Table Of Contents
  1. The Warren Baptist Temple Statement of Faith

The Warren Baptist Temple Statement of Faith

(A) The Holy Scriptures.

We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the verbally and plenary inspired Word of God. The Scriptures are inerrant, infallible and God-breathed and, therefore, are the final authority for faith and life. The sixty-six books of the Old and New Testament are the complete and divine revelation of God to Man. The Scriptures shall be interpreted according to their normal grammatical-historical meaning, and all issues of interpretation and meaning shall be determined by the pastor. The King James Version of the Bible shall be the official and only translation used by the church. (Ps. 138:2; Matt. 4:4; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:20-21)

(B) The Godhead.

We believe in one triune God, 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. (Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14; John 14:10, 26)

We believe that God is omnipotent, all-powerful (I Chron. 29:11; Job 42:2; Matt. 28:18; John 19:11; Rom. 13:1; Eph. 1:21; Rev. 5:13), omniscient, all-knowing (Isa. 40:13-14; I John 3:20), and omnipresent, everywhere at the same time (II Chron. 2:6; Ps. 139:7-12; Jer. 23:23-24)

(C) The Person and Work of The Father.

1. We believe that God the Father is the first person of the Godhead and offers sonship to all who believe. (John 1:12; I John 3:1; Hebrews 1:5)

2. We believe that if one denies the Son, he also denies the Father (I John 2:22, 23)

3. We believe that the Father knows the day and hour when Christ will return. (Matt 24:36; Mark 13:32)

(D) The Person and Work of Christ.

1. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men. (Isa. 7:14; 9:6; Luke 1:35; John 1:1-2, 14; 2 Cor. 5:19-21; Gal. 4:4-5; Phil. 2:5-8)

2. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and, that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead. (Acts 2:18-36; Rom. 3:24-25; 1 Pet. 2:24; Eph. 1:7; 1 Peter 1:3-5)

3. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate. (Acts 1:9-10; Heb. 9:24; 7:25; Rom. 8:34; 1 John 2:1-2)

(E) The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit.

1. We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and, that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption. (John 16:7-13; Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 12:12-14; 2 Cor. 3:6; Eph. 1:13-14)

2. We believe that He is the divine Teacher who assists believers to understand and appropriate the Scriptures and that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the Spirit (Eph. 1:17-18; 5:18; 1 John 2:20, 27)

3. We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowal of spiritual gifts to every believer. God uniquely uses evangelists, pastors, and teachers to equip believers in the assembly in order that they can do the work of the ministry. (Rom. 12:3-8; 1 Cor. 12:4-11, 28; Eph. 4:7-2)

4. We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and the gift of healing, were temporary. Speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit, and that ultimate deliverance of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection, though God frequently chooses to answer the prayers of believers for physical healing. (1 Cor. 1:22; 13:8; 14:21-22)

(F) The Total Depravity of Man.

We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God; but that in Adam’s sin the human race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God. Man is totally depraved and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition. (Gen. 1:26-27; Rom. 3:22-23; 5:12; 6:23; Eph. 2:1-3; 4:17-19)

(G) Salvation.

We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, alone, Whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins. We believe that all sins, except blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, are forgivable. We believe, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”, and “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (John 1:12; 1 Pet. 1:18-19; Matt. 12:31-32; 1 John 1:9, Eph. 1:7; 2:8-10; Rom. 10:9-13)

(H) The Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers.

1. We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever. (John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Rom. 8:1; 38-39; 1 Cor. 1:4-8; 1 Pet. 1:4-5)

2. We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word, which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh. (Rom. 13:13-14; Gal. 5:13; Titus 2:11-15)

(I) The Church

1. We believe that the local church, which is the body of Christ, is solely made up of born-again and Scripturally baptized believers. (Acts 2:41; 1 Cor. 12:12-14; Eph. 1:22-23; 5:25-27; 2 Cor. 11:2)

2. We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures, beginning from the baptism of John, and therefore our identification and not denomination is Baptist. (Acts 14:27; 20:17, 28-32; 1 Tim. 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11)

3. We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any external authority or control. (Acts 13:1-4; 15:19-31; 20:28; Rom. 16:1, 4; 1 Cor. 3:9, 16; 5:4-7, 13; 1 Pet. 5:1-4)

4. We recognize water baptism and the Lord’s Supper as the Scriptural ordinances of obedience for the church in this age. (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; 18:8; 1 Cor. 11:23-26)

5. We reject the teaching of a universal invisible mystical church and believe that only after the rapture will all believers make up the church of the firstborn that will then be the bride of Christ. (Heb. 12:22-24; Eph. 5:26-27; Rev. 21:9-24; Rev. 22:17)

(J) Separation.

