Southern Heights Baptist Church

Doctrinal Statement

What We Believe about The Holy Scriptures

We believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Men who were controlled by the Holy Spirit wrote the scriptures. There are no errors in the Scriptures as they came to us in the original languages (John 17:17; 2 Peter 1:21; John 5:39). We believe that Jesus is the subject of all the scriptures (Luke 24:27, 44; Romans 15:4). The Bible is God’s perfect guide for the Christian’s life. In the words of Jesus, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4).

What We Believe about The Triune Godhead

We believe in the one true and living God, the Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer, and Ruler of all things. He is infinite, eternal, unchangeable, loving, and just. He is revealed to us as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Mark 12:28-29; Matthew 28:19-20).

The Father is called God. He is all-powerful, all loving, all knowing, and all wise (Genesis 1:1; 18:14; Psalm 139:7-17; John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:16-18). The Son is called God (Hebrews 1:8; John 20:26-29); the Holy Spirit is called God and is equal with the Father and the Son (Acts 5:4; 2 Corinthians 13:14).

The Son is the Lord Jesus Christ who was in eternity past in the bosom of the Father (John 1:1, 2, 14, 18). Jesus, God’s Son, was born of the Virgin Mary (Luke 1:34-35; Matthews 1:20-21). In Jesus the fullness of God (deity) dwells (Colossians 2:9-10). Jesus died on Calvary to pay the penalty for man’s sins and all who place faith in Jesus are saved eternally (I Corinthians 15:3-4; Romans 3:24-26). Christ arose from the dead in bodily form and is now seated at the right hand of the Father where he makes intercessions for Christians (John 20:24-28; Romans 8:32-34; Hebrews 7:25).

The Holy Spirit is a divine Person who convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment (John 16:7-11). The Holy Spirit communicates new life to the trusting believer (John 3:3-8) and He seals, leads, and fills (controls) those who yield to Him (John 14:16-17; Ephesians 1:13; 4:30; 5:18). The Holy Spirit baptizes believers into the universal church at the time of conversion (I Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 3:27; Romans 6:3-4). He anoints and seals those who are regenerated (2 Corinthians 1:20-21; Ephesians 1:13; 4:30) and gives gifts to each believer (I Corinthians 12:7-11, 13).

What We Believe about Creation, Salvation, & the Christian Life

Creation:

We believe that man was created by God and in God’s image and likeness (Genesis 1:26-27; 2:4). We believe that God created the heavens and the earth and all forms of life on the earth in six literal days (Exodus 20:11; Nehemiah 9:6; Genesis 1:1; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16-17).

Man:

We believe that man was created in God’s image, but fell into sin by direct disobedience to God. Thus all men are sinners and are in need of regeneration by the Holy Spirit (Genesis 1:26-27; I Timothy 2:11-14; John 3:3; Romans 3:10, 23).

The Devil:

We believe that Satan is a person who rebelled against God as Lucifer or the King of Tyrus in (Isaiah 14:12-16; Ezekiel 28:11-16). He accuses the brethren before God’s throne daily (Revelation 12:1-10). He uses many things to defeat believers, including the misuse of the tongue, pride, sex, abuse of drugs, and money (James 3:1-12; I Timothy 3:6-8; 6:9-10; Titus 2:3; Ephesians 4:26-29; Galatians 5:19-21). He is called the god of this age who blinds the minds of non-believers (Ephesians 2:2; 2 Corinthians 4:4). Satan has been defeated by Christ’s death on the cross as proven by His resurrection from the dead (John 12:31-32; Colossians 2:15; Ephesians 1:20-23). He is destined for eternal punishment in the Lake of Fire (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10). The Devil is resisted when believers obey God (Matthew 4:1-10; James 4:6-7; I Peter 5:8-9). Christians are to put on the whole armor of God in order to stand against the methods of the Devil (Ephesians 6:10-18).

Atonement for Sin:

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for us. His shed blood redeems us from our sins, according to the Scriptures, as a substitutionary sacrifice (Isaiah 53:1-10). We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of Christ and of His ascension into heaven; He is our High Priest and Advocate today (John 3:1-7; Hebrews 10:4-14; I John 2:2).

Salvation:

We believe that salvation is the gift of God’s grace. It cannot be gained or made more secure by meritorious works, but is freely bestowed upon all that put their faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ at Calvary. All who so trust the Savior are forgiven of their sins and born into the family of God by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit (John 1:12; Acts 4:12; 16:30-33; Romans 10:9-10; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-9).

