The Bible
We believe that the Bible is the finished written Word of God.  The Bible is inspired, inerrant and has been preserved down through the ages for us today. The Bible is the foundation for all of our beliefs and practices.
(II Timothy 3:16-17, Proverbs 30:5, II Peter 1:21)

 

God the Father

We believe in the one true and living God.  He is the supreme ruler of Heaven and earth and the creator of all things (Genesis 1:1).   God is a spirit, He is eternal, all-powerful, all knowing and is everywhere exercising His will on this earth (Isaiah 40:28).  We believe that He is a righteous and just God and that because of His unfailing love He has provided salvation for mankind through His Son Jesus Christ (John 3:16, John 14:6).  We believe in the three Persons of the Trinity, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.  All are God, yet all have different functions (I John 5:7).

 

Jesus Christ

We believe that Jesus Christ, the second person in the Trinity, is the Son of God.  We believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, He is 100% God and 100% man, yet without sin.  We believe in the virgin birth of Jesus Christ (John 1:1, 14, Hebrews 1:2-3).  His deeds on earth compel people to believe that He is God and His death, burial and resurrection have provided the only way of salvation for all men (John 14:6, Romans 10:9).

 

The Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity (Luke 1:35, John 14:26, Hebrews 9:14, I John 5:6).  We believe that the Holy Spirit was present and active at creation, and He is at work today seeking souls to be saved. We believe that at the moment of Salvation that the Holy Spirit indwells the believer, and from that point on we are to seek the filling of the Holy Spirit for the enabling to accomplish what God has called us to do as Christians (John 3:5, Romans 8:10, I Corinthians 3:16).  We do not believe in the “extra gifts of the Spirit” (I Corinthians 13:8-13).

 

The Fall of Man

We believe that man was created in the image of God, but because of Adam’s sin, sin is passed down to every generation (Genesis 1:26-27, Romans 5:12-21).  Man in his fallen condition is sinful by nature, separated from God, spiritually dead and in need of a Savior (Psalm 51:5, II Corinthians 4:3-4, Ephesians 2:1-5).  Upon belief in Christ, man is a new creature. He is dead to sin, and made into newness of life (Romans 6:11-14, II Corinthians 5:17).

 

Sin
We believe that sin is anything we say, do or think that displeases God.  Sin is any disobedience to the known will of God.  The Bible says that the punishment for sin is death (Romans 6:23).  In sin, man is separated from God and condemned to an eternity in hell (Revelation 20:11-15). However, in the life of the believer, sin causes loss of fellowship with God and hinders God’s work in the believer’s life (Hebrews 12:5-11, I John 1:6, 2:5).  We believe that sin originates from Satan, and that his two-fold plan is to destroy man and oppose God (Isaiah 14:9-17, Ezekiel 28:11-19, Luke 10:18).

 

Salvation
We believe that all men are sinners in need of a Savior.  We believe that salvation is a free gift from God (Romans 6:23). Man is saved by the grace of God, through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8). Salvation is directly linked to the person and work of Jesus Christ.  His supreme mission was to save men from their sins. This was accomplished by the shedding of His blood on the cross for the remission of sins (Romans 5:8).  The Bible says that salvation has been made available to all men. The only requirement is to believe (John 3:16, Romans 10:9, 13, I John 2:25).  We believe that at the moment of Salvation the believer is sealed forever (John 10:28-29, Ephesians 1:13, 4:30).

 

The Church
We believe that the local church is an organized body of baptized believers, united together with a common goal, seeking to accomplish a specific purpose.  The overall goal of church is to bring glory to God  through winning souls for Christ, baptizing believers, discipling Christians and generally observing whatsoever God has commanded and doing so until Jesus returns again (Matthew  28:19-20). The purpose of the church is to win souls for Christ, baptize believers, disciple Christians and generally observe whatsoever God has commanded (Matthew  28:19-20).  We believe that Christ is the head of the church.  The two ordinances of the church are Baptism by immersion and the Lord’s Supper.  These ordinances are a picture of what Christ has done for us. There is no saving power in the participation of these ordinances (Romans 6:1-4, I Corinthians 11:23-26).
 
Marriage, Gender and Sexuality

We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female, and that these two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God (Genesis 1:26-27). Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God created within that person. We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union as delineated in Scripture (Genesis 2:18-25). We believe that God created marriage to be exclusively the union of one man and one woman, and that intimate sexual activity is to occur exclusively within that union. We believe that any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, and use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God (Matthew 15:18-20; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10). We believe that in order to preserve the function and integrity of South Baptist Church as the local Body of Christ, and to provide a biblical role model to the members of South Baptist Church and our community, it is imperative that all persons employed by South Baptist Church in any capacity, those who serve as volunteers, and all members agree to and abide by this Statement on Marriage, Gender and Sexuality (Matthew 5:16; Philippians 2:14-16; 1 Thessalonians 5:22).

We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect and dignity (Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31). Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture nor the doctrines of South Baptist Church.

 

The Sanctity of Human Life

We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life (Psalm 139).

 

Angels

The Bible declares that angels exist. They were created by God to be the ministers of His will (Psalm 103:20).  The Bible also declares that just as God has His ministers of light, Satan also has his ministers of darkness (Ezekiel 28, Isaiah 14:12, Revelation 12:4) Satan and his ministers of darkness are actively seeking to thwart God’s work on this earth and to take man’s soul to hell (Ephesians 6:12, I Peter 5:8).

 

The Return of Christ
We believe in the imminent return of Christ (Matthew 25:13, Revelation 22:20).  We believe in the pre-tribulation rapture of the church and the pre-millennial return of Christ (I Thessalonians 1:10, 4:13-17).
 
Final Authority for Matters of Belief and Conduct

This statement of faith does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. The Bible itself, as the inspired and infallible Word of God that speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind, is the sole and final source of all that we believe. For purposes of South Baptist Church’s faith, doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline, our pastor/deacon board/board of trustees is South Baptist Church’s final interpretive authority on the Bible’s meaning and application.