Saint Paul Tabernacle Baptist Church
We Believe...
A. Scriptures:
We believe that the Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired, and is a perfect treasure of heavenly instruction; that it has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth without any mixture of error for its matter; that it reveals the principles by which God will judge us; and therefore is, and shall remain to the world, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds and opinions shall be tried. (2 Tim. 3:16)
B. The True God:
We believe that the Godhead eternally exists in three persons--the Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit-- and these three equal the one God, having precisely the same nature, attributes and perfections, and worthy of precisely the same homage, confidence and obedience (Matt. 28:18-19; Mark 12:29; Jn.1:14; Acts 1:16; 17:2-3; 18:28; 26:22-23; 28:23;
Rom. 15:4; 1 Cor.2:13; 10:11; 2 Tim.3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21).
C. The Fall of Man:
We believe that man was created in holiness, under the law of his maker; but by voluntary transgression fell from the holy and happy state; in consequence of which all mankind are now sinners, not by constraint but choice; being by nature utterly void of that holiness required by the law of God, positively inclined to evil; and therefore under just condemnation to eternal ruin, without defense or excuse. (Gen. 3:17-19)
D. The First Advent:
We believe that, as provided and purposed by God and as preannounced in the prophecies of the scriptures, the eternal Son of God came into this world that He might manifest God to men, fulfill prophecy and become the Redeemer of a lost world. To this end he was born of the virgin and received a human body and a sinless human nature (Luke 1:30-35; John 1:18; 3:16; Heb 4:15).
We believe that on the human side, He became and remained a perfect man but sinless throughout his life; yet He retained his absolute deity being at the same time, he was very God and very man (Luke 2:40; John 1:12-2; Phil. 2:5-8-8), and that His earthly life sometimes functioned within the sphere of that which was human and sometimes within the sphere of that which was divine.
We believe that in fulfillment of prophecy, He came first to Israel as her Messiah-King, and that being rejected of that nation, He according to the eternal counsels of God, gave His Life as a ransom for all (John 1:11; 3:16-17; Acts 2:22-24; 1Tim. 2:6).
We believe that he voluntarily accepted his Father’s will and became the sacrificial Lamb and took away the sins of the world, His death was therefore substitutionary in the most absolute sense, the just for the unjust, and by his death, he became the Savior of the lost (John 1:29; Rom. 3:25-26; Cor. 5:14; Heb. 10:5-14; 2 Peter 3:18).
We believe that according to scriptures, He arose from the dead in the same body, though glorified, in which He had lived and died, and that His resurrected body is the pattern of that
body which ultimately will be given to all believers (John 20:20; Phil. 3 :20-21).
We believe that He became Head over all thing to the church which His body, in this ministry he ceases not to intercede and advocate for the saves (Eph. 1:22-23; Heb. 7:25; 1 John 2:1).
G. Salvation Only Through Christ:
We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace; through the mediatorial offices
of the Son of God; who by the appointment of the Father, freely took upon him our nature,
yet without sin: honored the divine law by his personal obedience, and by his death made a
full atonement for our sins; that having risen from the dead, he is now enthroned in heaven;
and uniting in his wonderful person the tenders sympathies with divine perfections, he is in
every way qualified to be a suitable, a compassionate, and an all sufficient Savior (Lev. 17:11; Isa. 64:6; Matt. 26:28; John 2:7-18; Rom. 5:6-9; 2Cor. 5:21; Gal. 3:13; 6:15; Eph. 1:7;
Phil. 3:4-9; Titus 3:5; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:18-19,23).
We believe that the new birth of the believer comes only through faith in Christ and that repentance is a vital part of believing, and is no way in itself a separate and independent condition of salvation; nor are any other acts, such as confession, baptism, prayer, or faithful service to be added to believing as a condition of salvation (John 1:12; 3:16,18,36; 5:24; 6:29; Acts 13:39; 16:31; Rom.1:16-17; 3:22,26; 4:5; 10:4; Gal 3:22).
H. The Extent of Salvation:
We believe that when an unregenerate person exercises that faith in Christ which is illustrated and described as such in the New Testament, he passes immediately out of spiritual death into spiritual life and from the old creation into the new; being justified from all things, accepted before the Father according as Christ His Son is accepted, loved as Christ is loved, having his place and portion linked to him and one with him forever. Though the saved one may have occasion to grow in the realization of his blessings and to know a fuller measure of divine power through the yielding of his life more fully to God, he is, as soon as he is saved, in possession of every spiritual blessing and absolutely complete in Christ, and is therefore in no way required by God to seek a so called second blessing or a second work of grace (John 5:24; 17:23; Acts 13:39; Rom. 5:1; 1Cor. 3:21-23; Eph. 1:3; Col. 2:10; 1 John 4:17; 5:11-12).
