Our Faith
The Scriptures
We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to
be the Bible, as it is in truth, the Word of God... (I Thessalonians 2:
13). We believe in verbal, plenary inspiration in the original
writings, and God's preservation of His pure words to every
generation (II Timothy 3:16, Psalms 12:6-8). The Masoretic Text of
the Old Testament and the Received Text of the New Testament
(Textus Receptus) are those texts of the original languages we
accept and use; the King James Version of the Bible is the only
English version we accept and use. The Bible is our sole authority
for faith and practice.
The Godhead
We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons--
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, co-eternal in being, co-identical in
nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same
attributes and perfections (Deuteronomy 6:4; II Corinthians 13:14).
The Person and Work of Christ
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; Isaiah 9:6; 7:14; Philippians 2:5-8; Galatians 4:4-5).
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our
redemption through His finished work 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; I Peter 2:24; Ephesians 1:7; I Peter 1:
3-5).
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 Representative, Intercessor, and
Advocate (Acts 1:9-10; Hebrews 9:24, 7:25; Romans 8:34; I John 2:
1-2).
The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Person who reproves the
world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and that He is the
Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the
body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of
redemption (John 16:8-11; II Corinthians 3:6; I Corinthians 12:12-
14; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 1:13-14).
We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking
in tongues and the gift of healing, were temporary. We believe that
speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of
the baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit and that ultimate deliverance
of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of
our salvation in the resurrection, though God frequently chooses
to answer the prayer of believers for physical healing (II
Corinthians 12:12; I Corinthians 13:8; Hebrews 2:3-4; Mark 16:17-
20; I Corinthians 1:22, 14:21-22).
Man
We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of
God, but that in Adam's sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature,
and became alienated from God; and that man is totally depraved,
and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition
(Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 3:22-23; Ephesians 2:1-3, 12).
The sacredness of human personality is evident in that God
created man in His own image and is mindful of him, and in that
Christ died for man; therefore every individual possesses dignity
and is worthy of respect and Christian love. (Psalm 8:4-9;
Colossians 3:9-11).
The Way of Salvation
We believe that the clear message of salvation is “repentance
toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21).
We believe that salvation is "by grace" plus nothing minus nothing.
We believe that men are justified by faith alone and are accounted
righteous before God only through the merit of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:12; I Peter 1:18-
19)
We believe that all the redeemed, once saved are kept by God's
power and are thus secure in Christ forever. We believe that
eternal life is the present possession of every believer (John 6:37-
40, 10:27-30; Romans 8:1, 38-39; I Corinthians 1:4-8; I Peter 1:4-
5; Jude 1, 2).
The Church
We believe that the Church, which is the body and the espoused
bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born-again
persons of this present age which began with Christ and the
Apostles, was empowered at Pentecost, and will be caught up to
be with Christ at the Rapture (Ephesians 1:22-23, 5:25-27; I
Corinthians 12:12-14; II Corinthians 11:2).
We believe that the establishment and continuance of local
churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament
Scriptures (Acts 14:27; 20:17, 28-32; I Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-
11). We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any
external authority or control (Acts 13:1-4, 15:19-31, 20:28;
Romans 16:1, 4; I Corinthians 3:9, 16, 5:4-7, 13; I Peter 5:1-4).
The Ordinances of the Church
We recognize the ordinances of baptism by immersion in water
and the Lord's Supper as a Scriptural means of testimony for the
Church in this age (Matthew. 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42, 18:18; I
Corinthians 11:23-26).
Biblical Separation
We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not
to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord; and, that separation
from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures,
practices and associations is commanded of God (II Timothy 3:1-5;
Romans 12:1, 2, 14:13; I John 2:15-17; II John 9-11; II Corinthians
6:14-7:1).
The Return of Christ
We believe the "Blessed Hope" of our Lord's return is literal,
personal, visible, imminent, premillennial, and pretribulational. He
will rapture His Church prior to the seven years of tribulation, and
at the end of the tribulation Christ will return with His saints to
establish His thousand-year reign on the earth. (I Thessalonians 4:
13-18; Titus 2:13; I Thessalonians 1:10; Revelation 3:10;
Zechariah 14:4-11; Revelation 19:11-16, 20:1-6; Psalm 89:3-4)
Our Eternal State
We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to
eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting
punishment (Matthew 25:46; John 5:28, 29, 11:25-26; Revelation
20:5-6, 12-13).
We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent
from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss
they await the first resurrection, when spirit, soul, and body are
reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord (Luke 23:43;
Revelation 20:4-6; II Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23, 3:21; I
Thessalonians 4:16-17).
We believe that the souls 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
Judgment, and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be
annihilated, but to suffer everlasting, conscious punishment (Luke
16:19-26; Matthew 25:41-46; II Thessalonians 1:7-9; Jude 6-7;
Mark 9:43-48; Revelation 20:11-15).
