CONFESSION of FAITH
Confession of Faith
Who We Are
We are an unaffiliated and independent local New Testament Baptist Church of the Historic Baptist faith and practice. We hold to the Authorized 1611 King James Bible, striving to do all things in keeping with the doctrines and truths found in God’s Word. Our position is that the Bible itself and alone (Authorized 1611 King James Bible), is the sole and final source of all that Wasatch Front Baptist Church believes; thus, this confession of faith is not comprehensive in nature, as it is the Bible alone that holds the “completeness” of our faith. As a Baptist Church, we stand for the “faith once delivered unto the saints” and are unaffiliated and autonomous to that end. We will preach and teach the “whole counsel” of God’s Word, bearing the responsibility of winning those who are in need of the grace of God and the salvation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our responsibility is to baptize those who receive Christ as their personal Saviour, teaching them to “observe all things whatsoever” the Lord has commanded us.
We believe that we should demonstrate love for others, not only toward fellow believers, but also (and especially), toward those who are not believers, those who oppose us, and those who engage in actions in contrast to this confession of faith. We are to deal graciously, humbly, gently, and patiently with those who oppose us. God forbids the stirring up of strife, the taking of revenge, or the threat or use of violence as a means of resolving personal conflict or obtaining personal justice. Although God commands us to abhor sinful actions, we are to love and pray for any person who engages in such actions. (Lev. 19:18; Matt. 5:44-48; Luke 6:31; John 13:34-35; Rom. 12:9-10; 17-21; 13:8-10; Phil. 2:2-4; 2 Tim. 2:24-26; Titus 3:2; I Peter 3:8-9; 1 John 3:17-18)
Scriptures
We believe the Bible (the Holy Scriptures containing the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments), to have been supernaturally given by God as the verbally and plenary inspired Word of God, and that it is the final authority in all matters of faith, doctrine, and practice.
We believe that the Scriptures are God-breathed, thus, they are inerrant, infallible, and perfect.
We believe that the Scriptures shall be interpreted according to their normal grammatically historical meaning, and that God has supernaturally preserved His Word as the Authorized 1611 King James Bible for the English-speaking world.
We do not accept any other English versions or translations of the Bible outside of the Authorized 1611 King James Bible.
Salvation
We believe that the salvation of our Lord Jesus Christ is “by grace, through faith”, plus nothing and minus nothing. The conditions, concerning our part of salvation, have nothing more to do with us outside of our repentance toward God and faith in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
We believe that men are justified by faith alone and are accounted righteous before God by that faith, and that it is only through the merit and blood of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, that those, thus justified, are saved forever.
We believe that the Word of God is sufficient for doctrine and instruction in righteousness and that both Armenian and Calvinistic doctrines are to be shunned for the Biblical Doctrine of Salvation.
The Church
We believe that the Lord established a local and visible church, and that the church was then empowered on the day of Pentecost. We do not believe in the universal or invisible (as it is referred to), church theory.
We believe that the church is the espoused bride of Christ, and that the church which Jesus Christ started is Baptist in doctrine and made up of only those who have been both born again and scripturally baptized.
We believe in the perpetuity of the church which Jesus Christ started during his earthly ministry, thus, we do not believe in “Reformation Theology.”
We believe that this church is to respect our government but have complete separation from its control in all matters regarding our faith and the free exercise thereof.
We believe in the autonomy of the local church, free from any external authority or control, thus, we cannot conscientiously accept any government license or funding for any ministry of this church.
Ordinances
We believe that there are two ordinances of the New Testament Baptist Church in this age, those being Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
1. Baptism
We believe that baptism is scriptural when a saved person publicly proclaims their repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ, being baptized by total immersion in water under the authority of the Local New Testament Baptist Church.
We believe that the ordinance of baptism was brought by John the Baptist, who was “one sent from God.”
2. The Lord’s Supper
We believe that the Lord’s Supper is to be practiced as a memorial supper (meaning once a year after the example of the Passover Supper), and that it is only to be administered to the members of that specific Local New Testament Baptist Church who are in good standing. Thus, we practice Closed Communion.
Theology
We believe that there is only one true and living God, existing as three distinct persons: FATHER, SON, and HOLY SPIRIT, and that each is the same one true God.
We believe in the Deity, virgin birth, sinless life, vicarious death on the cross as a substitutionary sacrifice, bodily resurrection and ascension to heaven, and physical return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We believe that the return of Christ will be prior to the tribulation, as such we are premillennial, and that at the end of the tribulation, Christ will personally establish His earthly Kingdom.
We believe that the Holy Spirit reproves of sin, converts the repentant, is God’s seal in and upon His children, fills and endues them with power, and uses them for His own divine purposes.
We believe that Satan 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.
The Eternal State of Man
We believe that the physical lives of men are temporary and that the souls of men are eternal.
We believe that man is born a sinner by nature and can be eternally reconciled to God and forgiven from that sin only through personal repentance toward God, and faith in the blood atonement offering of the LORD Jesus Christ (who gave his life to redeem our eternal souls), and His resurrection.
Issues of Living
We believe that all those who have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour should live in such a manner as to acknowledge that separation from ALL secular practices and toward ALL Biblical theology, is commanded by God.
Authority
We believe that God’s Church should not be under the subjection of any ecclesiastical or state authority, but rather that the church must be one body and one mind under the authority of the Word of God and the guidance and leadership of the Pastor.
We believe in the historic Baptist views of liberty of conscience while recognizing the limited, but legitimate power of the State to strongly suppress crime and vice. We hold that individual conscience may be judged by God alone. We believe that what liberty of the conscience means is that we have the freedom and responsibility to obey the commandments of the Word of God (made possible by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ), and to subject ourselves to the authority of those laws of men which are not in direct violation of the commandments of God.
Missions
We believe that it is to the Local New Testament Baptist Church which God has given His Great Commission of proclaiming the Gospel, so that all nations may believe on the saving grace of God and the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. As ambassadors of Christ, we must use all available biblical methods to reach foreign and domestic people. We believe that the responsibility of the missionary must be carried out under the authority of the local church; that it is the privilege and right of the separate and local New Testament Baptist Churches to cooperate with each other in carrying out the Great Commission, but only in such a manner as it preserves the independent and autonomous nature of each church. Thus, we do not believe in the use of mission boards or agencies in any way in the accomplishment of the “Great Commission.”
Education
We believe it is the responsibility of the church to train (thus providing an education concerning both content and structure), men and women who have surrendered to the calling of the work of the ministry. We believe the education program must be based on and consistent with Biblical doctrines and beliefs, and that it is the Local New Testament Baptist Church which the Lord desires to use in this way. Thus, we believe that any educational programs which are a product of the Wasatch Front Baptist Church must agree in content and method with the doctrinal statement of faith of the Wasatch Baptist Church.