I. God the Holy Spirit: We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, is fully divine. He inspired holy men of old, to write the Scriptures. Through illumination He enables men to understand truth. He exalts Christ. He convicts men of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He calls men to the Savior, and effects regeneration. At the moment of regeneration, He baptizes every believer into the Body of Christ. He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts by which they serve God through His church. He seals the believer unto the day of final redemption. His presence in the Christian is the guarantee that God will bring the believer into the fullness of the stature of Christ. He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service. Genesis 1:2; Judges 14:6; Job 26:13; Psalms 51:11; 139:7ff.; Isaiah 61:1-3; Joel 2:28-32; Matthew 1:18; 3:16; 4:1; 12:28-32; 28:19; Mark 1:10,12; Luke 1:35; 4:1,18-19; 11:13; 12:12; 24:49; John 4:24; 14:16-17,26; 15:26; 16:7-14; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4,38; 4:31; 5:3; 6:3; 7:55; 8:17,39; 10:44; 13:2; 15:28; 16:6; 19:1-6; Romans 8:9-11,14-16,26-27; 1 Corinthians 2:10-14; 3:16; 12:3-11,13; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30; 5:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:19; 1 Timothy 3:16; 4:1; 2 Timothy 1:14; 3:16; Hebrews 9:8,14; 2 Peter 1:21; 1 John 4:13; 5:6-7; Revelation 1:10; 22:17.
J. justification:
We believe that the great gospel blessing which Christ secures to such as believe in him is justification: that justification included the pardon of sin, and the promise of eternal life on principles of righteousness: that it is bestowed, not in consideration of any works of righteousness which faith his perfect righteousness is freely imputed to us of God; that it brings us into a state of most blessed peace and favor with God, and secures every other blessing needful for time and eternity.
K. Sanctification:
We believe that sanctification, which is setting apart unto God, is three-fold: It is already complete for every person because his position toward God is the same as Christ’s position. Since the believer is in Christ, he is set apart unto God in the measure in which Christ is set apart unto God. We believe, however, that he retains his sin nature, which cannot be eradicated I this life. Therefore, while the standing of the Christian is to “grow in grace” and to “be changed” by the unhindered power of the Spirit. We believe also that the child of God will yet be fully sanctified in his state as he is now sanctified in his standing in Christ when he shall see his Lord and shall be, like him (John 17:17; 2 Cor. 3:18; 7:1; Eph 4:24; 5:25-27; 1Thess. 5:23; Heb. 10:10, 14; 12:10).
L. Eternal Security:
We believe because of the eternal purpose of God toward the objects of His love, because of his freedom to exercise grace toward the merit less on the grounds of the propitiatory blood of Christ, because of the very nature of the divine gift of eternal life, because of the present and unending intercession and advocacy of Christ in Heaven, because of the immutability of the unchangeable covenants of God, because of the regenerating, abiding presence of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of all who are saved, we and all true believers everywhere, once saved shall be kept saved forever. We believe, however, that God is a Holy and Righteous Father and that since He cannot overlook the sins of His children, He will, when they persistently sin, chasten them and correct them I infinite love; but having undertaken to save them and keep them forever, apart from all human merit, He who cannot fail will in the end present everyone of them faultless
before the presence of His glory and conformed to the image of His Son (John 5:24; 10:28; 13:1; 14:16-17; 17:11; Rom. 8:29, 32-39; 1Cor. 6:19; Heb. 7:25; 1John 2:1-2; 5:13; Jude 24).
M. The Local Church:
We believe that God’s primary (intended) organization of believers, after the family unit, in the present age is local assemblies of believers, committed to the Lord and to each other for the purpose of carrying out the universal church’s visible activities; that is, the communication of God’s truth to the people for one another, and the spread of the Gospel to ends of the earth; that these assemblies (or churches), though they should endeavor to cooperate with other Christian assemblies, are to function under the lordship of Christ, free from external controls of any religious organization beyond the early oversight by the church founders and the influence of its own mature leaders; and that it is God’s intention that all believers publicly identify with a visible, local assembly (Acts 2:41-47; 4:19; 5:29; 1Cor. 1:1-2; 1Thess. 1:1; Heb. 10:24-25).
The Ordinances of The Church:
We believe that Christ, the head over all things to the church (Eph. 1:22), has commanded us to baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19). And to partake at His table. When He had given thanks, he broke the bread and said, “this is my body, which is broken for you; take eat often in remembrance of me.” in the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “this cup is the new covenant in My blood for which was poured out for you, for the remission of sins; take drink often in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread, and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes (1Cor. 11:23-26).
N. The Great Commission:
We believe that it is the explicit message of our Lord Jesus Christ to those whom He has saved that they are sent forth by him into the world even as He was sent forth of his Father into the world. We believe that after they are saved they are divinely reckoned to be related to this
world as stranger and pilgrims, ambassadors and witnesses, and that their primary purpose
in life should be to make Christ known to the world (Matt. 28:18-19; Mark 16:15; John 17:18; Acts 1:8; 2 Cor. 5:18-20; 1Peter 1:17; 2:11).
