Core Beliefs
The following are the core beliefs of Beth Eden Baptist Church - Fitchburg based on the foundational truths taught in the bible. All of our teaching and ministry is rooted in and flows out of these biblical doctrines.
Basics of Belief
1. We believe that the one true God exists eternally in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who are equal in essence, yet distinct in personality (Deut 6:4; Matt 28:19; 2 Cor 13:14).
2. We believe that the Bible is God’s inspired Word, without error as originally written, and the final authority for our faith and practice (2 Tim 3:16–17; John 17:17).
3. We believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God who added a fully human nature to his divine nature, thus becoming the God–man, was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on the cross as the substitute for sinners, paid the penalty of God’s wrath against sin, rose from the dead, and will come again to establish his kingdom (John 1:1, 14; Heb 4:15; 1 John 2:2; 4:10; 1 Thess 1:10; Rev 11:15).
4. We believe that God created the physical universe and created human beings, male and female, in His own image (Gen 1:26–31; Heb 11:3). We believe that man deliberately disobeyed the expressed will of God and therefore fell under God’s condemnation and the power of sin (Rom 5:12; 6:20). We believe that the resulting effect of sin on man touches his entire being, leaving him completely unable to earn God’s favor or contribute to his own salvation (Eph 2:1–10; Titus 3:5).
5. We believe that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone (Eph 2:8–9; Rom 3:21–25; 4:5). We believe that justification is by faith, apart from works, and results in a guilty sinner being declared righteous by God because the righteousness of Jesus Christ is credited to his account (Rom 4:4–5; 2 Cor 5:21; Gal 2:16).
6. We believe in a final resurrection of both the saved and lost, one to life eternal and the other to eternal condemnation (John 5:29; Rev 20:6, 13–15).
7. We believe that the local church is currently the center of God’s activity in this world, being composed of believers who have been immersed in water as a testimony of their faith in Jesus Christ, and being organized according to the principles of God’s Word in order to carry out the mission of Jesus Christ (1 Tim 3:15; Acts 2:41; Matt 28:18–20).
8. We believe that individual Christians and local churches must strive to reflect God’s holiness and to live differently than those who have not experienced the saving grace of Jesus Christ (1 Pet 1:15–16; Eph 4:17–19). We are also called to avoid unholy alliances with those who deny essential doctrines of the faith (Jude 3; 2 John 9–11; Rom 16:17).What we believe is very important to us and to God. We strive to base everything we say and do on our understanding of the scriptures, God's inspired word.
2. We believe that the Bible is God’s inspired Word, without error as originally written, and the final authority for our faith and practice (2 Tim 3:16–17; John 17:17).
3. We believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God who added a fully human nature to his divine nature, thus becoming the God–man, was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on the cross as the substitute for sinners, paid the penalty of God’s wrath against sin, rose from the dead, and will come again to establish his kingdom (John 1:1, 14; Heb 4:15; 1 John 2:2; 4:10; 1 Thess 1:10; Rev 11:15).
4. We believe that God created the physical universe and created human beings, male and female, in His own image (Gen 1:26–31; Heb 11:3). We believe that man deliberately disobeyed the expressed will of God and therefore fell under God’s condemnation and the power of sin (Rom 5:12; 6:20). We believe that the resulting effect of sin on man touches his entire being, leaving him completely unable to earn God’s favor or contribute to his own salvation (Eph 2:1–10; Titus 3:5).
5. We believe that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone (Eph 2:8–9; Rom 3:21–25; 4:5). We believe that justification is by faith, apart from works, and results in a guilty sinner being declared righteous by God because the righteousness of Jesus Christ is credited to his account (Rom 4:4–5; 2 Cor 5:21; Gal 2:16).
6. We believe in a final resurrection of both the saved and lost, one to life eternal and the other to eternal condemnation (John 5:29; Rev 20:6, 13–15).
7. We believe that the local church is currently the center of God’s activity in this world, being composed of believers who have been immersed in water as a testimony of their faith in Jesus Christ, and being organized according to the principles of God’s Word in order to carry out the mission of Jesus Christ (1 Tim 3:15; Acts 2:41; Matt 28:18–20).
8. We believe that individual Christians and local churches must strive to reflect God’s holiness and to live differently than those who have not experienced the saving grace of Jesus Christ (1 Pet 1:15–16; Eph 4:17–19). We are also called to avoid unholy alliances with those who deny essential doctrines of the faith (Jude 3; 2 John 9–11; Rom 16:17).What we believe is very important to us and to God. We strive to base everything we say and do on our understanding of the scriptures, God's inspired word.
Summary Commitments
As an independent church, we are not affiliated with any governing denominational organization, though we gratefully fellowship with other likeminded churches and Christian ministries.
We freely describe our church as conservative in theology. We are committed to belief in the inspired scriptures and the gospel (evangelical) message. We do not embrace the beliefs and practices of Modernism, Liberalism, or Neoorthodoxy.
We are committed to faithfully defending and propagating the historic beliefs of orthodox Christianity ("the faith once for all delivered to the saints") and defending the congregation from potential inroads by false teachers (i.e. those who deny the gospel message and the inspiration and authority of the scriptures).
As a Baptist church we believe in some very important doctrinal distinctives (see below, Baptist Distinctives) that have significant impact on the life and operation of the church. Many of these distinctives are shared by other Bible believing churches that may use a name other than Baptist to describe themselves. And some other churches may actually hold to all of these distinctives without actually using the name Baptist to describe their church (e.g. Bible or Community churches). However, the failure to hold to these distinctives has caused great damage to many congregations of believers over the years.
We freely describe our church as conservative in theology. We are committed to belief in the inspired scriptures and the gospel (evangelical) message. We do not embrace the beliefs and practices of Modernism, Liberalism, or Neoorthodoxy.
We are committed to faithfully defending and propagating the historic beliefs of orthodox Christianity ("the faith once for all delivered to the saints") and defending the congregation from potential inroads by false teachers (i.e. those who deny the gospel message and the inspiration and authority of the scriptures).
As a Baptist church we believe in some very important doctrinal distinctives (see below, Baptist Distinctives) that have significant impact on the life and operation of the church. Many of these distinctives are shared by other Bible believing churches that may use a name other than Baptist to describe themselves. And some other churches may actually hold to all of these distinctives without actually using the name Baptist to describe their church (e.g. Bible or Community churches). However, the failure to hold to these distinctives has caused great damage to many congregations of believers over the years.