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Essential Doctrines at Parker Bible
Church
The teachings of this church
concerning the essential doctrines of the faith can be summarized in the
following manner. Most of this is taken from the Baptist Faith and
Message adopted in 2000 (with some modifications). (NOTE: changes to the
Baptist Faith and Message the PBC elders have made are in
italics.)
THE BAPTIST FAITH & MESSAGE
I. The Scriptures
The Holy Bible was written by
men divinely inspired and is God's revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect
treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its
end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter. Therefore, all
Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. It reveals the principles by which
God judges us, and therefore is, and will remain to the end of the world, the
true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human
conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried. All Scripture is a
testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation.
Exodus 24:4; Deuteronomy
4:1-2; 17:19; Joshua 8:34; Psalms 19:7-10; 119:11,89,105,140; Isaiah 34:16;
40:8; Jeremiah 15:16; 36:1-32; Matthew 5:17-18; 22:29; Luke 21:33; 24:44-46;
John 5:39; 16:13-15; 17:17; Acts 2:16ff.; 17:11; Romans 15:4; 16:25-26; 2
Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 1:1-2; 4:12; 1 Peter 1:25; 2 Peter
1:19-21.
II. God
There is one and only one
living and true God. He is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal Being, the
Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe. God is infinite in
holiness and all other perfections. God is all powerful and all knowing; and His
perfect knowledge extends to all things, past, present, and future, including
the future decisions of His free creatures. To Him we owe the highest love,
reverence, and obedience. The eternal triune God reveals Himself to us as
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without
division of nature, essence, or being.
A. God the
Father
God as Father reigns with providential care over His
universe, His creatures, and the flow of the stream of human history according
to the purposes of His grace. He is all powerful, all knowing, all loving, and
all wise. God is Father in truth to those who become children of God through
faith in Jesus Christ. He is fatherly in His attitude toward all men.
Genesis 1:1; 2:7; Exodus 3:14;
6:2-3; 15:11ff.; 20:1ff.; Leviticus 22:2; Deuteronomy 6:4; 32:6; 1 Chronicles
29:10; Psalm 19:1-3; Isaiah 43:3,15; 64:8; Jeremiah 10:10; 17:13; Matthew
6:9ff.; 7:11; 23:9; 28:19; Mark 1:9-11; John 4:24; 5:26; 14:6-13; 17:1-8; Acts
1:7; Romans 8:14-15; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 4:6; Colossians
1:15; 1 Timothy 1:17; Hebrews 11:6; 12:9; 1 Peter 1:17; 1 John 5:7.
B. God the
Son
Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation as Jesus Christ He
was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. Jesus perfectly
revealed and did the will of God, taking upon Himself human nature with its
demands and necessities and identifying Himself completely with mankind yet
without sin. He honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and in His
substitutionary death on the cross He made provision for the redemption of men
from sin. He was raised from the dead with a glorified body and appeared to His
disciples as the person who was with them before His crucifixion. He ascended
into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where He is the One
Mediator, fully God, fully man, in whose Person is effected the reconciliation
between God and man. He will return in power and glory to judge the world and to
consummate His redemptive mission. He now dwells in all believers as the living
and ever present Lord.
Genesis
18:1ff.; Psalms 2:7ff.; 110:1ff.; Isaiah 7:14; 53; Matthew 1:18-23; 3:17;
8:29; 11:27; 14:33; 16:16,27; 17:5; 27; 28:1-6,19; Mark 1:1; 3:11; Luke 1:35;
4:41; 22:70; 24:46; John 1:1-18,29; 10:30,38; 11:25-27; 12:44-50; 14:7-11;
16:15-16,28; 17:1-5, 21-22; 20:1-20,28; Acts 1:9; 2:22-24; 7:55-56; 9:4-5,20;
Romans 1:3-4; 3:23-26; 5:6-21; 8:1-3,34; 10:4; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2:2; 8:6;
15:1-8,24-28; 2 Corinthians 5:19-21; 8:9; Galatians 4:4-5; Ephesians 1:20; 3:11;
4:7-10; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:13-22; 2:9; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18; 1
Timothy 2:5-6; 3:16; Titus 2:13-14; Hebrews 1:1-3; 4:14-15; 7:14-28;
9:12-15,24-28; 12:2; 13:8; 1 Peter 2:21-25; 3:22; 1 John 1:7-9; 3:2; 4:14-15;
5:9; 2 John 7-9; Revelation 1:13-16; 5:9-14; 12:10-11; 13:8; 19:16.
