... an anchor
of the soul, both sure and steadfast. Hebrews 6:19
Doctrinal Statement
of the First Baptist Church, Austin,
Minnesota
The theological position and
teaching of the church shall be the direct interpretation
of the Bible as its scriptures without the requirement of
any creedal subscription.
The doctrines which are
fundamental to this church's theological character are:
I. The Scriptures
We believe that the Holy Bible as
originally written was verbally inspired and the product
of Spirit-controlled men, and therefore, has truth
without any admixture of error for its matter. We believe
the Bible to be the true center of Christian union, and
the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds,
and opinions shall be tried. (II Timothy 3:16, 18; II Peter
1:19-21)
II. The True God
We believe there is one and only
one living and true God, an infinite Spirit, the Maker
and Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth; inexpressibly
glorious in holiness, and worthy of all possible honor,
confidence and love; that in the unity of the Godhead
there are three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy
Ghost, equal in every divine perfection, and executing
distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of
redemption. (Exodus 20:22,23; I Corinthians
8:6; I John 5:8; Revelation 4:11)
III. The Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit
is a divine person, with God the Father and God the Son
and of the same nature; that He was active in the
creation; that in His relation to the unbelieving world
He restrains the evil one until God's purpose is
fulfilled; that He convicts of sin, of righteousness, and
of judgment; that He bears witness to the Truth of the
Gospel in preaching and testimony; that He is the agent
in the New Birth; that He seals, endues, guides, teaches,
witnesses, sanctifies and helps the believer. (Genesis 1:1-3; Matthew 28:19;
Mark 1:8; Luke 1:35, 24:49; John 1:33, 3:5-6,14:16-17,
26, 16:8-11; Acts 5:30-32,11:16; Ephesians 1:13, 14;
Romans 8:14-16, 26-27; Hebrews 9:14.)
IV. The Devil or Satan
We believe in the personality of
Satan, that he is the unholy god of this age, and the
author of all the powers of darkness, 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)
V. Creation
We accept the Genesis account of
creation and believe that man came by direct creation of
God and not by evolution. (Genesis chapters 1 and 2; John
1:3; Colossians 1:16-17)
VI. The Fall of Man
We believe that man was created
in innocence under the law of his Maker, but by voluntary
transgression fell from his sinless and happy state in
consequence of which all mankind are now sinners, not
only by constraint, but of choice; and therefore under just
condemnation without defense or excuse. (Genesis 3:1-6, 24; Romans 1:18,
32; Romans 5:10-19)
VII. The Virgin Birth
We believe that Jesus was
begotten of the Holy Ghost in a miraculous manner, born
of Mary, a virgin, as no other man was ever born or can
ever be born of women, and that He is both the Son of God
and God, the Son. (Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 7:14;
Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:35; John 1:4)
VIII. The Atonement for Sin
We believe that the salvation of
sinners is wholly of grace; through the mediatory
offices of the Son of God, who by the appointment of the
Father, freely took upon Him our nature, yet without sin,
honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and by
His death made a full and vicarious atonement for our
sins; that His atonement consisted not in setting us an
example by His death as a martyr, but was a voluntary
substitution of Himself in the sinner's place, the Just
dying for the unjust; Christ, the Lord, bearing our sin
in His own body on the tree; that having risen from the
dead, He is now enthroned in Heaven, and uniting in His
wonderful person the tenderest sympathies with divine
perfection. He is in every way qualified to be a
suitable, a compassionate and all-sufficient Savior. (Isaiah 53:4-7; Matthew 18:11;
John 3:16; Acts 15:11; Romans 3:24-25; I Corinthians
15:3; II Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:8; Philippians
2:7; Hebrews 2:14; I John 4:10)
IX. Grace in the New Creation
We believe that in order to be
saved, sinners must be born again; that the new birth is
a new creation in Christ Jesus; that it is instantaneous
and not a process; that in the new birth the one dead in
trespasses and in sins is made a partaker of the divine
nature and receives eternal life, the free gift of God;
that the new creation is brought about in a manner above
our comprehension, solely by the power of the Holy Spirit
in connection with divine truth, so as to secure our
voluntary obedience to the gospel; that its proper
evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance and
