STATEMENT OF FAITH

(Taken from the Constitution of Blue Run Baptist Church)

1. The Scriptures:

We believe in the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as verbally inspired of God, and inerrant in the original writings and that they are the supreme and final authority in all matters of doctrine, faith, and conduct. Matt. 5:18; 2 Tim 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21

2. God:

We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 2 Cor. 13:14; Matt. 3:16-17; 28:19; 1 Peter 1:2; 1 John 4:15

3. Jesus:

1. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the Eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men. John 1:1-2, 14; Luke 1:35
2. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through the shedding of His blood and death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice and that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead. Romans 3:24-25; Eph 1:7; 1 Peter 1:3-5; 2:24
3. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to heaven, and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Intercessor and Advocate. Acts 1:9,10; Rom. 8:34; Heb. 9:24; 1 John 2:1,2
4. We believe in the “Blessed Hope”, the personal, imminent, pretribulational and premillenial coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for His redeemed ones; and in the subsequent return to earth with His saints to establish His Millenial Kingdom. 1 Thess. 1:10; 5:9;4:13-18; Zech. 14:4-11; Rev. 3:10; 19:11-16; 20:1-6.

4. Holy Spirit:

We believe, the Holy Spirit, a Person of the Godhead, convicts the world concerning sin, righteousness and judgement; and that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers at conversion into the body of Christ; indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption. 2 Peter 1:20-21; John 14:16-26; 16:7-11; 2 Cor. 3:6; 1 Cor. 12:12-14; Rom. 8:9; Eph. 5:18; 1

John 2:20, 27.

5. Man:

We believe that man was created by God in His image and likeness. In Adam’s sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God; and we believe that man is totally depraved, a sinner in thought, word, and deed and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition. Gen. 1:26-27; Rom. 3:23; 5:12; Eph. 2:1-3, 12.

6. Salvation:

We believe that man’s salvation is the gift of God brought to him by God’s grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins; and that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever. Eph. 1:7; 2:8-10; John 1:12; 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Rom. 8:1,38-39; 1 Cor. 1:4-8; 1 Peter 1:5, 18, 19.

7. Church:

1.      We believe that the church is the body of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up                 

       of all persons who have received Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior. Eph.  

       1:22-23; 5:25-27; 1 Cor. 12:12-14; 2 Cor. 11:2.

2.      We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly  

       taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures. Acts 20:17; 1 Tim. 3:1-13;  

       Titus 1:5-11.

3.      Believers who desire to assemble for worship, praise, prayer, study of the Word,  observance of the ordinances of Baptism, and the Lord’s Supper, fellowship, enjoy the leadership of pastors, teachers, deacons, and evangelists constitute a local church. Matt. 16: 16-18; Eph. 1:22- 5:25-27; Col. 1:18; 1 Cor. 12:12-13; Acts 2:42-47; Eph. 4:11-18 .

8. Ordinances of the Church:

1. Believers’ Water Baptism:

While recognizing that Baptism has no saving merit, it is our conviction that after one is saved, baptism should follow in order to portray to the world the believer’s identification and union with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. It is our conviction that the scriptural method of water baptism is immersion. Mark 1:9-10; Matt. 3:1-15; 2819-20; Rom. 6:3-4.

2. The Lord’s Supper:

We believe that Jesus Christ instituted the Lord’s Supper to commemorate His death till He comes. It provides the bread and juice of the vine as symbols of His body and blood to be partaken by His followers and is always preceded by solemn self-examination. 1 Cor. 10:16-17; 11:23-32.

9. Satan:

We believe that Satan is a literal being, the author of sin and the cause of the Fall; 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; Rev. 20:10.

     J. Eternal State:

1. We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life and the unsaved to judgement and everlasting punishment. Matt. 25:46; John 5:28-29; Rev. 20:5,6,12,13.
2. We believe that the soul of the redeemed is, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection when spirit, soul, and the glorified body are reunited to be forever with the Lord. Luke 23:43; 1 Thess. 4:13-17; 1 Cor. 15:50-53.
3. We believe that the spirit of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious misery until the second resurrection when with soul and body reunited they shall appear at the great White Throne Judgement and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment. Luke 16:19-25; Rev. 20:11-15; Matt. 25:41-46; 2 Thess. 1:7-9; Jude 6-7; Mark 9:43-48.