The members of Blue Ridge Baptist Church adopt the following as a declaration of the principle tenets of our belief.
The Scripture references appended to each of the following declarations are some of the passages upon which our belief is founded.
The Scripture references appended to each of the following declarations are some of the passages upon which our belief is founded.
Blessed is he that keeps the sayings of this Book. Rev. 22:7
1. The Old and New Testament Scriptures were written by men who were divinely inspired and guided as they gave us the inerrant, infallible Word of God. These inspired Scriptures are the only sufficient and perfect rule of faith and practice.
II Tim. 3:16, 17; II Peter 1:21; Matt. 5:19, 24-25; Luke 24:44; John 5:39; 10:35; 14:15, 21-26, 17:17; Isa. 8:20
2. There is one God, and only one, Who is self-existent, eternal, and infinite in every excellence, and Who has revealed Himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the same in essence, though distinct in personality.
Isa. 45:21,22; Jer. 10:10; Ex. 3:14; Deut. 6:4; 32:4; John 1:1-14; Rom. 9:5; I Tim. 3:16;
Rev. 1:18; John 14:26; 15:26; Acts 5:3-4; I Cor. 3:16; 12:11; Matt. 28:19
3. Man was created innocent. By disobedience of the command of God, he fell, thereby losing his innocence, becoming subject to death and to the eternal displeasure of God.
Gen. 1:27, 31; 2:16-17; 3:1-16; Psa. 9:17; 14:1-3; 51:5; Eccl. 7:29; Isa. 53:6; Jer. 17:9;
Ezek. 18:19-20; Matt. 25:46; Rom. 1:18, 32; 2:1-16; I Cor. 15:22; Gal. 3:10; Eph. 2:3;
I John 1:8
4. Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Son of Man, came into this world to save men from their sins, their guilt and their condemnation, offering His blood as an atonement, and making it available to all who exercise faith in Him.
John 1:14, 29; Luke 1:26-35; Acts 4:12; Rom. 3:20-26; John 3:14-16; Gal. 6:14;
Matt. 26:28; Acts 16:31; John 6:53
5. We believe in His Virgin Birth; that He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and therefore, God manifest in the flesh.
Matt. 1:23
6. We believe in His substitutionary death; that the Son of God gave "His life a ransom for many", and "bore our sins in His own body on the tree."
Isa. 53:5; II Cor. 5:21; I Peter 2:24
7. We believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ is justification, whereby pardon is secured and we are brought into a state of peace and favor with God.
Matt. 28:5,6; Rom. 8:34
8. The result of the heart acceptance of Jesus Christ is justification, whereby pardon is secured and we are brought into a state of peace and favor with God.
Eph. 1:7; Rom. 4:4-5; 5:1
9. The human means by which the result is secured is repentance and faith whereby we turn to God in sincere contrition and accept Jesus Christ as an all-sufficient Savior.
Act 2:38; Eph. 2:8-9; Heb 7:25
10. God has His purposes of grace in the salvation of mankind. These purposes are made effectual by the giving of His Son, and in the constraining and regenerating influence of the Holy Spirit upon all who sincerely believe on Christ. But these purposes do not contravene the freedom of man's will, nor render inoperative the propagation of the gospel to all.
Rom. 8:28-30; Eph. 1:4; Isa. 46:10; John 3:6-8; 6:44; 1:12-13; I Peter 1:2; James 1:18;
John 16:7-11; Eph. 2:10; Phil. 2:12-13; John 5:40; Rom. 10:13-16
11. We believe in the special creation of the universe and man.
Genesis 1 and 2
12. We believe in the universal depravity of mankind; therefore, in the necessity of regeneration through the Holy Spirit of God and faith in Jesus Christ.
Gen. 3; Rom. 5:12; John 3:3-7; Rom. 3:9-18, 23
13. We believe in the immersion of the believer in water, as the only Biblical form of believer's baptism, prerequisite to church membership, and the communion of the Lord's Supper as a privilege peculiar only to those who are believers in Jesus Christ.
