Clear Springs Baptist Church

Statement of Faith

Of the Scriptures
1. We believe in the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as verbally inspired by God and without error in the original writings; that it has been preserved in the King James Version; that the Bible is reliable in science, history, and every other matter that it discusses; and that the Bible is of supreme and final authority in faith and life. II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:19-21.

Of the Triune God
2. We believe in one triune God, eternally existing in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections. Exodus 20:2-3; I Corinthians 8:6; I John 5:7; Matthew 28:19-20; II Corinthians 13:14.

Of His Attributes
3. We believe in God, the Father, perfect in absolute holiness, infinite in wisdom, measureless in power; that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from eternal death and from Hell all that come to Him through Jesus Christ our Lord. Psalms 22:3; John 17:11; Psalms 147:5; I John 3:20; Matthew 19:26; John 3:16; Matthew 6:26, 28-30; Psalm 65:2; Hebrews 11:6; Romans 5:8; I Timothy 2:5; John 14:6.

Of the Deity of Jesus Christ
4. We believe in the absolute deity of the Lord Jesus Christ; His eternal existence as God, co-equal with the Father and the Holy Spirit; His incarnation by means of the virgin birth; His sinlessness; His vicarious death through the shedding of His blood as an atonement for the remission of sins; His literal bodily resurrection from the dead; His ascension; His present high priestly ministry in Heaven for believers; and His personal return to earth. I John 5:20; John 1:18, 14:9; Hebrews 1:8; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18 25; Luke 1:26-35; I Peter 2:22; Romans 3:25; Hebrews 9:14; Luke 24:36-43; Acts 10:40-41, 1:9; Luke 24:51; Hebrews 8:1-2; I John 2:1; Acts 1:11; I Thessalonians 4:16.

Of the Holy Spirit
5. We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, equal with the Father and the Son, and of the same substance and nature; that He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment; that He bears witness to the truth; that He is the agent of the new birth; that He baptizes all true believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sanctifying all of them, sealing, and thus securing, unto the day of redemption; that He endues, guides, teaches, directs, and helps believers; and that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the spirit, the evidence being soul-winning power and not speaking in tongues. Matthew 28:19; II Corinthians 13:14; Acts 5:3-4.

Of the Creation
6. We believe that God created the heavens and the earth, including all life, each after its own species, by direct act and not by the process of evolution. Genesis 1-2; Colossians 1:16-17; John 1:3.

Of the Fall of Man
7. We believe that man, in the person of the first Adam, was created in the image of God, in innocence under the law of his maker, but by reason of his voluntary sin, fell from his high and holy state; that as a result the whole race plunged into condemnation and death, so that now all human beings are born with a sinful nature; and that all who reach the age of moral responsibility become willful sinners in thought, word and deed, and so are without excuse before God. Genesis 3; 1:26-27; Romans 5:10-19; Psalms 51:5; Romans 1:18-32; 3:10-23.

Of Salvation
8. We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace through faith in the blood sacrifice, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ; that all who receive Him are regenerated by the Holy Spirit and become children of God; that no rite, ceremony, or work can avail one whit for the sinners salvation or make the believers more secure; that Christ is the only and all sufficient Saviour; and all that are truly saved are kept forever. Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-7; John 5:24, 1:12; Romans 10:9-13; Acts 16:31, 4:12; II Timothy 1:12; John 10:28-29; Romans 8:35-39; Philippians 1:6.

Of the Plan of Salvation
9. We believe that the blessings of salvation are made free to all by the gospel; that it is the immediate duty of all to accept them by a cordial, penitent, and obedient faith; and that nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner on earth but his own inherent depravity and voluntary rejection of the gospel, which rejection involves him in an aggravated condemnation. John 3:16-21, 5:40; I Timothy 1:15, 2:3-4; Hebrews 7:25; Revelation 22:17; Ezekiel 33:11; II Peter 3:9.

Of the Two Natures
10. We believe that every saved person possesses two natures; that he has the old nature for the duration of his earthly life; but that provision is made for victory of the new nature over the old nature through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Romans 7:15-25, 6:11-14; Philippians 4:7-14, 3:7-14.

Of Sanctification
11. We believe that sanctification for the believer is immediate, upon acceptance of Christ as Saviour, and progressive, continuing to the end of earthly life; and that the progressive phase of sanctification is carried on in the hearts of believers by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in the continual use of the appointed means, especially study of God's work, self-examination, self-denial, faithfulness in and through a fundamental local church, prayer, and soul winning. I Corinthians 1:2, 6:11; Hebrews 10:10-14; 10:25; I Thessalonians 3:12-13, 4:1-12; II Peter 3:18; Ephesians 4:11-16.

Of Separation
12. We believe that the saved are called into a life of separation from religious apostasy, and from all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices, and associations. Romans 12:1-2; 16:17-18; I Thessalonians 5:22; I John 2:15-17; II Corinthians 6:14-18; II John 7-11; Ephesians 5:11.

