OUR STATEMENT OF FAITH

WHAT WE BELIEVE

 

•     In essential beliefs — we have unity.

 There is one Body and one Spirit...there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of us all...  Eph. 4:4-6

 

•     In non-essential beliefs — we have liberty.

 Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters...  Who are you to judge someone else’s servant?  To his own master he stands or falls...  So then each of us will give an account of himself to God...  So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God.  Romans 14:1,4,12,22

 

•     In all our beliefs — we show charity.

 ...If I hold in my mind not only all human knowledge but also the very secrets of God, and if I have the faith that can move mountains — but have no love, I amount to nothing at all   1 Cor. 13:2  (Ph)

 

The Essentials We Believe:

 

1.      About God

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God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe.  He has eternally existed in three personalities: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  These three are co-equal and are one God.

 

Genesis 1:1,26,27, 3:22; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19;

1 Peter 1:2; 2 Corinthians 13:14

 

2.      About Jesus Christ

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Jesus Christ is the Son of God.  He is co-equal with the Father.  Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross.  He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death.  He ascended to Heaven’s glory and will return again someday to earth to reign as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.

Matthew 1:22, 23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5; 14:10-30;

 

Hebrews 4:14,15; 1 Corinthians 15:3,4; Romans 1:3,4;

Acts 1:9-11; 1 Timothy 6:14,15; Titus 2:13

 

3.      About the Holy Spirit

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The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son of God.  He is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ.  He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation.  He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right.  He gifts every believer a spiritual gift when they are saved.  As Christians, we seek to live under His control daily.

 

2 Corinthians 3:17; John 16:7-13, 14:16,17; Acts 1:8;

1 Corinthians 2:12, 3:16; Ephesians 1:13; Galatians 5:25;

Ephesians 5:18

 

4.      About the Bible

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The Bible is God’s Word to us.  It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit.  It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living.  Because it is inspired by God, it is the truth without any mixture of error.

 

2 Timothy 3:16;  2 Peter 1:20,21;  2 Timothy 1:13;

Psalm 119:105,160, 12:6;  Proverbs 30:5

 

5.      About Human Beings

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People are made in the spiritual image of God, to be like Him in character.  People are the supreme object of God’s creation.  Although every person has tremendous potential for good, all of us are marred by a nature of disobedience toward God called “sin”.   This nature separates people from God and causes many problems in life.

 

Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6a; Romans 3:23; Isaiah 59:1, 2

 

6.      About Salvation

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Salvation is God’s free gift to us but we must accept it.  We can never make up for our sin by self-improvement or good works.  Only by trusting in Jesus Christ alone by grace alone through faith alone can anyone be saved from sin’s penalty.  When we turn from our self-ruled life and turn to Jesus in faith we are saved.  Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into his life by faith.

 

Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8,9; John 14:6, 1:12; Titus 3:5;

Galatians 3:26; Romans 5:1

 

 

7.      About Eternal Security

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Because God gives us eternal life through Jesus Christ, the true believer is secure in that salvation for eternity.  If you have been genuinely saved, you cannot “lose” it.  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.

 

John 10:28-29; 2 Tim 1:12; Heb 7:25, 10:10,14; 1 Peter 1:3-5

 

8.      About Eternity

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People were created to exist forever.  We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or eternally 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 real places of eternal existence.

 

John 3:16; John 14:17; Romans 6:23; Romans 8:17-18;

Revelation 20:15; 1 Cor. 2:7-9

OUR LIFESTYLE STATEMENT

WHAT WE PRACTICE

 

Beliefs are not worth much unless they are translated into actions.  Based on what the Bible teaches, we feel very strongly about the following seven practices:

 

 

 

The whole Bible was given to us by inspiration from God and is useful to teach us what is true and make us realize what is wrong in our lives; it straightens us out and helps us to do what is right.

  2 Tim. 3:15

 

Bible As Our Sole Authority

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Since God’s Word is the only completely reliable and truthful authority, we accept the Bible as our manual for living.  Our first question when faced with a decision is “What does the Bible say?”  We practice daily Bible reading, Bible study, and Bible memorization.  The Bible is the basis for all we believe.

 

Autonomy of Each Local Church

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And He (Christ) is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.   Colossians 1:18

 

Christ is the recognized head of our church, not any person, group, or religious organization.  While recognizing the value of associating and cooperating with other groups of Christians, we believe every local church should be self-governing and independent from any denominational control.  In relating to our “daughter churches” that we sponsor, we encourage each congregation to determine it’s own strategy, structure, and style.

 

 

 

Priesthood of Every Believer

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^ And has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.                             Revelation 1:6

^But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light                       

I Peter 2:9

 

The Bible teaches that every Christian is called to “full time” Christian service, regardless of his or her vocation.  We practice the truth that every believer is a minister by encouraging every member to find a place of service and ministry.  Every believer has direct access to God through prayer and Bible reading.

 

Tithing

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“A tithe of everything you produce belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.”  Lev. 26:30

 

At Ballwin Baptist we practice tithing for the support of Christ’s body, the church, as God commands.  We recognize that giving 10% of our income is the Biblical standard of giving.

 

Immersion

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Having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.                         Colossians 2:12

 

We practice baptism by immersion under water — the way Jesus was baptized, and the way the Bible commands.

 

Spirit-led Living

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(Jesus said), “I am the Vine, you are the branches.  If you abide in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; but apart from me you can do nothing.”  John 15:5

 

We believe the only way possible to live the Christian life is by God’s power within us.  So we seek to practice a daily dependence on God’s Spirit to enable us to do what is right.  (Phil. 2:13, Eph. 5:18)

 

Telling Others About Christ

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Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.  1 Peter 3:15

 

It is the responsibility of every Christian to share the Good News with those with whom God brings us into contact.  We practice personal sharing about Christ and inviting friends to church.