THE BIBLE

We believe that the Bible (consisting of 66 books) is the inspired Word of God, without error in the original writing, the complete revelation of God’s will for the salvation of man, and the final authority for Christian belief and behavior.  We believe that God preserves His Word for every generation.    (Psalm 12:6 & 7;  Matt. 24:35;  II Timothy 3:16 & 17;  II Peter 1:20 & 21) 

We believe that God has preserved His Word through the traditional Hebrew and Greek manuscripts and that the King James Version is the best translation of those manuscripts.  Therefore, we use it exclusively in all of our preaching and teaching ministries.   

We believe that the proper method of Biblical Interpretation is the literal, grammatical,  and historical method.

THE TRINITY

We believe in one God, Creator of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three persons:  Father, Son, and Holy Spirit each co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections.  (Genesis 1:1; Deut. 6:4;  Matt. 28:19;  John 1:1-3 & 14, 4:24, 10:30;  Acts 5:1-4)

GOD THE FATHER

We believe in God the Father.  He is perfect in holiness, infinite in wisdom, measureless in power, merciful toward men, hearing and answering prayer, providing salvation to all who come to Him through Christ.  (Matt. 6:9-13;  Luke 11:13;  I John 4:14)

GOD THE SON

We believe that Jesus Christ is absolute Deity, the eternal Son of God, who became man without ceasing to be God.    We believe He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinners.  (Isa. 7:14,  9:6;  Luke 1:34-35;  John  1:1 & 14;  II Cor. 5:19-21;  Gal. 4:4 & 5)

 We believe that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life and died for the sins of mankind on the cross, thus being a perfect and complete sacrifice.  ( Rom. 3:24 & 25;  II Cor. 5:21; Heb. 4:15, 9:14)

We believe that Jesus Christ rose literally and physically from the dead, ascended into heaven where He is now seated on the right hand of the Majesty on high, and ever lives to intercede as our High Priest and Advocate.   (John 2:19-22;  Acts 1:9-11; Rom. 8:34; I Cor. 15:4-8; I Tim. 2:5;  Heb. 1:3,  4:14,  7:25,  8:1,  9:24;  I John 2:1 & 2) 

GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT

We believe that the Holy Spirit is absolute Deity and that He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment.  He regenerates, baptizes, seals, indwells, fills, enlightens, guides, and empowers the believer for Godly living and service.  (John 3:5,  16:8, 16:13 & 14;  Acts 1:8, 5:3-4;  I Cor. 2:9-12,  3:16, 12:13;  Eph. 4:30,  5:18)

We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Divine Teacher who enables believers to understand the Scriptures.  It is the privilege and duty of the saved to be controlled by Him.  Evidence of His control is the fruit of the Spirit.  (John 14:26, 16:13;  Gal. 5:22-25;  Eph. 5:18;  I John 2:20 & 27)

We believe that the Holy Spirit gives every believer spiritual gifts at the moment they are saved and that these gifts are to be used for evangelization of the lost and  the    edification of   the  saved.     (Rom. 12:3-8;

I Cor. 12:4-11 & 28)

We believe that some gifts of the Holy Spirit are permanent and are to be used throughout the Church Age.  We also believe that four of the spiritual gifts were  temporary and given in the Apostolic Age for the purpose of confirming the ministry of the apostles and the founding of the Church.  Having fulfilled their purpose, they are not given today.  The temporary gifts (also called sign gifts) were the gifts of miracles, healing, tongues, and interpretation of tongues.  Therefore, we will not receive or retain in membership any who claim to practice these gifts.  (I Cor. 1:22, 13:8-13, 14:21-22;  Heb. 1:1 & 2,  2:3 & 4)

SATAN

We believe in the personality of Satan. He is the author of sin. He was instrumental in the fall of the human race into sin.  He is the avowed enemy of God and man, and shall be eternally punished in the lake of fire.  (Job 1:6 & 7;  Isa. 14:12-15;  Ezek.  28:11-19;   Matt. 4:1-11,  25:41;  John 8:44;  Eph. 6:11 &12;  Rev. 20:10)

MAN

We believe that man was created directly by God in His own image and likeness.    The entire human race became alienated from God and eternally lost when Adam sinned.  The natural man is  unable to remedy his lost condition. 

