What We Believe
We believe the Bible, in its original documents, is the inspired Word of God, the written record of His supernatural revelation of Himself to man, absolute in its authority, complete in its revelation, final in its content, and without any errors (2 Timothy 3:16; John 10:35; Psalm 89:34; Hebrews 6:18; 2 Peter 3:16).
To maintain a strong Bible emphasis at Northside Baptist Church, we use the King James Version (KJV) in our Bible study, memorization of the Scripture, and the preaching of God’s Word. It is important that one accepted translation of the Scripture be used to avoid confusion. While we may use other literature that has different translations, our convictions concerning teaching from the Authorized Version are strong.
We believe there is one God, eternally existent, Creator of heaven and earth.
He is manifested in three persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and each having the same attributes and perfections (Deuteronomy 6:4; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Isaiah 7:14; 9:6; Genesis 1:2; John 14:9; 1 Timothy 3:16; 1 John 5:7).
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 (1 John 1:1,3; Luke 1:35).
The Lord Jesus Christ in sinlessly perfect, and that He accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice, and that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead (Romans 3:24, 25; 1 Peter 2:24; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:3-5). His death was to pay for all sins (past, present, and future of all the word (Il Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 10:10-14; Hebrews 9:28; Acts 13:38-41; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 3:5).
The Lord Jesus Christ ascended to heaven and He 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; 7:25; Romans 8:34; 1 John 2:1,2).
a. We believe that the Holy Spirit is the third member of the godhead, 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. The moment a person receives Christ as his Savior the Holy Spirit immediately indwells that believer (John 16:8-11, 1 Corinthians 3:16; 12:12-14; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 1:13, 14; 4:30).
b. We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Divine Teacher Who guides believers in all truth, and that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the Spirit; yielded to Him (John 16:13; 1 John 2:20, 27; Ephesians 5:18).
We believe God is absolutely sovereign: He causes, or allows, all things that happen. In His sovereignty, God gave man a free will to accept or reject the salvation that He has provided. It is God’s will that all would be saved and that none should perish. God permits man’s destiny to depend upon man’s choice (1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Peter 3:9; John 6:64, 65; Acts 10:34; 1 Corinthians 1:21; Ephesians 1:5-14; Romans 8:29, 30; 9:30-32).
We believe each member of the human race is fallen, sinful, and lost, and that regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential for the salvation of man (Romans 3:23; John 3:7; Titus 3:5; Luke 24:49).
We believe man is saved by unmerited grace through faith in Jesus Christ. No good work or obedient act of man enters into his salvation; salvation is a free gift. Man’s efforts, regardless of how good or well-intended, before or after salvation, have nothing to do with obtaining or keeping salvation. Salvation is by faith in the finished work of Christ, plus nothing (Titus 3:5; Ephesians 2:8,9; Galatians 2:16; Colossians 2:13; Romans 3:24).
We believe repentance is necessary for salvation and should be defined properly. Repentance for salvation is a change of mind from unbelief to belief in Christ for forgiveness of sin and eternal life. A person who has believed in Christ for eternal salvation has repented.
The Greek word for “repent” is “metanoeo,” which translated into English means “to change one’s mind.” Regarding salvation into eternal lie, repentance does not mean “to turn from sin,” since that would mean works would be required for salvation.
It is certainly a tragedy that some people live shallow spiritual lives. Northside Baptist Church is dedicated to the task of training Christian men and women in the importance of total dedication to Jesus as the Lord, not to be saved, but because they are saved. Adding works to salvation cannot cure “shallow Christianity.” The true child of God is not under the law, but is under grace. God’s children are saved by grace, taught by grace, and disciplined by grace, and kept by grace (Romans 6:14, 15; Colossians 2:11, 12, 2 Corinthians 3:17).
Salvation is the result of receiving what God has done for us (Acts 13:38,39; Galatians 1:8,9; 2:16, 21; 3:1-3; 5:1-4; Ephesians 2:8-10; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 11:13-15; Philippians 3:9; Titus 3:5-8; John 3:16-18).
It is every Christian’s privilege and duty to make God’s plan of salvation known clearly and simply (Mark 16:15; 1 Thessalonians 2:4).
The plan of salvation presented through the ministries of Northside Baptist Church generally demonstrates these truths from the Bible.
- All men are sinners (Romans 3:10; Isaiah 64:6; Romans 3:23; James
2:10; Jeremiah 17:9). - The penalty of sin is death (Romans 6:23; Ezekiel 18:20).
- Man must be righteous in order to enter heaven (Revelation 21:27).
- Man can do nothing of himself to obtain this righteousness (Ephesians
2:8-9; Galatians 2:21; Romans 4:5). - God provided Jesus Christ as a sacrifice for sin and gives His perfect righteousness to the believer (Il Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 3:9; Isaiah
53:6; 1 Peter 3:18). - Man needs only belief in the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Savior for salvation into eternal life (John 3:16; John 3:36; John 5:24; Acts 16:31).
- Man can be certain of his salvation, and that his salvation cannot be lost, because everlasting life lasts forever (John 6:37-39; 10:28; 1 Peter 1:5;
Hebrews 10:10-14; 1 John 5:13).
