What We Believe
Simply put, doctrines are those foundational beliefs that guide our actions and attitudes. Doctrines provide the firm footing for living a God-honoring life. Because Biblical Doctrines are formed by and based on God’s Word, the Bible. Foundational doctrines do not change despite the ever-blowing winds of societal change or any claims of ‘new interpretations’.
Bible
We believe the Bible, consisting of both the Old and New Testament Scriptures in their entirety, is the only divinely inspired, inerrant, objectively true, and authoritative written Word of God, and the only infallible rule of faith and practice. The divine inspiration of Scripture extends to each word of the original manuscripts, but not to the various copies or translations of Scripture. The Bible should be interpreted literally, grammatically, contextually, and historically.
Deut. 29:29; John 10:35; 2 Tim. 3:15-17; 2 Pet. 1:21; 1 Cor. 2:13
God
We believe in only one God, the Creator, who is infinite, personal, eternally existing in three persons, revealed to us in Scripture as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Gen. 1:1; Deut. 6:4; Isa. 43:10; Isa. 44:6; Isa. 45:22; Matt. 28:19; John 4:24; John 5:26; Col. 1:16-19; 1 Cor. 8:4
Human Race
We believe that both man and woman were created in the image of God to enjoy a personal relationship with Him. As a result of deliberate disobedience they fell from their sinless state, and they and all their descendants became sinners. Consequently, they cannot save themselves and apart from the grace of God in Jesus Christ, they are condemned to a place of eternal torment.
Gen. 1:26-27; 2:7; Matt. 5:20-48; John 3:16-18, 36; Rom. 2:6-16; 5:12-21; 6:23; 2 Thes. 1:6-9; Rev. 20:13-15
Jesus Christ
We believe that Jesus Christ is God the Son who has neither beginning nor ending. He was conceived in the flesh by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, and is fully God and fully man. Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and arose bodily on the third day. He ascended into heaven and is now seated at the right hand of God the Father as our only mediator, high priest and advocate.
Matt. 1:23-25; John 1:1; John 14:3; Acts 4:12; 1 Cor. 15:3, 4, 20; Phil. 2:5-11; 1 Tim. 2:5-6; Heb. 4:14-16; 1 Pet. 2:22
Holy Spirit
We believe the Holy Spirit is God, the third person of the Trinity. He is a person, not a force. The Holy Spirit’s ministries include: convicting all people of sin; calling, regenerating, indwelling, and baptizing believers into the body of Christ; setting the believer apart to a holy life; and teaching, keeping, and empowering them day by day. The Holy Spirit distributes spiritual gifts to each believer according to His will. God in His sovereignty still works in miraculous ways. However, we understand that the sign gifts have served their purpose and should not be expected in the church today.
John 3:5-8; Acts 1:8; 5:3-4; 16:7-14; 1 Cor. 2:9-12; 3:16; 12:3-13, 28-31; 13:8-11; Gal. 5:16-25; Eph. 1:13-14; 5:18; Heb. 2:3-4
Salvation
We believe we are saved solely by the grace of God through faith in Christ alone. This salvation was purchased by the substitutionary death and shed blood of Jesus Christ for the sins of every person and is offered to everyone as a free gift. The person who has trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior is eternally secure, and can enjoy the assurance of salvation. We believe that at death believers enter eternal glory and that unbelievers enter eternal torment.
Acts 16:31; 20:20-21; Rom 3:28; 10:9; 1 Cor. 15:3-4; John 1:12; 3:16; 10:28; Eph. 2:8-9; Phil. 1:6
Church
We believe that Christ is the Head of the Church, which is His body. All who have trusted in Him as Savior are members of it. Christians should commit themselves to worship, instruction, fellowship, stewardship, and service in a local church. The church is responsible to represent Jesus Christ in the world through godly living and evangelism. All believers are commanded to participate in two church ordinances, believers’ baptism by immersion and the Lord’s Supper.
Matt. 26:26-29; 28:18-20; Acts 2:42; 1 Cor. 12:13; Eph. 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 3:6-10; 4:11-13; 5:23-27; 1 Thes. 2:14; Heb. 10:25; 1 Pet. 2:9-10; 1 John 4:17
Sanctification
We believe that every believer has been sanctified, set apart with a perfect standing before God. As we yield ourselves to the Holy Spirit, we will experience spiritual growth in holiness, but we will not experience perfection in conduct. Future rewards are determined by our obedience to the Lord.
Satan
We believe that Satan was created an angelic being. He became the author of sin, our adversary and accuser, and the great deceiver of the nations. He will finally be overcome by the Lord Jesus Christ and suffer eternal punishment in the lake of fire.
Gen. 3:1; Job 1:6-12; Matt. 4:3-11; John 8:44; 2 Cor. 4:4; 1 John 3:8; 5:19; Rev. 12:9-10; 20:10
Future Events
We believe, on a day known only by God the Father, Jesus will rapture His church to deliver it from the judgments that God will pour upon the earth. After this terrible period, the Lord Jesus Christ will return in glory to establish His Millennial Kingdom on the earth. This will be followed by the final judgment of the wicked in the lake of fire and eternal bliss for God’s children in a new heaven and a new earth.
John 14:3; Acts 1:7, 11; Rom. 8:1; 1 Cor. 15:20, 23; 2 Cor. 5:10; Phil. 1:23; 1 Thes. 4:16-17; Rev. 11:15; 19:11; 21:5
Statement on the Sanctity of Human Life
We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life. (Ps 139)
Statement of Final Authority for Matters of Faith and Conduct
The statement of faith does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. The Bible itself, as the inspired and infallible Word of God that speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind, is the sole and final source of all that we believe. For purposes of the Berean Bible Church’s faith, doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline, our Elder Board is the final interpretive authority on the Bible’s meaning and application for our church family.
Statement on Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality
We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image of God. (Gen 1:26-27) Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the way that God intended for that person to reflect God’s image.
We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture. (Gen 2:18-25) We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other. (1 Cor 6:18; 7:2-5; Heb 13:4) We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, and use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God. (Matt 15:18-20; 1 Cor 6:9-10)
We believe that in order to preserve the function and integrity of the Berean Bible Church as the local Body of Christ, and to provide a biblical role model to the church’s members and the community, it is imperative that all persons employed by the Berean Bible Church in any capacity, or who serve as volunteers, agree to and abide by this Statement on Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality. (Matt 5:16; Phil 2:14-16; 1 Thess 5:22)
We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking God’s mercy and forgiveness through faith in Jesus Christ. (Acts 3:19-21; Rom 10:9-10; 1 Cor 6:9-11) We believe that God offers His grace to all people, regardless of past sins, if they respond to His offer of salvation through faith in Christ.
We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity. (Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31) Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture nor the doctrines of the Berean Bible Church.
Berean Bible Church Marriage Policy
Because God has ordained marriage and defined it as the covenant relationship between a man, a woman, and Himself, the Berean Bible Church will only recognize marriages between a biological man and a biological woman. Further, the pastors and staff of Berean Bible Church shall only conduct weddings and solemnize marriages between one man and one woman. Finally, the facilities and property of Berean Bible Church shall only host weddings between one man and one woman.