The Holy Scriptures
We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the verbally and inspired Word of God. The Scriptures are the final authority for faith and life. The sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments are the complete and divine revelation of God to man. The Scriptures shall be interpreted according to their normal grammatical historical meaning. The King James Version of the Bible shall be the official and only translation used by the church (II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:20-21).
The Godhead
We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections (Deut. 6:4; Matthew 28:19; II Corinthians 13:14; John 14:10, 26).
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 (Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 9:6; Luke 1:35; John 1:1-2, 14; II Corinthians 5:19-21; Galatians 4:4-5; Philippians 2:5-8).
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the Cross, and the shedding of His blood, as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice and that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead. (Acts 2:18-36; 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; Hebrews 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 a person who convicts 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; Romans 8:9; I Corinthians 12:12-14; II Corinthians 3:6; Ephesians 1:13-14).
We believe that He is the Divine Teacher who assists believers to understand and appropriate the Scriptures and that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 1:17-18; Ephesians 5:18; I John 2:20, 27).
We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowal of spiritual gifts to every believer. God uniquely uses evangelists, pastors, and teachers to equip believers in the assembly in order that they can do the work of the ministry (Romans 12:3-8
I Corinthians 12:4-11; Ephesians 4:7-12).
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 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 prayers of believers for physical healing ( I Corinthians 1:22; I Corinthians 13:8; I Corinthians 14:21-22).
The Total Depravity of Man
We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam’s sin the human 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; Romans 5:12; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:1-3; Ephesians 4:17-19).
Salvation
We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins (John 1:12; Ephesians 1:7; Ephesians 2:8-10; I Peter 1:18-19).
The Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers
We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever (John 6:37-40; John 10:27-30; Romans 8:1, 38-39; I Corinthians 1:4-8; I Peter 1:4-5).
We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word, which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh (Romans 13:13-14; Galatians 5:13; Titus 2:11-15).
We believe we are sealed with the Holy Spirit, as born again believers, until the day of redemption (Ephesians 1:13-14; Ephesians 4:30; II Corinthians 1:22).
We believe that we know we have eternal life because our Lord Jesus Christ was the first to overcome the world, we are made in His likeness, being born-again, we also are overcomers and kept by Him (John 16:33; John 10:28-29; I John 5:4-13).
The Church
We believe the church, which is the body and the espoused bride of Christ, is solely made up of born again, baptized (immersed) believers ( I Corinthians 12:12-14; II Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 1:22-23; Ephesians 5:25-27).
We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures (Acts 14:27; Acts 20:17, 28-32; I Timothy6 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; Acts 15:19-31; Acts 20:28; Romans 16:1, 4; I Corinthians 3:9, 16; I Corinthians 5:4-7, 13; I Peter 5:1-4).
We believe and recognize water baptism and the Lord’s Supper as the Scriptural ordinances of obedience for the church in this age (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; Acts 18:18; I Corinthians 11:23-26).
We believe that the correct observance of the Lord’s Supper is with members of the First Baptist Church of Brighton only. This is called “closed communion.”
(I Corinthians 11:23-26; Matthew 26:17-29; Mark 14:12-25)
We believe, in accordance with the Word of God, and the Great Commission given to the church by the Lord Jesus Christ, that the church has the sole authority of baptism. The authority of baptism does not belong to the clergy of the church. The church gives the Pastor the authority to baptize members into the body of Christ. (Matthew 28:19-20)
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 ( Romans 12:1-2; Romans 14:13; II Corinthians 6:14-7:1; II Timothy3:1-5; I John 2:15-17; II John 9-11).
The Second Advent of Christ
We believe in that “blessed hope,” the personal, imminent, return of Christ who will rapture His church prior to the seven year tribulation period. At the end of the tribulation Christ will personally and visibly return, with His saints, to establish His earthly Messianic Kingdom which was promised to the Nation of Israel ( Psalms 89:3-4; Daniel 2:31-45; Zechariah 14:4-11; I Thessalonians 1:10; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; Revelation 3:10; Revelation 19:11-16; Revelation 20:1-6).
