The First Baptist Church of Rowley, Statement of Faith

Our Beliefs

I. Of the Scriptures

We believe in the authority and sufficiency of the Holy Bible, consisting of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, as originally written; that it was verbally and plenarily inspired and the product of Spirit-controlled men, and therefore infallible and inerrant in all matters of which it speaks. 2 Timothy 3:16, 17; 2 Peter 1:19-21.

II. The True God

We believe there is one and only one living and true God, an infinite Spirit, the Maker and supreme Ruler of Heaven and earth; glorious in holiness, and worthy of all honor, confidence and love; that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, equal in every divine perfection and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption. Exodus 20:2, 3; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Revelation 4:11.

III. The Son of God

We believe in the absolute Deity of the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ; existing from all eternity co-equal with the Father and the Spirit; that He never ceased to be God for one instant; yet fully man, with the divine and human natures united in one being; that as man He was miraculously begotten of the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary (John 1:1,2; 1 John 5:20; Matthew 1:20; Luke 1:26-28).

IV. The Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, co-equal with God the Father and God the Son and with all the attributes of deity; that He was active in the creation; that He convicts the unbelieving world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment; that He bears witness to the truth of the gospel; that He is the Agent in the new birth; that He seals, guides, teaches, sanctifies, helps, and gives spiritual gifts to the believer. We believe that the sign/revelatory gifts of the Holy Spirit have fulfilled their purpose and are not operative as spiritual gifts today. Matthew 28:19; Hebrews 9:14; Luke 1:35; Genesis 1:1-3; John 14:16-17, 26; 16:8-11; Acts 5:30-32; John 3:5, 6; Ephesians 1:13, 14; John 1:33; Acts 11:16; Luke 24:49; Romans 8:14,16, 26, 27; 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, 28-30; 13:8-10; 14:1-40; 2 Corinthians 12:12; Hebrews 2:2-4.

V. The Devil, or Satan

We believe in the reality and personality of Satan, the Devil; and that he was created by God as an angel but through pride and rebellion became the enemy of his Creator; that he became the unholy god of this age and the ruler of all the powers of darkness and is destined to the judgment of an eternal justice in the lake of fire. Matthew 4:1-11; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 20:10.

VI. Creation

We believe the Biblical account of the creation of the physical universe, angels, and man; that this account is neither allegory nor myth, but a literal, historical account of the direct, immediate creative acts of God; that man was created by a direct work of God and not from previously existing forms of life; and that all men are descended from the historical Adam and Eve, first parents of the entire human race. Genesis 1; 2; Colossians 1:16, 17; John 1:3.

VII. The Fall of Man

We believe that man was created in innocence (in the image and likeness of God) under the law of his Maker, but by voluntary transgression Adam fell from his sinless and happy state, and all men sinned in him, in consequence of which all men are totally depraved, are partakers of Adam’s fallen nature, sinners by nature and by conduct, and therefore under just condemnation without defense or excuse. Genesis 3:1-6; Romans 3:10-19; 5:12, 19; 1:18, 32.

VIII. The Virgin Birth

We believe that Jesus was begotten of the Holy Spirit in a miraculous manner, born of Mary, a virgin, as no other man was ever born or can be born of-woman, and that He is both the Son of God and God, the Son. Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:35; John 1:14.

IX. Salvation

We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace through faith in the redemption accomplished by Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Who by the appointment of the Father, voluntarily took upon Himself our nature, yet without sin, and honored the divine law by His personal obedience, thus qualifying Himself to be our Savior; that by the shedding of His blood in His death He fully satisfied the just demands of a holy and righteous God regarding sin; that His sacrifice was a voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner’s place, bearing our sins in His own body on the cross; that having risen bodily from the dead and ascended into heaven, He is now seated at the righthand of God, and in every way qualified to be our only and all-sufficient Savior.

