What We Believe
THE SCRIPTURES
The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments were given by inspiration of God, and are the only sufficient, certain and authoritative rule of all saving knowledge, faith and obedience. (2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21)
GOD
There is one and only one living and true God. He is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal Being. He is the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe. God is infinite in holiness and all other perfections. To Him we owe the highest love, reverence, and obedience.
THE TRINITY
The eternal God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being. (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 45:5-7; 1 Corinthians 8:4; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 Timothy 2:4-5)
THE FALL OF MAN
God originally created Adam in His own image, and free from sin; but, through the temptation of Satan, he broke the command of God, and fell from his original holiness and righteousness. Humanity, as his offspring now all inherit a broke nature that is corrupt and opposed to God and His law and His ways. The Bible refers to our natural state as being “enemies of God” because of this..(Genesis 1:27, Genesis 3:4-7; Romans 5:12-21; Ephesians 2:1-3)
SALVATION
We believe that we are saved by God’s grace when we put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Man being sinful does not have the ability to save himself, no matter how many good works he does. However, once we place our faith and trust in Christ, our faith will be evidenced by good works, obedience, and the fruit of the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 5:22-23)
BAPTISM
Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer’s faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Savior; the believer’s death to sin, burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. It is a public testimony to his faith in the final resurrection of the dead. Being a church ordinance, it is a prerequisite to the privileges of Church membership and to the Lord’s Supper.
THE LORD’S SUPPER
The Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby followers of Christ, through partaking of the bread and the fruit of the vine, remember the death of the redeemer and anticipate His second coming. (Acts 2:38-42, 8:36-39; Romans 6:1-11, 1 Corinthians 10:16, 11:23)
Our Affiliation & Full Confession
Immanuel Baptist Church is affiliated with the Missouri Baptist Convention & the Southern Baptist Convention.
As a church we hold to the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 as our shared confession.