Statement of Faith
Disclaimer
This Statement of Faith is provided for reference only and are not official or binding. For the official Statement of Faith please refer to the current Minute book of the Baptist Missionary Association of Oklahoma.
GOD
There is one living and true God, the creator of the universe (Exo 15:11; Isa 45:11; Jer 27:5). He is revealed in the unity of the Godhead as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, who are equal in every divine perfection (Exo 15:11; Mat 28:19; 2Co 13:14).
God the Father is the supreme ruler of the universe. He providentially directs the affairs of history according to the purposes of His grace (Gen 1; Psa 19:1; Psa 104; Heb 1:1-3).
God the Son is the Savior of the world. Born of the virgin Mary (Mat 1:18; Luk 1:26-35), He declared His deity among men (Joh 1:1, 4, 18; Mat 9:6), died on the cross as the only sacrifice for sin (Php 2:6-11), arose bodily from the grave (Luk 24:6-7, 24-26; 1Co 15:3-6), and ascended back to the Father, interceding for believers (Rom 8:34; Heb 7:25), until He returns to rapture them from the world (Act 1:11; 1Th 4:16-18).
God the Holy Spirit is the manifest presence of deity. He convicts of sin (Joh 16:8-11), teaches spiritual truths according to the written Word (Joh 16:12-15), permanently indwells believers (Act 5:32, Joh 14:16-17, 20, 23), and confers on every believer at conversion the ability to render effective spiritual service (1Pe 4:10-11).
The Scriptures
The World - God created all things for His own pleasure and glory, as revealed in the biblical account of creation ((Gen 1; Rev 4:11; Joh 1:2-3; Col 1:16).
The Angels - God created an innumerable host of spirit beings called angels. Holy angles worship God and execute His will; while fallen angels serve Satan, seeking to hinder God's purposes (Col 1:16; Luk 20:35-36; Mat 22:29-30; Psa 103:20; Jud 1:6).
Man - God created man in His own image. As the crowning work of creation, every person is of dignity and worth and merits the respect of all other persons (Psa 8; Gen 1:27; Gen 2:7; Mat 10:28-31).
Creation
The World - God created all things for His own pleasure and glory, as revealed in the biblical account of creation ((Gen 1; Rev 4:11; Joh 1:2-3; Col 1:16).
The Angels - God created an innumerable host of spirit beings called angels. Holy angles worship God and execute His will; while fallen angels serve Satan, seeking to hinder God's purposes (Col 1:16; Luk 20:35-36; Mat 22:29-30; Psa 103:20; Jud 1:6).
Man - God created man in His own image. As the crowning work of creation, every person is of dignity and worth and merits the respect of all other persons (Psa 8; Gen 1:27; Gen 2:7; Mat 10:28-31).
Satan
Satan is a person rather than a personification of evil (Joh 8:44), and he with his demons opposes all that is true and godly by blinding the world to the gospel (2Co 4:3-4), tempting saints to do evil (Eph 6:11; 1Pe 5:8), and warring against the Son of God (Gen 3:15; Rev 20:1-10).
Depravity
Although man was created in the image of God (Gen 1:26; Gen 2:17), he fell through sin and that image was marred (Rom 5:12; Jam 3:9). In his unregenerate state, he is void of spiritual life, is under the influence of the devil, and lacks any power to save himself (Eph 2:1-3; Joh 1:13). The sin nature has been transmitted to every member of the human race, the man Jesus Christ alone being excepted (Rom 3:23; 1Pe 2:22). Because of the sin nature, man possesses no divine life and is essentially and unchangeably depraved apart from divine grace (Rom 3:10-19; Jer 17:9).
Salvation
The Meaning of Salvation - Salvation is the gracious work of God whereby He delivers undeserving sinners from sin and its results (Mat 1:21; Eph 2:8-9). In justification He declares righteous all who put faith in Christ as Savior (Rom 3:20-22), giving them freedom from condemnation, peace with God, and full assurance of future glorification (Rom 3:24-26).
