Grace for Española
What is a Baptist Church?
1. IT HOLDS TO HISTORIC CHRISTIANITY
It holds to the essential doctrines of the historic Christian faith as set out in creeds such as the Apostles’ Creed, Nicene Creed, and Athanasian Creed.
1.1 The Bible: The Bible in its original writings is fully inspired by God, and is therefore the supreme and final authority for belief and practice.
1.2 God: God is one in essence, eternally existing in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
1.3 Jesus Christ: Jesus is the incarnate Son of God, born of the virgin Mary, and is therefore truly God and truly human; he lived a holy and sinless life, died on the cross bearing our guilt as our vicarious substitute, rose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven, and will return personally, visibly, and in power and glory.
1.4 The Human Race: God created human beings in his own image, but Adam the first human being sinned, and through this transgression every one of us inherits a sinful nature which results in personal transgression and guilt, incurring the penalty of death, both physical and spiritual.
1.5 Salvation: Salvation is through regeneration by the Holy Spirit (the new birth), justification by faith alone without works of righteousness, and sanctification by the indwelling Holy Spirit which produces the fruits of righteousness including good works.
1.6 The Future: There is a future bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust, the just to eternal blessedness in heaven and the unjust to eternal banishment in hell.
2. IT HOLDS TO REFORMATION DISTINCTIVES
It holds to the great doctrines emphasized during the Protestant Reformation as set forth in documents such as the Heidelberg Catechism (1563), Belgic Confession (1618), Westminster Confession of Faith (1646), and Baptist Confession of Faith (1689). These may be summed up in the threefold statement:
Sola scriptura - Sola gratia - Sola fide
Scripture alone - Grace alone - Faith alone
2.1 Sola Scriptura: The Bible in its original writings is verbally and fully inspired by God and therefore the inerrant Word of God to the human race; it is therefore the supreme and final authority for belief and practice. (For a modern statement see the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy, 1978). Neither human reason, experience nor the Church can be our final authority. Therefore liberal theology (which exalts the authority of human reason), the charismatic movement (which exalts the authority of human experience) and Roman Catholicism (which exalts the authority of the church) are all viewed as inadequate systems of belief.
2.2 Sola Gratia: Salvation is entirely by the grace of God.
2.2.1: During the Reformation, Protestant leaders and theologians generally believed the Roman Catholic view of the means of salvation to be a mixture of reliance upon the grace of God and confidence in the merits of one’s own works, sometimes called Legalism by Protestants. The Reformers taught that salvation is entirely comprehended in God’s gifts (that is, God’s act of free grace), dispensed by the Holy Spirit according to the redemptive work of Jesus Christ alone. Consequently, they argued that a sinner is not accepted by God on account of any merit (personal obedience) or any change brought about in the believer by God’s grace. Indeed, the believer is accepted in spite of his works (which only condemn due to human sinfulness). No one deserves salvation, it is a free gift of God’s grace.
2.3 Sola Fide: In salvation we are justified by faith alone.
2.3.1 Justification: Justification is God’s forensic (legal) declaration that a sinner is not guilty. This declaration is based entirely on the righteousness of Christ, who himself bore the sinner’s penalty of death in his substitutionary death on the cross. Since we have no righteousness of our own, in justification Christ’s righteousness is imputed (reckoned, accounted) to the sinner.
2.3.2 Faith: Justification is effected through the instrument of faith. This faith involves various aspects, in particular, knowledge, assent, and trust. Faith is the empty hand that receives the grace of God.
2.3.3 Faith alone: Justification is by faith alone. Justification is not on the basis of our own merit or righteousness, nor is it on the basis of baptism or penance.
3. IT HOLDS TO BAPTIST DISTINCTIVES
It holds to Baptist distinctives that distinguish it from non-Baptist churches, namely:
3.1 The Church: The Church is the whole company of those who have been redeemed by Jesus Christ and regenerated by the Holy Spirit. The local church, as a manifestation of the universal church, is a community of believers in a particular place where the Word of God is preached, the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are observed, and scriptural discipline is exercised. It is fully autonomous, and remains so notwithstanding responsibilities it may accept through voluntary association.
3.2 Congregational Church Government: A constituted church meeting, under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and through the guidance of the Scriptures, is the highest court of authority for the local church. Pastors and deacons are chosen and lead through the common consent of the church itself. Each individual member has a right and responsibility to participate fully in the life and government of the church, particularly in the appointment of its leaders.