We believe that God created the universe in six literal  24-hour periods.  We reject evolution, the Gap Theory, the Day-Age Theory, and Theistic Evolution as unscriptural theories of origin.  (Gen. 1 & 2, 3:6-12;  Ex. 20:11;  Romans 3:10 & 23, 5:12;  Ephesians 2:1-3, 4:17-19; Rom. 3:23,  5:12;  I John 1:8-10)

SIN

We believe that sin is any thought, attitude, or action which does not conform to the character and nature of God   as   revealed   in the   Scriptures.    (I Peter 1:16;  I John 3:4)

SALVATION

We believe that the salvation of mankind required the substitutionary death of Christ including the literal   shedding   of His blood.   (Rom.3:24-26;  Heb. 9:22;  I Peter 3:18)

We believe that saving faith includes repentance. Repentance involves a change of heart, mind, and desire towards God, self, and sin.  Genuine repentance is demonstrated in the life of those who trust Christ. (Luke 13:3-5, 24:47; Acts 3:19, 17:30)

We believe that salvation is a free gift of God, apart from human works, received through faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.  (John 1:12, 3:16;  I Cor. 15:1-4; Eph. 2:8-9;  Titus 3:5)

We believe that salvation involves deliverance from the penalty of sin at the moment of regeneration, from the power of sin during the Christian life here on earth, and from the presence of sin when believers die and go into the presence of the  Lord or  at the rapture of the church.  (Titus 2:11-13)

ETERNAL SECURITY  

We  believe that all born again believers are eternally secure in Christ and shall never come into condemnation for sin.  The security of the believer is based upon the eternal purposes of God,  the sufficiency of the atonement of Christ for sinners, the nature of the gift of everlasting life,  the present and unending intercession and advocacy of Christ in heaven, the unchangeable promises of God, and the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  (John 6:37-40,  10:27-29;  Rom. 8:1, 38-39;  I Cor. 1:4-8,  6:11 & 19;  Eph. 1:13-14;  Heb. 7:25;  I Peter 1:4 & 5;  I John 2:1-2,  5:13)

While it is the believer’s privilege to rejoice in their security in Christ, it should not lead to carelessness concerning sin.  (Romans 6:1-14;  Gal. 5:13;  Titus 2:11-14)

THE ETERNAL STATE

We believe in the bodily resurrection of all people.  The  saved are  raised to eternal life and the unsaved to judgment and eternal punishment.  (Matt. 25:46;  John 5:28 & 29, 11:25-26; Rev. 20:5 & 6,   12 & 13)

We believe that at death the souls of the redeemed are absent from the body and present with the Lord where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection where spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord.(Luke 23:43;  II Cor. 5:8;  Phil. 1:23,  3:21; I Thess. 4:16-17)

We believe that after death the souls of unbelievers remain  in conscious punishment and torment until the   second resurrection when the soul and body are reunited after which they shall appear before the Great White Throne Judgment and cast into the Lake of  Fire,  not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment and torment.         (Matt. 25:41-46;   Mark 9:43-48;  Luke 16:19-26;  II Thess. 1:7-9;   Jude 6 & 7;   Rev. 20:11-15)

THE BODY OF CHRIST

We believe that the true Church began on the day of Pentecost.  It is a living organism and that it is the “body of Christ” of which He is the Head.  The  “body of Christ” is made up of all saved people.    (Acts 2:1-4;  I Cor. 12:13;  Eph. 1:22-23,  5:23;  Col. 1:18)

We believe that local churches are the visible representation of the body of Christ in a local community.  A local church is a group of born again baptized believers voluntarily associated together for the ministry of the Word, the mutual edification of its members, the defense and propagation of the faith, and the observance of the ordinances.  (I Cor. 1:2, 16:19; Acts 2:41-47)