We believe that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the only condition of salvation. Repentance is a change of mind and purpose toward God prompted by the Holy Spirit and is an integral part of saving faith. Jonah 2:9; Ephesians 2:8; Acts 15:11; Romans 3:24, 25; John 3:16; Matthew 18:11; Philippians 2:7, 8; Hebrews 2:14-17; Isaiah 53:4-7; 1 John 4:10; 1 Corinthians 15:3; 2 Corinthians. 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24.

X. Resurrection and Priesthood of Christ

We believe in the bodily resurrection of Christ and in His ascension into Heaven, where He now sits at the right hand of the Father as our High Priest interceding for us. Matthew 28:6, 7; Luke 24:39; John 20:27; 1 Corinthians 15:4; Mark 16:6; Luke 24:2-6, 51; Acts 1:9-11; Revelation 3:21; Hebrews 5:9-10; 8:6; 12:2; 7:25; 1 Timothy 2:5; 1 John 2:1.

XI. Grace and the New Birth

We believe that faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ is God’s only way of salvation from sin, and this salvation is wholly by God's grace; that no works, however good, can contribute to that salvation (Ephesians 2:8,9; Acts 16:31; Titus 3:5-7; Romans 10:9-11). We believe that all who trust in Christ alone as their Savior are born from above by the power of the Holy Spirit and, at the point of faith, receive from God the gifts of forgiveness of every sin, eternal life in God’s presence, and His indwelling Holy Spirit. John 3:3; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 John 5:1; Acts 16:20-33; 2 Peter 1:4; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:1, 5; Colossians 2:13; John 3:8.

XII. Justification

We believe that justification is that judicial act of God whereby He declares the believer righteous upon the basis of the imputed righteousness of Christ; that it is bestowed, not in consideration of any work of righteousness which we have done, but solely through faith in the Redeemer’s shed blood. Romans 3:24; 4:5; 5:1, 9; Galatians 2:16.

XIII. Sanctification

We believe that sanctification is the divine setting apart of the believer unto God accomplished in a threefold manner; first, an eternal act of God based upon redemption in Christ, establishing the believer in a position of holiness at the moment he trusts the Savior; second, a continuing process in the saint as the Holy Spirit applies the Word of God to the life, resulting in voluntary obedience to the gospel and the fruit of righteousness; and third, the final accomplishment of this process at the Lord’s return. Hebrews 10:10-14; 3:1; John 17:17; 2 Corinthians 3:18; 1 Corinthians 1:30; Ephesians 5:25-27; 1 Thessalonians 4:3, 4; 5:23, 24; 1 John 3:2; Jude 24, 25; Revelation 22:11.

XIV. The Security of the Saints

We believe that all who are truly born again are eternally secure in Christ and kept by God the Father for Jesus Christ unto eternal salvation. Philippians 1:6; John 10:28-29; Romans 8:35-39; Jude 1; Romans 8:35-39; 1 John 5:11-13.

XV. The Church

We believe that a local church is an organized congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant of faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws; and exercising the gifts and ministries invested in them by His Holy Spirit and His Word; that its officers are pastor-elders and deacons, whose qualifications and duties are defined in the Scriptures. We believe the true mission of the church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ among all peoples. We hold that the local church has the absolute right of self-government free from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations; and that the one and only Superintendent is Christ through the Holy Spirit; that it is Scriptural for true churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the gospel. 1 Corinthians 11:2; Acts 20:17-28; 1 Tim. 3:1-13; Acts 2:41, 42.

We believe in the unity of all New Testament believers in the universal Church which is the Body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:12, 13; Ephesians 1:22, 23; 3:1-6;4:11; 5:23; Colossians 1:18; Acts 15:13-18.

XVI. Ordinances of the Church

We believe that there are two church ordinances; Baptism and the Lord's Supper, neither of which effect the soul's salvation. We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion in water of a believer in Christ, that it is a symbol to show the believer's identification with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection as well as with a local body of believers. We believe that the ordinance of the Lord's Supper as instituted by the Lord Jesus Christ is to be observed by believers of this age as a memorial of Christ's death and a looking forward to His promised return; that it should always be preceded by careful self-examination (Acts 8:36-39; John 3:23; Matthew 28:19,20; Romans 6:3-5; Colossians 2:12; Acts 2:41,42; Matthew 26:26-29; 1 Corinthians 11:23-34).

