TENETS OF FAITH AND DOCTRINE
The Burlington Flats Baptist Church accepts the Scriptures as the revealed Will of God, the all-sufficient rule of faith and practice, and for the purpose of maintaining general unity, adopts these Statements of Fundamental Truths and Doctrine.
Section 1. The Scriptures Inspired. The Bible is the inspired Word of God, a revelation from God to man, that it is verbally, plenary, and inerrantly inspired; authoritative, and without error in it’s original manuscripts. It is the infallible rule of faith and conduct, and is superior to conscience and reason, but not contrary to reason. (2 Tim. 3:15-17; 1 Peter 1:23-25; Heb. 4:12)
Section 2. The One True Godhead. The triune Godhead is comprised of three (3) separate and distinct personalities, The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit, who are eternally self-existent, self-revealed and function as one entity. Jesus Christ, who is God manifested in the flesh, is the second member of the Godhead, co-equal and co-eternal with The Father and The Holy Spirit.
Section 3. Man, His Fall and Redemption. Man was created good and upright, for God said, "Let us make man in Our image, after Our likeness". But, man, by voluntary transgression, fell and his only hope of having this alienation removed and redemption is through faith, trusting in Jesus Christ the Son of God alone for salvation, which is made possible by His death and resurrection. (Genesis 1:26-31, 3:1-7; Romans 5:12-21).
Section 4. The Salvation of Man.
(a) Man's only hope of redemption is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
The deity of Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, substitutionary death and shed blood on the cross provide for our redemption. His bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, present ministry of intercession for us, and His return to earth in power and glory provide the evidence that He is the only True God and Eternal Life; By which, we are saved, being justified freely by His Grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. For by grace we are saved through faith. "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart--that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation" (Romans 3:24; Ephesians 2:8; Romans 10:8-10).
(b). The evidence of Salvation. The inward evidence to the believer of his salvation, is the direct witness of the Spirit (Romans 8:16). The outward evidence to all men is a life in pursuit of righteousness and true holiness. "And this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us" (1 John 3:23).
(c). Faith and Works. Salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ and not by human
works. However, our works are designed by God for us and will determine the rewards in eternity (Romans 10:9-1; II Cor. 5:10; Eph 2:10).
(d). The present work of the Holy Spirit. The miracle of the new birth in
unbelievers is performed through the personality and deity of the Holy Spirit. He enables us to live godly lives by which He convicts, regenerates, indwells, baptizes, seals and gives special unique spiritual gifts to all believers.
Section 5. The Church.
(a). The Organization. The church is the body of Christ, composed of all who are saved from Pentecost to the Rapture, immersed into one body. The Church is the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of her great commission, and serves as the espoused bride of Christ. Each believer, born of the Spirit, is an integral part of the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in Heaven (Ephesians 1:22; 2:19-22; Hebrews 12:23).
(b). The Ordinances. The Local Church is an autonomous company of baptized believers who meet regularly to Worship God by making disciples of all nations through the preaching and teaching of the Word of God. It involves itself in the regular observance of the following ordinances:
1. Baptism in Water. The ordinance of baptism symbolizes burial with Christ, and
should be observed as commanded in the Scriptures by all who have really repented and in their hearts have truly believed on Christ as Savior and Lord. In so doing, they declare to the world that they have died with Jesus and that they have also been raised with Him to walk in newness of life. (Matt. 28:19; Acts 10:47, 48; Romans 6:4).
2. The Lord's Supper. The ordinance of Communion symbolizes His body
offered and blood shed on our behalf. “And when He had given thanks, He broke it,
and said, 'This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.' In
the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in
my blood, Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.' Let a man examine
himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup" (1 Cor. 11:24; 25, 28). To
all who eat this bread and drink this cup, you show the Lord’s death until He comes.
Jesus is coming again to gather all His Saints to Heaven (I Cor. 15:51-52; I Thess.
4:16-17; and II Thess. 2:1).
Section 6. Christian Life; Scriptural Conduct.
(a). Personal Ethics. We recognize that in Christ we have freedom to do anything
we want. However, we also have the right to refuse to allow anything in our life
that may control us. For a man is slave to whatever controls him. We seek to please
the Lord and not others, but we are also called not to cause another to stumble,
that is to take into consideration the doubts and fears of others (2 Peter 2:19;
I Cor. 6:12; Romans 15:2-3 LB).
The Scriptures teach us that our bodies are the temple
of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in us. Our bodies do not belong to us,
for God has bought us with a great price. So then, we are not to be under the influence
of anything that may harm us, our walk with God, or our testimony before others.
However, we are to be under the influence “filled” with the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor.
3:16-17; Rom. 5:18). So use every part of your body to give glory back to God, because
He owns it (I Cor. 6:19).
(b). Obedience to Law. Obey the government, for God is the one who has put it there. There is no government anywhere that God has not placed in power. So those who refuse to obey the laws of the land are refusing to obey God, and punishment will follow (Romans 13:1-2 ). Pay your taxes; Pay all your debts except the debt of love for others - never finish paying that!
(c). Family; Household. God’s design for co-habitation is a marriage relationship to be between one man and one woman for life (Eph. 5:31). With all due respect to God, the household that remains under His blessings; Submit to one another in the fear of God; Husbands are to selflessly and sacrificially love their wife with the love Christ demonstrated to the Church; Wives are to willingly and lovingly offer themselves to their own husband as they would to the Lord; Children are to obey and honor their father and mother in the Lord, for this is the way God has designed it, and it is the right thing to do, plus, it carries with it great promise; Fathers, are not to provoke their children, but rather, train them to serve God (Eph 5: 21-6:4).
(d). Adultery; Immorality. Jesus said ‘You shall not commit adultery. But I say: Anyone who even looks at a woman with lust in his eye has already committed adultery with her in his heart’ (Matthew 5:27-28). Don't fool yourselves. Every circumstance brings with it the opportunity to obey God. Trust and Follow Him and his ways, there is great reward. Or doubt, blame and act independently of Him and suffer grave consequences. God does not tempt, nor can be tempted. However, our faith is tried and tested, and we have the opportunity to stand in His power, His provision, and His protection (Matt. 6:8-14; James 1: 12-18).
(e). Homosexuality. "You shall not lie with a man as with a woman; it is an abomination" (Leviticus 18:22). "...God let go of them and let them do all these evil things, so that even their women turned against God's natural plan for them and indulged in sex sin with each other. And the men, instead of having a normal sex relationship with women, burned with lust for each other, men doing shameful things with other men and, as a result, getting paid within their own souls with the penalty they so richly deserved. So it was that when they gave God up and would not even acknowledge him, God gave them up to doing everything their evil minds could think of. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness and sin ...." (Romans 1:26-29). "Don't you know that those doing such things have no share in the Kingdom of God? Don't fool yourselves. Those who live immoral lives, who are idol worshippers, adulterers or homosexuals will have no share in his Kingdom... "(I Cor. 6:9-10).