Hillsboro First Baptist Church

PREAMBLE

We rest our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for our salvation (John 14:6; Acts 4:12) and believe the Bible to be the only basis for spiritual teaching and practice (II Timothy 3:16,17). We, therefore, as members of the body of Christ, the universal Church, and as a body of baptized believers in Jesus Christ, as a local church, band ourselves together and adopt for the guidance of our government, worship and service the following articles which hereby supersede all previous articles and action.

STATEMENT OF FAITH

1. SCRIPTURE – We believe the Bible is the only standard of faith and practice for the believer in Jesus Christ. We believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are inspired by God. This inspiration extends to the very words of the original documents and every part of the original documents. The Scriptures are without error in the original writings (Psalm 119:160; II Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 4:12; II Peter 1:20,21; Matthew 5:18).
2. INTERPRETATION – We believe that there is but one correct method of Bible interpretation – the literal method. The literal method recognizes the author as final authority and consistently applies the principles of grammatical, historical-cultural understanding. The method asserts there is but one interpretation of any given passage of scripture though applications may be as many as are consistent with the interpretation. While the literal method is dependent upon the alignment of the Holy Spirit in coming to accurate interpretation, it is equally dependent upon diligent study (I Corinthians 2:14,15; John 16:12,13; II Timothy 2:15; Deuteronomy 6:6).
3. THE NATURE OF GOD – We believe there is one living and true God who is infinite, eternal and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth. He is absolutely separate and above the world as its Creator, yet everywhere present in the world as the upholder of all things. We further believe that God is one in essence but eternally existent in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, each having precisely the same nature, attributes and perfections, with each worthy of precisely the same worship, confidence and obedience (Genesis 1:25; Deuteronomy 6:4; Psalm 139:8; Isaiah 45:5-7; Matthew 28:19; Mark 10:18; John 4:24; Acts 17:24,25; I Corinthians 8:6; II Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 4:6).
4. GOD THE FATHER – The first person of the Trinity orders and directs all things according to His own sovereign purpose, pleasure, and grace. He created the universe apart from pre-existing materials and without any means other than His own glory. He graciously involves Himself in the affairs of men, hears and answers prayers and saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ (Ps. 33:8,9 ; Ps. 104; Isa. 46:8-12; Matt. 6:9; John 5:19-24; Eph. 1:3-6; Eph. 1:11).
5. GOD THE SON – Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God and the virgin-born son of man. Being fully God and fully man He surrendered nothing of His divine essence during His earthly life. By His sinless life, miraculous ministry and substitutionary death He satisfied divine justice concerning sin. We believe in His bodily resurrection, His physical ascension and His yet visible return to this earth to establish His earthly kingdom. We further believe that Christ is the only mediator between God and man (John 1:14-18; I Cor. 15; Heb. 2:17,18; Rom. 3:24- 26; Phil. 2:5-11; Heb. 4:14-16; Col. 1:15-18; I Tim. 2:5; Rev. 20:11-15).
6. THE HOLY SPIRIT – The third person of the Trinity executes the will of God in the world of men. He was active in creation and in the writing of the Bible. In this age His ministry is to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, to regenerate men and to mature, empower, and comfort believers. He permanently indwells every believer at the point of conversion. He sovereignly administers spiritual gifts to the church to glorify Christ and build up the church (Judges 13:25; Job 33:4; Gen. 1:2; John 14:6; 16:5-15; Acts 5:3,4; Rom. 8:9; I Cor. 12:7-11; Eph. 1:13,14; 2:18; Heb. 9:14; II Peter 1:20,21).
7. ANGELS
   1. THEIR ORIGIN – The angels were all created simultaneously by God as a great host of sinless spirit-beings, most of whom willingly kept their first estate of holiness, and presently worship God and serve His purposes (Ps. 148:2-5; Isa.6:1-3; Matt. 26:53; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:14).
   2. THE FALL OF SOME – One of the angels, Lucifer, fell through the sin of pride, thereby becoming Satan and influenced a large company of angels to follow him, who thereby became demons (Isa. 14:12-17; I Tim. 3:6; James 2:19; II Pet. 2:4; Jude 6; Luke 10:18; Rev. 12:7,8).
      1. SATAN’S WORK – The work of Satan and the demons is the attempted subversion and supplanting of the work of God. By a subtle suggestion Satan accomplished the moral fall of the progenitors of the human race, subjecting them and their posterity to his own power (Gen. 3:1-7; Job 1:12; 2:6; Ezek. 28:13-15; Zech. 3:1-2; Luke 4:1-13; John 8:44; II Cor. 4:3,4; Eph. 2:2; Rev. 12:9-10). Satan continues as the enemy of God and accuser of God’s people and persistently seeks to counterfeit the works and truth of God. (II Cor. 2:10,11; 11:13-15; Eph. 6:12-16; I Pet. 5:8; Rev. 12:9,10).
      2. SATAN’S JUDGMENT – Satan was judged at the cross, though the sentence was not then executed, and he will finally be consigned to the lake of fire at the end of the Millennium (Gen. 3:15; Isa. 14:12; Matt. 25:41; Luke 10:18; John 12:13; 16:11; Heb. 2:14; Rev. 12:9; 20:10).
8. THE NATURE OF MAN – We believe that man was directly created in the image of the triune God to enjoy His fellowship, to fulfill His will on earth and to glorify Him forever. We believe the image of God in man to be a reference to Adam’s spiritual likeness to God. As such, man has the qualities of intelligence, emotion and self determination. Just as God is spirit, man possesses a spirit, a fact which is not true of the rest of the earthly creatures. Man’s body is designed for giving expression to this spiritual and moral selfhood (John 4:24; Rom. 5:12-21). Man fell into sin by a voluntary act of personal disobedience to the will of God and is consequently subject to death both physical and spiritual. The fall of man was a once-for-all historical fact. Its effect is evident in all men, each of whom is born with a sinful nature and each of whom sins habitually in thought, word and deed. We believe that God created man on the sixth day of creation. We believe that day to have been a literal twenty-four hour day. (Gen. 1:26,27:2:7; 3:3,4; Rom. 1:18-32; 3:10-21; Eph. 2:1-3).
9. SALVATION – We believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins as the only able and sufficient substitutionary sacrifice and that all who believe in Him are justified on the grounds of His death and His resurrection. All who receive the Lord Jesus Christ by grace through faith have been regenerated by and baptized by the Holy Spirit. They are thereby the children of God forever and members in the one true church, the body of Christ. This salvation results in righteous living and good works as the believer submits his behavior to the Word of God and the direction of the Holy Spirit. Sonship is not a license to sin, for God faith¬fully disciplines His children who choose to disobey (John 10:27-29;14:16; Acts 4:12; Rom. 3:21-26; I Cor. 15:1-4; Eph. 1:7; 2:8-10; Heb. 10:10-12; Gal. 3:26; Titus 3:4-7; I John 5:11-13; John 1:12; 3:16; 5:24; Rom. 5:1-11; Heb. 12:3-11).
10. THE NATURE OF THE CHURCH – We believe that all who have been born again by the Holy Spirit belong to the one true church and are directed by the Scriptures to associate themselves in local, visible assemblies. The local church is the only scriptural representation of Christ’s invisible church and should consist only of regenerated, baptized believers. The local church is autonomous in its relationships and elects its own members to the biblical offices of Overseer (Pastor, Bishop, Elder) and Deacon. Autonomy does not absolve responsibility for mutual aid and support between churches as they cooperatively carry out the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20). The twofold purpose of the church is to lead men to Christ and mature them in the faith. We believe there are two ordinances required of the church.
    1. Baptism by immersion
    2. Communion

