STATEMENT OF FAITH

Our Purpose: The purpose here at Bible Baptist Church Phenix City is to help impart unto all that come here a willingness, or rather the necessity, of reaching this lost and dying world with the Gospel of the Grace of God. It is our belief that the greatest problem facing modern man is sin, and the only cure for that sin is the Gospel. Man has, since the fall been left with a void. And though unbeknownst to him, it is a void that only the Lord Jesus Himself can fill. Till a man comes into the saving knowledge of the truth, he will continue to grope around in the darkness (both in this life, and eventually the one to come). And the bible is clear: "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?" (Rom 10:14).

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Our beliefs:​

(A) The Holy Scriptures

We believe the King James Bible, and the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testament which it contains, are the verbally and plenarily inspired Words of God, and are the complete and divine revelation of God to Man. They are inerrant, infallible and God breathed, and therefore are the final authority for faith and practice. As such, the Scriptures are to be interpreted literally, according to their normal grammatical-historical meaning. (Psalm 12:6-7, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:20-21). All other English perversions are satanic counterfeits.

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(B) Dispensationalism

We believe that the Scriptures interpreted in their natural, literal sense reveal divinely determined dispensations or rules of life which define man's responsibilities in successive ages. And that, they are divinely ordered stewardships by which God directs man according to His plan and purpose for the ages. Three of these dispensations–the dispensation of law, the dispensation of the Church, and the dispensation of the kingdom–are the subjects of detailed revelation in Scripture (Genesis 1:28; 1 Corinthians 9:17; 2 Corinthians 3:9-18; Galatians 3:13-25; Ephesians 1:10; Ephesians 3:2-10; Colossians 1:24-27; Revelation 20:2-6).

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(C) The Godhead

We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections. These three are one. (Deuteronomy 6:4; 2 Corinthians 13:14; John 1:14; John 14:10,26; Mark 12:29; 1 Timothy 3:16; Matthew 28:19-20; 1 John 5:7).

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(D) The Person and Works of Christ

1. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men (Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 9:6; Luke 1:35; John 1:1-2; 2 Corinthians 5:19-21; Galatians 4:4-5; Philippians 2:5-8). 

2. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through his death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice, and, that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead (Acts 2:18-36; Romans 3:24-25; 1 Peter 2:24; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:3-5). 

3. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate (Acts 1:9-10; Hebrews 9:24; Hebrews 7:25; Romans 8:34; 1 John 2:1-2).

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(E) The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit

1. We believe that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgement, and, that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption (John 16:8-11; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; 2 Corinthians 3:6; Ephesians 1:13-14; Ephesians 4:30). 

2. We believe that He is the Divine Teacher who assists believers to understand and appropriate the Scriptures and that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 1:17-18; Ephesians 5:18; 1 John 2:20,27).

 3. We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowal of spiritual gifts to every believer. God uniquely uses evangelists, pastors, apostles, prophets and teachers to equip believers in the assembly in order that they can do the work of the ministry (Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11,28; Ephesians 4:7-12).

4. We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and the gift of healing, were temporary. We believe that speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit and that ultimate deliverance of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection, though God frequently chooses to answer the prayers of believers for physical healing (1 Corinthians 1:22; 1 Corinthians 13:8; 1 Corinthians 14:21-22).

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(F) The Depravity of Man

We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam's sin the human race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God, and, that man is depraved, and of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition. We believe the eternal punishment of those who reject Jesus Christ is hell (Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 3:22-23; Romans 5:12; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:1-3; Ephesians 4:17-19; Psalm 9:17; John 3:36; 1 John 5:12; Revelation 20:11-15).

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(G) Salvation

We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by repentance and personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins (John 1:12; Ephesians 1:7; Ephesians 2:8-10; 1 Peter 1:18-19; Luke 13:3-5; Matthew 9:13; Acts 20:21). We reject all five points of Calvinism and the doctrine of Arminianism.

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(H) The Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers

1. We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God's power and are thus secure in Christ forever (John 6:37-40; John 10:27-30; Romans 8:1,38-39; 1 Corinthians 1:4-8; 1 Peter 1:4-5; Ephesians 4:30). 

