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The following are the core beliefs of Central Baptist Church based on the foundational truths taught in the bible. All of our teaching and ministry is rooted in and flows out of these biblical doctrines.
Scripture
We believe all Scriptures (the Old and New Testaments), are the inspired, infallible, inerrant Word of God, and the only safe rule of faith and practice. It reveals the principles by which God judges and redeems mankind. We believe that the joys of the righteous and
God
We believe there is but one living and true God; and in the Godhead or Divine Essence, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is a spiritual and personal Being; the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe. God is infinite in holiness and all other perfections. He is all powerful and all knowing; His perfect knowledge extends to all things, past, present, and future.
Fallen and Depraved
We believe we are fallen and depraved creatures, and cannot extricate ourselves from our fallen situation by any ability we possess by nature.
Salvation
We believe salvation, regeneration, sanctification, justification and redemption are by the life, death, resurrection, ascension, and intercession of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.
Everlasting Life
We believe God has provided for man’s eternal salvation. The Holy Scriptures teach us in John Chapter 3 verse 16, that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Baptism & the Lord's Supper
We believe Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are ordinances of Jesus Christ appointed to the Church; only true believers are eligible for either ordinance. The Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby believers, through partaking of the bread and fruit of the vine, memorialize the death of Jesus and anticipate His second coming. Baptism is the full immersion of a believer in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer’s faith in the crucified, buried, and resurrected Savior, the believer’s death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in the newness of life in Christ Jesus.
The Lord's Day
We believe in the sanctity of the first day of the week or Lord’s Day, and that it ought to be observed in the public or private worship of God, and that on it we should abstain from our worldly concerns, except in cases of necessity or mercy.
Christian Duties
We believe it is a duty to be tender and affectionate one to another, and to study the happiness of the people of God in general, and to be singly engaged to promote the honor and glory of God.
Atonement
We believe Jesus Christ tasted death for every man, and none can partake of His divine benefits except by repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ; infants excepted, they being in the covenant of God’s grace.
Door of the Church
We believe the Lord Jesus Christ is the door into the church, and baptism is a duty in answer to a good conscience.
Unity of God's People
We believe the Lord’s people are one in Him; therefore, they should be one at His table.
Rapture
We believe in the premillennial return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for His Church. The dead in Christ shall rise first and those, living, born again, believers will be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye and will all go up to meet Him and be with Him for eternity.
Gender, Marriage, and Sexuality
We believe God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. (Genesis 1:26-27.) Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person.
We believe the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture. (Genesis 2:18-25.)
We believe God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other. (1 Corinthians 6:18; 7:2-5; Hebrews 13:4.)
We believe God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman.
We believe any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, and use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God. (Matthew 15:18-20; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10)
We believe the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture. (Genesis 2:18-25.)
We believe God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other. (1 Corinthians 6:18; 7:2-5; Hebrews 13:4.)
We believe God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman.
We believe any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, and use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God. (Matthew 15:18-20; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10)
Sanctity of Human Life
We believe all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life. (Ps 139.)
Final Authority for Matters of Belief and Conduct
This statement of faith does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. Other beliefs are addressed in “The Baptist Faith & Message,” adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention on June 14, 2000. The Bible itself, as the inspired and infallible Word of God, speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind, and is the sole and final source of all we believe. For purposes of Central Baptist Church’s faith, doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline, our Pastor is Central’s final interpretive authority on the Bible’s meaning and application.