Statement of Faith
Bluffview Baptist Church accepts the scriptures as its authority in matters of faith and practice. Its understanding of Christian truth, as contained therein, is in essential accord with the beliefs of Baptist churches, but it does not have statements of creed apart from the Word of God.
- We believe in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament as verbally inspired by God, as inerrant in the original writings and as the supreme and final authority in faith and life: (II Tim. 3:16, 17; Gen 1:26; Matt. 28:19; Luke 24:44; Isa. 8:20; II Pet. 1:21).
- We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Ghost, and these three are one God, having precisely the same nature, attributes and perfections and worthy of precisely the same homage, confidence and obedience: (Isa. 45:21, 22; Jer. 10:10; Gen. 1:26; John 14:16; I John 5:7).
- We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten by the Holy Spirit, was born of the virgin Mary, and is true God and true man, and is the only Mediator between God and man: (Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:18-25; Lk. 1:26-38; Lk. 2:1-7; John 1:1; Gal. 4:4; I Tim. 2:5).
- We believe that man was originally created in the image and after the likeness of God, and that he fell through sin, and as a consequence of his sin, lost his spiritual life, becoming dead in trespasses and sins, and that he became subject to the power of the devil. We also believe that this spiritual death, or total depravity of human nature, has been transmitted to the entire human race of man, the Man Christ Jesus alone being excepted; and hence that every child of Adam is born into the world with a nature which not only possesses no spark of divine life, but is essentially and unchangeably bad apart from divine grace. (Gen. 1:26; 2:17; 6:5; Ps. 14:1-3; 51:5; Jer. 17:9; John 3:6; 5:40; 6:53; Rom. 3:10-19; 8:6-7; Eph. 2:1-3; I Tim. 5:6; I John 3:8)
- We believe in the vicarious death of the Lord Jesus Christ as a substitutionary sacrifice for our sins, and that all who believe in Him are justified on the grounds of His shed blood. (I Pet. 1:18,19; I Pet. 2:24; Acts 16:31; Eph. 1:7; I John 1:7; Eph. 2:13; Rev. 1:5; Rev. 12:11).
- We believe that all who receive the Lord Jesus Christ by faith are born again of the Holy Spirit and thereby become children of God. All such are indwelt by the Holy Spirit and baptized by Him into that spiritual body (church) of which Christ is the head. (John 1: 12, 13; John 3:3-7; I Cor. 12:12, 13: Col. 1:18, 24).
- We believe in the eternal assurance of all who trust in our Lord Jesus Christ. (John 2:16; John 3:36; John 10:28,29; Rom. 8: 35-39: II Tim. 1:12; Jude 1).
- We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord, in His ascension into heaven and in His present life there for us as High Priest and Advocate. (Matt. 28, Mk. 16; Lk. 24; John 20,21; I Cor. 15; Acts 1:10,11; I John 2:1).
- We believe in the bodily resurrection of the saved and lost. We believe that the souls of those, who have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, at death, immediately pass into His presence, and there remain in conscious bliss until the resurrection of the body at His coming, when soul and body reunited shall be associated with Him forever in glory. (Lk. 16: 19-26; Lk.23:24; II Cor. 5:8). The saved shall appear in Heaven at the Judgment Seat of Christ to receive rewards and to dwell with Him for all eternity. The lost shall be judged at the Great White Throne and be cast into eternal hell. (John 5:29; I Thess. 4:13-18; I Cor. 15; I Cor. 3:11-15; Lk 16: 19-31; Rev. 20; Rom. 14:10; II Cor. 5:10; John 14).
- We believe in the rapture of the church and in the personal and visible return of our Lord Jesus Christ to the earth to establish His Kingdom. (Titus 2: 11-13; John 14; I Thess. 4:13-18; Is. 24:22,23; Zech. 14:4; Act 1:10,11; Jude 14, 15; Rev. 20).
- We believe that baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, testifying to the essential facts of redemption - the death, burial and resurrection of Christ; and also the essential facts in the experience of the believer - death to sin, and resurrection to newness of life. (Matt 28:19,20; Acts 8:34-39; Acts 16:30-33; Rom. 6:1-11).
- We believe in the Lord’s Supper as a commemoration of Jesus’ death as given by His command to His disciples. The participants are those who are believers and are in fellowship with the Lord and the body of Christ. (Matt. 26:26-29; I Cor. 11:20-34).
- We believe the church of God, of which Christ Jesus is the head, constitutes His body and consists of born again believers, baptized into one body, by on one Spirit, Jew or Gentile - bond or free. (I Cor. 10-32; Col. 1:18,24; John 3:3; I Cor. 12:12-27).
- We believe the Scriptures teach that a visible Church of Christ (local church) is a congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the Gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws; and exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His word; that its only scriptural officers are pastors, elders and deacons, whose qualifications, claims and duties are defined in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus, and this church is to be the instrument of God’s outworking in this age. (Acts 2:41,42; II Cor. 8:5; I Cor. 11:2; Acts 13:1-4).
- We believe that our church is a self-governing body and must be free from interference by any convention or any other ecclesiastical or political authority. Therefore, the Church and State must be separate as having different functions, each fulfilling its duties freely from the dictates or patronage of the other. (Act 6:3-6; Acts 4:18,19; Acts 5:29; Acts 13:2-4; Acts 15:2,22-31).