Statement of Faith: OPEN DOOR BAPTIST CHURCH, CLERMONT
The following summarizes key Scriptural beliefs of our church family:
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 translation used for preaching and teaching in services, Sunday school, or any other church activity. (II Tim. 3:16-17; II 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, coequal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections. (Deut. 6:4; Matt..28:19; II Cor. 13:14; John 14:10, 26)
C. 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; II 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; I Pet. 2:24; Eph. 1:7; I Pet. 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; I John 2:1-2)
D. 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, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption. (John 16:8-11; Rom. 8:9; I Cor. 12:12-14; Eph. 1:13-14)
2. We believe that He is the divine Teacher who assists believers in understanding and appropriating 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; I John 2:20, 27)
3. We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowing of spiritual gifts to every believer. God uniquely uses evangelists, pastors, and teachers to equip believers in the church in order that they can do the work of the ministry. (Rom. 12:3-8; I Cor. 12:4-11, 28; Eph. 4:7-12)
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. (I Cor. 1:22; 13:8; 14:21-22)
E. 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. We believe that sin is anything that does not conform to the character and nature of God (I John 3:4). 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)
F. 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, Whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins. We believe that salvation involves three things for the believer: deliverance from the penalty of sin at the moment of regeneration, victory over the power of sin during the Christian life, and deliverance from the presence of sin at the return of Christ. (John 1:12; Eph. 1:7; 2:8-10; I Pet. 1:18-19; I John 1:9)
G. 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; I Cor. 1:4-8; I 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. (I John 5:11-13)
H. The Christian’s Walk. We believe that we are called with a holy calling, separated unto the Lord and from the world, to walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit, and to live in the power of the indwelling Spirit so that we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. And the flesh, which is our old sinful nature, which in this life is never eradicated, needs to be constantly reckoned dead, and our new life yielded to the control of the Holy Spirit (II Cor. 6:14-17; Gal. 5:16-25; Eph. 4:22-24; Col. 2:1-10, 3:1-17; I Pet. 1:14-16; I John 2:15-16; Rom. 6:6-13).
I. The Church
1. We believe that the local church, which is the body and the espoused bride of Christ, is solely made up of saved persons. (I Cor. 12:12-14; II Cor. 11:2; Eph. 1:22-23; 5:25-27)
2. We believe that the establishment of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures. (Acts 14:27; 20:17, 28-32; I Tim. 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11)
3. We believe in the autonomy of the local church of which Jesus Christ is the head. It is free of any external authority or control. (Acts 13:1-4; 15:19-31; 20:28; Rom. 16:1, 4; I Cor. 5:4-7, 13; I 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 . ( M a t t . 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; I Cor. 11:23-26)
J. The Second Advent of Christ. We believe the Bible teaches the literal, bodily, and Pre-Millennial return of Jesus Christ to earth (Acts 1:9-11; Matt. 24:29, 30; Rev. 19:11-16 and 20:1-4). We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the rightful heir of the throne of David (I Ki. 2:45; Isa. 9:6-7; Matt. 1:1-17; Lk 1:31-33; 3:23-38). We believe that Jesus Christ will one day return to earth to claim His throne and that He will reign on earth for one thousand years in fulfillment of Old and New Testament prophecies (Isa. 9:6-7; Dan. 7:13-14; Zech. 14:9; Rev. 19:11-15; 20:4-5). This one thousand year period is commonly referred to as the Millennium or the millennial reign of Christ. We believe following Christ’s return He will establish His millennial kingdom on earth (Rev. 20:1-4). We believe prior to Jesus Christ return to earth Daniel’s Seventieth Week will be fulfilled (Dan. 9:24, 27). This seven year period is commonly referred to as the Tribulation Period (Matt. 24:21; Dan. 12:1; Rev. 12:12). We believe that during this Tribulation Period a satanically promoted world dictator will emerge that the Bible refers to as the antichrist or the son of perdition (I John 2:18; II Thess. 2:3-4; Rev. 13:1-8). We believe that when Jesus Christ returns to earth He will destroy the antichrist and his followers (II Thess 1:7-9; II Pe. 3:3-13; Jude 14, 15; Rev. 19:11-21). We believe in the rapture or translation of the church (I Cor. 15:51-57; I Thess. 4:13-18). We believe that the church will be translated from earth prior to the outpouring of God’s wrath (I Thess. 5:9).
The foregoing does not exhaust the extent of our faith. The Bible itself is the sole and final source of all that we believe. We do believe that the foregoing, taken from our Statement of Faith, accurately represents the teaching of the Bible. All literature used in the church or at any affiliated church activity shall be governed by our Statement of Faith.
For a complete copy of our church constitution, please contact the church office.