    We further believe the primary instruments for strengthening the body of Christ are:

    1. Teaching
    2. Breaking of bread
    3. Fellowship
    4. Prayer

    (Heb.10:24-25; Acts 2:41-47; 4:1-6; I Cor. 12:14; Matt. 16:13-28;25:34-40; 28:18-20; Eph. 2:19-22; I Cor. 11:24-34; II Cor. 8:9-15; Phil. 4:15-19; Jas. 2:14-18).

11. THE FUTURE
    1. THE INTERMEDIATE STATE – At death the souls of the redeemed pass immediately into the presence of Christ and there remain in joyful fellowship until the first resurrection, that is, their bodily resurrection unto life. The souls of the unsaved at death descend immediately into Hades where they are kept under punishment until the second resurrection, that is, their bodily resurrection unto damnation (Luke 11:22,23; 23:43; II Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:3,24).
    2. THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH – The next great event in the fulfillment of prophecy is the personal, bodily return of the Lord to remove from the earth His waiting church and to reward them according to their works (John 14:2-3; Rom. 14:10-12; I Cor. 3:11-15; 15:51-53; II Cor. 5:10; I Thess. 4:15-17; Titus 2:11-13; Rev. 3:10).
    3. THE TRIBULATION PERIOD – After this removal from the earth the righteous judgments of God will be poured out upon the unbelieving world for a period of seven years which is known as the 70^th week of Daniel. The nation of Israel will be the primary focus of God’s attention during that time. The judgment will be climaxed by the return of Christ in glory to the earth, at which time the Old Testament and Tribulation saints will also be raised and the living will be judged (Dan. 9:27; 12:1; Jer. 30:7; Matt. 24:15-31; 25:31- 46; II Thess. 2:7-12; Rev. 6:1-19,21).
    4. THE MILLENNIUM – After judgment Christ will establish His Messianic Kingdom in which the resurrected saints will reign with Him over Israel and all the nations of the earth (Deut.30:1-10; Isa.11:1-16; 65:17-25; Ezek.37:21- 28; Rev.19:11-14; 20:1-6).
    5. THE ETERNAL STATE – At the close of the millennial reign the unsaved dead will be raised and committed to eternal judgment and the saved will enter the eternal state of glory with God. Having fulfilled His redemptive and kingdom missions as the Son of Abraham and the Son of David, Christ will deliver up the kingdom to God the Father that the Triune God may reign forever in all spheres (Isa. 66:23,24; Mark 9:43-48; I Cor. 15:24-28; II Thess. 1:9; II Peter 3:10-13; Dan. 12:2; Rev. 20:11-15; 21:1-4; 22:5-11).