C. God the Holy
Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, fully divine. He
inspired holy men of old to write the Scriptures. Through illumination He
enables men to understand truth. He exalts Christ. He convicts men of sin, of
righteousness, and of judgment. He calls men to the Saviour, and effects
regeneration. At the moment of regeneration He baptizes every believer into the
Body of Christ. He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and
bestows the spiritual gifts by which they serve God through His church. He seals
the believer unto the day of final redemption. His presence in the Christian is
the guarantee that God will bring the believer into the fullness of the stature
of Christ. He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship,
evangelism, and service.
Genesis
1:2; Judges 14:6; Job 26:13; Psalms 51:11; 139:7ff.; Isaiah 61:1-3; Joel
2:28-32; Matthew 1:18; 3:16; 4:1; 12:28-32; 28:19; Mark 1:10,12; Luke 1:35;
4:1,18-19; 11:13; 12:12; 24:49; John 4:24; 14:16-17,26; 15:26; 16:7-14; Acts
1:8; 2:1-4,38; 4:31; 5:3; 6:3; 7:55; 8:17,39; 10:44; 13:2; 15:28; 16:6; 19:1-6;
Romans 8:9-11,14-16,26-27; 1 Corinthians 2:10-14; 3:16; 12:3-11,13; Galatians
4:6; Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30; 5:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:19; 1 Timothy 3:16; 4:1; 2
Timothy 1:14; 3:16; Hebrews 9:8,14; 2 Peter 1:21; 1 John 4:13; 5:6-7; Revelation
1:10; 22:17.
III. Man
Man is
the special creation of God, made in His own image. He created them male and
female as the crowning work of His creation. The gift of gender is thus part of
the goodness of God's creation. In the beginning man was innocent of sin and was
endowed by his Creator with freedom of choice. By his free choice man sinned
against God and brought sin into the human race. Through the temptation of Satan
man transgressed the command of God, and fell from his original innocence
whereby his posterity inherit a sin nature from the point of conception
and are therefore under condemnation. Only the grace of God can bring
man into His holy fellowship and enable man to fulfill the creative purpose of
God. The sacredness of human personality is evident in that God created man in
His own image, and in that Christ died for man; therefore, every person of every
race possesses full dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love.
Genesis 1:26-30; 2:5,7,18-22; 3;
9:6; Psalms 1; 8:3-6; 32:1-5; 51:5; Isaiah 6:5; Jeremiah 17:5; Matthew 16:26;
Acts 17:26-31; Romans 1:19-32; 3:10-18,23; 5:6,12,19; 6:6; 7:14-25; 8:14-18,29;
1 Corinthians 1:21-31; 15:19,21-22; Ephesians 2:1-22; Colossians 1:21-22;
3:9-11.
IV.
Salvation
Salvation involves the redemption of the whole man, and is
offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, who by His
own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer. In its broadest sense
salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and
glorification. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ
as Lord.
A.
Regeneration, or the new birth, is a work of God's grace whereby
believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus. It is a change of heart wrought
by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in
repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith
are inseparable experiences of grace.
Repentance is a genuine turning from sin toward God. Faith is the
acceptance of Jesus Christ and commitment of the entire personality to Him as
Lord and Saviour.
B.
Justification is God's gracious and full acquittal upon principles of
His righteousness of all sinners who repent and believe in Christ. Justification
brings the believer unto a relationship of peace and favor with God.
C. Sanctification is
the experience, beginning in regeneration, by which the believer is set apart to
God's purposes, and is enabled to progress toward moral and spiritual maturity
through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in him. Growth in
grace should continue throughout the regenerate person's life.
D. Glorification is
the culmination of salvation and is the final blessed and abiding state of the
redeemed.
