First Missionary Baptist Church

First Missionary Baptist Church

Bend, Oregon

CONFESSION OF FAITH

SECTION 1.          OF THE SCRIPTURES:   We believe that the Holy Bible was written by men supernaturally inspired; that it has truth without any admixture of error for its matter; and therefore is and shall remain to the end of age the only complete and final revelation of the will of God to man, the true center of Christian union and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions should be tried.

(1) By the  "Holy Bible" we mean that collection of sixty-six books, from Genesis to Revelation, which, as originally written, does not only contain and convey the Word of God but IS the very Word of God. To the English speaking people we believe that the Word of God has been best preserved in the 1611 Authorized Version (KJV) and is therefore to be used in all forms of church worship, education and devotion.

(2) By "inspiration" we mean that the books of the Bible were written by holy men of old as they were moved by the Holy Spirit, in such a definite way that their writings were supernaturally and verbally    inspired and free from error as no other writings have ever been or ever will be inspired.

II Tim. 3:16-17; II Pt. 1:19-21; Acts 1:16; Acts 28:25; Ps. 119:160; Ps. 119:105,130; Lk. 24:25-27; Jn. 17:17; Lk. 24:44-45; Ps. 119:89; Prov. 30:5-6; Rom. 3:4; I Pt. 1:2-3; Rev. 22:19; Jn. 12:48; Is. 8:20; Eph. 6:17; Rom.15:4; Lk. 16:31; Ps. 19:7-11; Jn. 5:45-47; Jn. 5:39.

SECTION 2.          OF THE TRUE GOD: We believe that there is one living and true God, an infinite, intelligent Spirit, the Maker and Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth; inexpressibly glorious in holiness and worthy of all possible honor, confidence and love; that in the unity or the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, equal in every divine perfection and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption.

Ex. 20:2-3; Gen. 17:1; I Cor. 8:6; Eph. 4:6; Jn. 4:24; Ps. 147:5; Ps. 83:18; Ps. 90:2; Jer. 10:10; Ex. 15:11; Rev. 4:11; I Tim.1:17; Ro. 11:33; Mk. 12:20; Matt. 28:19; Jn. 15:26; I Cor. 12:4-6; I Jn. 5:7; Jn. 10:30; Jn. 17:5; Acts 5:3-4; I Cor. 2:10-11; Phil. 2:5; Eph. 2:18; II Cor. 13:14.

SECTION 3.          OF THE HOLY SPIRIT: We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, equal with God the Father and God the Son, and of the same nature; that He was active in the creation; that in His relation to the unbelieving world He restrains the Evil One until God's purpose is fulfilled; that He convicts of sin, of judgment of righteousness; that He bears witness to the Truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony; that He is the agent in the New Birth; that He seals, guides, induces, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies, and helps the believer.

Jn. 14:16-17; Matt. 28:19; Heb. 9:14; Jn. 14:26; Lk. 1:35; Gen. 1:1-3; II Thess. 2:7; Jn. 16:8-11; Jn. 15:26-27; Acts 5:30-32; Jn. 3:5-6; Eph. 1;13-14; Matt. 3:11; Mk. 1:8; Lk. 3:16; Jn. 1:33; Acts 11;16; Lk. 24:49; Jn.16:13; Jn. 14:26; Ro. 8:14; Ro. 8:16; II Thess. 2:13; I Pt. 1:2; Rom. 8:26-27.

SECTION 4.          OF THE DEVIL, OR SATAN: We believe that Satan was once  holy and enjoyed heavenly honors but through pride and ambition to be as the Almighty, fell and drew after him a host of angels; that he is now the malignant Prince of the power of the air, and the unholy god of this world.  We hold him to be man's great tempter, the enemy of God and His Christ, the accuser of the saints, the author of false religions, the chief power back of the present apostasy, the lord of the anti-Christ, and the author of all powers of darkness; destined however to final defeat at the hands of God's Son, and to the judgment of an eternal justice in hell, a place prepared for him and his angels.

Is. 14:12-15; Ezek. 28:14; Rev. 12:9; Ju. 6; II Pt. 2:4; Eph. 2:2; Jn. 14:30; I Thess. 3:5; Matt. 4:1-3; I Pt. 5:8; Zech. 1:3; I Jn. 3:8; Matt. 13:25; Matt. 37:39; Lk. 22:3-4; Rev. 12:10; II Cor. 11:13-15; Mk. 13:21-22; I Jn. 4:3; II Jn. 7; I Jn. 2:22; Rev. 13:13-14; II Thess. 2:8; Rev. 19:11; 16:20; 12:7-9; 20:1-3; 20:10; Matt. 25:41.