3.3 Believer’s Baptism: Baptism is an outward sign of an individual’s union with Christ in his death, burial and resurrection, and is a confession of personal regeneration, repentance, and faith. Its scriptural mode is immersion in water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
3.4 The Priesthood of Believers: Each believer has direct access to God through Christ our High Priest, and shares with him in the work of reconciliation through intercession, worship, and faithful service.
3.5 Liberty of Conscience: Each believer has the right to private conscience, and has an obligation to interpret the Scriptures responsibly and to act in the light of his/her conscience, and should not be coerced by any State, secular, ecclesiastical, or religious group in matters of faith. Nevertheless, it is right and proper that like-minded believers should express their fellowship in voluntarily submitting to confessions, creeds, and statements of faith.
4. THE EFFECTS OF THESE DISTINCTIVES ON PRACTICE
The effects of these historic, Reformed, and Baptist distinctives should be seen in the life and practice of the church as follows:
4.1 Preaching: Preaching of the Word of God is the method that God has ordained for proclaiming the name of Christ and building up the body of Christ. No other methods (e.g. music, films, and other art forms; debate, discussion, broadcasting, or other communication forms) should detract from or replace the faithful and public exposition of the Scriptures and the preaching (proclamation) of the gospel of Christ.
4.2 Evangelism: God has ordained that his church should preach the gospel (the good news) of his salvation to all people throughout the world that he might gather a people for his name from every nation, tribe, and language. Evangelism is conducted with confidence, knowing that it does not depend on human persuasiveness, but on the effective working of the Holy Spirit. Evangelism is based on the preaching of the Word of God, and both the message and the method of evangelism must be founded on Scriptural principles.
4.3 Worship: Worship is viewed as a serious and reverent approach to God, who is majestic, glorious, and holy. Worship therefore should be free from all superficiality, frivolity, and irreverence. Although worship is conducted in a serious and reverent manner, it is also joyful as we rejoice in the God of our salvation.
4.4 Godly Living: Individual believers are expected, on the grounds of Scripture and as proof of their salvation, to live godly lives in obedience to the Word of God, to seek to be holy even as God is holy, to love one another as Christ has loved them, and to do good works as an expression of the love of Christ within them.
It holds to the essential doctrines of the historic Christian faith as set out in creeds such as the Apostles’ Creed, Nicene Creed, and Athanasian Creed.
1.1 The Bible: The Bible in its original writings is fully inspired by God, and is therefore the supreme and final authority for belief and practice.
1.2 God: God is one in essence, eternally existing in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
1.3 Jesus Christ: Jesus is the incarnate Son of God, born of the virgin Mary, and is therefore truly God and truly human; he lived a holy and sinless life, died on the cross bearing our guilt as our vicarious substitute, rose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven, and will return personally, visibly, and in power and glory.
1.4 The Human Race: God created human beings in his own image, but Adam the first human being sinned, and through this transgression every one of us inherits a sinful nature which results in personal transgression and guilt, incurring the penalty of death, both physical and spiritual.
1.5 Salvation: Salvation is through regeneration by the Holy Spirit (the new birth), justification by faith alone without works of righteousness, and sanctification by the indwelling Holy Spirit which produces the fruits of righteousness including good works.
1.6 The Future: There is a future bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust, the just to eternal blessedness in heaven and the unjust to eternal banishment in hell.
2. IT HOLDS TO REFORMATION DISTINCTIVES
It holds to the great doctrines emphasized during the Protestant Reformation as set forth in documents such as the Heidelberg Catechism (1563), Belgic Confession (1618), Westminster Confession of Faith (1646), and Baptist Confession of Faith (1689). These may be summed up in the threefold statement:
Sola scriptura - Sola gratia - Sola fide
Scripture alone - Grace alone - Faith alone
2.1 Sola Scriptura: The Bible in its original writings is verbally and fully inspired by God and therefore the inerrant Word of God to the human race; it is therefore the supreme and final authority for belief and practice. (For a modern statement see the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy, 1978). Neither human reason, experience nor the Church can be our final authority. Therefore liberal theology (which exalts the authority of human reason), the charismatic movement (which exalts the authority of human experience) and Roman Catholicism (which exalts the authority of the church) are all viewed as inadequate systems of belief.