The Way of Salvation - Salvation is based wholly on the grace of God apart from works (Tit 3:5; Eph 2:9). Anyone who will exercise repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved (Act 16:30-32; Luk 24:47; Rom 10:17).
The Provision of Salvation - Christ died for the sins of the whole world (Joh 1:29; Joh 3:16; 1Jo 2:1-2). Through His blood, atonement is made without respect of persons (1Ti 2:4-6). All sinners can be saved by this gracious provision (Heb 2:9; Joh 3:18).
Divine Sovereignty and Human Freedom
God's sovereignty and man's freedom are two inseparable factors in the salvation experience (Eph 2:4-6). The two Bible truths are in no way contradictory, but they are amazingly complimentary in the great salvation so freely provided. God, in His sovereignty purposed, planned, and executed salvation in eternity while man's freedom enables him to make a personal choice in time, either to receive this salvation and be saved, or to reject it and be damned (Eph 1:9-14; Joh 1:12-13).
Sanctification
All believers are set apart unto God (Heb 10:12-14) at the time of their regeneration (1Co 6:11). They should grow in grace (2Pe 1:5-8) by allowing the Holy Spirit to apply God's Word to their lives (1Pe 2:2), confirming them to the principles of divine righteousness (Rom 12:1-2; 1Th 4:3-7) and making them partakers of the holiness of God (2Co 7:1; 1Pe 1:15-16).
Security
All believers are eternally secure in in Jesus Christ (Joh 10:24-30; Rom 8:35-39). They are born again (Joh 3:3-5; 1Jo 5:1; 1Pe 1:23), made new creatures in Christ (2Co 5:17; 2Pe 1:4), and indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:9; 1Jo 4:4), assuring their perseverance in good works (Eph 2:10). A special providence watches over them (Rom 8:28; 1Co 10:13), and they are kept by the power of God (Php 1:6; Php 2:12-13; 1Pe 1:3-5; Heb 13:5).
All believers are set apart unto God (Heb 10:12-14) at the time of their regeneration (1Co 6:11). They should grow in grace (2Pe 1:5-8) by allowing the Holy Spirit to apply God's Word to their lives (1Pe 2:2), confirming them to the principles of divine righteousness (Rom 12:1-2; 1Th 4:3-7) and making them partakers of the holiness of God (2Co 7:1; 1Pe 1:15-16).
The Church
The Nature of the Church - A New Testament Church is a local congregation (Act 16:5; 1Co 14:7) of baptized believers in Jesus Christ (Act 2:41) who are united by covenant in belief of what God has revealed and in obedience to what He has commanded (Act 2:41-42).
The Autonomy of the Church - She acknowledges Jesus as her only Head (Eph 5:23; Col 1:18) and the Holy Bible as her only rule of faith and practice (Isa 8:20; 2Ti 3:16-17), governing herself by democratic principles (Act 6:1-6; 1Co 5:1-5) under the oversight of her pastors (Act 20:28; Heb 13:7, 17, 24).
The Perpetuity of the Church - Instituted by Jesus during His personal ministry on earth (Mat 16:18; Mar 13:13-19; Joh 1:35-51). True churches have continued to the present and will continue until Jesus returns (Mat 16:18; Mat 28:20).
The ordinances of the Church - Her two ordinances are baptism and the Lord's Supper. Baptism is the immersion in water of a believer as a confession of his faith in Jesus Christ (Mat 28:19; Rom 6:4) and is a prerequisite to church membership and participation in the Lord's Supper (Act 2:41-42). The Lord's Supper is the sacred sharing of the bread of communion and the cup of blessing by the assembled church (Acts 20:7) as a memorial to the crucified body and shed blood of Jesus Christ (Luk 2:19-20; 1Co 11:23-26). Both ordinances must be administered by the authority of the New Testament church (Mat 28:18-20; 1Co 11:23-26).