Matt. 3:16; Acts 8:36-39; Acts 2:41; I Cor. 11:13-29
14. The Church Spiritual includes the whole company of believers of whatever name, age, or country, and is known only to the eye of God. The Church Formal is a company of believers baptized in the name of the Triune God, and observing the forms, ordinances, and principles laid down in the New Testament.
Col. 1:18; Eph. 5:27; 2:19-21; 1:22-23; I Cor. 12:27-28; 1:2; 11:2; Rom. 6:17; II Tim. 1:13
15. We believe in the great commission given by our Lord to His church to evangelize the world, and that this evangelization is the great mission of the church.
Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16
16. We believe Jesus Christ is to come again, judge the nations, and fill the earth with His glory and power. The first event connected with the Lord's coming again will be the pre-tribulational and pre-millennial rapture of the Church.
Matt. 24:25-51; John 14:3; Acts 1:11; I Thess. 4:16-17; II Thess. 2:3-8; Rev. 1:7; 20:1-6
17. We believe in the bodily resurrection of all mankind. This will occur in different stages. The just shall be raised according to II Thess. 2:3-8. The unjust will not be raised until after the millennial reign of Jesus Christ. The just shall be raised unto eternal blessedness. The unjust shall be raised unto judgement and eternal doom.
Dan. 12:2; John 5:28-29; Acts 24:15; Luke 20:35-38; I Cor. 15:22-24, 42-48; Matt. 25:31-46; II Cor. 5:1-; Rev. 20
18. We believe that nothing can separate the true believers from the love of God; but "they are kept by the power of God, through faith, unto salvation", the sure proof of this being their patient continuation and progress in righteousness and true holiness.
Rom. 8:35-39; I Peter 1:5; John 10:27-29; 8:31; Col. 1:21-23; Heb. 3:14; Matt. 24:13;
I John 2:19; II Cor. 3:18; II Peter 1:3
19. Civil government is of divine appointment for the interest and good order of human society, and the magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored and obeyed, except in things opposed to the will of God, Who is the only Lord of conscience and the Prince of the Kings of the earth.
Rom. 13:1-7; Matt. 22:21; Acts 5:29; 4:18-20
20. The first day of the week is to observed as the Lord's Day.
John 20:19; John 20:26; Acts 20:7; I Cor. 16:1-2; Rev. 1:10
II Tim. 3:16, 17; II Peter 1:21; Matt. 5:19, 24-25; Luke 24:44; John 5:39; 10:35; 14:15, 21-26, 17:17; Isa. 8:20
2. There is one God, and only one, Who is self-existent, eternal, and infinite in every excellence, and Who has revealed Himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the same in essence, though distinct in personality.
Isa. 45:21,22; Jer. 10:10; Ex. 3:14; Deut. 6:4; 32:4; John 1:1-14; Rom. 9:5; I Tim. 3:16;
Rev. 1:18; John 14:26; 15:26; Acts 5:3-4; I Cor. 3:16; 12:11; Matt. 28:19
3. Man was created innocent. By disobedience of the command of God, he fell, thereby losing his innocence, becoming subject to death and to the eternal displeasure of God.
Gen. 1:27, 31; 2:16-17; 3:1-16; Psa. 9:17; 14:1-3; 51:5; Eccl. 7:29; Isa. 53:6; Jer. 17:9;
Ezek. 18:19-20; Matt. 25:46; Rom. 1:18, 32; 2:1-16; I Cor. 15:22; Gal. 3:10; Eph. 2:3;
I John 1:8
4. Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Son of Man, came into this world to save men from their sins, their guilt and their condemnation, offering His blood as an atonement, and making it available to all who exercise faith in Him.
John 1:14, 29; Luke 1:26-35; Acts 4:12; Rom. 3:20-26; John 3:14-16; Gal. 6:14;
Matt. 26:28; Acts 16:31; John 6:53
5. We believe in His Virgin Birth; that He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and therefore, God manifest in the flesh.
Matt. 1:23
6. We believe in His substitutionary death; that the Son of God gave "His life a ransom for many", and "bore our sins in His own body on the tree."
