I. The Holy Scriptures
We believe the Holy Bible, consisting of the Old and New Testaments, was written by men divinely inspired by God and is His complete revelation to mankind. Scripture is verbally inspired, inerrant in the original manuscripts, and has been faithfully preserved by God. It is the supreme and final authority in all matters of faith, doctrine, morality, and Christian conduct. All Scripture testifies to Jesus Christ, who is the focus of divine revelation.
Scripture: Matthew 5:17-18; John 5:39; 16:13; 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12; 2 Peter 1:19-21
II. The One True God (The Trinity)
We believe there is one and only one living and true God, eternally existing in three distinct Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—each possessing the same divine nature, attributes, and perfections, and each worthy of the same worship and obedience. God is the Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer, and Ruler of the universe.
Scripture: Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 3:16-17; 28:19; John 1:1-3; 10:30; 2 Corinthians 13:14
III. God the Father
God the Father reigns with providential care over His creation and human history according to the purposes of His grace. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving, and all-wise. He is Father to those who become His children through faith in Jesus Christ.
Scripture: Genesis 1:1; Psalm 103:19; Matthew 6:9-13; Romans 8:14-15; Ephesians 4:6
IV. God the Son – Jesus Christ
We believe Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, fully God and fully man. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life, taught divine truth, and performed mighty works as recorded in the Gospels. He died a substitutionary death on the cross, shedding His blood for the forgiveness of sins, was buried, rose bodily from the dead on the third day, ascended to the right hand of the Father, and now intercedes for believers. He will return personally, bodily, visibly, and gloriously to establish His millennial kingdom and to judge the world.
Scripture: Isaiah 7:14; Luke 1:30-35; John 1:1-14; Colossians 2:9; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Hebrews 7:25; Acts 1:11; Revelation 20:4
V. God the Holy Spirit
We believe the Holy Spirit is a divine Person who convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He regenerates sinners, indwells, baptizes, seals, and permanently resides in all believers at the moment of salvation. He empowers believers for holy living and service and conforms them to the image of Christ.
Scripture: John 3:5-8; 16:7-11; Acts 5:3-4; Romans 8:9-11; 1 Corinthians 6:19; 12:13; Ephesians 1:13-14; 5:18
VI. Man
We believe man was created by God in His image, male and female. Through Adam’s sin, humanity fell and inherited a sinful nature, becoming spiritually dead and alienated from God. All people are sinners by nature and by choice and are unable to save themselves apart from God’s grace.
Scripture: Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 3:23; 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3
VII. Salvation
We believe salvation is entirely a work of God’s grace and is received through personal faith in Jesus Christ alone. Salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. Justification is by grace through faith apart from works. All true believers are eternally secure in Christ.
Scripture: John 3:16; Acts 13:38-39; Romans 4:5; 6:23; 8:1, 38-39; Ephesians 2:8-9
VIII. God’s Purpose of Grace
We believe God graciously saves, sanctifies, and preserves all who truly believe. Genuine believers will persevere in faith to the end, being kept by the power of God, though they may stumble and require restoration.
Scripture: John 10:27-29; Romans 8:28; Philippians 1:6; 1 Peter 1:3-5
IX. The Church
We believe the universal Church is the Body of Christ, composed of all regenerated believers. A New Testament church is a local congregation of baptized believers, autonomous under the Lordship of Christ, governed by Scripture, and led by biblically qualified pastors and deacons. The church exists to worship God, edify believers, and evangelize the world.
Scripture: Matthew 16:18; Acts 2:41-47; Ephesians 1:22-23; 1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9
X. The Ordinances
We believe the ordinances of the church are believer’s baptism by immersion and the Lord’s Supper. These ordinances are acts of obedience and testimony, not means of salvation.
Scripture: Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 8:35-39; Romans 6:3-5; Luke 22:19-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-29
XI. The Christian Life
We believe Christians are called to live holy lives by walking in the Spirit, growing in grace, devotion to prayer, obedience to Scripture, fellowship, and service. Believers will give an account of their lives at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
Scripture: Galatians 5:16-26; Romans 8:29; 1 Corinthians 3:10-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10
XII. Last Things
We believe in the personal, imminent, premillennial return of Jesus Christ. There will be a bodily resurrection of the saved and the lost—the saved to eternal life and the lost to eternal conscious punishment.
Scripture: John 14:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 20:11-15; Matthew 25:46
XIII. Human Sexuality, Marriage, and the Sanctity of Life
We believe marriage is ordained by God as the lifelong union of one man and one woman. God created humanity male and female, defined by biological sex. Any sexual activity outside biblical marriage is sinful. Human life is sacred from conception to natural death. God offers redemption to all who repent
and believe.
Scripture: Genesis 2:24; Psalm 139:13-16; Matthew 19:4-6; Romans 1:26-29; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Hebrews 13:4
XIV. Religious Liberty
We believe God alone is Lord of the conscience. Church and state must remain separate. The church must not use civil power to accomplish spiritual ends, and the state must not interfere with religious belief or practice.
Scripture: Matthew 22:21; Acts 4:19-20; Romans 13:1-7; Galatians 5:1
XV. Evangelism and Missions
We believe it is the duty and privilege of every believer and every church to make disciples of all nations by proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Scripture: Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Romans 10:13-15
XVI. Calvinism Clarification
Glenola Baptist Church affirms the historic Southern Baptist emphasis on the free and genuine offer of the gospel to all people, the responsibility of every person to repent and believe, and the church’s mandate to evangelize and make disciples of all nations. Calvinist doctrines are not compatible with our church’s mission.
While the Church recognizes that faithful Southern Baptists may hold differing perspectives on the doctrines of salvation, the Pastor affirms that he does not hold or teach any doctrinal position that would diminish personal responsibility to respond to the gospel, discourage evangelism or missions, limit the free offer of salvation, or create division within the congregation.
The Pastor affirms that he can preach and teach in harmony with the Church’s Statement of Faith, avoiding theological labels or emphases that would distract from the unity, mission, and evangelistic focus of the church. The Pastor further affirms that he will not teach doctrines of salvation in a manner that would suggest Christ’s saving work is not sincerely offered to all people or that the call to repentance and faith is not genuinely extended to every hearer of the gospel.
Scripture: 2 Peter 3:9; 1 John 3:16; 1 Timothy 2:4; Colossians 2:12
XVII. Closing Authority Statement
The Holy Bible is the final authority for this Statement of Faith and for all matters of doctrine, practice, discipline, and governance of the church.
Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 13:17