Genesis 3:15; Exodus
3:14-17; 6:2-8; Matthew 1:21; 4:17; 16:21-26; 27:22-28:6; Luke 1:68-69; 2:28-32;
John 1:11-14,29; 3:3-21,36; 5:24; 10:9,28-29; 15:1-16; 17:17; Acts 2:21; 4:12;
15:11; 16:30-31; 17:30-31; 20:32; Romans 1:16-18; 2:4; 3:23-25; 4:3ff.; 5:8-10;
6:1-23; 8:1-18,29-39; 10:9-10,13; 13:11-14; 1 Corinthians 1:18,30; 6:19-20;
15:10; 2 Corinthians 5:17-20; Galatians 2:20; 3:13; 5:22-25; 6:15; Ephesians
1:7; 2:8-22; 4:11-16; Philippians 2:12-13; Colossians 1:9-22; 3:1ff.; 1
Thessalonians 5:23-24; 2 Timothy 1:12; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 2:1-3; 5:8-9;
9:24-28; 11:1-12:8,14; James 2:14-26; 1 Peter 1:2-23; 1 John 1:6-2:11;
Revelation 3:20; 21:1-22:5.
V. God's Purpose of
Grace
Election is the gracious purpose of God, according to which
He regenerates, justifies, sanctifies, and glorifies sinners. It is consistent
with the free agency of man, and comprehends all the means in connection with
the end. It is the glorious display of God's sovereign goodness, and is
infinitely wise, holy, and unchangeable. It excludes boasting and promotes
humility.
All true believers endure to
the end. Those whom God has accepted in Christ, and sanctified by His Spirit,
will never fall away from the state of grace, but shall persevere to the end.
Believers may fall into sin through neglect and temptation, whereby they grieve
the Spirit, impair their graces and comforts, and bring reproach on the cause of
Christ and temporal judgments on themselves; yet they shall be kept by the power
of God through faith unto salvation.
Genesis 12:1-3; Exodus 19:5-8; 1 Samuel 8:4-7,19-22; Isaiah 5:1-7;
Jeremiah 31:31ff.; Matthew 16:18-19; 21:28-45; 24:22,31; 25:34; Luke 1:68-79;
2:29-32; 19:41-44; 24:44-48; John 1:12-14; 3:16; 5:24; 6:44-45,65; 10:27-29;
15:16; 17:6,12,17-18; Acts 20:32; Romans 5:9-10; 8:28-39; 10:12-15;
11:5-7,26-36; 1 Corinthians 1:1-2; 15:24-28; Ephesians 1:4-23; 2:1-10; 3:1-11;
Colossians 1:12-14; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14; 2 Timothy 1:12; 2:10,19; Hebrews
11:3912:2; James 1:12; 1 Peter 1:2-5,13; 2:4-10; 1 John 1:7-9; 2:19;
3:2.
VI. The
Church
A New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is an
autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in
the faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the two ordinances of Christ,
governed by His laws, exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in
them by His Word, and seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth.
Each congregation operates under the Lordship of Christ through the
leadership of godly elders. In such a congregation each member is
responsible and accountable to Christ as Lord and to the leadership of its
elders. Its scriptural officers are elders (pastors) and deacons.
While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of
elder (pastor) is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.
The New Testament speaks also of the
church as the Body of Christ, which includes all of the redeemed of all the
ages, believers from every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation.
Matthew 16:15-19; 18:15-20; Acts
2:41-42,47; 5:11-14; 6:3-6; 13:1-3; 14:23,27; 15:1-30; 16:5; 20:28; Romans 1:7;
1 Corinthians 1:2; 3:16; 5:4-5; 7:17; 9:13-14; 12; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:19-22;
3:8-11,21; 5:22-32; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:18; 1 Timothy 2:9-14; 3:1-15;
4:14; Hebrews 11:39-40; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Revelation 2-3; 21:2-3.
VII. Baptism and the Lord's Supper
Christian baptism
is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer's faith in a
crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, the believer's death to sin, the burial of
the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus.
It is a testimony to his faith in the final resurrection of the dead. (Last
sentence deleted as per PBC By-Laws)
The Lord's Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby
believers, through partaking of the bread and the fruit of the vine,
memorialize the death of the Redeemer and anticipate His second coming. It is
the responsibility of each person to examine his relationship to God to
self-determine his fitness to partake in the Lords Supper.
