Statement of Faith

What We Believe

First Baptist Church of Middletown, Kentucky

Adopted March 16, 2016

Scripture: The Bible is the record of God’s self-revelation. The criterion by which the Bible is to be interpreted is Christ Jesus. (i)

God: “The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” (ii)  God reveals Himself as Creator, Redeemer, Father, and Savior.

Jesus Christ: Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God (iii) and the second part of the triune God. He made Himself nothing and took the nature of a servant. At one and the same time, he was wholly human and wholly divine. He humbled Himself and became obedient to death on a cross. (iv) He was raised from the dead in bodily form and appeared to His disciples. (v) He ascended to Heaven where He mediates between God and humanity. (vi) He will return from Heaven in the same way he was seen going. (vii) His return to Earth will consummate His redemptive mission. (viii)

The Holy Spirit: God’s Spirit is the third part of the triune God. The Spirit convicts all humanity of sin (ix) , extends the offer of God’s grace to all people, (x) and comes alongside all believers to help, encourage, and comfort. (xi)

Humanity: All people are created in the image of God. (xii) By our free choice, we have earned the sentence of eternal death.xiii God extends the offer of eternal life to all people who are free, by God’s design, to accept or reject God’s gracious love. (xiv) Every Christian is responsible to act according to her or his conscience under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.

The Church: A local church’s membership is comprised of baptized believers who assemble for worship, ministry, fellowship, Bible study, and missions. They are called to encourage each other in the faith, to birth and nurture new believers, and to support each other through life’s journeys. While the church is autonomous in decision-making, it may choose ministry partners to help it fulfill its mission. Local church decisions are made democratically under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. The universal church is the gathering of all believers, both past and present, who proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord. Both women and men are gifted and called to fulfill God’s call according to their understanding of God’s leadership. (xv)

The Ordinances: Christians are baptized by immersion, if they are physically able, based on their profession of faith in Jesus Christ as their one and only Lord. (xvi) Christians regularly join together to celebrate communion with God and with each other through the sharing of bread and the cup.xvii

Worship: Christians gather weekly to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and to share the journey of life. (xviii)

Evangelism: Every believer is gifted and called to share his or her witness with others and to exercise his or her gifts for ministry, both inside and outside the church. (xix)

Stewardship: As Creator, God is the owner of everything created. All people are called to be managers of His creation, both in our personal possessions and in the natural world. (xx) The tithe is the Lord’s. (xxi)

Partners: The church is to partner with other organizations that will help the church fulfill God’s call to work for unity, social improvement, and justice for all people.

Church and State: God’s ideal is for the church to be free to fulfill its calling in a free state. (xxii)

(i) Luke 24: 27

(ii) Deuteronomy 6: 4

(iii) John 1: 14

(iv) Philippians 2: 6-9

(v) Acts 1: 3

(vi) Acts 1: 9-11; I Timothy 2: 5

(vii) Acts 1: 11

(viii) Revelation 21: 1-4

(ix) John 16: 8

(x) Galatians 4: 6

(xi) John 14: 16

(xii) Genesis 1: 27

(xiii) Romans 3: 23, 6: 23

(xiv) John 3: 16

(xv) Galatians 3: 26-29; Joel 2: 28-29

(xvi) Matthew 28: 19-20

(xvii) I Corinthians 11: 23-26

(xviii) Revelation 1: 10

(xix) Matthew 28: 19

(xx) I Peter 4: 10

(xxi) Leviticus 27: 30

(xxii) Galatians 5: 1, 13