The Holy Scripture
We believe the King James Bible is the word of God for an English speaking person. We believe in the verbal, plenary inspiration of the Bible. The Old and New Testaments compose the entire Word of God. The Scriptures are inerrant and infallible, and therefore, are the final authority for all manners of faith (what we believe) and practice (how we live). The sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments are the complete and divine revelation of God to man. We accept the Textus Receptus manuscripts from which came the KIng James Bible. The King James Bible shall be the official and only Bible used by Heritage Baptist Church.(II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:20-21)
The Trinity
We believe the trinity, which is, the Father, His Son, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons yet one – 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. (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19, II Corinthians 13:14; John 14:10, 26, I john 5:7)
The Person and Work of Christ
Jesus is the Son of God. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God, having been begotten by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men. (Isaiah 7:14; 9:6; Luke 1:35; John 1:1-2, 14; II Corinthians 5:19-21; Galatians 4:4-5; Philippians 2:5-8)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; Romans 3:24-25; I Peter 2:24; Ephesians 1:7; I Peter 1:3-5) 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 ministries of Savior, Intercessor, and Advocate. (Acts 1:9-10; Hebrews 9:24; 7:25; Romans 8:34; I John 2:1-2)
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost) is the very Spirit of God. 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, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption. (John 16:8-11; Romans 8:9; I Corinthians 12:12-14; II Corinthians 3:6; Ephesians 1:13-14) The Holy Spirit indwells every believer from the moment of salvation. It is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the Spirit. (Ephesians 1:17-18; 5:18; I John 2:20, 27) We DO NOT believe the false doctrines of the charismatic movement.
Salvation
Salvation is the free gift of God of eternal life, which He freely offers, by his grace, to everyone who puts their faith in His son, Jesus Christ. We believe that mankind is lost and needs to be saved. Salvation is the gift of God given to man by grace and received by personal faith in the finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. (John 1:12; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-10; I Peter 1:18-19) Salvation is available to everyone without exception.
See the "SALVATION" tab above for more information.
The Eternal Security of Believers
We believe that those who have been saved are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever. (John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Romans 8:1; 38-39; I Corinthians 1:4-6; I Peter 1:4-5) We do not believe salvation can be lost or that the Bible teaches a doctrine of re-salvation.
The Church
We believe that the church is a called out assembly made up of born again, baptized believers. A local church should be independent (free of any external authority or control), fundamental (believing the King James Bible is our rule of faith, what we believe, and practice, how we live), and Baptist. (I Corinthians 12:12-14; II Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 1:22-23; 5:25-27) We believe that local church were established in the New Testament Scriptures. (Acts 16:5; 20:28-32; I Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11) We believe in the autonomy of the local church, free of any external authority or control. (Independent) (Acts 13:1-4; 15:19-31; 20:28; Romans 16:1,4: I Corinthians 3:9, 16; 5:4-7, 13; I Peter 5:1-4) We recognize water baptism and the Lord’s Supper as the scriptural ordinances for the church. (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; 18:18; I Corinthians 11:23-26) The two offices of the church are pastor and deacon.
The Second Coming
We believe in that “blessed hope,” the personal, imminent return of Christ who will rapture His Church prior to the seven-year tribulation period. (A pre-tribulation rapture!) (1 Thessalonians 1:10; 2:19; 4:13-18; Titus 2:13)
Hell
We believe in a literal hell. We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain after death in conscious punishment and torment in hell 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 in the lake of fire. (Matthew 25:42-46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-26; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9; Jude6-7; Revelation 20:10)
Creation
We believe that God created the universe in six, 24 hour, days. We believe the first four words of the bible, "In the beginning God..." We reject evolution, the Gap Theory, the Day-Age Theory, and Theistic Evolution as unscriptural theories of origin. (Genesis 1-2; Exodus 20:11)
The Fallen Nature of Man
We are all sinners. We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam’s sin the human race fell. Man inherited it's sinful nature, and became alienated from God; and, that all men are sinners by birth and by choice. (Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 3:22-23; 5:12; 6:23; Ephesians 2:1-3; 4:17-19)
Abortion
It's a sin to kill a baby. We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, inexcusable taking of human life. (Job 3:16; Psalm 51:5; 139:14-16; Isaiah 44:24; 49:1, 5; Jeremiah 1:5, 20:15-18; Luke 1:44)
Missions
We believe that God has given the church the great commission to proclaim the Gospel to the entire world. (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8, II Corinthians 5:20)
Separation
Christians should seek to live a holy life after they get saved. We believe that all the saved should live in a manner that does not bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord; and that separation from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices, and associations is commanded of God. (Romans 12:1-2; 14:13; II Corinthians 6:14-7:1; II Timothy 3:1-5; I John 2:15-17; II John 9-11)