Statement of Faith
We believe in the accuracy of the Holy Bible; both the Old and New Testaments, every word inerrantly inspired by God in the original manuscripts. It is the absolute authority as the Christians’ rule of faith and practice.
We believe that there is but one eternal triune God, the Creator, Preserver, and Ruler of all things; Who is perfect in holiness and love, infinite in wisdom and measureless in power and who exists as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; three separate persons and yet one God.
We believe that Jesus Christ is the one and only eternal Son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, that He is true God and true man, and that He is the only mediator between God and man.
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the 3rd person of the Trinity, Whose ministry is to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment; to give new life to the believing; to indwell, empower, intercede for, seal, sanctify, teach, and comfort those who believe; to guide the believer into and in the Word of God; and to conform the believer to the image of Christ.
We believe that man was created in the image of God and that he sinned and thereby incurred both physical and spiritual death; thus we believe that all men by nature and by choice are sinners and apart from salvation in Christ, shall be forever separated from God.
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures as the substitutionary sacrifice, that all who exercise saving faith in Him are eternally justified by His shed blood.
We believe that salvation is by grace through faith, not of works but through Christ alone, and that all who receive by faith the Lord Jesus Christ are born again of the Holy Spirit, reconciled with God, and are joint heirs with Christ in the Kingdom of God.
We believe in the Rapture of the Church, in the personal, visible, bodily return of the Lord Jesus Christ to set up His Millennial Kingdom upon the earth, in the bodily resurrection of the saved to everlasting blessing, the unsaved to everlasting conscious punishment.
We believe in the universal, invisible Church, a living spiritual body of which Christ is the Head, and of which all born-again people are members; and that the local, visible, autonomous church is an independent company of believers under the Headship of Jesus Christ, associated together for worship, fellowship, evangelism, edification, and mission.
We believe in practicing the two Ordinances; Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We believe that baptism is the immersion of the believer in water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit as the public sign of the believer’s identification with the death and resurrection of Christ, of remission of sins, and of giving oneself up to God to live and walk in newness of life. We believe that the Lord’s Supper is the symbol of Christ’s Body given for us, and of His Blood shed for us, until He comes again.
We believe that no religious organization has the right or responsibility to control or to establish civil government, while holding that individual believers as well as the church collectively must endeavor to contribute to and promote moral and spiritual righteousness in society and government. We do not believe that separation of church and state implies separation of the state from God.
We believe that angels are created, spiritual, immortal beings who are the servants of God. They are used by God to answer prayer, give encouragement to believers, and execute His judgment.
We believe that Satan is a created, angelic being who rebelled against God, and who is destined for eternal damnation. He is the enemy of God, accuser of His people, and the leader of demonic forces (fallen angels who followed Satan in his sin). His evil work is limited by the power of God, and believers possess victory through the in-dwelling spirit of Christ.
From the Galilee Baptist Church Constitution, Article 3. ©2001
