Beliefs

What we believe at Southshore Baptist Church about Jesus, the Bible, and the Church

Our Beliefs

BIBLE

We believe that the Bible, the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, is the infallible Word of God. It is divine revelation; the original writings (words) were verbally inspired by the Holy Spirit as He in-breathed holy men of old.

We use the King James Version (KJV 1611) of the Bible as the infallible, inerrant Word of God preserved for us in English. We use it in our study, preaching and teaching. And we believe that the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, teaches that salvation is by grace through faith plus nothing and minus nothing in) Jesus Christ.. The King James Version of the Bible is translated from the Received Text (Textus Receptus). The received Text is in Koine Greek, not Classical Greek.


THE TRINITY

We believe in a Triune God (Ephesians 2:18) Who is God the Father, Creator of Heaven and earth, perfect in holiness, infinite in wisdom, rich in grace, supreme in love, and measureless in power. We rejoice that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of all mankind, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.


God the Son, Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son, conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, sinless in His life, ever obedient unto the Father, and the only atonement for the sin of this world by His death (through the shedding of His blood) on the cross. We believe that He arose bodily after the third day, ascended into Heaven on the fortieth day, and even now is seated at the Father's right band, as our High Priest and Only Mediator, making intercession for His own. We look for His persona}, visible, premillennial, pretribulational, and imminent return to the earth according to His promises; that is our blessed Hope.


God the Holy Spirit, a Person, co-equal with the Father and Son, in all His attributes. He was sent by the Lord Jesus Christ from God the Father to reprove the world of sin, to regenerate all who receive Christ as persona} Saviour, and to indwell, guide, and teach them the things of God. He empowers the believer to live in victory over sin, self, Satan, and the world. He helps our infirmities and intercedes for us according to the will of God the Father.  

man

We believe that man was created in the image of God but because of Adam's transgression (disobedience) that the whole human race fell. Because of this, all men are totally depraved and without Christ, spiritually dead and lost. All men everywhere are sinners, both by nature and by choice. To die in this condition is to be damned forever and eternally separated from God.


SATAN

We believe in a personal Devil (Satan) who is presumptuous, proud, powerful, wicked, malignant, subtle, deceitful, religious, and fierce. He was cast out of Heaven and is now prince of the air and this world system. He caused the fall of man, is his constant adversary and seeks to beguile, tempt, accuse, and devour him. He is the archenemy of God, hater of Christ, and for this, he perverts the Scriptures, opposes the work of God, hinders the Gospel, and works lying miracles (wonders). He has already been judged and someday will be cast into the lake of fire to be tormented day and night, forever and forever.


SALVATION

We believe that in Christ only is salvation. To obtain this salvation is to repent as a sinner before God and to have faith in Christ (to receive Him in the heart by faith). This great salvation is by grace, a free gift, through the merits of the shed blood of the Son of God. The blood of Jesus Christ was shed for the sins of all mankind, not merely for a selected few.


This is what Christ called the new birth, being born again from above by the Word of God (the Instrument), and the Spirit of God (the Person). When one obtains salvation, be can never be lost. 

hEAVEN & hELL

We believe that Heaven and Hell are literal places, prepared by God as the only eternal abodes, according to the Scriptures. All those who have been saved (born again) shall live eternally with God. All those without Christ ( devoid of spiritual life) shall abide in the lake of fire forever, eternally separated from God.


cHURCH

We believe in the church (the Body of Christ) who is made up of all blood bought, born again believers from the public ministry of Christ until His coming again for His own (the Rapture prior to the 7 years of tribulation). Some are already in Heaven. This group has never all been together at one time; so, in this respect, we could say that the church is in prospect. The church will be together for the first time at the Rapture. We also believe in the local assemblies (or churches). The Holy Scriptures teaches us more concerning the local churches than the church. These local churches consist of regenerated believers who have been Scripturally baptized and are banded together for worship, work, and spiritual fellowship, spreading the Gospel to the ends of the earth, according to the specific teachings of the New Testament. Christ is the Head of the church. We believe that immersion in water in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit is the only true Scriptural baptism. The prerequisite to Scriptural baptism is the new birth. We believe that the Lord's Supper consists of unleavened bread, and unfermented fruit of the vine, and that they are mere symbols of His body and of His blood that were broken and poured out on the cross for our sins. The prerequisites to Scriptural observance of the Lord's Supper are the new birth, immersion in water (baptism), and membership in a local New Testament church. Baptism and the Lord's Supper are the only ordinances of the New Testament assemblies and are not for believers apart from the assemblies.


Each local church is to be independent and autonomous and free from political authority or ecclesiastical hierarchy. We believe in religious liberty, in separation of church and state, and in Christians being good citizens. 

bIBLE sEPERATION

We believe in Bible separation, that is to be set apart from the world, sin, self, and Satan, and to be separated "unto the praise of His glory" and the furtherance of the Gospel. We believe that each of us should be born of the Spirit (Galatians 5: 18), walk In the Spirit

(Galatians 5:16), be led by the Spirit (Galatians 5:18), and be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18), that by His power and grace we might bear the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). We believe in being separated from pride, lying, tattling, backbiting, envy, jealousy, bitterness, malice, foolish talking, ingratitude, covetousness, and any other sins of the flesh or spirit (Galatians 5:24)


wITNESS

We believe that aLl believers (Christians) are to be witnesses unto the lost for Christ. We believe that ail believers have certain God-given gifts and talents and are stewards for God. Some are called to preach or to other special ministries. We also believe that all who have rejected the Gospel or who have never heard the Gospel are lost and that it is every believer's responsibility to help get the Gospel to everybody.

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