Matthew 3:13-17; 26:26-30; 28:19-20;
Mark 1:9-11; 14:22-26; Luke 3:21-22; 22:19-20; John 3:23; Acts 2:41-42; 8:35-39;
16:30-33; 20:7; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians 10:16,21; 11:23-29; Colossians
2:12.
VIII. Last Things
God, in His own time
and in His own way, will bring the world to its appropriate end. According to
His promise, Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the
earth; the dead will be raised; and Christ will judge all men in righteousness.
The unrighteous will be consigned to Hell, the place of everlasting punishment.
The righteous in their resurrected and glorified bodies will receive their
reward and will dwell forever in Heaven with the Lord.
Isaiah 2:4; 11:9; Matthew 16:27; 18:8-9; 19:28;
24:27,30,36,44; 25:31-46; 26:64; Mark 8:38; 9:43-48; Luke 12:40,48; 16:19-26;
17:22-37; 21:27-28; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:11; 17:31; Romans 14:10; 1 Corinthians
4:5; 15:24-28,35-58; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Philippians 3:20-21; Colossians 1:5;
3:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18; 5:1ff.; 2 Thessalonians 1:7ff.; 2; 1 Timothy 6:14;
2 Timothy 4:1,8; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 9:27-28; James 5:8; 2 Peter 3:7ff.; 1 John
2:28; 3:2; Jude 14; Revelation 1:18; 3:11; 20:1-22:13.
IX. Evangelism and Missions
It is the duty and
privilege of every follower of Christ and of every church of the Lord Jesus
Christ to endeavor to make disciples of all nations. The new birth of man's
spirit by God's Holy Spirit means the birth of love for others. Missionary
effort on the part of all rests thus upon a spiritual necessity of the
regenerate life, and is expressly and repeatedly commanded in the teachings of
Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ has commanded the preaching of the gospel to all
nations. It is the duty of every child of God to seek constantly to win the lost
to Christ by verbal witness undergirded by a Christian lifestyle, and by other
methods in harmony with the gospel of Christ.
Genesis 12:1-3; Exodus 19:5-6; Isaiah 6:1-8; Matthew 9:37-38;
10:5-15; 13:18-30, 37-43; 16:19; 22:9-10; 24:14; 28:18-20; Luke 10:1-18;
24:46-53; John 14:11-12; 15:7-8,16; 17:15; 20:21; Acts 1:8; 2; 8:26-40;
10:42-48; 13:2-3; Romans 10:13-15; Ephesians 3:1-11; 1 Thessalonians 1:8; 2
Timothy 4:5; Hebrews 2:1-3; 11:39-12:2; 1 Peter 2:4-10; Revelation
22:17.
X.
Stewardship
God is the source of all blessings, temporal and spiritual;
all that we have and are we owe to Him. Christians have a spiritual debtorship
to the whole world, a holy trusteeship in the gospel, and a binding stewardship
in their possessions. They are therefore under obligation to serve Him with
their time, talents, and material possessions; and should recognize all these as
entrusted to them to use for the glory of God and for helping others. According
to the Scriptures, Christians should contribute of their means cheerfully,
regularly, systematically, proportionately, and liberally for the advancement of
the Redeemer's cause on earth.
Genesis
14:20; Leviticus 27:30-32; Deuteronomy 8:18; Malachi 3:8-12; Matthew
6:1-4,19-21; 19:21; 23:23; 25:14-29; Luke 12:16-21,42; 16:1-13; Acts 2:44-47;
5:1-11; 17:24-25; 20:35; Romans 6:6-22; 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 4:1-2; 6:19-20;
12; 16:1-4; 2 Corinthians 8-9; 12:15; Philippians 4:10-19; 1 Peter
1:18-19.
ADDITIONAL BELIEFS
In addition to these articles of
the Baptist Faith and Message, we also hold to the
following:
HERMENUETICAL METHOD
We hold to the historical-grammatical
method of interpreting Scripture. We believe that any given text should be taken
in its natural, literal meaning unless there is something in the text or context
that would indicate that it should be taken in some other way (such as allegory,
euphemism, or some other figure of speech).