We believe that water baptism by immersion and the Lord’s table are ordinances to be observed by the Church during this present age.  They are, however, not to be regarded as a means of salvation.  (Acts 2:41, 8:12, 26-40, 10:44-48;  I Corinthians 11:23-33)

We believe that a local church is a sovereign independent body free from any external authority or control, exercising its own divinely awarded gifts, precepts, and privileges under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.   (Matt. 18:15-17;  Eph. 4:11-16)

SEPARATION OF BELIEVERS

We  believe that all believers are called unto a life of separation from worldly and sinful practices.  (Rom. 12:1-2;  II Cor. 6:14-17;  Gal. 5:16-25;  James 4:4;  I John 2:16, 3:3)

TWO NATURES

We believe that all who are born again possess two natures with the provision made for the new nature to be victorious over the old nature through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.  

We believe that all claims to the eradication of the old nature in this life are unscriptural.   (Rom. 6:13;  Gal. 5:16-25;  Eph. 4:22-24;  Col. 3:1-10;  I Pet. 1:14-16;  I John 3:5-9)

RAPTURE AND  SECOND COMING OF CHRIST

 We believe in the personal, imminent return of our Lord Jesus Christ who will rapture believers prior to the seven year tribulation period and that He will subsequently return to the earth at the end of the seven year tribulation with His saints to establish His millennial kingdom.  We believe that this blessed hope should have a vital influence on the personal life and service of the believer.       (Acts 1:11;    I Cor. 15:51-52;

I Thess. 1:10,  4:16-17;  Rev. 19:11-21)

MISSIONS

We believe that it is the obligation of every born again believer to bear witness to the truths revealed in the Word of God through their life and to proclaim the Gospel to the unsaved.   We believe that God has given the church a great commission  to proclaim  the Gospel  to all nations. As ambassadors of Christ, we must use all available means to go to the foreign nations and not wait for them to come to us.  (Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15;  Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21;  Acts 1:8; II Cor. 5:11 & 19-20)

SEPARATION OF THE CHURCH

 We believe that local churches should be separate from all affiliation, fellowship, and cooperation with those who deny the true Christian faith.  We believe that our church should refuse to be drawn into compromising alliances, even with well-meaning evangelical people, whereby our testimony would be impaired and our position confused even though beneficial results may be produced.  (Acts 20:27;  Rom. 16:17;  Eph.  5:11;  II Tim. 1:13, 3:5;  II John 9-11)

CIVIL GOVERNMENT

We believe that God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: the home,  the church, and the state.  Every person is subject to these authorities, but all (including those in authority) are answerable to God and governed by His Word. 

God has given each institution specific Biblical responsibilities and balanced those responsibilities with the understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the other. 

The home, the church, and the state are equal and sovereign in their respective Biblically assigned spheres of responsibility under God.  (Rom. 13:1-7;  Eph. 5:22-24; 6:1-3;  Heb. 13:17;  I Peter 2:13-14)   

ISRAEL

We believe in the sovereign selection of Israel as God’s eternal covenant people, that she is now dispersed because of disobedience and rejection of Christ, and that she will be gathered in her promised land after  the  completion of the  church.     We believe that whatever promises God has made to Israel, which have not been fulfilled at His Second Coming, will be fulfilled during the millennium.   (Gen. 12:1-5, 3:14-17;    Ezekiel 37;  Rom. 11:1-32)

GIVING

We believe that every Christian, as a steward of that portion of God’s wealth entrusted to him, is obligated to support their local church sacrificially and cheerfully through tithes and offerings.   

We believe that tithing is an effective principle that God has used to meet the needs of New Testament churches.  We do not believe that tithing is a law binding upon Christians in the New Testament as it was a law binding upon Jews in the Old Testament.  The practice of tithing is encouraged but not required for membership at Chapel Baptist Church.

We believe that while the principle of the tithe is the basis for giving every Christian should give offerings over and above the tithe to support the work of the church.  (Gen. 14:20;  Prov. 3:9-10;  Mal. 3:8-10;  Acts 4:34-37;  I Cor. 16:2;  II Cor. 9:6-7;  Gal. 6:6;  Eph. 4:28;  I Tim. 6:17-18;  I John 3:17)