We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Saviour and Lord. God commands His people to separate from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices, and associations, and to refrain from all immodest and immoderate appearances, piercings, and bodily markings. (Rom. 12:1-2; 14:13; 2 Cor. 6:14-7:1; 2 Tim. 3:1-5; 1 John 2:15-17; 2 John 9-11; Lev. 19:28; 1 Cor. 6:19-20)

(K) Soulwinning.

We believe the Great Commission is given to every believer to be a testimony, a witness, and to share the saving gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. All believers have the responsibility to take the gospel of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection to the uttermost part of the earth. We believe God would have all men to be saved, and will give the power, boldness and resources needed to share God’s great salvation with all peoples. (Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 14:21-23; Luke 24:47-48; John 15:16; Acts 1:8; Prov. 11:30, Rom. 1:16)

(L) The Second Advent of Christ.

We believe in that blessed hope, the personal, imminent return of Christ Who will rapture His church prior to the seven-year tribulation period. At the end of the Tribulation, Christ will personally and visibly return with His saints, to establish His earthly Messianic Kingdom which was promised to the nation of Israel. (Ps. 89:3-4; Dan. 2:31-45; Zech. 14:4-11; I Thess. 1:10; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; Rev. 3:10; 19:11-16; 20:1-6)

(M) The Eternal State.

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

2. We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection, when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord. (Luke 23:43; 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23; 3:21; I Thess. 4:16-17; Rev. 20:4-6)

3. We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious punishment and torment until the second resurrection, when with soul and body reunited, they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment, and shall be 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; 2 Thess. 1:7-9; Jude 6-7; Rev. 20:11-15)

(N) The Personality of Satan.

We believe that Satan is a person, the author of sin and the cause of the Fall of Man; that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man; and that he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire. (Job 1:6-7; Isa. 14:12-17; Matt. 4:2-11; 25:41; Rev. 20:10)

(O) Creation.

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; Ex. 20:11)

(P) Civil Government.

We believe that God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: 1) the home, 2) the church, and 3) the state. Every person is subject to these authorities, but all (including the authorities themselves) 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; Heb. 13:17; 1 Pet. 2:13-14)

(Q) Family Relationships.

1. We believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one woman.
(Gen. 2:24; Rom. 7:2; 1 Cor. 7:10; Eph. 5:22-23)

2. We believe that men and women are spiritually equal in position before God, but that God has ordained distinct and separate spiritual functions for men and women in the home and the church. The husband is to be the leader of the home, and men are to be the leaders (pastors and deacons) of the church. Accordingly, only men are eligible for ordination by the church. (Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:18; 1 Tim. 2:8-15; 3:4-5, 12)

3. We believe that God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. The husband is to love his wife as Christ loves the church. The wife is to submit herself to the Scriptural leadership of her husband as the church submits to the headship of Christ. Children are a heritage from the Lord. Parents are responsible for teaching their children spiritual and moral values and leading them, through consistent lifestyle example and appropriate discipline, including Scriptural corporal correction. (Gen. 1:26-28; Ex. 20:12; Deut. 6:4-9; Ps. 127:3-5; Prov. 19:18; 22:15; 23:13-14; Mk. 10:6-12; 1 Cor. 7:1-16; Eph. 5:21-33; 6:1-4, Col. 3:18-21; Heb. 13:4; I Pet. 3:1-7)

4. We believe that God has commanded that no intimate activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between one man and one woman. We believe that any form or acts of intimate activity outside of God’s plan of marriage are sinful perversions of that plan. We believe that God reserves the human body and any visual representation of such for only His purposes, and any misuse of such is in direct violation of Scripture. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one’s gender by surgery or appearance. (Gen. 2:24; Gen. 19:5-13; Gen. 26:8-9; Lev. 18:1-30; Rom. 1:26-32; 1 Cor. 5:1; 6:9; 1 Thess. 4:1-8; Heb. 13:4; Matt 5:27,28; Phil. 4:8)

(R) Divorce and Remarriage.