faith and newness of life. (John 3:3-8; Acts 16:30-33; Romans
6:23; II Corinthians 5:17, 19; Ephesians 2:1; Colossians
2:13; II Peter 1:4; I John 5:1)
X. Justification
We believe that the great gospel
blessing which Christ secures to such as believe in Him
is Justification; that Justification includes the pardon of sin, and the
gift of eternal life, on principles of righteousness, that it is bestowed not in
consideration of any works of righteousness which
we have done; but solely through faith in the
Redeemer's blood, His righteousness is imputed to
us. (Isaiah 53:11; Zechariah 12:1;
Acts 13:39; Romans 5:1&9, 8:1)
XI. Faith and Salvation
We believe that faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ is the only condition of salvation. (Acts 16:31, Ephesians
2:8&9)
XII. The Local Church
We believe that a local church is
a congregation of immersed believers, associated by
covenant of faith and fellowship of the Gospel; observing
the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws; and
exercising the gifts, rights and privileges invested in
them by His Word; that its officers are pastors and
deacons, whose qualifications, claims, and duties are
clearly defined in the Scriptures. We believe the true
Mission of the church is the faithful witnessing of
Christ to all men as we have opportunity. We hold that
the local church has the absolute right of
self-government free from the interference of any
hierarchy of individuals or organizations; and that the
one and only superintendent is Christ through the Holy
Spirit; that it is scriptural for true churches to
cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and
for the furtherance of the Gospel; that each local church
is the sole judge of the measure and method of its
cooperation; on all matters of membership, of policy, of
government, of discipline, of benevolence, the will of
the local church is final. (Acts 2:41-42; 15:13-18, 20:17-28;
I Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 1:22-23, 4:11, 5:23-24;
Colossians 1:18; I Timothy 3:15)
XIII. Baptism and the Lord's
Supper
We believe that Christian Baptism
is the immersion of a believer in water to show forth in
a solemn and beautiful emblem our faith in the crucified,
buried, and risen Savior, with its effect in our death
to sin and resurrection to a new life, that it is
prerequisite to the privileges of a church relation. We
believe that the Lord's Supper is the commemoration of
His death until He come, and should be preceded always by
solemn self-examination. (Matthew 3:16; John 3:23; Acts
8:26-39; Romans 6:3-5; I Corinthians 11:23-28; Colossians
2:12)
XIV. The Security of the Saints
We believe that all who are truly
born again are kept by God the Father for Jesus Christ. (John 10:28-29; Romans 8:35-39;
Philippians 1:6; Jude 1)
XV. The Righteous and the Wicked
We believe that there is a
radical and essential difference between the righteous
and the wicked; that such only as through faith are
justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and
sanctified by the Spirit of our God, are truly righteous
in His esteem; while all such as continue in impenitence
and unbelief are in His sight wicked, and under the
curse; and this distinction holds among men both in and
after death, in the everlasting felicity of the saved and
the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost.(Genesis 18:23; Proverbs 14:32;
Malachi 3:18; Matthew 25:34-41; Luke 6:25; John 8:21;
Romans 6:17-18, 23, 7:6; I John 5:19)
XVI. 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 who is the
only Lord of the conscience, and the coming Prince of the
Kings of the earth. (Exodus 18:21-22; II Samuel 23:3;
Daniel 3:17-18; Matthew 22:21; Acts 4:19-20, 5:29, 23:5;
Romans 13:1-7)
XVII. The Resurrection
Personal, Visible Premillennial
Return of Christ and Related Events. We believe in:
- The Bodily Resurrection.
Matthew 28:6-7; Mark 16:6; Luke 24:2-6, 39; John
20:27; I Corinthians 15:4. - The Ascension. Mark 16:19;
Luke 24:51; Acts 1:9-11; Hebrews 12:2; Revelation 3:21.
- The High Priesthood. I
Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 2:17, 5:9-10, 8:6; I John
2:1.
- The Second Coming. John
14:3; Acts 1:11; I Thessalonians 4:16; Hebrews
9:28; James 5:8.
- The Resurrection of the
Righteous Dead. I Corinthians 15:42-44, 52; I
Thessalonians 4:13-18.
- The Change of the Living in
Christ. I Corinthians 15:51-53; Philippians
3:20-21; I Thessalonians 4:13-18. - The Throne of David. Isaiah
9:6; Luke 1:32; Acts 2:29-30.
- The Millennial Reign. Psalm
72:8; Isaiah 11:4-5, 32:1; I Corinthians 15:25;
Revelation 20:4-6.
All doctrinal expressions beyond
these must be logically and biblically consistent with
these whether there be official position or informal
teachings of the church or its representatives.
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