LAST THINGS -
"Eschatology"
Death
We teach that physical death
involves no loss of our immaterial consciousness (Rev. 6:911), that there is a
separation of soul and body (James 2:26), that the soul of the redeemed passes
immediately into the presence of Christ (Luke 23:43; 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23),
and that, for the redeemed, such separation will continue until the Rapture (1
Thess. 4:1317) which initiates the first resurrection (Rev. 20:46), when our
soul and body will be reunited to be glorified forever with our Lord (1 Cor.
15:3544,5054; Phil. 3:21). Until that time, the souls of the redeemed in
Christ remain in joyful fellowship with our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Cor.
5:8).
We teach the bodily resurrection
of all men, the saved to eternal life (John 6:39; Rom. 8:10,11,1923; 2 Cor.
4:14), and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment (Dan. 12:2; John
5:29; Rev. 20:1315).
We teach that the
souls of the unsaved at death are kept under punishment until the second
resurrection (Luke 16:1926; Rev. 20:1315), when the soul and the resurrection
body will be united (John 5:28, 29). They shall then appear at the Great White
Throne judgment (Rev. 20:1115) and shall be cast into hell, the lake of fire
(Matt. 25:4146), cut off from the life of God forever (Dan. 12:2; Matt.
25:4146; 2 Thess. 1:79).
The Rapture of the
Church
We teach the personal,
bodily return of our Lord Jesus Christ before the seven-year tribulation (1
Thess. 4:16; Titus 2:13) to translate His church from this earth (John 14:13; 1
Cor. 15:5153; 1 Thess. 4:155:11) and, between this event and His glorious
return with His saints, to reward believers according to their works (1 Cor.
3:1115; 2 Cor. 5:10).
The Tribulation
Period
We teach that
immediately following the removal of the church from the earth (John 14:13; 1
Thess. 4:1318) the righteous judgments of God will be poured out upon an
unbelieving world (Jer. 30:7; Dan. 9:27; 12:1; 2 Thess. 2:712; Rev. 16), and
that these judgments will be climaxed by the return of Christ in glory to the
earth (Matt. 24:2731; 25:3146; 2 Thess. 2:712). At that time the Old
Testament and tribulation saints will be raised and the living will be judged
(Dan. 12:2,3; Rev. 20:46). This period includes the seventieth week of Daniels
prophecy (Dan. 9:2427; Matt. 24:1531; 25:3146).
The Second Coming and the
Millennial Reign
We teach that
after the tribulation period, Christ will come to earth to occupy the throne of
David (Matt. 25:31; Luke 1:32,33; Acts 1:10,11; 2:29,30) and establish His
messianic kingdom for a thousand years on the earth (Rev. 20:17). During this
time the resurrected saints will reign with Him over Israel and all the nations
of the earth (Ezek. 37:2128; Dan. 7:1722; Rev. 19:1116). This reign will be
preceded by the overthrow of the Antichrist and the False Prophet, and by the
removal of Satan from the world (Dan. 7:1727; Rev. 20:16).
We teach that the kingdom itself will be the
fulfillment of Gods promise to Israel (Is. 65:1725; Ezek. 37:2128; Zech.
8:117) to restore them to the land which they forfeited through their
disobedience (Deut. 28:1568). The result of their disobedience was that Israel
was temporarily set aside (Matt. 21:43; Rom. 11: 126) but will again be
awakened through repentance to enter into the land of blessing (Jer. 31:3134;
Ezek. 36:2232; Rom. 11:2529).
We
teach that this time of our Lords reign will be characterized by harmony,
justice, peace, righteousness, and long life (Is. 11; 65:1725; Ezek. 36:3338),
and will be brought to an end with the release of Satan (Rev. 20:7).
The Judgment of the
Lost
We teach that following
the release of Satan after the thousand year reign of Christ (Rev. 20:7), Satan
will deceive the nations of the earth and gather them to battle against the
saints and the beloved city, at which time Satan and his army will be devoured
by fire from heaven (Rev. 20:9). Following this, Satan will be thrown into the
lake of fire and brimstone (Matt. 25:41; Rev. 20:10) whereupon Christ, who is
the judge of all men (John 5:22), will resurrect and judge the great and small
at the Great White Throne judgment.