We believe that God disapproves of and forbids divorce and intends marriage to last until one spouse dies. Divorce and remarriage is regarded as adultery except on the grounds of fornication. The Biblical admonition to abide and remain is taught. Divorced men may not be considered for the offices of pastor or deacon. (1 Cor. 7:11; Mal. 2:14-17; Matt. 19:3-12; Rom. 7:1-3; 1 Tim. 3:2, 12; Titus 1:6)

(S) Abortion, Euthanasia, and Cloning.

We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the physical or mental well-being of the mother are acceptable. We believe that human life is sacred and a gift of God, and the purposeful termination of such is in contradiction of God’s Word. We reject any medical practices that try to manipulate, manufacture or alter human lives or life forms for convenience or preference. (Job 3:16; Ps. 51:5; 139:14-16; Isa. 44:24; 49:1, 5; Jer. 1:5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:44)

(T) Love.

We believe that we should demonstrate love for others, not only toward fellow believers, but also toward both those who are not believers and those who oppose us. We are to deal with those who oppose us graciously, gently, patiently, and humbly. God forbids the stirring up of strife, the taking of revenge, or the threat or the use of violence as a means of resolving personal conflict or obtaining personal justice. Although God commands us to abhor sinful actions, we are to love and pray for any person who engages in such sinful actions. (Lev. 19:18; Matt. 5:44-48; Luke 6:31; John 13:34-35; Rom. 12:9-10; 17-21; 13:8-10; Phil. 2:2-4; 2 Tim. 2:24-26; Titus 3:2; 1 John 3:17-18)

(U) Lawsuits Between Believers.

We believe that Christians are prohibited from bringing civil lawsuits against other Christians or the church to resolve personal disputes. We believe the church possesses all the resources necessary to resolve personal disputes between members. We do believe, however, that a Christian may seek compensation for injuries from another Christian’s insurance company as long as the claim is pursued without malice or slander. (1 Cor. 6:1-8; Eph.4:31-32)

(V) Missions.

We believe that God has given the church a great commission to proclaim the Gospel to all nations so that there might be a great multitude from every nation, tribe, ethnic group, and language group who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. 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; 2 Cor. 5:20)

(W) Giving.

We believe that every Christian, as a steward of that portion of God’s wealth entrusted to him, is obligated to support his local church financially. We believe that God has established the tithe as a basis for giving, but that every Christian should also give other offerings sacrificially and cheerfully to the support of the church, the relief of those in need, and the spread of the Gospel. We believe that a Christian relinquishes all rights to direct the use of the tithe or offering once the gift has been made. (Gen. 14:20; Prov. 3:9-10; Acts 4:34-37; 1 Cor. 16:2; 2 Cor. 9:6-7; Gal. 6:10; Eph. 4:28; 1 Tim. 5:17-18; 1 John 3:17)

(X) Bible Study.

We believe that believers should have a personal time of Bible study to equip them to grow as a Christian, to strengthen them, to recognize false doctrine and to be a better witness. (1 Pet. 2:2; 2 Tim. 2:15; 2 Timothy 3:16,17; Heb. 4:12; Eph. 6:17)

(Y) Prayer.

We believe that all believers are commanded and encouraged to have a consistent, effectual and fervent prayer life. We believe that we should pray for one another, pray for mercy and help in time of need, pray for those in leadership, pray for wisdom, and pray with thanksgiving. We believe that our prayers are hindered if we regard iniquity in our heart. (Ps. 66:18; James 5:13-20; I Thess.5:17; Eph. 6:18; Phil. 4:6; Luke 18:1)

(Z) Music.

We believe that all music should be honouring to Christ, Scripturally sound and pleasing to God. We reject the attempt to replace godly music with music that imitates the world and its philosophy. We believe that an evidence of a spirit-filled Christian life and evidence that the Word of Christ is dwelling in a Christian is through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.(Ps. 66:2; Eph. 5:19, Col. 3:16; Matt. 26:30; Mark 14:26; Rev. 15:3)