XVII. Separation

We believe in obedience to the Biblical commands to separate ourselves unto God from worldliness and ecclesiastical apostasy. 2 Corinthians 6:14–7:1; 1 Thessalonians 1:9, 10; 1 Timothy 6:3-5; Romans 16:17; 2 John 9-11.

XVIII. Israel

We believe in the sovereign selection of Israel as God’s eternal covenant people, that she is now dispersed because of her disobedience and rejection of Christ, and that she will be regathered one day in the land that God promised Abraham, and, will be saved as a nation at the second advent of Christ. Genesis 13:14-17; Romans 11:1-32; Ezekiel 37. As such, we also regard the church as being distinct from Israel and believe that God will renew His unique program for Israel in the “70th seven of Daniel” [Daniel 9:24-27].

XIX. Eschatology (Last Things)

We believe in an imminent Rapture of the Church prior to the 70th seven of Daniel 9, or seven-year Tribulation. In the Rapture, the Lord Jesus will appear in the air to catch away church-age believers to Himself forever in resurrected bodies. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:42-44, 51-54; Philippians 3:20, 21; Revelation 3:10.

We believe that the Tribulation or 70th-7 of Daniel will be a time of unparalleled distress in which the Antichrist emerges and attempts to establish his kingdom on earth through destruction and persecution of the Jews and any who would profess faith in Christ. However, Jesus Christ will return to the earth at the end of this period, destroy the Antichrist and his armies, and set up His millennial reign on the earth from Jerusalem; i.e., His return is premillennial. Daniel 9:24-27; Matthew 24:29-31; Luke 1:30-33; Isaiah 9:6, 7; 11:1-9; Acts 2:29, 30; Revelation 20:1-4, 6.

We believe that the millennial reign of Christ on earth will be followed by the eternal state in the new Jerusalem that will come from God to the new earth that replaces the old earth that was destroyed. It is here that the saved of all time will live eternally in the presence of God and the Lamb (Jesus Christ). Revelation 21; 22:3-5; 2 Peter 3:10.

XX. The Righteous and the Wicked

In God’s judgments of the souls of mankind, we believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that only those who are justified by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and sanctified by the Spirit of our God are truly righteous in His esteem; while all such as continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight wicked and under the curse; and this distinction holds among men both in and after death, in the everlasting felicity of the saved and the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost in the lake of fire. Malachi 3:18; Genesis 18:23; Romans 6:23: 7:6; 1 John 5:19; Proverbs 14:32; Luke 16:25; Matthew 25:34-41; John 8:21; Revelation 20:14, 15.

XXI. Civil Government

We believe that civil government is of divine appointment for the interests and good order of human society; that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored, and obeyed; except in those things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ Who is the only Lord of the conscience, and the coming King of kings. Romans 13:1-7; 2 Sam. 23:3; Exodus 18:21, 22; Acts 23:5; Matthew 22:21; Acts 5:29; 4:19, 20; Daniel 3:17, 18.

XXII. Marriage, Family, and Human Sexuality

We believe that marriage was ordained by God at creation as the sacred union of one man and one woman. The sanctity of the marriage covenant means that God’s plan is that marriage between a husband and wife be a lifetime commitment, and that all sexual relations must therefore be reserved for that union. This is in tune with other teachings of the Bible that indicate that adultery, sodomy, polygamy, polyamory, and other sexual relations outside of marriage as defined above are sin and thus perversions of God’s design. Christian marriage is to be a representation of Christ’s relationship to His church. We also believe that children are a blessing from the Lord. Thus, all human life is sacred and worthy of protection from the moment of fertilization. In addition, according to God’s creative design, there are two and only two genders – male and female; and this is God given. This renders transgender activities as perversions of God’s creative design. Genesis 1:26-28; 2:24; Psalms 127; 128; 139:13-16; Matthew 19:1-10; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Ephesians 5:22-23; Hebrew 13:4.