SECTION 5.          OF THE CREATION: We believe in the Genesis account of creation and that it is to be accepted literally and not allegorically or figuratively; that man was created directly in God's own image and after His own likeness; that man's creation was not a matter of evolution or evolutionary changes of species or development through interminable periods of time from lower to higher forms; that all animal and vegetable life was made directly, and God's established law was they should bring forth only "after their kind".

Gen. 1:1; Ex. 20:11; Acts 4:24; Col. 1:16-17; Heb. 11:3; Jn. 1:3; Rev. 10:6; Rom. 1:20; Acts 17:23-26; Jer. 10:12; Neh. 9:6; Gen. 1:26-27; Gen. 2:21-23; Gen. 1:11,24.

SECTION 6.          OF THE FALL OF MAN: We believe that man was created in innocence under the law of his Maker, but by voluntary transgression fell from his sinless and happy state, in consequence of which all mankind are now sinners, not by constraint but of choice, and therefore under just condemnation with- out defense or excuse.

Gen. 3:1-6, 24; Rom. 5:12, 19; Rom. 3:10-19; Eph. 2:1,3; Rom. 1:18; Ezek. 18:19-20; Rom. 1:20,28,32; Gal. 3:22.

SECTION 7.          OF THE VIRGIN BIRTH: We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten of the Holy Ghost in a miraculous manner, born of Mary, a virgin, and that He is the Son of God and God the Son.

Gen. 3:15; Is. 7:14; Matt. 1:18-25; Lk. 1:35; Mk. 1:1; Jn. 1:14; Ps. 2:7; Gal. 4:4; I Jn. 5:20; I Cor. 15:47.

SECTION 8.          OF THE ATONEMENT FOR SIN: We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace, through the mediatorial office of the Son of God Who, by the appointment of the Father, freely took upon Him our nature yet without sin, honored the Divine law by His personal obedience, and by His death made a full and vicarious atonement, consisted not in setting us an example by His death as a martyr but was the voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner's place, the just dying for the unjust, Christ, the Lord, bearing our sins in His own body on the tree; that having risen from the dead, He is now enthroned in Heaven and uniting in His wonderful Person the tenderest sympathies with Divine perfection; that He is every way qualified to be a suitable, a compassionate and all sufficient Saviour.     

Eph. 2:8; Acts 15:11; Rom. 3:24; Jn. 3:16; Matt. 18:11; Phil. 2:7; Heb. 2:14; Is. 53:4-7; Rom. 3:25; I Jn. 4:10; I Cor. 15;3; II Cor. 5:21; Jn. 10:18; Phil. 2:8; Gal. 1:4; I Pt. 2:24; I Pt. 3:18; Is. 53:11; Heb.12:2; I Cor. 15:20; Is. 53:12; Heb. 9:12-15; Heb. 7:25; I Jn. 2:2.

SECTION 9.          OF GRACE IN THE NEW CREATION: We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be born again; that the New Birth is a new creation in Christ Jesus, that it is instantaneous and not a process; that in the New Birth the one dead in trespasses and in sins is made a partaker of the Divine nature and receives eternal life, the free gift of God; that the new creation is brought about in a manner above our comprehension, not by culture, nor by character, nor by the will of man but wholly and solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with Divine truth, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the Gospel; that its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance and faith and newness of life.

Jn. 3:3; II Cor. 5:17; Lk. 5:27; I Jn. 5:1; Jn. 3:6-7; Acts 2:41; Acts 16:30-33; II Pt. 1:4; Rom. 6:23; Eph. 2:1; II Cor. 5:19; Col. 2:13; Jn. 3:8; Jn. 1:12-13; Gal. 5:22; Eph. 5:9.

SECTION 10.        OF THE FREENESS OF SALVATION: We believe in God's electing grace; that the blessings of salvation are made free to all by the Gospel; that it is the immediate duty of all to accept them by a cordial, penitent and obedient faith; and that nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner on earth but his own inherent depravity and voluntary rejection of the Gospel, which rejection involves him in an aggravated condemnation.

I Thess. 1:4; Col. 3:12; I Pt. 1:2; Titus 1:1; Rom. 3:29-30; Matt. 11:28; Is. 55:1; Rev. 22:17; Rom. 10:13; Jn. 6:37; Is. 55:6; Acts 2:38; Is. 55:7; Jn. 3:15-16; I Tim. 1:15; I Cor. 15:10; Eph. 2:4-5; Jn. 5:40; Jn. 3:18, 36.

SECTION 11.        OF JUSTIFICATION: We believe that the great Gospel Blessing which Christ secures to such as believe in Him is Justification; that Justification includes the pardon of sin, and the gift of eternal life on principles of righteousness; that it is bestowed not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done, but solely through faith in the Redeemer's blood is His righteousness imputed unto us.

