But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: Titus 2:1

We believe that the whole Bible is God-breathed, and the sixty-six books, from Genesis to Revelation, does not only contain and convey the Word of God, but IS the very Word of God, word for word. The Word of God is without error and is inspired and preserved as God promised. Psalm 12:6-7. The King James 1611 Authorized Version is the Word of God for the English speaking people of today and it has been God-Guided, Time-Tested, Life-Changing, Fruit-Bearing, and is the final authority for all rules, faith and practice. II Tim. 3:16-17; n Peter 1:19-21; Jer. 1:9; Matt. 5:18; John 12:48; Psalm 138:2; 119:105, 130,160; Prov. 30:5-6; Rev. 22:18-19.

We believe in the Holy Trinity, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. They are equal in every divine perfection and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption, and that by the way of Jesus Christ who is the only mediator between God and man. I Tim. 2:5; Eph. 2:18; I John 5:7; John 14:16-17, 26; I John 5:20.

We believe that man was created by God in innocence and given a free will of choice and that by a voluntary transgression fell from his sinless and happy state, in consequence of which, all mankind are now sinners by nature and choice and therefore under condemnation without defense or excuse. Gen. 2:7; Isa. 45:12; Gen. 3:1-6; Rom. 3:10-19; 5:12, 19; Rom. 1:18, 20, 28, 32; John 3:17-21.

We believe that Jesus Christ, who is from everlasting to everlasting, was begotten of the Holy Ghost in a miraculous manner; born of Mary, a virgin, as no other man was ever or can ever be born of woman, and that He is the Son of God and God the Son. Matt. 1:20-21; Isa. 7:14; Rom. 1:3; John 1:14; Luke 1:26-35.

We believe that the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, came from Heaven to do the will of the Father, thus to continue forever as both true God and true Man; that as Man He was tempted in all points as we, yet without sin; that as the perfect Lamb of God, He gave Himself to die upon the cross, becoming sin for us, the Just for the unjust. And that by the Risen Saviour, the precious Blood of Jesus Christ is the ONLY atonement for sin. I Peter 3:18-19; Heb. 9:12-15, 22; Lev. 17:11; John 3:16; Rom. 3:24-26; Matt 1:18-23; I Cor. 15:1-4.

We believe in a personal salvation that is a free gift of God, apart from any human effort received ONLY by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Eph. 2:8-9; John 1:12; 5:24; 3:36; 3:16; Rom. 10:9,13; Acts 4:12; Titus 3:5.

We believe in eternal security for the soul of the believer that never can be lost. A person who has received Christ as their personal Saviour can NEVER lose his salvation. John 3:16; 10:28; Eph. 4:30; Rom. 8:35--39; I John 5:11-13; Jude 24.

We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ is our High Priest and that every believer is a priest unto God. Rev. 1:6; I Peter 2:5; Heb. 8:1.

We believe that the Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity; that the work of the Holy Spirit is: to reprove the world of sin, because they believe not on Christ; to reprove of righteousness and judgment. The Baptism (Indwelling) of the Holy Spirit occurs in every believer at the tune of salvation, I Cor. 1:13, and every Christian should seek to obey the commandment: "Be filled with the Spirit," Eph, 5:18; John 16:7-11; and the evidences of being filled with the Holy Spirit are (a) power over sin, (b) power to witness, and (c) a life of love. Rom. 8:13; Acts 1:8; Gal. 5:17-22.

We believe in a life for all believers separate from sin, Eph. 4:17-32; I Thess. 4:11; I Cor. 5:4-13; I John 2:15-17.

We believe that the only Scriptural designated officials of the local church are Pastors (Bishops) and deacons. Acts 6:1-7; I Tim. 3:1-13.

We believe that the ordinances of the local church are ONLY the Lord's Supper and Baptism; that Baptism is administered only to believers, by immersion. Acts 8:36-38; Matt. 28:19-20; 3:14-17; I Peter 3:21; Rom. 6:3-6; I Cor. 11:23-34.

We believe in the independence and autonomy of the local church; that each New Testament Church is free to govern itself without ecclesiastical interference; that it is responsible to follow the pattern of the Word of God and is directly accountable to God. Matt. 18:15-17; II Cor. 5:4-13.

We believe that the Pastor and the Church are supported by the tithes and offerings of the membership of the church. Mal. 3:10-11; I Cor. 9:9-11; 16:1-2; n Cor. 9:7-15.

We believe in the "Blessed Hope", the personal, bodily, visible, premillennial, pretribulational and imminent return of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ when the Church (the dead in Christ shall be raised and those who are alive shall be changed) will be gathered unto Him. John 14:1-3; I Cor. 15:51-53; Acts 1:10-11; I Thess. 4:13-18; Titus 2:13-14.

We believe in the corporal reign of Jesus Christ in the world. Zech. 14:9; Rev. 20:4-6; Isa. 11:1-9.

We believe that the Great White Throne Judgment will be only for those who are lost. Rev. 20:11-15; Heb. 9:27.

We believe there is one eternal habitation (Hell) for all lost sinners; that Hell was created for the devil and his angels, and it is a literal place of eternal torment, punishment, and unquenchable literal fire. Matt 25:41; Luke 16:19-31; Mark 9:43-50; H Thess. 1:8-9; Rev. 20:11-15.

We believe that all true believers will be with Jesus Christ our Lord in Heaven; that Heaven is a literal prepared place with no night, death, sorrow, pain, or sin. John 14:1-3; I Thess. 4:17; Rev. 22:3-5; Heb. 11:10; Rev, 21:1-6.