2. We believe that evidence of true salvation is a sincere attempt to obey the commandments of God and to live a separated life. We believe that an essential part of the doctrine of eternal security is the teaching and preaching of the necessity of repentance. Repentance is a work of the Holy Spirit of God and is a change of mind that produces a change in heart toward God and sin; that it is God the Spirit that leads, grants, and gives true biblical repentance. That any attempt by any person to "repent himself" as did Judas Iscariot (to merit the favor of God), is a work and therefore ultimately rejected by God. We do not believe in sinless perfection. (John 14:21; 1 John 3:19-24; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Matthew 3:7-11; 2 Corinthians 7:8-11; Romans 7:7-25). 

3. We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God's Work, which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh (Romans 13:13-14; Galatians 5:13; Titus 2:11-15). 

4. We believe that heaven is the prepared place for the blessing of a prepared people, who are washed in the blood of the Lamb (John 14:2; Hebrews 11:10).

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(I) The Church

1. We believe that the local church, which is the body and the espoused bride of Christ, is solely made up of born-again baptized persons. (1 Corinthians 12:12-14; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 1:22-23; Ephesians 5:23-27). 

2. We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures (Acts 14:27; Acts 20:17,28-32; 1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11). 

3. We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any external authority or control (Acts 13:1-4; Acts 15:19-31; Acts 20:28; Romans 16:1,4; 1 Corinthians 3:9,16;1 Corinthians 5:4-7,13; 1 Peter 5:1-4). 

4. We recognize water baptism by Immersion and the Lord's Supper as the Scriptural ordinances of obedience for the Church in this age (Matthew 3:16; Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; Acts 8:38-39; Acts 18:8; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26).

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(J) Separation

We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Saviour and Lord; and, that separation from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices and associations is commanded of God (Romans 12:1-2; Romans 14:13; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; 1 John 2:15-17; 2 John 9-11).

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(K) The Second Advent of Christ

We believe in the "blessed hope", the personal, imminent return of Christ, who will rapture His saints prior to the seven-year tribulation period. At the end of the Tribulation, Christ will personally and visibly return, with His saints, to establish His earthly Messianic Kingdom (Psalm 89:3-4; Daniel 2:31-45; Zechariah 14:4-11; John 14:3; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; Revelation 3:10; Revelation 19:11-16; Revelation 20:1-6).

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(L) The Eternal State

1. We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment (Matthew 25:41-46; John 5:28-29; John 11:25-26; Revelation 20:5-6,12-13). 

2. We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection, when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord in the air (Luke 23:43; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23; Philippians 3:21; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; Revelation 20:4-6). 

3. We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious punishment and torment until the second resurrection, when with soul and body reunited they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgement, and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment and torment (Matthew 25:41-46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-26; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9; Jude 6-7; Revelation 20:10-15). 

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(M) The Personality of Satan

We believe that Satan is a person, the father of sin and the cause of the Fall of Man; that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man; and, that he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire (Job 1:6-7; Isaiah 14:12-17; Matthew 4:2-11; Matthew 25:41; John 8:44; Revelation 20:10).

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(N) Creation

We believe that God re-created the universe in six literal, 24-hour periods. We reject evolution, the Day-Age Theory, and Theistic Evolution as unscriptural theories of origin (Genesis 1:1; 1:2-31; Exodus 20:11; 2 Pet 3:3-7).

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(O) Civil Government

We believe that God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: 1) the home; 2) the Church; and 3) the state. Every person is subject to these authorities, but all (including the authorities themselves) are answerable to God and governed by His Word. God has given each institution specific Biblical responsibilities and balanced those responsibilities with the understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the other. The home, the Church, and the state are equal and sovereign in their respective Biblically assigned spheres of responsibility under God (Romans 13:1-7; Ephesians 5:22-24; Hebrews 13:17; 1 Peter 2:13-14).

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(P) Human Sexuality

(1)We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity should be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of sodomy, homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery and pornography are sinful perversions of God's gift of sex (Genesis 2:24; Genesis 19:5,13; Genesis 26:8-9; Leviticus 18:1-30; Deuteronomy 27:21; Romans 1:26-29; 1 Corinthians 5:1; 1 Corinthians 6:9; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8; Hebrews 13:4). 