The Officers of the Church - Pastors and deacons are the permanent officers divinely ordained in a New Testament church (Php 1:1). Each church may select men of her choice to fill those offices under the leading of the Holy Spirit (Act 6:1-6; Act 20:17-18) according to the divinely given qualifications (1Ti 3:1-13).
- Pastors (elders, bishops) are authorized to oversee and teach the churches under the Lordship of Jesus Christ (Act 20:28; Heb 13:7, 17, 24; 1Pe 5:1-4). Each church is responsible to follow them as they follow Christ (1Co 11:1; 1Th 1:6; Heb 13:17) and to provide a livelihood for them that they might fulfill their ministries (1Ti 5:17-18; Php 4:15-18). Pastors are equal in the service of God (Mat 23:8-12).
- Deacons (ministers, servants) are servants of the churches and assistants to the pastors, particularly in benevolent ministries. Each church may select her own deacons according to her needs, and no church is bound by the act of another church in that selection (Act 6:1-6).
The Ministry of the Church - Her mission is evangelizing sinners by preaching the gospel (Mat 28:19; Luk 24:45-47), baptizing those who believe (Act 2:41; Act 8:12, 35-38), and maturing them by instruction and discipline (Mat 18:17-18; 1Co 5:1-5).
The Fellowship of the Church - She is free to associate with true churches in furthering the faith (2Co 11:8; Php 4:10, 15-16) but is responsible to keep herself from those who hold doctrines or practices contrary to Holy Scripture (Gal 1:8-9; 1Jo 2:19). In association with other churches, each church is equal and is the sole judge of the measure and method of her cooperation (Mat 20:25-28). In all matters of polity and practice, the will of each church is final (Mat 18:18).
Civil Authority
Human government was instituted by God to protect the innocent and punish the guilty. It is separate from the church, though both church and state exercise complementary ministries for the benefit of society (Mat 22:21).
Christians should submit to the authority of the government under which they live, obeying all laws which do not contradict the laws of God, respecting officers of government, paying taxes, rendering military service, and praying for the welfare of the nation and its leaders (Rom 13:1-7; 1Pe 2:13, 17; 1Ti 2:1-2). They should vote, hold office, and exercise influence to direct the nation after the principles of Holy Scripture.
Civil authority is not to interfere in matters of conscience or disturb the institutions of religion (Act 4:18-20), but it should preserve for every citizen the free exercise of his religious convictions.
Churches should receive no subsidy from the government, but they should be exempt from taxation on property and money used for the common good through worship, education, or benevolence.
Last Things
Return - Our risen Lord will return personally in bodily form to receive His redeemed unto Himself. His return is imminent (1Th 4:13-17; Rev 22:20).
Resurrections - After Jesus returns, all of the dead will be raised bodily, each in his own order: the righteous dead in "the resurrection of life" and the wicked dead in "the resurrection of damnation" (Joh 5:24-29; 1Co 15:20-28).
Judgments - Prior to the eternal state, God will judge everyone to confer rewards or to consign to punishment (Mat 25:31-46; 2Co 5:10; Rev 20:11-15).
Eternal States - Heaven is the eternal home of the redeemed (Joh 14:1-3) who, in their glorified bodies (1Co 15:51-58), will live in the presence of God forever (1Th 4:17) in ultimate blessing (Rev 21; Rev 22). Hell is the place of eternal punishment and suffering (Luk 16:19-31) for the devil, his angels (Mat 25:41), and the unredeemed (Rev 20:10-15).
Addendum
We believe in a premillennial return of Christ to earth, after which He shall reign in peace upon the earth for a thousand years (Rev 20:4-6).
We believe the Scriptures to teach two resurrections: the first of the righteous at Christ's coming; the second of the wicked at the close of the thousand-year reign (1Th 4:13-17; Rev 20:6, 12-15).