THE
ESSENTIALS WE BELIEVE:
1. ABOUT GOD
God is the Creator and Ruler of
the universe. He has eternally existed in three personalities: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are
co-equal, and are one God.
Genesis 1:1,26,27; 3:22; Psalm
90:2; Matthew 28:19; I Peter 1:2; II Corinthians 13:14
2. ABOUT JESUS CHRIST
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father. Jesus
lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven's glory and w ill return again someday to earth to reign as
King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.
Matthew 1:22,23; Isaiah 9:6; John
1:1-5, 14:10-30; Hebrews 4:14,1115; I Corinthians 15:3,4; Romans 1:3,4; Acts 1:9-11; I Timothy 6:14,15; Titus 2:13.
3. ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit is co-equal with
the Father and the Son of God. He is present in the world to make men aware of
their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment
of salvation. He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding
of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. He gives every believer
a spiritual gift when they are saved. As Christians we seek to live under His
control daily.
II Corinthians 3:17; John 16:7-13,
14:16,17; Acts 1:8; I Corinthians 2:12,3:16; Ephesians 1:13, Galatians 5:25; Ephesians 5:18.
4. ABOUT THE BIBLE
The Bible is God's Word to us. It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. Because it is inspired by God, it is the truth without any mixture of error.
II Timothy 3:16; II peter 1:20,21;
II Timothy 1:13; Psalm 119:105,160,12:6; Proverbs 30:5.
5. ABOUT HUMAN BEINGS
People are made in the image of
God, to be like Him in character. People are the supreme object of God's creation. However, the image of God in man was marred through sin and he is now a sinner alienated
from God. Within himself man has no ability or desire to belong to God. Genesis
1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6a; Romans 3:23; Isaiah 59:1,2; Eph 2:1-3; Rom 5:6-9.
6.
ABOUT SALVATION
Salvation is a work of God and God's free gift to us, but we must accept it. We
can never make up for our sin by self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting
in Jesus Christ as God's offer of forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin's penalty.
When we turn from our self-ruled life and turn to Jesus in faith we are
saved. Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into his life
by faith. Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8,9; John 14:6,1:12; Titus 3:5; Galatians
3:26; Romans 5:1
7. ABOUT ETERNAL SECURITY
Because God gives us eternal life
through Jesus Christ, the true believer is secure in that salvation for eternity. If
you have been genuinely saved, you cannot "lose" it. Salvation is maintained
by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the Christian. It is
the grace and keeping power of God that gives us this security. However, the
assurance of our salvation is affected by the way we live. Our sin now affects
our fellowship with God, but it does not alter our relationship as His children. John
10:29,29; II Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 7:25; 10:10,14; I Peter 1:3-5.
8. ABOUT ETERNITY
People were created to exist forever.
We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is Hell. To be eternally
in union with Him is eternal life. Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal
existence. John 3:16; John 14:17; Romans 6:23; Romans 8:177-18; Revelation 20:15;
I Cor. 2:7-9.
OUR LIFESTYLE STATEMENT
What We Practice
Beliefs are not worth much unless
they are translated into actions. Based on what the Bible teaches, we feel very
strongly about the following seven practices:
Bible
as our sole authority.
"The whole Bible
was given to us by inspiration from God and is useful to teach us what is true and make us realize what is wrong in our lives;
it straightens us out and helps us to do what is right." II Tim. 3:15
Since God's Word is the only completely
reliable and truthful authority, we accept the Bible as our manual for living. Our
first question when faced with a decision is "What does the Bible say?" We practice
daily Bible reading, Bible study, and Bible memorization. The Bible is the basis
for all we believe.
Autonomy of each local church.
"Christ is the head of his body, the church,
He is the source of the Body's life..." Col.1:18
Christ is the recognized head
of our church, not any person, group, or religious organization. While recognizing
the value of association and cooperating with other groups of Christians, we believe every local church should be self-governing
and independent from any denominational control.
Priesthood
of every believer.
"Christ loves us,
and by his death he has freed us from our sins and made us a kingdom of priests to serve God." Rev. 1:6 "You are...the king's priest...God's own people, chosen to proclaim the wonderful acts of God."
I Pet. 2:9
The Bible teaches that every Christian
is called to "full time" Christian service, regardless of his or her vocation. We
practice the truth that every believer is a minister by encouraging every member to find a place of service and ministry. Every believer has direct access to God through prayer and Bible reading.
Tithing
"A
tithe of everything you produce belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord." Lev. 26:30
At Woodland we practice tithing for the support of Christ's Body, the Church, as God commands. We recognize that giving 10% of our income is the Biblical standard of giving.
Immersion
"For when you were baptized, you were buried with Christ, and in baptism
you were also raised with Christ..." Col. 2:12
We practice baptism by immersion under water - the way Jesus was baptized,
and the way the Bible commands.
Spirit-led living
(Jesus said) "I am the Vine, you are the branches. If you abide in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; but apart from me you can
do nothing." John 15:5
We believe the only way possible to live the Christian life is by God's
power within us. So we seek to practice a daily dependence on God's Spirit to
enable us to do what is right (Phil. 2:13, Eph. 5:18)
Telling others about
Christ
"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." I Peter
3:15
It is the responsibility of every Christian to share the Good News with those God brings us into contact
with. We practice personal sharing about Christ and inviting friends to church.
The Church at Woodland is part
of the Bartow Baptist Association in connection with The Georgia Baptist Convention. We support international missions
as well as mission work here at home. 5% of our General Offering goes to work in Bartow County, such as the Truck Stop
Chaplaincy Ministry. We contribute to local benevolence to meet emergency needs. Part of being a Southern Baptist
means each church has total autonomy over its practices and proceedures.
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