We
teach that this resurrection of the unsaved dead to judgment will be a physical
resurrection, whereupon receiving their judgment (John 5:28,29), they will be
committed to an eternal conscious punishment in the lake of fire (Matt. 25:41;
Rev. 20:1115).
Eternity
We teach that after the closing of
the Millennium, the temporary release of Satan, and the judgment of unbelievers
(2 Thess. 1:9; Rev. 20:715), the saved will enter the eternal state of glory
with God, after which the elements of this earth are to be dissolved (2 Pet.
3:10) and replaced with a new earth wherein only righteousness dwells (Eph. 5:5;
Rev. 20:15,21,22). Following this, the heavenly city will come down out of
heaven (Rev. 21:2) and will be the dwelling place of the saints, where they will
enjoy forever fellowship with God and one another (John 17:3; Rev. 21,22). Our
Lord Jesus Christ, having fulfilled His redemptive mission, will then deliver up
the kingdom to God the Father (1 Cor. 15:2328) that in all spheres the triune
God may reign forever and ever (1 Cor. 15:28).
Dispensationalism
We are dispensational in the sense
that we believe there is a clear distinction between Israel and the church. We
do not believe that the church has "replaced" Israel and we believe that God
still has future plans for Israel (Rom. 11:26), which includes a literal
1000-year earthly kingdom (Rev. 20:1-15)
SOLA
FIDE - "By Faith Alone"
We
affirm the primary tenants of the Protestant Reformation, the first of which is
SOLA FIDE, which means "by faith alone." The core, or fundamental truth, of the
Gospel is that our justification (our being made righteous and acceptable to
God) is never on the basis of works (anything we have done) but is based solely
upon faith alone in Christ alone by Gods grace alone. (Eph. 2:4-9)
We do, however, acknowledge that when true
saving faith is exercised in Jesus Christ, there will always be a change in
ones life as evidence of that faith. New attitudes and actions always follow
true saving faith in Jesus Christ.
SOLA GRATIA "By Grace Alone"
The Bible teaches that in the matter of our salvation and
being made right with God there is absolutely nothing that man or woman can do
apart from Gods grace (Rom. 3:11). It is impossible for man to gain eternal
life on his own apart from the unmerited favor of God. It is only by Gods grace
that any can be saved and salvation is totally the work of God and not man (Eph.
2:8-9, John 6:37, 44, 65).
SOLA SCRIPTURA "By Scripture Alone"
It is through the Holy Scriptures alone that
God speaks today. The Bible is not just a book that contains Gods Words, but
rather it is Gods literal and complete revelation to man in its totality. It is
in the Holy Bible, with the enlightenment and guidance of the Holy Spirit, that
we find Gods will, His purposes and His requirements for our lives (2 Tim.
3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:3) Not only is the Bible absolutely infallible, it is also
totally sufficient for life and godliness.
This revelation of God in Scripture is both timeless and without any
mixture of error (Mat. 24:35, Psalm 19:7). While we believe that denominational
traditions and church history are important, and should be known and studied, it
is Gods Word, the Holy Bible, that is our ultimate and absolute authority for
life and practice in every realm.
The
truth of the Gospel message is eternal! (Ps. 119:89) The Gospel is not
determined by the culture we live in or the dictates of men. In Scripture, God
has spoken His final word to man. As a church, we should pay the utmost
attention to it and preserve it with accuracy and faithfulness (2 Tim.
2:15).
SOLI DEO GLORIA "To
God Alone Be The Glory"
The Bible declares that God alone is worthy of worship, praise and
adoration, both for our justification and our sanctification because both are by
Gods grace alone (1 Cor. 6:20, 1 Peter 4:16).
SOLO CHRISTO "By Christ Alone"
The Bible declares that there is only one way
to salvation, and that is through faith in Jesus Christ (John 14:6, Acts 4:12, 1
Tim. 2:5). We believe and proclaim that there is no salvation apart from knowing
and believing in the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ (John 3:16-17,
36). His death was a substitute and sacrifice for His elect, taking away our sin
and giving us His (imputed) righteousness.
(Last Revised: 03/12/03)
Scripture quotations, except those noted otherwise, are from the New
American Standard Bible, © The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971,
1972, 1973, 1975, 1977. Used by permission.
© Copyright 2001, Parker
Baptist Church, All rights reserved
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