Statement of Doctrine
I personally believe that every Christian should know and understand their own personal doctrine. Mine is adopted from Heritage Oaks School which is a ministry that Country Oaks Baptist Church offers, and Country Oaks also happens to be the church that I attend. Everything listed below is what I truly believe and comes from the Living Word of God.
- The Scriptures. Old and New Testaments are the divinely inspired Word of God and infallible in their original writings. They are perfect and complete, the only written Revelation of God to man and authoritative in all matters. II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:20-21; Galatians 1:11-12; II Peter 1:10-12; Luke 24:44.
- There is only one God who as Creator of the universe manifests Himself in three persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Genesis 1:1-2, 26; Deuteronomy 6:4; Ephesians 4:6.
God the Father. He is omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient. He reveals Himself as a merciful and loving Father seeking fellowship with mankind. John 5:19-26; II Corinthians 6:18; Revelation 21:3.
God the Son. He is revealed as Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God; born of a virgin, He is both God and man sent “to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke19:10; John 1:1-2,14, 18; 3:16; Luke 1:35; Matthew 1:18-21.
God the Holy Spirit, He is sent forth from the Father to indwell the saints, to be their counselor and comforter, to empower them for service, and to seal them to Himself. His work is to convict the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. He bestows spiritual gifts upon the believers for perfecting of the saints. John 16:5-16; Acts 1:8, Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:7-14. - Man was created in the image of God without sin. He voluntarily fell from his sinless state and sin has been passed on to all of mankind alienating all from God and resulting in physical and spiritual death. Genesis 1:27; 2:7; 3:1-19; Psalm 14:1-3; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3:23;6:23; Revelation 20:11-15.
- Because mankind is hopelessly lost, we are in need of a Savior. Salvation has been provided through the substitutionary death of Jesus upon the cross. Through the shedding of His blood we have the forgiveness of sin. Salvation is a gift entirely by the grace of God. Through repentance and faith in His death and resurrection we have a living hope and “through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” Please Note: Salvation comes by grace alone, through faith alone, on the merits of Christ alone, and not through the merit or works of man. The grace that saves does not come through acts of obedience or church sacraments. I Peter 1:3-5; I John 1:7-9; 5:10-13; Hebrews 10:5-25; Revelation 1:5-6; 5:9-10.
- Christ’s Church is composed of all born-again believers in Him. Matthew 16:15-19; Ephesians 4:1-16; Colossians 1:24-27. This local church is that body of believers who are voluntarily united together for: Worshipping God. John 4:23-24; Hebrews 10:25. Ministering to the saints. Galatians 6:2; John 13:14; I Peter 4:10. Evangelizing and discipling. John 21:15-17; I Corinthians 11:23-25; Acts 1:8. Keeping the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Matthew 28:18-20; I Corinthians 11:24-26.
- At the close of this age all of mankind will be judged. The believers will be rewarded for their acts of righteousness and the unbelievers will be judged for their deeds and unbelief. “Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.” Hebrews 9:28 Daniel 12:1-3; I Corinthians 3:9-17; Revelation 20:11-21:8.