostasy, worldly and sinful pleasures, practices, and associations is commanded of God. (Romans 12:1-2; II Corinthians 6:14-7:1; II Timothy 3:1-5; I John 2:15-17)
(3) Glorification – The culmination of salvation and is the final blessed and abiding state of the redeemed.
E. Security of the Believer – We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are secure in Christ forever. (John 6:37-40; 10:27-30)
F. The Church – A New Testament church is a local body of baptized believers who are associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the Gospel, observing the two ordinances of Christ, committed to His teachings, exercising the rights and privileges invested in them by His Word, and seeking to extend the Gospel to the ends of the earth. The church is an autonomous body, operating through democratic processes under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and is free of any external authority or control. In such a congregation, members are equally responsible. Its ordained offices are pastors and deacons. (Matthew 16:18; Acts 13:1-4; 15:19-31; I Peter 5:1-4)
(1) Ordinance of Baptism – Is immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer’s faith in a crucified, buried and risen Savior, the believer’s death to sin, the burial of the old life and the resurrection to walk in newness of life. It is testimony to his faith in the final resurrection of the dead. Being a church ordinance, it is the prerequisite to the privileges of church membership including the Lord’s Supper. (Matthew 28: 18-20; Acts 2:41-42)
(2) Ordinance of the Lord’s Supper – This is a symbolic act of obedience whereby members of the church, through the partaking of the unleavened bread and pure fruit of the vine, memorialize the death of our Savior and anticipate His second coming. We believe the Bible teaches that this ordinance is restricted to members who are part of the church’s jurisdiction and meet the Biblical qualifications. (I Corinthians 5:11-13; 11:23-31)
G. The Second Coming of Christ – We believe in the personal, imminent return of Christ to rapture the saved prior to the tribulation. At the end of the seven year tribulation, Jesus will personally and visibly return with His saints and establish the Messianic Kingdom which He has promised. (Daniel 2:31-45; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 19:11-16; 20:1-6)
H. The Eternal State – We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life and the unsaved to everlasting punishment. Death for the saved before the rapture is defined in the Bible as “absent from the body and present with the Lord: where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection when their spirit, soul and body is reunited and glorified forever.” The souls of the unbelievers, after death, remain in torment in hell until the second resurrection at which time the soul, spirit, body reunite to appear before Christ at the Great White Throne Judgment and is cast into the lake of fire to suffer everlasting punishment and torment. (Matthew 25:41-46; John 11:25-26; Luke 16:19-26; Revelation 20:11-15)
I. The Personality of Satan – We believe that Satan is a fallen angel, the author of sin, and the cause of the fall of man. He is the open and declared enemy of God and man and he shall be eternally punished in the lake of fire. (Isaiah 14:12-17; Matthew 4:2-11; Revelation 20:10)
J. Creation – We believe in the Genesis account of creation. God created the universe and everything in it in six literal 24 hour days. We reject evolution and all unscriptural theories of origin. (Genesis 1-2; Exodus 20:11)
K. Civil Government – God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions, 1) the home, 2) civil government, 3) the church. Every person is subject to these authorities, but all are answerable to God and should be governed by His Word. God has given each institution specific Biblical responsibilities and balanced those responsibilities with the understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the other. These three institutions are equal and sovereign in their respective Biblically assigned spheres of responsibility under God. (Romans 13:1-7; Ephesians 5:22-6:4) I Peter 2:13-14)
L. Human Sexuality
(1) We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexual, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex. Any employee, and/or church member proven to be engaging in such practices or lifestyle, shall automatically be terminated from employment and/or church membership. (Genesis 2:24; 19:5, 13, 26:8-9; Leviticus 18:1-30; Romans 1:26-29; I Corinthians 5:1, 6:9; I Thessalonians 4:1-8; Hebrews 13:4)
(2) We believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one woman. (Genesis 2:24; Colossians 3:18; I Timothy 2:8-15, 3:4-5,12)
(3) We believe that men and women are spiritually equal in position before God, but that God 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 leaders (Pastors and deacons) of the church. Accordingly, only men are eligible for licensure and ordination by the church. (Galatians 3:38; Colossians 3:18; I Timothy 2:8-15; 3:4-5, 12)
(4) We believe that God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter or ones gender by surgery or appearance (APPROPRIATE SCRIPTURE HERE)
M. Divorce and Remarriage – We believe that God hates divorce and intends for marriage to last until one of the spouses dies. Divorce and remarriage is regarded as adultery except on the grounds of fornication. Although divorced and remarried persons, or divorced persons, may hold positions of service in the church and be greatly used of God for Christian service, they may not be considered for the offices of Pastor or Deacon. (Malachi 2:14-17; Matthew 19:3-12; Romans 7:1-3; I Timothy 3:2, 12; Titus 1:6)
N. Abortion – We believe that human life begins at conception and the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selections, birth or population control, or the mental well-being of the mother are acceptable. (Job 3:16; Psalms 51:5; 139:14-16; Isaiah 44:24; 49:1, 5; Jeremiah 1:5;20:15-18; Luke 1:44)
O. Missions – We believe that God has given the church a great commission to proclaim the Gospel to all the world so that there might be a great multitude from every nation, tribe, ethic group and language group who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. As ambassadors of Christ, we must use all available means to go to every person and not wait for them to come to us. This church shall support missions with a minimum of 10 % of its monthly general fund and shall support missions on a local, state, national and international level. (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; II Corinthians 5:20)
P. Lawsuits between Believers – We believe that Christians are prohibited from bringing civil lawsuits against other Christians or churches to resolve personal disputes. We believe the church possesses all the resources necessary to resolve personal disputes. We believe the church possesses all the resources necessary to resolve personal disputes between members. We do believe, however, that a Christian may seek compensation for injuries from another Christian’s insurance company as long as the claim is pursued without malice or slander. (I Corinthians 6:1-8; Ephesians 4:31-32)
Q. Giving – We believe that every Christian, as a steward of that portion of God’s wealth entrusted to him, is obligated to support his local church financially as stated in the church covenant. We believe that God has established the tithe as a basis for giving, but that every Christian should also give other offerings “sacrificially and cheerfully” to the support of the church and causes it deems necessary. (Genesis 14:20; Proverbs 3:9-10; Acts 4:34-37; I Corinthians 16:2; II Corinthians 9:6-7; Galatians 6:6; Ephesians 4:28; I Timothy 5:17-18; I John 3:17)
Section 2 – Authority of Statement of Faith
The statement of faith does not exhaust the extent of our faith. The Bible itself is the complete and final source of all that we believe. We do believe, however, that the foregoing statement of faith accurately represents the teaching of the Bible, and therefore, is binding upon all members. All literature used in the church shall be in complete agreement with the statement of faith.
Church Covenant
Having been led, as we believe by the Spirit of God, to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour and, on the profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we do now, in the presence of God, and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another as one body in Christ.
We engage, therefore by the aid of the Holy Spirit to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this church, in knowledge, holiness, and comfort; to promote it’s prosperity and spirituality; to sustain it’s worship, ordinances, discipline and doctrines; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the gospel through all nations.
We also engage to maintain family and secret devotions; to religiously educate our children; to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances; to walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements and exemplary in our deportment, to avoid all tattling, backbiting and excessive anger; to abstain from the sale of and use of intoxicating drink as a beverage; to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Saviour.
We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember one another in prayer; to aid one another in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and Christian courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation and mindful of the rules of our Saviour to secure it without delay.
We moreover engage that when we remove from this place, we will, as soon as possible, unite with some other church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God’s Word.
For more explanation please feel free to contact the church office at (334)567-5966.
