What We Believe

(The following is a partial presentation of the beliefs and teachings of Beulah Baptist Church.  It is not exhaustive of our beliefs and a more thorough explanation of our teachings can be supplied upon request.  This simple statement of faith, which owes some of its wording from other fine gospel ministries, is representative of what we believe and teach in several key areas.)

The Scriptures
We believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God and that men of God “were moved by the Holy Spirit” to write the very words of Scripture. We believe that the 66 books of the Old and New Testament are the complete revelation of God to the world today and that they are without error.  We believe that God has supernaturally preserved His words in the Bible so that it is the sole and final authority for faith and life.  We believe that for english-speaking people this preservation is manifest in the Authorized King James Version which is the version we use in all of our services. ( 2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:20-21).

The Godhead (Trinity)
We believe that there exists one and only one true God eternally existing in three distinct persons (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) each of Whom is fully and equally God. We believe that He possesses all of the divine nature and attributes, and is totally worthy of our worship and service  (Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19; John 1:14; John 10:30; 2 Cor. 13:14; 1 John 5:7).

God the Father
We believe that God the Father is the first person of the Trinity and is the eternally existent, unchanging all-powerful, all-knowing, all-wise, all-loving, completely just and perfectly holy, sovereign Ruler and Sustainer of the universe. He rules over all and is the only Sovereign. His plans and purposes cannot be thwarted. He is the Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the Father of all true believers (Gen. 1:1; Eph. 4:6; John 1:12-13,  John 17:1-5; Isa. 40:21-28, Isa. 43:10-13, Rom. 8:14-16).

God the Son
We believe that Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, the only begotten Son of God, was the eternal Word made flesh, supernaturally conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary and lived a sinless life as one who was fully man (while still remaining fully God).  He was always with God and is God. Through him all things came into being and were created and by Him all things consist. He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation, and in him dwells the fullness of the godhead bodily. He is the only Savior for the sins of the world, having shed his blood and died a vicarious death on Calvary’s cross. By his death in our place, he revealed the divine love and upheld divine justice, paying the penalty for the sins of those who believe and reconciling us to God.   On the third day He literally and physically rose from the dead and after 40 days on earth , having appeared to over 500 witnesses, ascended to His throne in Heaven where he intercedes for us and rules as Lord over all.  We believe that one day soon, He will return for His bride that where He is we may be there also.   (John 3:16; John 1:1-3; Isa. 7:14; Luke 1:30-35; Phil. 2:5-8; Col. 1:13-22; Col. 2:9; Acts 4:12; Isa. 53:6; Gal. 3:13; 1 Cor. 15:3-8; Acts 1:-3-11; John 14:1-3).

God the Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity and is co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and the Son.  He works to glorify the Son who glorifies the Father.  He is a personality and not just an influence. He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. Through the proclamation of the gospel he persuades men to repent of their sins and confess Jesus as Lord. He the primary agent for regeneration. Simultaneously with salvation, the Holy Spirit imparts new life, baptizes the believer into the body of Christ (His church), permanently indwells the believer, and securely seals the believer unto the day of redemption.  The Holy Spirit enables believers to walk according to the precepts of God and not in sin.  Through Him, God bestows gifts to every believer.  He uniquely uses evangelists, pastors and teachers today in the proclamation of His Word and the equipping of believers for ministry.

We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and the gift of healing, were temporary in nature and faded away as the completed written Word of God became the established as the authoritative Witness in the world.
( John 16:7-11; 1 Cor. 6:19, 1 Cor. 12:13; Eph. 1:13-14, Eph. 4:30;  Rom. 8:5-13; 1 Pet. 4:10-11; Rom. 12:3-8 ; 1 Cor. 13:8;  1 Cor. 14:22;).

Man
We believe that God made man – male and female – in His own image by direct act and not as the result of evolution. He made him for fellowship with Himself and for His own glory.   By a direct act of his own will, man fell to sin by disobeying God – causing himself to become radically and pervasively estranged from his Maker.  With a will bound by a fallen and corrupt nature, man became subject to divine wrath, inwardly depraved, and apart from a special work of grace, utterly unwilling and unable to return to God.  He is dead in his trespasses and sin, and apart from Christ, he is justly condemned for his transgression (Gen. 1:26, Gen. 2:16,17, Gen. 3:17-24; Isa. 59:2; Rom. 3:9-19,23; Luke 18:26-27; Eph. 2:13).

Salvation
We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace; through the finished work of the Son of God.

We believe that the great gospel blessing which Christ secures to such as believe in him is justification; that justification includes the pardon of sin, and the promise of eternal life on principles of righteousness; that it is bestowed not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done, but solely through faith in the Redeemer’s blood; by virtue of which faith his perfect righteousness is freely imputed to us of God; that it brings us into a state of most blessed peace and favor with God, and secures every other blessing needful for time and eternity.

We believe that the blessings of salvation are made free to all by the gospel; that it is the immediate duty of all to accept them by a cordial penitent, and obedient faith; and that nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner on earth, but his own inherent depravity and voluntary rejection of the gospel; which rejection involves him in an aggravated condemnation.