The 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; John 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; II Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23; Philippians 3:21; I Thessalonians 4:16-17; Revelation 20:4-6).
We believe the spirit is dead until awakened by the Lord Jesus Christ at salvation, therefore, we believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, in Hell, after death, in conscious punishment and torment 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 and torment (Matthew 25:41-46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-26; II Thessalonians 1:7-9; Jude 6-7; Revelation 20:11-15).
The Personality of Satan
We believe that Satan is a person, the author of sin and the cause of the Fall of Man; that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man; and, that he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire (Job 1:6-7; Isaiah 14:12-17; Matthew 4:2-11; Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10).
Creation
We believe that God created the universe in six literal 24 hour periods. We reject evolution, the Gap Theory, the Day-Age Theory, and Theistic Evolution as unscriptural theories of origin (Genesis 1-2; Exodus 20:11).
Civil Government
We believe that God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: 1) the home; 2) the church; and 3) the state. Every person is subject to these authorities, but all (including the authorities themselves) are answerable to God and governed by His Word. God has given each institution specific Biblical responsibilities and balanced those responsibilities with the understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the other. The home, the church, and the state are equal and sovereign in their respective Biblical assigned spheres of responsibility under God ( Romans 13:1-7; Ephesians 5:22-24; Hebrews 13:17; I Peter 2:13-14).
Human Sexuality
We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one’s gender by surgery or appearance (Genesis 2:24; Genesis 19:5; Genesis 26:8-9; Leviticus 18:1-30; Romans 1:26-29; I Corinthians5:1; I Corinthians 6:9; I Thessalonians 4:1-8; Hebrews 13:4).
We believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one woman (Genesis 2:24; Romans 7:2; I Corinthians 7:10; Ephesians 5:22-23).
Family Relationships
We believe that men and women are spiritually equal in position before God but that God has ordained distinct and separate spiritual functions for men and women in the home and the church. The husband is to be the leader of the home and men are to be the leaders (pastors and deacons) of the church. Accordingly, only men are eligible for licensure and ordination by the church (Galatians 3:28; Colossians 3:18; I Timothy 2:8-15; I Timothy 3:4-5, 12).
We believe that God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. The husband is to love his wife as Christ loves the church. The wife is to submit herself to the Scriptural leadership of her husband as the church submits to the headship of Christ. Children are an heritage from the Lord. Parents are responsible for teaching their children spiritual and moral values and leading them, through consistent lifestyle example and appropriate discipline, including Scriptural corporal correction ( Genesis 1:26-28; Exodus 20:12; Deut. 6:4-9; Psalms 127:3-5; Proverbs 19:18; Proverbs 22:15; Proverbs 23:13-14; Mark 10:6-12; I Corinthians 7:1-16; Ephesians 5:21-33; Ephesians 6:1-4; Colossians 3:18-21; Hebrews 13:4; I Peter 3:1-7).
Divorce and Remarriage
We believe that God disapproves of and forbids divorce and intends marriage to last until one of the spouses dies. Divorce and remarriage is regarded as adultery except on the grounds of fornication. Although divorced and remarried persons or divorced persons may hold positions of service in the church and be greatly used of God for Christian service, they may not be considered for the offices of pastor or deacon ( Mal. 2:14-17; Matthew 19:3-12; Romans 7:1-3; I Timothy 3:2, 12; Titus 1:6).
Abortion
We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the physical or mental well being of the mother are acceptable ( Job 3:16; Psalms 51:5; Psalms 139:14-16; Isaiah 44:24; Isaiah 49:1, 5; Jeremiah 1:5; Jeremiah 20:15-18; Luke 1:44).
Authority of Statement of Faith
The Statement of Faith does not exhaust the extent of our faith. The Bible itself is the sole and final source of all that we believe. We do believe, however, that the foregoing Statement of Faith accurately represents the teachings of the Bible.