O. The Blessed Hope:
We believe that according to the Word of God the next great event in the fulfillment of prophecy will be the coming of the Lord in the air to receive to himself into heaven both his own who are alive and remain unto his coming, and also who have fallen asleep in Christ, and that this event
is the blessed hope set before us in Scripture, and for this we should be constantly looking
(John 14:1-3; 1Cor. 15:51-52; Phil.3:20; 1Thess. 4:13-18; Titus 2:11-14).
P. The Tribulation:
We believe that a great trouble event will happen, when the fulfillment of Israel’s seventieth week (Dan. 9:27). The whole period of Israel’s seventieth week will be a time of judgment on the whole earth, at the end of which the times of the Gentiles will be brought to a close. The latter half of this period will be the times of the Jacob’s trouble (Jer. 30:7), which our Lord called the great tribulation (Matt. 24:15-21).
Q. The Second Advent Or Second Coming Of Christ:
We believe that the period of great tribulation in the earth will be climaxed by the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to the earth as He went, in person on the clouds of heaven, and with power and great glory to introduce the millennial age, to bind Satan and place him in the abyss, to lift the curse which now rests upon the whole creation, to restore Israel to her own land and to give her the realization of God’s covenant promises, and to bring the whole world to the knowledge of God (Deut. 30:1-10; Isa. 11:9; Ezek. 37:21-28; Matt. 24:15-25: 46; Acts: 15:16-17; Rom. 8:19-23; 11:25-27; Rev. 20:1-3).
R. The Eternal State:
We believe that at death the spirits and souls of those who have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ for Salvation pass immediately into His presence and there remain in conscious bliss until the resurrection of the glorified body when Christ comes for his own, whereupon soul and body reunited shall be associated with him forever in glory; but the spirit and souls of the unbelieving remain after death conscious of condemnation and in misery until the final judgment of the great white throne, when soul and body are reunited they shall be cast into the lake of fire, not to be annihilated but, to be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power ( Luke 16:19-26; 23:42; 2Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23; 2Thess. 1:7-9;
Jude 6-7; Rev. 20:11-15).
S. Religious Liberty:
We believe that God alone is Lord of the conscience, and He has left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are contrary to His Word or not contained in it. Church and state should be separate. The state owes to every church protection and full freedom in the pursuit of its spiritual ends. In providing for such freedom no ecclesiastical group or denomination should be favored by the state more than others. Civil government being ordained of God, it is the duty of Christians to render loyal obedience thereto in all things not contrary to the revealed will of God. The church should not resort to the civil power to carry on its work. The gospel of Christ contemplates spiritual means alone for the pursuit of its ends. The state has no right to impose penalties for religious opinions of any kind. The state has no right to impose taxes for the support of any form of religion. A free church in a free state is the Christian ideal, and this implies the right of free and unhindered access to God on the part of all men, and the right to form and propagate opinions in the sphere of religion without interference by the civil power.
Genesis 1:27; 2:7; Matthew 6:6-7,24; 16:26; 22:21; John 8:36; Acts 4:19-20; Romans 6:1-2; 13:1-7; Galatians 5:1,13; Philippians 3:20; 1 Timothy 2:1-2; James 4:12; 1 Peter 2:12-17; 3:11-17; 4:12-19.
T. The Family:
We believe God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. It is composed of persons related to one another by marriage, blood, or adoption. Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. It is God's unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His church and to provide for the man and the woman in marriage the framework for intimate companionship, the channel of sexual expression according to biblical standards, and the means for procreation of the human race. The husband and wife are of equal worth before God, since both are created in God's image. The marriage relationship models the way God relates to His people. A husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church. He has the God-given responsibility to provide for, to protect, and to lead his family. A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ. She, being in the image of God as is her husband and thus equal to him, has the God-given responsibility to respect her husband and to serve as his helper in managing the household and nurturing the next generation. Children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord. Parents are to demonstrate to their children God's pattern for marriage. Parents are to teach their children spiritual and moral values and to lead them, through consistent lifestyle example and loving discipline, to make choices based on biblical truth. Children are to honor and obey their parents.
Genesis 1:26-28; 2:15-25; 3:1-20; Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Joshua 24:15; 1 Samuel 1:26- 28; Psalms 51:5; 78:1-8; 127; 128; 139:13-16; Proverbs 1:8; 5:15-20; 6:20-22; 12:4; 13:24; 14:1; 17:6; 18:22; 22:6,15; 23:13-14; 24:3; 29:15,17; 31:10-31; Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; 9:9; Malachi 2:14- 16; Matthew 5:31-32; 18:2-5; 19:3-9; Mark 10:6-12; Romans 1:18-32; 1 Corinthians 7:1-