Of the Local Church
13. We believe that the local New Testament church is composed of regenerated baptized believers, voluntarily united together for the purpose of worship, edification, observing the ordinances, fellowship, and service; that the officers of the local church are pastors and deacons whose qualifications, claims, and duties are clearly defined in the scriptures; that the true mission of the church is the faithful witnessing of Christ to all men as we have opportunity in the local community and unto the uttermost parts of the earth; that the local church has absolute right of self government, free from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations, religious or political; that the one and only superintendent is Christ, through the Holy Spirit; that it is scriptural for true churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the gospel, with each local church as the sole judge of the measure and the method of its cooperation; and that, in all matters of membership, policy of government, discipline, and benevolence, the will of the local church is final. Acts 2 : 41-47; 4:4; 20:7; 11:26; 1:8; 6:1-8; 15:1-27; 11:29-30; 13:1-4; 20:28, 31; Romans 1:7; Colossians 1:2; 1:18; I Corinthians 1:2; 5:1-6:11; Hebrews 10:25; 13:7, 17; Philippians 1:1; 4:14-16; I Timothy 3:1-16; Titus 1:5-8; I Peter 5:1-5; Matthew 28:18-20; Ephesians 1:22-23; 5:23-26.

Of the Ordinance of Baptism
14. We believe that Bible baptism is the burial of a believer in water, thus setting forth in symbol his union with Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection; that every believer should be baptized because of the example of our saving power in water baptism, it is an act of obedience by those who are already saved to picture that they are dead, buried, and raised spiritually with Jesus Christ by faith in Him. We reject infant baptism as unscriptural. John 5:24; Romans 6:3-5; Matthew 3:13-17; 28:19-20; Acts 8:36-39; Ephesians 2: 8-9; Titus 3:5.

Of the Ordinance of the Lord's Supper
15. We believe that the Lord's Supper is a commemoration of the Lord's death until He comes again; and that, in this ordinance, the Lord's table should be open to all regenerated persons living in fellowship with, and obedience to Jesus Christ. I Corinthians 11:23-32; Luke 22:14-20.

Of the Return of Jesus Christ
16. We believe in the literal, bodily, personal, premillennial, and imminent coming of our Lord into the air to catch away all believers unto Himself before the tribulation period; also, in the personal, visible, and glorious return of Christ to the earth, with believers, at the close of the tribulation period to judge the living nations, and to set up His millennial kingdom on earth. Acts 1:11; John 14:3; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 4:1; Matthew 24: 42-44; II Thessalonians 2:7-8; Matthew 24:29-31; 25:31-46; Revelation 19: 11-21; 20:1-6.

Of the Resurrection of the Dead
17. We believe in the bodily resurrection of the dead, the saved to everlasting blessedness at the coming of Christ, (pre-tribulational for all, except tribulational saints) and, one thousand years later, the lost to the judgement at the great white throne, and then to everlasting, conscious punishment in the lake of fire. John 5:21-30; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; I Corinthians 15:42-52; Philippians 3:20-21; Revelation 20:5-6,11-15.

Of the Two Resurrections
18. 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; and that the souls of the lost remain after death, in conscious misery until the second resurrection. II Corinthians 5:6-8; Philippians 1:23, 24; Luke 16:19-31.

Of the Institution of Government
19. We believe that civil government is of divine appointment, for the interests and good order of human society; and that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored, and obeyed, except only in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 13:1-7; Genesis 9:5-6; Exodus 18:21; Acts 4:19-20; 5:27-29; I Timothy 2:2-3.

Of the Lord's Day
20. We believe that in this age of grace, the Lord's day, which is the first day of the week, the day of our Lord's resurrection, is the proper day for Christian worship and service; and that it ought to be kept sacred to spiritual purposes, by abstinence from all unnecessary secular labors and other activities unbecoming to such a day. Acts 20:7; I Corinthians 16:1-2; John 20:1, 19, 26; Colossians 2:13-17; Hebrews 10:25.

Of the Covenant People of Israel
21. We believe that God's covenant people, Israel, shall be redeemed and regathered to Palestine from their world wide dispersion and under the personal and millennial reign of Christ upon David's throne in Jerusalem and shall become head of nations. Genesis 12:2-3; 13:14-15; Jeremiah 7:7; Deuteronomy 28:63-66; 30:1-6; Ezekiel 36:22-28; 37:11-28; Romans 11:25-27; Luke 1:30-33; Jeremiah 23:3-6; 33:14-17; Acts 3:19-21; Revelation 20:4-6.

Of Satan
22. We believe that Satan, a fallen angel, is a distinct and real personality, the god of this age, the adversary of Christ and all believers , and that his destiny is eternal punishment in the lake of fire. Ezekiel 28:1-19; Job 1:6-9; I Peter 5:8; Matthew 4:1-11; I Timothy 3:7; James 4:7; Revelation 20:10.