(2)Trans-gender or unisex modes of dressing are prohibited by the word of God. By this we mean that a man shall not wear clothing that pertains to a woman. Neither shall a woman wear clothing that pertains to a man (Deuteronomy 22:5).

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(Q) Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage

Scriptural marriage can only take place between a man and a woman. Same sex unions/marriages are prohibited by the Word of God and are an abomination before God and must not be sanctioned by churches (Leviticus 18:22; Leviticus 20:13; Romans 1:26-29) We believe that God intends marriage to last until one of the spouses dies. We believe there are three scriptural grounds to dissolve a marriage: (1) Death (Romans 7:3, 1 Corinthians 7:39); (2) Adultery/Fornication of a spouse (Matthew 19:9; and (3) Desertion of an unbelieving spouse (1 Corinthians 7:15). We also believe that the Scriptures allow for remarriage in all cases where the marriage has been scripturally dissolved.  We believe that divorced and remarried persons, or divorced persons may hold positions of service in the churches and be greatly used of God for Christian service. We believe that divorced and/or divorced and remarried men can be and are called of God to serve as preachers, teachers, evangelists, pastors, deacons, and other ministries as God sees fit. We believe that the phrase "husband of one wife" in 1 Timothy 3:2, 1 Timothy 3:12, and Titus 1:6 refers to polygamous relationships where a man cohabits with two or more wives at the same time.

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(R) Abortion

We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the mental well-being of the mother are acceptable (Job 3:16; Psalm 51:5; Psalm 139:14-16; Isaiah 44:24; Isaiah 49:1,5; Jeremiah 1:5; Jeremiah 20:15-18; Luke 1:44).

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(S) Missions

We believe that God has given the Church and individuals the Great Commandment to proclaim the Gospel to all nations so that there might be a great multitude from every nation, tribe, ethnic group, and language group who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. As ambassadors of Christ we must use all available means to go to the foreign nations and not wait for them to come to us (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; 2 Corinthians 5:20).

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(T) Giving

We believe that the tithe is a mandate for Israel and that it is not binding upon the Church. The Apostle Paul sums up Christian giving in the Dispensation of Grace thusly: "But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. 7Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. 8And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: 9(As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever. 10Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)". (2 Cor 9:6-10)

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(U) Music

(1)We do not believe that music is neutral. There is a difference between holy music and profane (worldly) music (Ezekiel 22:26; Ezekiel 44:23). Worldly music cannot be used to honor and glorify God. Rock and Roll music, Contemporary Christian music, Rap music, Country and Western music, Alternative Christian music, and such like are incompatible with Bible believing Christianity and Christ centered music. None of these forms of music will be used in our church. Much Southern Gospel music is also unfit for Bible believing Christians and must be reviewed prior to use.  

(2)We believe that both the lyrics and the accompanying instruments paint a spiritual picture. We also believe that many times the accompanying musical instruments paint a much stronger spiritual picture than the lyrics. Profane accompanying music cannot be overcome with doctrinally sound lyrics. Neither can profane lyrics be overcome with holy accompanying music. Music with a back beat does not meet the biblical requirement that music be sung with melody and grace in the heart of the believer unto the Lord (Ephesians 5:18-19; Colossians 3:16). In music, back beat emphasizes the off beat. The back beat goes one-TWO-three-FOUR or one-two-THREE, one-two-THREE. This is in contrast with a “straight” or march beat, which has the emphasis on the first beat or on each beat equally -- one-two-three-four, one-two-three-four, or ONE-two-three-four, ONE-two-three-four. The back beat is used to work up the flesh and hinders the Spirit of God. Music must put the congregation in the Spirit and not in the flesh. (John 4:23-24; Galatians 5:16-17, 1 Corinthians 14:15). The melody prepares the heart for worship. 

(3) We believe that all music should be used to spiritually prepare congregations for the preaching of the Bible and the working of the Holy Ghost of God. We believe that any music lyrics used in the churches should be doctrinally correct and that the accompanying instruments should honor and glorify the Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 5:18-19; Colossians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 14:15).  

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(V) Women Teachers

A woman must never be placed in a situation where she will be teaching men. However, she may teach other women and boys and girls (1 Timothy 2:12; Titus 2:3-5).