We believe that tongues (languages, Acts 2:1-11) are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not. With the completion of the New Testament the exercising of tongues ceased. I Cor. 14:19-22; 13:8.

We believe in defending our position against liberalism, modernism, communism, worldliness, humanism, and al 1 groups who are involved in false doctrine. Eph. 6:10-18; H John 1:7-11.

We believe that Sunday is the Day of the Lord or the Lord's Day and not the Old Testament Sabbath. That on the first day of the week faithful believers in Jesus Christ leave their labor to praise and serve Him. Heb. 10:25; I Cor. 16:2; Acts 20:7; Rev. 1:10.

We believe that Satan is a literal, evil, spiritual being; he is the author of sin and the cause of the Fall of Man; that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man; and, that he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire. Job 1:6-7; Isa. 14:12-17; Matt. 4:2-11; 25t41; Rev. 20:10.

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 homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery and pornography are sinful perversions of God's gift of sex. Any employee of the church engaging in any of these sinful perversions shall be terminated from employment. Any Church member engaging in homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, or incest are automatically disqualified from membership. Gen. 2:24; 19:5; 26:8-9; Lev. 18:1-30; Rom. 1:26-29; I Con 5:1; 6:9; I Thess. 4:1-8; Heb. 13:4.

We believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one woman. Gen. 2:24; Rom. 7:2; I Cor. 7; 10; Eph. 5:22-23.

We believe that men and women are spiritually equal in position before God but that God has ordained distinct and separate spiritual functions for men and women in the home and the church. The husband is to be the leader of the home and men are to be the leaders (pastors, deacons, etc.) of the church. Accordingly, only men are eligible for licensure and ordination by the church. Gal. 3:28; Col, 3:18; I Tim. 2:8-15; 3:4-5, 12.

We believe that God created the universe in six literal, 24-hour periods. We reject evolution, the Day-Age Theory, and Theistic Evolution as unscriptural theories of origin. Gen. 1-2; Ex. 20:11.

We believe that God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: 1) the home; 2) the church; and 3) the state, every person is subject to these authorities, but all (including the authorities themselves) are answerable to God and governed by His Word. God has given each institution specific Biblical responsibilities and balanced those responsibilities with the understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the other. The home, the church, and the state are equal and sovereign in their respective Biblically assigned spheres of responsibility under God. Rom. 13:1-7; Eph. 5:22-24; Heb. 13:17; I Pet. 2:13-14.

We believe that God hates divorce and intends marriage to last until one of the spouses dies. Divorce and remarriage is regarded as adultery except on the grounds of fornication. Although divorced and remarried persons or divorced persons may hold positions of service in the church and be greatly used of God for Christian service, they may not be considered for the offices of pastor or deacon. Mal. 2:14-17; Matt. 19:3-12; Rom. 7:1-3; I Tim, 3:2,12; Titus 1:6.

We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the mental well-being of the mother are acceptable. Job 3:16; Ps. 51:5; 139:14-16; Is. 44:24; 49:1-5; Jer. 1:5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:44.

We believe that God has commanded the church to proclaim the Gospel to all nations so that there might be a great multitude from every nation, tribe, ethnic group, and language group who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. As ambassadors of Christ we must use all available means to go to the foreign nations and not wait for them to come to us. Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; 2 Cor. 5:20.

We believe that Christians are prohibited from bringing civil lawsuits against other Christians or the church to resolve personal disputes. We believe the church possesses all the resources necessary to resolve personal disputes between members. We do believe, however, that a Christian may seek compensation for injuries from another Christian's insurance company as long as the claim is pursued without malice or slander. I Cor. 6:1-8; Eph. 4:31-32

We believe that every Christian, as a steward of that portion of God's wealth entrusted to him, is obligated to support his local church financially. We believe that God has established the tithe as a basis for giving, but that every Christian should also give other offerings sacrificially and cheerfully to the support of the church, the relief of those in need, and the spread of the Gospel. We believe that a Christian relinquishes all rights to direct the use of the tithe or offering once the gift has been made. Gen. 14:20; Prov. 3:9-10; Acts 4:34-37; I Cor. 16:2; H Cor. 9:6-7; Gal. 6:6; Eph. 4:28; I Tim. 5:17-18; I John 3:17.

A fundamental, Bible Believing, God Fearing, Independent Baptist is one who believes in a Supernatural Bible, which tells of a Supernatural Christ, Who had a Supernatural birth, Who spoke Supernatural words, Who performed Supernatural miracles, Who lived a Supernatural life, Who died a Supernatural death, Who rose in Supernatural power, Who ascended in Supernatural splendor, Who intercedes as a Supernatural Priest, Who will take the Church Supernaturally out of this world, and Who will one day return in Supernatural glory to establish a Supernatural Kingdom on earth after the Tribulation Period.

The Statement of Faith does not exhaust the extent of our faith. The Bible itself is the sole and final source of all that we believe. We do believe, however, that the foregoing Statement of Faith accurately represents the teaching of the Bible, and therefore, is binding upon all members, All literature used in the church shall be in complete agreement with the Statement of Faith.

This Church recognizes the Lord Jesus Christ as our founder and head. We will seek His will and direction for every decision. We desire the fellowship of all who walk according to Biblical Doctrine. This Church will not be under the authority of, nor a member of any ecclesiastical organization.

If you have questions or you would just like to know more about the Central Baptist Church Statement of Faith, feel free to contact us at:

• Central Baptist Church
• 122 W. Filmore Ave.
• Harlingen, TX 78550
• USA
• Phone: 956-423-8075