Isa. 53:5; II Cor. 5:21; I Peter 2:24
7. We believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ is justification, whereby pardon is secured and we are brought into a state of peace and favor with God.
Matt. 28:5,6; Rom. 8:34
8. The result of the heart acceptance of Jesus Christ is justification, whereby pardon is secured and we are brought into a state of peace and favor with God.
Eph. 1:7; Rom. 4:4-5; 5:1
9. The human means by which the result is secured is repentance and faith whereby we turn to God in sincere contrition and accept Jesus Christ as an all-sufficient Savior.
Act 2:38; Eph. 2:8-9; Heb 7:25
10. God has His purposes of grace in the salvation of mankind. These purposes are made effectual by the giving of His Son, and in the constraining and regenerating influence of the Holy Spirit upon all who sincerely believe on Christ. But these purposes do not contravene the freedom of man's will, nor render inoperative the propagation of the gospel to all.
Rom. 8:28-30; Eph. 1:4; Isa. 46:10; John 3:6-8; 6:44; 1:12-13; I Peter 1:2; James 1:18;
John 16:7-11; Eph. 2:10; Phil. 2:12-13; John 5:40; Rom. 10:13-16
11. We believe in the special creation of the universe and man.
Genesis 1 and 2
12. We believe in the universal depravity of mankind; therefore, in the necessity of regeneration through the Holy Spirit of God and faith in Jesus Christ.
Gen. 3; Rom. 5:12; John 3:3-7; Rom. 3:9-18, 23
13. We believe in the immersion of the believer in water, as the only Biblical form of believer's baptism, prerequisite to church membership, and the communion of the Lord's Supper as a privilege peculiar only to those who are believers in Jesus Christ.
Matt. 3:16; Acts 8:36-39; Acts 2:41; I Cor. 11:13-29
14. The Church Spiritual includes the whole company of believers of whatever name, age, or country, and is known only to the eye of God. The Church Formal is a company of believers baptized in the name of the Triune God, and observing the forms, ordinances, and principles laid down in the New Testament.
Col. 1:18; Eph. 5:27; 2:19-21; 1:22-23; I Cor. 12:27-28; 1:2; 11:2; Rom. 6:17; II Tim. 1:13
15. We believe in the great commission given by our Lord to His church to evangelize the world, and that this evangelization is the great mission of the church.
Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16
16. We believe Jesus Christ is to come again, judge the nations, and fill the earth with His glory and power. The first event connected with the Lord's coming again will be the pre-tribulational and pre-millennial rapture of the Church.
Matt. 24:25-51; John 14:3; Acts 1:11; I Thess. 4:16-17; II Thess. 2:3-8; Rev. 1:7; 20:1-6
17. We believe in the bodily resurrection of all mankind. This will occur in different stages. The just shall be raised according to II Thess. 2:3-8. The unjust will not be raised until after the millennial reign of Jesus Christ. The just shall be raised unto eternal blessedness. The unjust shall be raised unto judgement and eternal doom.
Dan. 12:2; John 5:28-29; Acts 24:15; Luke 20:35-38; I Cor. 15:22-24, 42-48; Matt. 25:31-46; II Cor. 5:1-; Rev. 20
18. We believe that nothing can separate the true believers from the love of God; but "they are kept by the power of God, through faith, unto salvation", the sure proof of this being their patient continuation and progress in righteousness and true holiness.
Rom. 8:35-39; I Peter 1:5; John 10:27-29; 8:31; Col. 1:21-23; Heb. 3:14; Matt. 24:13;
I John 2:19; II Cor. 3:18; II Peter 1:3
19. Civil government is of divine appointment for the interest and good order of human society, and the magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored and obeyed, except in things opposed to the will of God, Who is the only Lord of conscience and the Prince of the Kings of the earth.
Rom. 13:1-7; Matt. 22:21; Acts 5:29; 4:18-20
20. The first day of the week is to observed as the Lord's Day.
John 20:19; John 20:26; Acts 20:7; I Cor. 16:1-2; Rev. 1:10