Cornerstone Baptist Church Statement Of Faith

STATEMENT OF FAITH
A living Christian faith must be continually evaluated. This statement of faith is not to be regarded as complete or infallible. It is the purpose of this statement to state in clear terms, the Christian teachings we believe.

God: We believe there is one true, holy God, eternally existing in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - each of Whom possesses equally all the attributes of deity and the characteristics of personality. In the beginning God created the world, and all that is in it. God manifests and demonstrates His power, wisdom, and goodness as Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer of the universe. God is just, yet loves us and offers us forgiveness. God the Father operates throughout history to fulfill His redemptive purposes.

Jesus Christ: Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is both fully God and fully human. He was united with true human nature by a miraculous conception and virgin birth. He lived a life of perfect obedience to the Father and voluntarily atoned for the sins of all by dying on the cross, thus satisfying divine justice and accomplishing salvation for all who trust in Him. He rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of the Father, where He is the only Mediator between God and humanity. He will come again to the earth, personally and visibly, to fulfill God’s eternal plan and conclude human history.

The Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is the third person of the triune Godhead. He was sent into the world by the Father and the Son to apply to humanity the saving work of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit awakens in us an awareness of our sin, and our need for the Savior. At the point of salvation, He permanently indwells every believer and becomes the source of comfort, strength, wisdom, and assurance of salvation. The Holy Spirit guides believers in understanding and applying the Scripture. His power and control are appropriated by faith, making it possible for the believer to lead a life of Christ like character and to bring glory to God the Father. He also gives every believer at least one spiritual gift for the building up of the body of Christ.

The Bible: The basis of our belief is the Bible, which includes all of the books of the Old and New Testaments. We believe the Scriptures originated with God and were written and recorded by men divinely inspired by God. The Bible thus speaks with the authority of God and reflects the backgrounds, cultures, lifestyles, and vocabularies of the human authors. The message of the Bible is God’s instructions for living, and shows us the way to salvation through Jesus Christ. The Bible is the unique, full, and final authority on all matters of faith and practice.

Salvation: The central purpose of God’s revelation in Scripture is to call all people into fellowship with Himself. Originally created to have fellowship with God, humans defied God, and chose to go their own way. They were separated from God and suffered the corruption of their nature. Sin entered the world early in human history and all individuals since have suffered and are thus in need of the saving grace of God. Our inability to re-establish our relationship with God through our own power leaves us dependent on God's mercy. God graciously provides the means to reconcile ourselves to Him through His son, Jesus Christ. Our relationship is re-established when we make a commitment to accept Jesus as God's Son and our Savior and Lord.

The salvation of humanity is wholly the work of God’s free grace, not the result, in whole or in part of human works or goodness. Every individual must personally appropriate salvation by faith in Jesus Christ. When God has begun a saving work in the heart of any person, He will continue performing it until the day of its full consummation.

Practically speaking, this acceptance is demonstrated through both a private and public commitment. We demonstrate our commitment privately by faith (believing that Jesus is the Son of God, that he died for our sins, and that he overcame death through His resurrection) and repentance (turning back to God and depending upon Him to provide loving and wise oversight of our lives). At the same time, we publicly express our commitment by demonstrating our acceptance of God's salvation through submitting ourselves in Christian baptism

Eternal Security: Human beings were created to exist forever. Each person will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or eternally united with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is Hell. To be eternally in union with Him is eternal life.

Heaven and Hell are actual places of eternal existence. God gives each human being free will to choose his or her destiny. God fully desires that all people come to Him and share in the fulfilled promise of eternal life in Heaven. For those who genuinely choose Him, God gives eternal life through Jesus Christ.

A person who genuinely accepts salvation through Jesus Christ cannot lose his or her salvation. The true believer is secure in that salvation for eternity. Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the Christian. It is the grace and keeping power of God that gives us this security.

The Church: There is one true universal church, known as the “Body of Christ” in Scripture, composed of all those who acknowledge Jesus Christ as Savior. The Scripture commands believers to regularly gather together to devote themselves to worship, prayer, teaching of the Word, and fellowship. Baptism and communion are observed as the ordinances established by Jesus Christ. Service to the body of Christ and outreach to the world are accomplished through the development and use of gifts and talents.

The local expression of the church is realized wherever God’s people meet in obedience to this command. Members are to work together in love and unity, under the watch care and guidance of the appropriate leadership, with the ultimate purpose of glorifying Christ.

Faith, Practice, and Differences in Interpretation: Scripture is the final authority in all matters of faith and practice. Cornerstone Baptist Church leaves room for honest differences of opinion as to biblical interpretation on doctrines, which are not essential to salvation. Cornerstone Baptist Church recognizes that it cannot bind the conscience of individual members in areas where Scripture is silent or does not provide clear direction. Each believer is to be led in those areas by the Lord, to whom he or she alone is ultimately responsible.

The Ordinances of the Church: The ordinance of water baptism shall be administered by all established places of worship to all those having repented of their sins and have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ unto salvation. The ordinance of the Lord’s supper shall be observed regularly by all established places of worship, as enjoined in the Scriptures.

Spiritual Gifts: We believe that God has given every believer unique gifts, talents, and resources. As a matter of faith and practice it should be the goal of every believer to follow Christ fully, managing these gifts wisely and joyfully using them in ministry.

Celebrating The Glory Of Christ. Building Up The Body Of Christ. Inviting Others To The Family Of Christ.