South Park Baptist Church

.We believe the Bible to be the verbally inspired Word of God, without error in the original writings, and the supreme and final authority in doctrine and practice ( II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:21; John 17:17).

We believe in one God eternally existing in three equal persons Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who have the same nature and attributes but who are distinct in office and activity (Matthew 28:19; II Corinthians 13:14).

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man. We believe that He accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a substitutionary sacrifice. We believe that our redemption and salvation is guaranteed by His literal physical resurrection from the dead (John 1:1, 14, 18; Luke 1:35; Romans 3:24-26; 4:25).

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is now in heaven, exalted to the right hand of God, where as High Priest He fulfills the ministry of intersession and advocacy for His people (Hebrews 1:3; 3:1; 7:23-25; I John 2:1-2).

We believe that God the Holy Spirit is a person who restrains evil in the world and convicts men of sin. He also regenerates those who receive Christ as Savior, baptizes them into the Church, the Body of Christ, indwells them permanently, seals them unto the day of redemption, bestows spiritual gifts on each one and fills those yielded to Him (John 16:7-11; John 3:8; I Corinthians 12:4-11,13; John 14:16-17; Ephesians 4:30; 5:18).

We believe that some gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and miraculous healings, were given as authenticating signs in the early church and were temporary (I Corinthians 14:22-24; Hebrews 2:4). We believe, however, that God answers prayer for the sick in accordance with His will (I John 5:14-15; James 5:15-16).

We believe that angels are spiritual beings who were created as sinless personalities and that they occupied different orders and ranks. They presently exist in both fallen and unfallen states, the former including Satan and his angels (Hebrews 1:13-14; II Peter 2:4; Revelation 7:12).

We believe that Satan, by his own choice the enemy of God and the people of God, is the originator of sin, that he led our first parents into sin and now rules as the god of this world. We believe that he was judged at the cross and that ultimately he will be cast into the Lake of Fire (Isaiah 14:12-14; Genesis 3:1-19; Hebrews 2:14; Revelation 20:10).

We believe all things in heaven and earth were created by God and exist by His power (Genesis 1:1; Colossians 1:16-17).

We believe that man was created innocent and in the image and likeness of God but that he sinned bringing both physical and spiritual death to himself and his posterity. We believe that man has inherited a sinful nature, is alienated from God, and is in need of salvation (Genesis 1:27; 2:17; 3:19; Ephesians 2:1-3).

We believe that salvation is a gift of God and is received by man through personal faith in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for sin. We believe that man is justified by grace through faith apart from works (Acts 13:38-39; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-10). We believe that all true believers, once saved, are kept secure in Christ forever (Romans 8:1, 38-39; John 10:27-30).

We believe that sanctification, which is a setting apart unto God, is positional, progressive, and ultimate. Positionally it is already complete since the believer is in Christ and is set apart unto God as Christ is set apart unto God. Since he retains his sinful nature, however, there is need for progressive sanctification whereby the Christian grows in grace by the power of the Spirit. Ultimately, the child of God will be set apart from sin in his practice as he is now in his position in Christ when he is taken to be with Christ and shall be like Him (John 17:17; II Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 5:25-27; I Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 10:10, 14).

We believe that the Church, the Body and Bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism, made up of all born-again persons of this present age. We believe that the Church began at Pentecost and that a believer is placed into the Church by the baptizing work of the Holy Spirit. We believe that the Church is distinct from Israel (Ephesians 1:22-23; I Corinthians 12-13; 10:32).

We believe that the local church is an assembly of professed believers in Jesus Christ who are voluntarily joined together in one locality for the purposes of worship, study of the Word of God, observance of the ordinances, Christian fellowship, and to be equipped for Christian service (Acts 2:42-47; I Corinthians 1:1-2; Ephesians 4:11-13).

We believe that Christ instituted the ordinances of water baptism and the Lord's Supper which are to be observed by believers until He returns (Matthew 28:19-20; I Corinthians 11:23-26).

We believe that by water baptism (immersion) a believer is publicly identified with his Savior; that infants of believing parents may be dedicated to the Lord but not baptized.

We believe that the Lord's Supper is a memorial of Christ's death, the elements being symbols of His body and blood. We believe that every Christian has a right to partake of the elements of the Lord's Supper but that participation must always be preceded by solemn self-examination.

We believe in the personal, imminent coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for the Church to be followed by the tribulation on earth which will culminate in the return of Christ to earth to set up His millennial kingdom (I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Philippians 3:20; Matthew 24:15-31; Zechariah 14:4-11; Revelation 20:1-6).

We believe that the souls of believers in Jesus Christ do at death immediately pass into His presence, and there remain in conscious bliss until the resurrection of the body at His coming for the Church, when soul and body reunited shall be associated with Him forever in glory. We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain after death in constant misery in Hades until the final judgment of the Great White Throne at the close of the millennium when soul and body reunited shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to be punished with everlasting separation from the presence of the Lord (Luke 16:19-26; 23:43; II Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23; II Thessalonians 1:7-9; Revelation 20:11-15).