2.2 Sola Gratia: Salvation is entirely by the grace of God.
2.2.1: During the Reformation, Protestant leaders and theologians generally believed the Roman Catholic view of the means of salvation to be a mixture of reliance upon the grace of God and confidence in the merits of one’s own works, sometimes called Legalism by Protestants. The Reformers taught that salvation is entirely comprehended in God’s gifts (that is, God’s act of free grace), dispensed by the Holy Spirit according to the redemptive work of Jesus Christ alone. Consequently, they argued that a sinner is not accepted by God on account of any merit (personal obedience) or any change brought about in the believer by God’s grace. Indeed, the believer is accepted in spite of his works (which only condemn due to human sinfulness). No one deserves salvation, it is a free gift of God’s grace.
2.3 Sola Fide: In salvation we are justified by faith alone.
2.3.1 Justification: Justification is God’s forensic (legal) declaration that a sinner is not guilty. This declaration is based entirely on the righteousness of Christ, who himself bore the sinner’s penalty of death in his substitutionary death on the cross. Since we have no righteousness of our own, in justification Christ’s righteousness is imputed (reckoned, accounted) to the sinner.
2.3.2 Faith: Justification is effected through the instrument of faith. This faith involves various aspects, in particular, knowledge, assent, and trust. Faith is the empty hand that receives the grace of God.
2.3.3 Faith alone: Justification is by faith alone. Justification is not on the basis of our own merit or righteousness, nor is it on the basis of baptism or penance.
3. IT HOLDS TO BAPTIST DISTINCTIVES
It holds to Baptist distinctives that distinguish it from non-Baptist churches, namely:
3.1 The Church: The Church is the whole company of those who have been redeemed by Jesus Christ and regenerated by the Holy Spirit. The local church, as a manifestation of the universal church, is a community of believers in a particular place where the Word of God is preached, the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are observed, and scriptural discipline is exercised. It is fully autonomous, and remains so notwithstanding responsibilities it may accept through voluntary association.
3.2 Congregational Church Government: A constituted church meeting, under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and through the guidance of the Scriptures, is the highest court of authority for the local church. Pastors and deacons are chosen and lead through the common consent of the church itself. Each individual member has a right and responsibility to participate fully in the life and government of the church, particularly in the appointment of its leaders.
3.3 Believer’s Baptism: Baptism is an outward sign of an individual’s union with Christ in his death, burial and resurrection, and is a confession of personal regeneration, repentance, and faith. Its scriptural mode is immersion in water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
3.4 The Priesthood of Believers: Each believer has direct access to God through Christ our High Priest, and shares with him in the work of reconciliation through intercession, worship, and faithful service.
3.5 Liberty of Conscience: Each believer has the right to private conscience, and has an obligation to interpret the Scriptures responsibly and to act in the light of his/her conscience, and should not be coerced by any State, secular, ecclesiastical, or religious group in matters of faith. Nevertheless, it is right and proper that like-minded believers should express their fellowship in voluntarily submitting to confessions, creeds, and statements of faith.
4. THE EFFECTS OF THESE DISTINCTIVES ON PRACTICE
The effects of these historic, Reformed, and Baptist distinctives should be seen in the life and practice of the church as follows:
4.1 Preaching: Preaching of the Word of God is the method that God has ordained for proclaiming the name of Christ and building up the body of Christ. No other methods (e.g. music, films, and other art forms; debate, discussion, broadcasting, or other communication forms) should detract from or replace the faithful and public exposition of the Scriptures and the preaching (proclamation) of the gospel of Christ.
4.2 Evangelism: God has ordained that his church should preach the gospel (the good news) of his salvation to all people throughout the world that he might gather a people for his name from every nation, tribe, and language. Evangelism is conducted with confidence, knowing that it does not depend on human persuasiveness, but on the effective working of the Holy Spirit. Evangelism is based on the preaching of the Word of God, and both the message and the method of evangelism must be founded on Scriptural principles.
4.3 Worship: Worship is viewed as a serious and reverent approach to God, who is majestic, glorious, and holy. Worship therefore should be free from all superficiality, frivolity, and irreverence. Although worship is conducted in a serious and reverent manner, it is also joyful as we rejoice in the God of our salvation.
4.4 Godly Living: Individual believers are expected, on the grounds of Scripture and as proof of their salvation, to live godly lives in obedience to the Word of God, to seek to be holy even as God is holy, to love one another as Christ has loved them, and to do good works as an expression of the love of Christ within them.