About City Baptist Church
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God The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost [The Godhead, God, or Trinity]
We believe in one true triune Godhead of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit being one in essence, yet divided in function [Matt 28:19; Col 2:9]; We believe that the Godhead has certain divine perfections such as holiness, omnipotence, omnipresence, omniscience, and sovereignty, among other attributes [Job 42:2]; We believe God created the universe in 7 literal days, sustains it [Col 1:16-17] and will one day make it new [Rev 21:5].
The Bible
We believe that the Bible in all 66 books is God’s inspired, complete revelation to mankind [De 4:2; Pr 30:6; Re 22:18-19] that we have the same words preserved for all ages which God spoke to the human writers via the Masoretic Hebrew Text and the Textus Receptus Greek text [Ps 12:6-7]; that the Bible is mans’ only rule for Christian faith and practice [Le 18:5; Jn 14:15]. We use the Authorized King James Version for all teaching and preaching purposes.
Salvation and Baptism
We believe that the fall of man in Adam necessitates his/her need of eternal salvation [1 Co 15:22]; that this salvation is accomplished by man hearing God’s word and verbalizing faith [belief] in the vicarious bloody sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross and in His resurrection [1 Co 15:1-4; Ro 10:13]. We believe that Christ’s was a once-for–all- time sacrifice, thus requiring man be saved only once, never able to lose his/her salvation [Ro 6:10-11; Jn 6:37; 10:28] that although he cannot lose his salvation, man can lose fellowship and favor with God because of sin, even dying an untimely death for continual, willful sin(s)[1 Jn 5:16-17; Isa 59:2]. Although there is no saving power in water baptism [1 Pet 3:21], We believe it is necessary for the believer to be fully obedient to Christ and to gain membership in a local church [Ac 2:38; 10:47-48].
Angels and Demons
We believe in the literal existence of myriads of eternal, radiant, mighty angels, created by God as spirit beings in various ranks and orders who serve and glorify God and help believing man in various ways [Ezek 1; He 1:14; Mt 26:53]; We believe that Satan, once a mighty Cherub called Lucifer, fell from his exalted position in heaven because of his pride, influencing 1/3rd of the heavenly host to rebel with him, thus becoming demons whose chief aim is to discredit God and to tempt Christians to deny God [Isa 14:4-20; Ezek 28:11-19; Re 12:4]. We believe that those angels who “left their first [holy] estate” are sealed in unrighteousness and everlasting doom, while those who remained true are sealed in righteousness and everlasting blessedness [2 Pe 2:4; Jude 6]. We believe that the final doom of Satan and his angels [demons] will be eternal confinement in the “Lake of fire” [Re 12:9;20:10; Mt 25:41].
The Church
We believe that the church- God’s NT covenant people is to be distinguished from Israel – God’s OT covenant people. As the Jews were a circumcised, called out people with certain privileges and responsibilities, so is the church a called out assembly of Bible believing, water baptized people [Jew and Gentile], meeting together regularly for worship, fellowship, biblical instruction, and Christian service [Heb 8-10]. We believe that the church has only two Biblical officers of pastor and deacon [1 Tim 3] and two commanded ordinances of water baptism [Ac 2:38; 10:47-48] and communion [i.e., The Lord’s supper, 1 Co 11:23-34]; that the church is God’s only vehicle on earth today for carrying out his plan for worldwide disciple-making before Christ returns [Matt 28:18-20; 1 Th 1:8]. We believe that a doctrinally sound church must be involved in planting new churches in all unreached parts of the world [Acts 15:41; 16:5].
Man
We believe that man was instantaneously created by God with a body, soul, and spirit, having the power to procreate [Gen 2:7; 1:28; 1 Th 5:23]; that man was created perfect and immortal, yet fell from that position by free choice and willful disobedience, necessitating God’s plan of salvation to restore him to a place of eternal life [Gen 2:16-17, 2:6-7; Rom 5:12]; and that man can do nothing to please God or save himself apart from knowing Christ as Savior and Lord [Gen 6:5; Ro 7:18; Ti 3:5].
Sin
We believe that sin is man’s willful disobedience against God’s clear commands [1 Jn 5:17]; that there are both temporal and eternal consequences for sin [Ro 6:23; 1 Cor 11:28-30; Jude 13-15] that God forgives confessed sins and punishes man for unconfessed sins [Pr 28:13; 1 Jn 1:9]. We believe that sin entered the universe with the fall of Lucifer who became Satan [Isa 14:4-23; Ezek 28:1-19], and that sin entered the human race with the fall of Adam [Rom 5:12]; that saved man will become completely rid of sin at his glorification [1 Jn 3:2].
The Last Things
We believe in the imminent return of Jesus Christ to “catch away” His believing people to be judged and to receive final rewards [1 Co 15:51; 1 Th 4:13-18] followed by a 7 year Tribulation to try every man remaining on the earth, yet directed primarily as God’s final judgment upon disobedient Israel [Dan 9:27; Rev 6-19]. We believe in Christ’s 2nd coming to the earth with his glorified saints of all ages immediately after the Tribulation, inaugurating His 1000 year Millennial reign upon the earth, at which end Satan will be loosed to deceive nations one final time, only to be swiftly defeated and confined eternally to the lake of Fire [Rev 19:11-20:10]. All unsaved people and nations will be judged and confined eternally to the Lake of Fire [Rev 20:11-15] which is not to be confused with the judgment of believers occurring 1007 years earlier [1 Co 3:11-15; 2 Co 5:10-11; Re 22:12]. We believe that God will destroy the present universe, making a completely new heaven and earth where his saints will live with Him in eternal blessedness [Rev 21:1-5].