We believe that a person becomes a child of God by faith in Christ and will always be a child of God. Once saved, a person can never lose salvation because everlasting life is everlasting (John 3:16; 3:36; 5:24; 6: 37-40; 6:47; 10:28-30).
We believe there is no reliable outward evidence that a person is saved. Every child of God should obey and serve the Lord, but it is heresy to teach that a person can know he is saved or lost because of his behavior or works (Galatians 2:16; Romans 4:5).
We believe that the church, which is the body of the espoused bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all those who have trusted Christ as their Savior from the day of Pentecost to the Rapture (Ephesians 1:22,23; 5:25-27; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; 2 Corinthians 11:2).
We believe that the establishment and continuance of elder led local churches is clearly taught and defined in the Scriptures (Acts 14:27; 20:17, 28-32, 1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11).
We believe that the two ordinances of the local church instituted by Christ are water baptism and the Lord’s Supper (communion). These are steps of obedience in a Christian’s life (service) and are not requirements for eternal salvation (Matthew 28:19; 1 Corinthians 11:23-28).
We believe that the church belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for it. He is the Chief Shepherd and Head of the church. The church is not a social organization, but a spiritual organism. It is therefore not to be led by human institutions, including governments. Northside Baptist Church is an independent God-ordained assembly of spiritual believers called out by God to be His ambassadors.
We believe every true child of God possesses eternal life, is justified by faith, sanctified by God, sealed with the Holy Spirit, and is safe and secure in Christ for all eternity. However, a saved person can lose fellowship, joy, power, testimony, purpose, fruitfulness, and rewards, through sin, and may incur the Father’s present chastisement.
Relationship with God is eternal, being established in the new birth by grace through faith in Christ. Fellowship, however, is dependent upon obedience. God guarantees reward to the obedient believer. God guarantees chastening and loss of reward to the disobedient child. God does not cast out His disobedient children, but He does discipline them. There is even a sin unto physical death. God does not permit His children to live as they please without discipline and guidance (1 Corinthians 3:11-17; 5:1-5; 11:30-32; Hebrews 12:5-11). 1 John 1:9 is not a verse for salvation but a precious promise to Christians for cleansing and forgiveness. 1 John 1:9 does not guarantee restoration of fellowship or restitution from physical damage caused by sin. Confession of sin is a condition for fellowship with God. 1 John 1:6 and 7 teach that fellowship is the result of the Christian’s spiritual walk and not the result of confession of sin alone (2 Peter 1:5-8, 1 John 1:6-7, Colossians 1:10, John 15:8, Galatians 5:22).
We believe a child of God has two births: one of the flesh and the other of the spirit. The flesh nature is neither good, nor righteous. The spiritual nature does not commit sin. This results in warfare between the spirit and the flesh, which continues until physical death, or the return of the Lord. (The new birth cannot change in any way the flesh nature of man, but the flesh nature can be controlled and kept subdued by the new man.) Claims of the eradication of the old nature in this life are unscriptural (John 3:3-7; Romans 8:8; 7:15-25; Galatians 5:17; 1 John 3:9; 5:18; 1 Peter 1:23).
We believe that 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 by God (2 Timothy 3:1-5; Romans 12:1-2; 14:13; 1 John 2:15-17; 2 John 9-11; 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1).
We believe that Satan is a fallen angel, the author of sin and the cause of man’s fall. We believe that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man, and that he and his angels will be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire (Job 1:6,7; Isaiah 14:12-17; Matthew 4:2-11; 25:41; Revelation 20:10).
We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowment of all His gifts (Romans 12:6-8; Ephesians 4:11-12; 1 Corinthians 12:18).
We believe that the gift of tongues (languages) was a manifestation of the Holy Spirit’s power for the demonstration of God’s wisdom, purpose, and power in the establishment of the early church. This gift was a spoken known anguage of that time, and a sign for the unbelieving Jew (Acts 2:6; 1 Corinthians 14:22; Hebrews 2:4).
We believe that apostleship, speaking in tongues, and the working of sign miracles ceased as the New Testament Scriptures were completed and their authority became established (1 Corinthians 12:4-11; 2 Corinthians 12:12; Ephesians 4:7-12).
We believe that God does hear and answer, in accord with His own will, the prayer of faith for the sick and afflicted (John 15:7; 1 John 5:14-15). God can heal, but physical healing is not in the atonement. God heals miraculously today when it is His will to do so. Healing cannot be claimed through the guarantee of the atonement. At times, it is God’s will for sickness not to be removed (2 Corinthians 12:8-10; James 5:14-16).
We believe that the Rapture event is the coming of Christ from Heaven and removing the saints on earth to a meeting with Him in the air.
We believe in the personal, premillennial, and pre-tribulational return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:9-11; 1:10; 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; 1 Corinthians 15:51-53).
We believe that Christ’s coming with His angels to earth is in power and great glory. This coming is preceded by the seven-year Tribulation, which begins immediately after the Rapture (2 Thessalonians 2:1-8; Isaiah 26:17-21 27:1; Matthew 24; Revelation 4:4). We believe there is a resurrection of the saved and of the lost; of the saved unto eternal life, and of the lost unto eternal conscious punishment. These two resurrections are separated by more than 1,000 years (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Daniel 12:2; Revelation 20:5-15; Matthew 25:41).