Statement of faith
THE BIBLE
We believe the Bible to be the revealed Word of God, fully and verbally inspired of God. We believe the Scriptures to be the inerrant, infallible, and completely sufficient Word of God, as found within the 66 books from Genesis to Revelation. We believe God not only inspired every word, but has preserved them through the ages. (Psalm 12:6-7; II Timothy 3:15-17; I Peter 1:23-25; II Peter 1:19-21).
GOD
We believe in one Triune holy God, who is eternal, self-existent, infinite, immutable and personal. We believe in one God existing as three co-equal, co-eternal persons of the Godhead: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Deuteronomy 6:4; I Timothy 1:17; James 1:17; I John 4:4).
THE SON OF GOD
We believe Jesus Christ is the one and only Savior of mankind. We believe Jesus Christ to be eternally God and to possess all the attributes of Deity. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ was virgin born and that He was God incarnate. The incarnation revealed God as the sole Redeemer of mankind. We believe that when Jesus Christ came to live on earth He never relinquished any attribute of His Deity but merely veiled them being 100% man and 100% God. We believe He lived a perfect sinless life. At the end of His mortal life, Jesus Christ was offered as a substitutionary sacrifice for all mankind, a sacrifice necessitated by sin. This sacrifice was a just payment to God for the forgiveness of sin by His death through the shedding of His blood on the Cross and was accepted by God as demonstrated by His resurrection. We believe He ascended into Heaven after His resurrection to be seated at the right hand of the Father where He waits today for the time of receiving His church at the Rapture, and returning seven years later to earth to rule and reign as King for 1,000 years (Psalm 2:7-9; Isaiah 7:14, 9:6, 43:11; Micah 5:2; Matthew 1:25; Luke 1:26-35; John 1:1, 1:3, 14, 18, 29; Romans 3:19-25; Romans 5:6-15; Philippians 2:5-11; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; I Timothy 2:5; I Timothy 3:16; Titus 2:10-15; Hebrews 7:26, 9:24-28; I Peter 1:19, 2:2; I John 1:3; Revelation 20:1-6).
THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe the Holy Spirit of God is a person who has personality and all the attributes of Deity. We believe the Holy Spirit has always been involved in the affairs of mankind. However, We believe He has a special ministry which began at Pentecost and will continue until the return of Christ. This ministry includes convicting the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment which He does primarily through the Word of God. The Holy Spirit also regenerates, sanctifies, seals and fills all who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ (John 3:5-6; John 14:16; Acts 1:5; Acts 11:15; I Corinthians 3:16; I Corinthians 6:19-20; I Corinthians 12:13). We believe the Apostolic gifts such as tongues, healings and new revelation ceased with the Apostles.
SIN AND SALVATION
We believe all mankind was born with an inherited sin nature received from our common ancestor, Adam. We believe that because of his nature, man is a sinner by choice and that he is totally incapable of reforming himself or ceasing from his sin by his own power. We believe the only hope of deliverance for man is the substitutionary atoning work of Christ on the Cross and His resurrection from the grave. We believe a person is saved by repentance and faith in Christ and His finished work of salvation. We believe in a person's total change of mind concerning his sinful condition and his inability to save himself and a turning to Jesus Christ alone by faith as the only Savior. We believe that all who reject Jesus Christ as Savior are already condemned to an eternity in the Lake of Fire (Romans 3:10-23; Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:11-14; Romans 5:6-12; Acts 16:31; Romans 10:9-10; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 3:18; Titus 3:5-6).
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH
We believe the church began with the calling out of the twelve apostles by Jesus Christ and was empowered on the day of Pentecost. We believe the church is local and visible and that it is God’s only institution to carry out His work today. We believe the church is composed of members who have been saved and baptized according to the command of Christ and who have voluntarily united together to keep the ordinances (Baptism and the Lord's Supper) and carry out the Great Commission. We believe all true believers will be taken up at the Rapture, just prior to the Tribulation (Matthew 16:16-18; Acts 1:15; Acts 2:41-43; Acts 11:15; Acts 20:28; I Corinthians 15: 51-58; Ephesians 1:12-14; Ephesians 5:25-30; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; I Timothy 3:4-15). Community Baptist Church believes in and practices closed communion.
THE LAST DAYS
We believe in the literal interpretation of the Scriptures in their grammatical and historical context. We believe in the pre-tribulation Rapture of the saints followed by the seven-year Tribulation. We believe in the pre-millennial return of Christ to the earth and His literal rule of one thousand years. The Great White Throne Judgment will follow the Millennial Kingdom. After this Judgment a new Heaven and new earth will appear and God’s people will live with Him forever (I Corinthians 15:51-58; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; I Thessalonians 5:1-9; Revelation 19-22).