Lighthouse
Baptist Church
Columbus, MS
"A Lighthouse for the unsaved, a Greenhouse for the Christian"
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15 Articles of Faith Stating in Simple Terms the Basic Concepts of What We Believe About "the Faith Once Delivered..." (Jude 1:3)
The Scriptures
WE BELIEVE the Bible, the Scriptures of the Old Testament and the
New Testament, preserved for us in the Textus Receptus and the King James
Version, is verbally and plenarily inspired of God. It is the inspired,
inerrant, infallible, and altogether authoritative Word of God, therefore the
supreme and final authority in all things (II Tim. 3:16-17; II Peter 1:21; Rev.
22:18-19).
The Trinity
WE BELIEVE in one God (monotheism), eternally existing in three
Persons: the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit -- the Trinity
(I John 5:7; Matt. 28:19).
Jesus Christ
WE BELIEVE in the deity of Jesus Christ, that He was
supernaturally begotten by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, and is truly
totally God and truly totally man (Matt. 1:20-21; Luke 1:35-36, 2:10-11). He is
the only begotten Son of God (John 1:14; 3:16; 3:18; I John 4:9) and at the same
time God the Son, therefore, the Lord Jesus Christ, sinless, omnipotent,
omniscient, Saviour of sinners, King of kings, and Lord of lords.
WE BELIEVE in the literal, physical, bodily resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord, in His literal, physical, bodily ascension into Heaven and in His present work there as High Priest and Advocate for us (Heb. 9:24; 10:20-21; I Tim. 2:5-6; I John 2:12).
Man
WE BELIEVE man was created in the image of God, that he sinned,
and thereby incurred not only physical death but also that spiritual death which
is the eternal separation from God and an everlasting abode in Hell. All
human beings are henceforth born with a sinful nature and, in the case of those
who reach the age of moral responsibility, become sinners by choice and practice
in thought, word, and deed, and that sin creates a debt which no man can pay for
himself (Rom. 3:23; 5:12; Gen. 1:26-27; I Cor. 11:7).
The Gospel
WE BELIEVE the Gospel is the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ
who died on the cross for our sins, was buried and arose alive and
triumphant from the grave. In so doing He made the necessary sacrifice for
atonement. Jesus became the substitute for our redemption which thereby paid our sin
debt and purchased our salvation for us, and all who place their faith in
full trust to Him are saved by His shed blood (I Cor. 15:3-4; Col. 1:14; Eph.
1:7; Rom. 5:9; Acts 4:12).
Believer's Baptism
WE BELIEVE each person claiming Christ as Saviour should promptly
make public his/her profession of Christ. Each new Christian should follow
the Lord's command for believer's baptism and such scriptural baptism is
always by immersion. This baptism does not save but it is the Lord's
prescribed way for us to identify ourselves with Him in open confession. Baptism is a symbolic representation, a picture of the death, burial, and
resurrection of Christ (Matt. 10:32-33; 28:18-20; Luke 9:23; Acts 16:30-34; Rom.
10:9-10).
The Holy Spirit
WE BELIEVE at the time of the New Birth the believer
receives the Holy Spirit and by Him is baptized into the body of Christ. The
believer is
forever indwelt by the Holy Spirit as Comforter, Teacher, and Guide, and if
yielded to Him, is filled by the Spirit and is empowered for service (John
1:32-34; Acts 15:8; Rom. 6:13; 12:1-2).
Eternal Security
WE BELIEVE each believer, at the time he puts his trust in
Christ, is born into the family of God and does instantaneously become a son or
daughter of the living God. The believer is redeemed by the Lord's purchase price paid
for us, is preserved in Christ and therefore is secure in Christ, possesses
everlasting, eternal life, and is sealed for eternity. (John 10:28-29; Romans
8:38-39; John 5:24; Ephesians 1:13)
The Church
WE BELIEVE the church is a local, independent assembly of
baptized believers who have banded together for the purpose of evangelism,
discipleship, and fellowship, and every Christian should commit himself to
such a local church and serve the Lord through that church (Matt. 16:18;
28:18-20; Eph. 3:20-21).
World Evangelism
WE BELIEVE the Lord's Great Commission to the church was to get
the Gospel to the world; therefore, we carry forth an extensive program of
soul-winning evangelism in the homeland and a worldwide missionary program
abroad, with the goal of winning people to Christ, baptizing them, and teaching
them everything the Lord has commanded us (Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 1:8)
Heaven and Hell
WE BELIEVE in the literal, physical, bodily resurrection of both
the saved and the lost (I Thess. 4:13-18; Rev. 20:5-6), the everlasting
blessedness of the saved (Heaven) (John 14:1-3; Rev. 21-22), and the everlasting
conscious punishment of the lost (Hell) (Luke 16:29-31; Rev. 20:12-15).
Satan
WE BELIEVE Satan is a real being, a personal devil, who is
the enemy of God, the "father of lies," the great deceiver of mankind, the
instigator of all false systems of religion, and that both he and all his
followers will ultimately be cast into the lake of fire (II Cor. 11:13-16;
Ephesians 2:2; II Cor. 4:3-4; Rev. 20:2).
Tithes and Offerings
WE
BELIEVE the Scriptures teach us to give tithes and offerings from our income
and resources into the Lord's treasury in the local church and all of us
have a responsibility, before God, to be faithful every week in our stewardship (Mal. 3:8-10; Matt. 23:23; I Cor. 16:1).
Personal Separation
WE BELIEVE Christians should be separated unto God and
separated from the world. All believers are called into a life of
personal separation from all worldly and sinful practices (James 4:4; Rom.
12:1-2; II Cor. 6:14-18).
WE BELIEVE a Christian should seek to live a life that is clean, holy, and above reproach. He should exhibit both attitude and actions so as to be of good report. Practices which are questionable or which may cause another person to stumble or which may mar the testimony of Christ should be avoided altogether. Therefore personal standards of demeanor and deportment are expected (Eph. 2:10; 4:1; 5:1-4; Phil 1:27; 3:14-21; 4:8-9).
The Lord's Day
WE
BELIEVE Sunday, the first day of the week, is the Lord's Day. It is
therefore a sacred and special day. It should be a day of worship of the Lord
and service to Him as well as a day of respite and rest from the ordinary
routines of life (John 20:1, 19, 26; I Cor. 16:2; Heb. 10:25).