Acts 13:39; Is. 53:11; Zech. 13:1; Rom. 8:1; Rom. 5:1, 9; Titus 3:5-7; Rom. 1:17; Heb. 2:4; Gal. 3:11; Rom. 4:1-9; Heb. 10:38.

SECTION 12.        OF REPENTANCE AND FAITH: We believe that Repentance and Faith are solemn obligations and also inseparable graces, wrought in our souls by the quickening Spirit of God, thereby being deeply convicted by our guilt, danger and helplessness and of the way of salvation by Christ, we turn to God with unfeigned contrition, confession, and supplication for mercy, at the same time heartily receiving the Lord Jesus Christ and openly confessing Him as our only and all-sufficient Saviour.

Acts 20:21; Mk. 1:15; Acts 2:37-38; Lk. 18:13; Rom. 10:13; Ps. 51:1-4, 7; Is. 55:6-7; Lk. 12:8; Rom.10:9-11.

SECTION 13.        OF THE CHURCH: We believe that a New Testament Church, according to divine purpose and plan, is a visible, local, organized body; that it is composed of scripturally baptized believers associated together by a covenant of faith and fellowship in the Gospel; that New Testament validity flows from strict obedience to essential principles of New Testament Law; that it is a sovereign, independent, democratic, and militant body; that its ministry is gloriously blessed with the presence and leadership of the Holy Spirit and the light and revelation of the Written Word; that its work should ever be from within to without and never from without to within; that it is a self-governing body and is the sole judge, under the limitations of the Scriptures, of the measure and method of co-operation; that it is the only ecclesiastical tribunal the Lord has on earth; that its judgment concerning membership, missions, benevolence, co-operative alignments, and support is final; that it was personally founded by Christ Jesus during His ministry on earth; that it is subject to His laws and is the custodian of His ordinances; that the perpetuity of our faith, our doctrines and practices, ordinances and ordinations has been effected through the Holy Spirit personally planting and preserving local Baptist churches of like faith and order down through the centuries even until now; that its officers of ordination are pastors and deacons whose qualifications, claims and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures.  We believe the true mission of the church is found in the Great Commission: first to make individual disciples, second to baptize believers, and third to teach and instruct as He has commanded.

Acts 2:41-42; I Cor. 11:2; Eph. 1:22-23; 4:11; I Cor. 12:4, 8-11; Acts 14:23; 6:5-6; 15:23; 20:17-28; I Tim. 3:1-7, 8-13; Matt. 28:19-20; Col. 1:18; Eph. 5:23-24; I Pt. 5:1-4; Acts 15:22; I Cor. 6:1-3; 5:11-13; Jude 3-4; II Cor. 8:23-24; Mal. 3:10; Lev. 32; I Cor. 16:2.

SECTION 14.        OF BAPTISM AND THE LORD'S SUPPER: We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion in water of a believer in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, with the authority of the New Testament church, to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem our faith in the crucified, buried and risen Saviour, with its effect in our death to sin and resurrection to a new life; that it is prerequisite to the privilege of a church relation and to the Lord's Supper in which the members of the church by the sacred use of unleavened bread and fruit of the vine are to commemorate together the death and love of Christ, preceded always by a solemn self-examination.

Acts 8:36-39; Matt. 3:6; Jn. 3:23; Rom. 6:4-5; Matt. 3:16; 28:19; Rom. 6:3-5; Col. 2:12; Acts 2:41-42; Matt. 28:19-20; I Cor. 11:23-28.

SECTION 15.        OF THE PRESERVATION OF THE SAINTS: We believe the Scriptures teach that a truly regenerate believer, being born of the Spirit of God cannot utterly fall away and finally perish, but will endure to the end; that Christ’s persevering attachment to the believer is the grand mark which distinguishes them from superficial professors; that a special providence watches over their welfare; and that they are kept by the power of God through faith unto eternal salvation.

Jn. 8:31-32; Col. 1:21,23; I Jn. 2:19; Matt. 13:19-23; Rom.8:23; Matt. 6:30; Ps. 121:3; Heb. 1:14; I Pt. 1:5; Phil. 1:6; Jn. 10:28-29; 16:8; Rom. 8:35-39.

SECTION 16.        OF THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE WICKED: We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that such only as through faith are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and sanctified by the Spirit of our God are truly righteous in His esteem, while all such as continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight wicked and under the curse, and this distinction holds among all men, both in and after death, in the everlasting felicity of the saved and the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost.