The Christian Walk:

We believe that we have a holy calling live in the power of the indwelling Spirit in order that we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. The flesh is never eradicated in the life of the Christian. Individuals must choose to keep the flesh in subjection to Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. The flesh manifests its presence in life of the Christian when one dishonors our Lord (Romans 6:11-13; 8:2, 4, 12-13; Galatians 5:16-23; Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 2:1-10; 3:10; I Peter 1:14-16; I John 1:4-7; 3:5-9). We believe that God has placed the local church in the world to encourage believers to walk in the Spirit and in fellowship with other Christians (Hebrews 10:24-25).

The Great Commission:

We believe that Christ gave the Great Commission to the church to share the gospel message. It is the privilege and responsibility of believers to obey Christ’s commission to minister in His name to a needy world. We are to be instruments of Jesus Christ as the Holy Spirit ministers redemption and reconciliation in the world (Matt. 18:18-20; Matthew 25:31-46).

The Second Coming of Christ:

We believe in the Second Coming of Christ; that His return from heaven will be personal, visible, and glorious- a Blessed Hope for which we should constantly watch and pray, the time being unrevealed, but always imminent (Acts 1:11; Rev. 1:7; Mark 13:33-37; Titus 2:11-13; Rev. 22:20); that when He comes He will first by resurrection and translation remove from the earth His waiting Church (1 Thess. 4:16-18), then pour out the righteous judgments of God upon the unbelieving world (Rev. 6:1-18,24), afterwards descend with His church and establish His glorious and literal kingdom over all the nations for a thousand years (Rev. 19:1-20:6; Matt. 13:41-43), at the close of which He will raise and judge the unsaved dead (Rev. 20:11-15), and finally as the Son of David deliver up His Messianic Kingdom to God the Father (1 Cor. 15:24-28), in order that as the Eternal Son He may reign forever with the Father in the New Heaven and the New Earth (Luke 1:32-33; Rev. 21:1-22:6).

Future Life, Bodily Resurrection, and
Eternal Judgment:

We believe in future life, bodily resurrection, and eternal judgment; that the spirit of the saved death go immediately to be with Christ in heaven (Phil. 1:21-23; 2 Cor. 5:8), where they abide in joyful fellowship with Him until His second coming, when their bodies shall be raised from the grave and changed into the likeness of His own glorious body (Phil. 3:20-21; 1 Cor. 15:35-58; 1 John 3:2), at which time their works shall be brought before the judgment Seat of Christ for the determination of rewards, a judgment which may issue in the loss of rewards, but not the loss of the soul (1 Cor. 3:8-15); that the spirits of the unsaved at death descent immediately into Hades where they are kept under punishment until the final day of judgment (Luke 16:19-31; 2 Peter 2:9 [ASV]), at which time their bodies shall be raised from the grave, they shall be judged according to their works, and cast into the place of final and everlasting punishment (Rev. 20:11-15, 21:8; Mark 9:43-48; Jude 13).

One True Church:

We believe in the One True Church, the mystical Body and Bride of the Lord Jesus, [of which He is the Head, Eph. 1:22, 4:15, 5:23; Col. 1:18, 2:10; 1 Peter 2:7], (Eph. 4:4; 5:25-32), which He began to build on the day of Pentecost (Matt. 16:18; Acts 2:47), and will complete at His Second Coming (1 Thess. 4:16-17); and into which all true believers of the present age are baptized immediately by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:12-13 with 1:2); that all the various members of this one spiritual Body should assemble themselves together in local churches for worship, prayer, fellowship, teaching, united testimony; and the observance of the ordinances of our Lord (Heb. 10:25; Acts 2:41-47)-- the Baptism, by immersion of believers (Matt. 20:28), and the Lord's Supper (1 Cor. 11:17-34).

The Mission of the Church:

We believe the purpose of the church is to preach the Gospel of Christ, to evangelize the lost (Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 1:8); to instruct and mature believers (Eph. 4:11-16); to edify the saints, provide Christian fellowship and service for believers (Acts 2:41-47, 20:20).

Officers of the Church:

We believe the New Testament mentions only two officials of the church--pastors and deacons whose qualifications and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures (Acts 20:17-21, 28-31; Eph. 4:11-16; 1 Tim. 3:1-13; 2 Tim. 4:1-7; Titus 1:4-16; 1 Peter 5:1-9).

Resources for doctrinal studies:

Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology, The Moody Press, 1989

Charles C. Ryrie, Dispensationalism: Revised and Expanded, The Moody Press, 1995.