DOCTRINAL STATEMENT

North Point Baptist Church                                                                 

Section A - The Word of God, The Bible

 

 

The Word of God, The Bible

WE BELIEVE the Bible, which includes the thirty-nine books of the Old Testament and the twenty-seven books of the New Testament, to be the divinely inspired, infallible, inerrant, supreme and final authoritative Word of God for faith and life. (Ps. 19:7-11; Luke 24:27; John 17:17; Acts 17:2-3; 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:20-21; 3:15-16 )

Section B - The Trinity of the Godhead

WE BELIEVE that the Godhead eternally exists in three Persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit; and that these three are the one God, having precisely the same nature, attributes and perfection, and are worthy of the same confidence, obedience, praise and worship. (Is. 48:16; Matt. 28:19; Mark 12:29; John 1:1,14; Acts 5:3-4; 2 Cor. 13:14)

Section C - The Total Sinfulness of Man

WE BELIEVE that man was originally created in the image of God; that he sinned through disobedience and thereby incurred not only physical but also spiritual death, which is separation from God; that all human beings are born with a sinful nature; that all have fallen short of the glory of God; that humans express their sinful natures through thoughts, words and deeds; and that such humans, in and of themselves, cannot please God. (Gen. 1:26; 2:17; 3:1-19; Ps. 51:5; Jer. 17:9; John 6:44,65; Rom. 3:23; 5:12; 8:7-8; Eph. 2:1-3)

Section D - The Person and Work of Jesus Christ

WE BELIEVE in the virgin birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, His absolute deity, His sinless humanity and perfect life, the eternal all-sufficiency of His atoning death, His bodily resurrection, and His ascension to the Father's right hand where as the only mediator between God and man He makes intercession for us until He comes again. (Isa. 7:14; Isa. 9:6-7; Luke 1:30-35, 2:40; John 1:1-2,18; Romans 8:34; 1 Cor. 15:4; Phil. 2:5-11; Col. 1:13-15; 1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 1:3; 2:14-18; 1 John 3:5)

Section E - The Blood Atonement of Jesus Christ

WE BELIEVE that Jesus Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures as a substitutionary sacrifice. His shed blood is the redemptive price for sinful men, the only means of atonement for sin, and is appropriated by faith alone. (Lev. 17:11; Rom. 3:21-26; 5:6-8; 1 Cor. 15:3; 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 3:13; Eph. 1:7, 2:8-9; Titus 3:5; Heb. 9:22; 1 Pet. 1:18-19,23; 3:18)

Section F - Justification

WE BELIEVE that justification is a judicial act of God whereby He pardons the believer’s sin and declares the sinner righteous solely on the merits of Christ's sacrificial death and shed blood. This is an act solely of God and is appropriated by faith in Jesus Christ alone. ( John 1:12; 3:7-8; Rom. 3:24,28; 4:4-5; 2 Cor. 5:21; Eph. 2:8-10; Col. 1:13-15; Titus 3:5-6; 1 John 1:9)

Section G - The New Birth (Regeneration)

WE BELIEVE the new birth, or regeneration, is the act of God which gives eternal life. He imparts to us a new nature and puts his laws in our hearts and writes them on our minds. (John 1:12; 3:3-7; Rom 3:10,23; 2 Cor. 5:17; 2 Tim. 1:9; Titus 3:5; Heb. 10:16; 1 Peter 1:23)

Section H - The Assurance of Salvation

We believe God's Word teaches the assurance of salvation and the keeping power of God for daily living to every born again person and that this new life is eternal for the believer. (John 5:24; 10:28-29; Rom. 8:1, 28-39; 2 Cor. 5:1, 6-8; Phil. 1:6; 1 Peter 1:3-5; 1 John 5:13)

Section I - The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead; that He convicts the world of sin and righteousness and judgment; and that He regenerates, indwells, seals, enlightens, guides and empowers the believer. (John 3:6, 14:16-17, 16:7-15; Acts 1:8; Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 12:13; Eph. 1:13-14, 4:30, 5:18)