We believe that repentance and faith are sacred duties and also inseparable graces, wrought in our souls by the regenerating Spirit of God; whereby being deeply convinced of our guilt, danger and helplessness, and of the way of salvation by Christ, we turn to God with unfeigned contrition, confession and supplication for mercy; at the same time heartily receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as our Prophet, Priest and King, and relying on him alone as the only and all-sufficient Savior.

(Acts 13:39, Isa. 53:11-12, Rom. 3:24-26, Rom.4:4-5, Rom.4:13-25, Rom 5, Rom. 6:23, Acts 10:43, Titus 3:5-7,  Rom. 1:15-17,  Eph. 2:8-9, Acts 16:30-31 , Rom. 10:9-11, Heb. 4:14).

We believe that such only are real believers as endure unto the end: that their persevering attachment to Christ is the grand mark which distinguishes them from superficial professors; that a special providence watches over their welfare, and that they are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.(John 8:31;  I John 2:19;  John 6:37; John 10:28-29, Heb. 13:5, 1 Pet 1:5,  John 6:39 )

The Church
We believe in the local visible church of Christ as a congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by his laws; and exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by his word.  We shun any belief such as universal visible or universal invisible as heretical and contrary to Scripture.  We hold that the local church has the absolute right of self government, free from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations and that the one and only head is Jesus Christ – the Founder, Foundation, Head, Vine, Brideroom, Spouse and Chief Cornerstone of the church.  Under His authority the only scriptural officers are bishops or pastors and deacons whose characters, claims and duties are defined in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus ( Matt. 18:17;  I Cor. 14:23;  I Tim. 3:1-13; Acts 2:41-42; Col. 1:18; Eph. 1:22-23).

The Ordinances

We believe that the Christian baptism is the immersion in water of a believer, into the name of the Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit; to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem, our faith in the crucified, buried and risen Savior, with its effect, in our death to sin and resurrection to a new life; that it is prerequisite to the privileges of a church relation, and to the Lord’s Supper; in which the members of the church by the sacred use of bread and wine, are to commemorate together the dying love of Christ; preceded always by solemn self-examination. (Acts 8:36-39;  John 3:22-23; Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 8:12; Acts 16:32-34; Acts 18:8; Acts 10:47-48; Gal.3:26-28; Rom.6:4;  I Peter 3:20-21;   I Cor. 11:26; Matt. 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:14-20; I Cor.11:28; I Cor. 11:17-32).

The Last Things

We believe that upon death, the souls of the redeemed passes immediately into a state of conscious bliss in the presence of Christ (Luke 23:43; Phil. 1:23; 2 Cor. 5:8) and that the souls of those who have rejected Christ immediately passes to a place of conscious separation and torment (Luke 16:19-31).  At this point, there is a separation between body and soul for both the saved and the lost which shall end at the rapture for the redeemed and until the second resurrection for the unsaved.

We teach the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life (John 6:39; Rom. 8:11, 19-23; 2 Cor. 4:14), and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment (Dan. 12:2; Rev. 20:13-15).

We believe in the personal, bodily return of our Lord Jesus Christ before the seven-year tribulation to translate His redeemed from this earth ( 1 Cor. 15:51-53; 1 Thess. 4:15-5:11; Titus 2:13).  This is known as “the rapture” from the term “rapturo” in latin which is a translation of the Greek “harpazo” meaning “caught up.”

We believe that immediately following the rapture, the righteous judgments of God will be poured out upon an unbelieving world ( Dan. 12:1; 2 Thess. 2:7-12; Rev. 16), and that these judgments will be climaxed by the return of Christ in glory to the earth (Matt. 24:27-31; 25:31-46).  Following this, Christ will establish His messianic kingdom for 1,000 years on the earth (Rev. 20:1-7). During this time the resurrected saints will reign with Him over Israel and all the nations of the earth (Eze. 37:21-28; Dan. 7:17-22; Rev. 19:11-16). This reign will be preceded by the overthrow of the Antichrist and the False Prophet, and by the removal of Satan from the world (Rev. 20:1-7).

We believe that the kingdom itself will be the fulfillment of God’s promise to Israel (Isa. 65:17-25; Eze.37:21-28; Zech. 8:1-17) to restore them to the land that they forfeited through their disobedience (Deut. 28:15-68). The result of their disobedience was that Israel was temporarily set aside (Rom. 11:1-26), but will again be awakened through repentance to enter into the land of blessing (Jer. 31:31-34; Eze. 36:22-32; Rom. 11:25-29).

We believe that after the closing of the millennium, the temporary release of Satan, and the judgment of unbelievers (2 Thess. 1:9; Rev. 20:7-15), the saved will enter the eternal state of glory with God, after which the elements of this earth are to be dissolved (2 Peter 3:10) and replaced with a new earth, wherein only righteousness dwells (Eph. 5:5; Rev. 21:1-27; 22:1-21). Our Lord Jesus Christ, having fulfilled His redemptive mission, will then deliver up the kingdom to God the Father, that in all things the triune God may reign forever and ever (1 Cor. 15:24-28).