We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to
be the Bible, as it is in truth, the Word of God... (I Thessalonians 2:
13). We believe in verbal, plenary inspiration in the original
writings, and God's preservation of His pure words to every
generation (II Timothy 3:16, Psalms 12:6-8). The Masoretic Text of
the Old Testament and the Received Text of the New Testament
(Textus Receptus) are those texts of the original languages we
accept and use; the King James Version of the Bible is the only
English version we accept and use. The Bible is our sole authority
for faith and practice.
The Godhead
We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons--
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, co-eternal in being, co-identical in
nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same
attributes and perfections (Deuteronomy 6:4; II Corinthians 13:14).
The Person and Work of Christ
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; Isaiah 9:6; 7:14; Philippians 2:5-8; Galatians 4:4-5).
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our
redemption through His finished work 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; I Peter 2:24; Ephesians 1:7; I Peter 1:
3-5).
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 Representative, Intercessor, and
Advocate (Acts 1:9-10; Hebrews 9:24, 7:25; Romans 8:34; I John 2:
1-2).
The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Person who reproves the
world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and that He is the
Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the
body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of
redemption (John 16:8-11; II Corinthians 3:6; I Corinthians 12:12-
14; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 1:13-14).
We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking
in tongues and the gift of healing, were temporary. We believe that
speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of
the baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit and that ultimate deliverance
of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of
our salvation in the resurrection, though God frequently chooses
to answer the prayer of believers for physical healing (II
Corinthians 12:12; I Corinthians 13:8; Hebrews 2:3-4; Mark 16:17-
20; I Corinthians 1:22, 14:21-22).
Man
We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of
God, but that in Adam's sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature,
and became alienated from God; and that man is totally depraved,
and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition
(Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 3:22-23; Ephesians 2:1-3, 12).
The sacredness of human personality is evident in that God
created man in His own image and is mindful of him, and in that
Christ died for man; therefore every individual possesses dignity
and is worthy of respect and Christian love. (Psalm 8:4-9;
Colossians 3:9-11).
The Way of Salvation
We believe that the clear message of salvation is “repentance
toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21).
We believe that salvation is "by grace" plus nothing minus nothing.
We believe that men are justified by faith alone and are accounted
righteous before God only through the merit of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:12; I Peter 1:18-
19)
We believe that all the redeemed, once saved are kept by God's
power and are thus secure in Christ forever. We believe that
eternal life is the present possession of every believer (John 6:37-
40, 10:27-30; Romans 8:1, 38-39; I Corinthians 1:4-8; I Peter 1:4-
5; Jude 1, 2).
The Church
We believe that the Church, which is the body and the espoused
bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born-again
persons of this present age which began with Christ and the
Apostles, was empowered at Pentecost, and will be caught up to
be with Christ at the Rapture (Ephesians 1:22-23, 5:25-27; I
Corinthians 12:12-14; II Corinthians 11:2).
We believe that the establishment and continuance of local
churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament
Scriptures (Acts 14:27; 20:17, 28-32; I Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-
11). We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any
external authority or control (Acts 13:1-4, 15:19-31, 20:28;
Romans 16:1, 4; I Corinthians 3:9, 16, 5:4-7, 13; I Peter 5:1-4).
The Ordinances of the Church
We recognize the ordinances of baptism by immersion in water
and the Lord's Supper as a Scriptural means of testimony for the
Church in this age (Matthew. 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42, 18:18; I
Corinthians 11:23-26).
Biblical Separation
We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not
to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord; and, that separation
from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures,
practices and associations is commanded of God (II Timothy 3:1-5;
Romans 12:1, 2, 14:13; I John 2:15-17; II John 9-11; II Corinthians
6:14-7:1).
The Return of Christ
We believe the "Blessed Hope" of our Lord's return is literal,
personal, visible, imminent, premillennial, and pretribulational. He
will rapture His Church prior to the seven years of tribulation, and
at the end of the tribulation Christ will return with His saints to
establish His thousand-year reign on the earth. (I Thessalonians 4:
13-18; Titus 2:13; I Thessalonians 1:10; Revelation 3:10;
Zechariah 14:4-11; Revelation 19:11-16, 20:1-6; Psalm 89:3-4)
Our Eternal State
We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to
eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting
punishment (Matthew 25:46; John 5:28, 29, 11:25-26; Revelation
20:5-6, 12-13).
We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent
from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss
they await the first resurrection, when spirit, soul, and body are
reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord (Luke 23:43;
Revelation 20:4-6; II Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23, 3:21; I
Thessalonians 4:16-17).
We believe that the souls 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
Judgment, and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be
annihilated, but to suffer everlasting, conscious punishment (Luke
16:19-26; Matthew 25:41-46; II Thessalonians 1:7-9; Jude 6-7;
Mark 9:43-48; Revelation 20:11-15).
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| Wilton Baptist Church "Building Faith, Family, and a Future Together" 755 Saratoga Road, Wilton, NY 12831 518.583.2736 518.5830717 www.wiltonbaptistchurch.com (c) 2009 |
Wilton Baptist Church
Wilton Baptist Church
"Building Faith, Family, and a Future Together"
"Building Faith, Family, and a Future Together"