Section J - The Gifts of the Holy Spirit

We believe that each believer has sovereignly been given at least one spiritual gift by the Holy Spirit; that no believer is destitute of such a gift; that these gifts are given to believers in order that they might minister to the rest of the body; and that the Church has been given specific gifted believers whose purpose it is to equip the saints for their jobs of ministry and of building up the body of Christ. (Rom. 12:6-8; 1 Cor. 12:4-11; Eph. 4:7-12; 1 Peter 4:10)

Section K - The Christian Walk

WE BELIEVE that all who are born again by the Holy Spirit are made partakers of the divine nature, and are called with a holy calling to walk, not after the flesh, but after the Spirit; and that they can be victorious over the flesh through the power of the Holy Spirit and thus not manifest the works of the flesh, which would dishonor Christ's name, but manifest the fruit of the Spirit, which glorifies God. (Romans 6-8; Gal. 5:16-23; Eph. 1:3-14; 4:1-6:4; 1 Peter 1:15-16; 2 Peter 1:3-4)

Section L - Missions

WE BELIEVE that we should obey His command to carry out His commission to the whole world, carrying the message of the Gospel, by word and deed. (Matt. 28:18-19; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; 2 Cor. 5:18-20; Col. 4:5-6)

Section M - Ordinances

WE BELIEVE that there are two church ordinances, communion and baptism, which are the outward visible signs of inward spiritual reality and which were instituted and commanded by our Lord Jesus Christ for the Church.

1. Communion: The Church celebrates Communion with the use of bread and the cup (fruit of the vine), symbolizing the body and blood of Christ, in accordance with the accounts given in the Scriptures ( Matt. 26:20-30; Mark 14:17-27; Luke 22:14-20; 1 Cor. 11:1-34). We believe that the Lord’s Supper should be an important part of the Church life and a priority for every believer. N.P.B.C. observes communion on the first Sunday of every mouth and other special services as deemed by the Pastor.

2. Baptism: Baptism in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is administered by immersion to born again believers (Matt. 28:18-19). Baptism is an act of obedience to Jesus Christ , a symbol of identification with Jesus Christ (Romans 6:4), and a public testimony of faith in Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit’s inward work of regeneration (Matt. 10:32-33). Baptism does not impart salvation, but follows salvation. (Acts 8:12; Ephesians 2:8-9)(Believer’s baptism by immersion is the official teaching position and practice in this church.

Section N - Second Coming of Christ

WE BELIEVE in the personal, imminent, and bodily return of our Lord Jesus Christ to this earth for His church, which is the blessed hope for which we should be constantly looking. (1 Cor. 15:51-52; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; Titus 2:11-14) We believe that Jesus Christ will fulfill Old Testament prophecy to the Nation of Israel by establishing His millennial kingdom on earth. (Isa. 65:17-25; Zep. 3:11-13; Zech. 9:9-10; 14:16-21; Rev. 20:1-15)

Section O - Heaven, Hell, and the Resurrection of the Saints

WE BELIEVE in the resurrection of the saints to eternal blessedness in heaven and the lost to be raised to judgment, condemnation and eternal punishment in hell. (Dan. 12:2; Matt. 25:46; Luke 16:22-23; John 5:24,28-29; 14:1-3; 1 Cor. 15:16-23; 2 Cor. 5:6-8; Phil. 1:23; 1 Thess. 4:13-17; 2 Thess. 1:7-10; 1 John 5:11-13; Rev. 20)

Section P - The Personality and Work of Satan

WE BELIEVE that Satan is a real and personal spiritual being and that, as the "prince of the power of the air", he is now working in the children of disobedience. He uses demons and humans as agents in the execution of his ungodly purposes, and his final defeat is assured. (Isa. 14:12-27; Matt. 4:1-3; 2 Cor. 4:4; 11:3-4,13-15; Eph. 2:2; 2 Peter 2:4; Rev. 12:9; 20:10)