We believe the Bible is the
verbally inspired Word of God, inerrant in the original
writings, and that they are the supreme and final
authority for faith and life.
God - The Trinity
We believe that God exists
eternally in three persons--the Father, the Son, and the
Holy Spirit. We believe these three are equally God,
having precisely the same nature, attributes, and
perfection.
The Lord Jesus Christ
We believe that Jesus is the
eternal Son of God. We believe that He was born of the
Virgin Mary and that He lived a sinless life. We
believe He died as the Lamb of God to make a
substitutionary atonement for sin. We believe that He
arose bodily from the dead. We believe that He ascended
to the Father in heaven where He now intercedes for His
people. We believe that He will return to claim His
Church, raise the dead, overthrow sin, and judge the
world.
The Holy Spirit
We believe the Holy Spirit is God.
We believe He convicts people of sin. We believe He
regenerates, indwells, seals and sets apart believers
unto a holy life. We believe He keeps and empowers
believers. We believe He is the teacher of God's Word
and the guide for daily life.
Mankind
We believe that God created Adam
and Eve innocent and pure. We believe they sinned
against God. As a result, all people inherit a sinful
nature and are lost sinners in need of salvation.
Satan
We believe in the reality and
personality of Satan. He is the tempter, the deceiver
of the world, and the enemy of every believer.
Salvation
We believe that salvation is
entirely by grace through faith in the death and
resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that
all people must repent of their sins (turn from sin) and
trust Christ as Lord and Savior. We believe that all
people who are truly saved are eternally secure in Jesus
Christ. Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone
in Christ alone. Good works are the evidence of
salvation, not the cause of it.
The Church
We believe that the local church is
composed of regenerated (born again) baptized believers,
voluntarily united together for the purpose of worship,
edification, fellowship, spiritual growth, and service.
The Ordinances
We believe that Christ gave two
ordinances--the Lord's Supper and baptism. Both of
these are memorials of Christ's death, burial, and
resurrection. We believe the proper mode of baptism is
immersion. There is no saving power in baptism, but it
is merely a matter of obedience and a symbol of the
believer's identification with Christ in His death,
burial, and resurrection.
The Believer's Lifestyle
We believe that God requires His
people to abstain from worldly and sinful practices.
Believers should be entirely devoted to the Lord and
live in the light of His Holy Word.
The Future
We believe in the personal
pre-millennial return of the Lord Jesus Christ. He will
come for His people to gather them unto Himself, and He will
come with His people to judge the nations. We believe in
the bodily resurrection of the unsaved unto judgment and
everlasting punishment in the lake of fire (Hell). We
believe in the bodily resurrection of the saved unto glory
and everlasting blessedness with Christ in Heaven.
Evangelism and Missions
Because all people everywhere without Christ are lost and
bound for eternal punishment, we believe that we have the
responsibility of giving them the Gospel. Our Lord Jesus
commanded us to be witnesses for Him and to take the good
news of the Gospel to all people everywhere. We also believe
that we must pray for and offer financial support to
missionaries throughout the United States and the world. We
are grateful to be affiliated with the Holston Baptist
Association, the Tennessee Baptist Convention, and the
Southern Baptist Convention.
