Mt. Gilead Baptist Church
Saturday, October 05, 2024
Loving God - Loving others

Statement of Faith

 
Scripture
 
We believe that the Bible (both Old and New Testament) is the authoritative Word of God, written by men who were inspired by the Holy Spirit.  It is without error and serves as our supreme authority for daily life and conduct.
 
God
 
We believe in one God who eternally exists in three persons: the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ) and the Holy Spirit.  They are distinct in personality but are equal in nature.  As our Creator, God has rightful ownership of our life and as His creation, we are held accountable to Him and His Law.  He is sovereign over all life and events as He continues to work throughout history His plan to glorify Himself.
 
Man
 
We believe that man, the intentional creation of God, was designed to enjoy fellowship with Him.  But, through disobedience, man fell into the bondage of sin in the Garden of Eden.  As a result, all of mankind is born separated from God.  In this condition, man is enslaved to sin and incapable of doing anything “good” to earn salvation and fellowship with God.  Because every person is guilty of breaking God’s Law, we all have earned eternity in hell as our punishment for sin.
 
Salvation
 
We believe that salvation is God’s redemptive plan to restore sinful man to a position of fellowship with Him.  Salvation is offered freely to mankind on the basis of God’s grace and is accomplished through the work of Jesus Christ.  Salvation is made available to us through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.  Through God’s saving work, we are freed from sin, empowered by the Holy Spirit to serve Him and promised eternal life in heaven.
 
Jesus Christ
 
We believe that Jesus is the Son of God and the promised Messiah of the Old Testament.  As God incarnate (in the flesh), He came to serve as our substitute.  Conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, Jesus lived a perfect life (obedient to God’s Law), died on the cross to satisfy God’s wrath on our behalf and was resurrected after three days.  As He promised to His disciples before He ascended into heaven, we believe that He will return one day in His power and glory to rule and reign.
 
Holy Spirit
 
We believe in the active work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of those who follow Christ.  It is through the work of the Holy Spirit that we are spiritually brought to life and called to follow Christ.  As a Christian, the Holy Spirit assures us of our salvation as He indwells us and empowers us to serve God and persevere through trials and temptations.
 
The Church
 
We believe that the church is the bride of Christ and the avenue that God has ordained for His children to enjoy fellowship with one another and the means by which He has chosen to spread the Gospel message to all nations.  As both a local body and a global fellowship of all believers for all time, we exist as the body of Christ to bring glory to Him.
 
As a cooperating member of the Southern Baptist Convention , you can find fuller explanations of our beliefs by reading The Baptist Faith and Message.