Mal. 3:18; Gen. 18:23; Rom. 6:17-18; Prov. 11:31; I Pt. 4:18; I Cor. 15:22; Acts 10:34-35; I Jn. 2:29; Jn. 8:21; I Jn. 3:7; Rom. 6:16; I Jn. 5:19; Gal. 3:10; Rom. 7:6; Prov. 14:32; Lk. 16:25; Matt. 25:34; Gal. 3:10; Matt. 25:41; Jn. 12:25; Lk. 1:26; Matt. 7:13-14; Rom. 1:17.

SECTION 17.        OF CIVIL GOVERNMENT: We believe that civil government is of divine appointment for the interests and good order of human society; that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored and obeyed, except in things opposed to the Will of Lord Jesus Christ.

Rom. 13:7; II Sam. 23:3; Ex. 18:21-22; Acts 23:5; Matt. 22:21; Titus 3:1; I Pt. 2:13-14,17; Acts 5:29; 4:19-20; Dan. 3:17-18; Matt. 23:10; 10:38; Rev. 10:6; Phil. 2:10-11; Ps. 72:11.

SECTION 18.        OF THE RESURRECTION AND RETURN OF CHRIST AND RELATED EVENTS: We believe in and accept the sacred Scriptures upon these subjects at their face and full value.  Of the Resurrection, we believe that Christ rose bodily "the third day according to the Scriptures"; that He ascended "to the right hand of the throne of God"; that He alone is our "merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God"; "that this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven"- bodily, personally and visibly; that the "dead in Christ shall rise first"; that the living saints "shall be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump"; "that the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His Father David"; and that "Christ shall reign a thousand years in righteousness until He hath put all enemies under His feet".

Matt. 28:6-7; Lk. 24:39; Jn. 20:27; I Cor. 15:4; Mk. 16:6; Lk. 24:1; Heb. 12:2; 8:6; I Tim. 2:5; I Jn. 2:1; Heb. 2:17; Heb. 5:9-10; Jn. 14:3; Acts 1:9, 11; Lk. 24:51; Mk. 16:19; Rev. 3:21; Heb. 3:1; I Thess. 4:17; I Cor. 15:42-44, 52; 16:51-53; Phil. 3:20-23; I Thess. 4:16; Matt. 24:27; 25:13; Ja. 5:8; Matt. 24:42; Heb. 9:28; Lk. 1:32; Is. 9:6-7; I Cor. 15:25; Is. 32:1; ll:4-5; Ps. 72:8; Rev. 20:1-4, 6.

SECTION 19.        OF THE GRACE OF GIVING: We believe scriptural giving is one of the fundamentals of the faith.  We believe that we are to bring our gifts into the "storehouse" the common treasury of the church, upon the first day of the week.  We believe that under grace we give the tithe and that all offerings are to be free will offerings.  "Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils". "Abraham gave a tenth part of all"; this was four hundred years before the law and is confirmed in the New Testament (Heb. 7:2,4).

II Cor. 8:7; I Cor. 16:2; Heb. 7:2,4; Matt. 23:23; Lev. 27:30; Mal. 3:10; Acts 4:35, 37.

SECTION 20.        OF MISSIONS AND CHURCH COOPERATION: We believe the command to give the Gospel to the world is clear and unmistakable and that this Commission was given to the churches.  We believe that it is the privilege and the right of local churches to co-operate with each other in carrying out the commission of the Lord; that such co-operation is righteously effected only when the principles of Christ are preserved in the work fostered; and that all associated endeavor of churches should be carried on in such a way as to preserve the sovereign integrity of each local body in all matters of faith and practice.

Matt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:15; Jn. 20:21; Acts 1:8; Rom. 10:13-15; II Cor. 8:1-6, 16-24; II Jn. 1-4; Matt. 16:18-19; Acts 15:19-27.

SECTION 21.       FREEDOM OF WORSHIP:  We believe in freedom of worship without interference from the government and affirm our belief in civil obedience unless the laws and regulations of civil government run contrary to the Holy Scriptures.

Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-15

SECTION 22.       MARRIAGE: We believe the Biblical definition of marriage has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as portrayed in Scripture.  We believe marriage between one man and one woman for life uniquely reflects Christ’s relationship with His Church, and that marriage serves as the foundational unit of a stable society.

Genesis 2:21-24; Matthew 19:4-6; Mark 10:6-9; 1 Corinthians 7:2-4; Ephesians 5:22-31

SECTION 23:       GENDER IDENTITY: We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female.  These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God.  Gender identity is determined by biological sex and not by one’s self-perception – a perception which is often influenced by fallen human nature in ways contrary to God’s design.

Genesis 1:27; 5:2; Psalm 139:13-14; Matthew 19:4-6; Mark 10:6; Jeremiah 13:23; Romans 1:19-25; Ephesians 4:17-18