Our beliefs, teachings, and doctrines come from the Holy Word of God. As you read through our Doctrinal Statement you will find references to Scripture that back up every truth. Please take time to look them up in the Scriptures. The following Doctrinal Statement of Cornerstone Baptist Church summarizes what we know to be true, but does not assert to be the comprehensive and conclusion of the truths we know and adere unto as a New Testament Church.
The Greatest Commandment
Love one for another as Jesus loves the believer manifests our discipleship, proves our love for God and symbolizes our authority as New Testament churches. Love is therefore the great commandment of the LORD Jesus Christ upon which all others are dependent. (Matthew 10:35-40; John 13:34-35; John 15:12; 1 John 4:7-21; 1 John 5:1-3; Revelation 2:4-5)
It does not matter what we believe, it matters what the Bible says is true!
Concerning the Bible
The whole Bible is infallible, verbally inspired, and preserved by God. It is the all-sufficient rule of faith and practice. (Psalm 119:160; 2 Timothy 3:16-17)
God said it, that settles it!
[The King James Bible will be used by Cornerstone Baptist Church as we are primarily English in our native tongue]
About God, the Trinity, and Jesus Christ
The personal triune God: Father, Son [Jesus Christ], and Holy Spirit, are equal in divine perfection. (Matthew 28:19)
Jesus Christ is virgin born and has always lived a sinless Shumanity. (Matthew 1:18-20; 2 Corinthians 5:21; I Peter 2:22)
Jesus Christ is 100% man and 100% God.
Jesus Christ is deity and equal with God. (John 10:30; John 1:1; John 1:14; 2 Corinthians 5:19, Philippians 2:5-11)
About Creation, Man, & Satan
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
The Genesis account of Creation reveals to us that God created the heavens, the earth, and all that is therein. The Bible outlines the literal six, 24-hour daysof creation, and tells us that on the 7th day God rested. (Genesis 1; Genesis 2)
And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone…. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Lucifer, aka Satan, is a fallen angel, the archenemy of God and man, the unholy god of this world, and his destiny is the eternal lake of fire. (Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:11-19; Matthew 25:41; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 6:10-17; Revelation 20:10)
For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
Man is created in the image of God and lived in innocence until he fell by voluntary transgression from his sinless state, and the result being that all mankind became sinners. (Genesis 1:26; Genesis 3:6-24; Romans 3:10, Romans 3:23; Romans 5:12, Romans 5:19)
About Salvation
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
The depraved sinner is saved wholly by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and the prerequisites to regeneration are repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. (Luke 13:3-5; John 3:16-18; Acts 20:21; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9)
God the Holy Spirit convicts sinners, regenerates, seals, secures, and indwells every believer. (John 3:6; John 16:8-9; Romans 8:9-11; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Ephesians 4:30; Titus 3:5)
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
The suffering and death of Jesus Christ is the substitution for all mankind and is efficacious only to those who believe and accept Him. (Isaiah 53:6; John 14:6; Romans 5:8; Hebrews 2:9; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Peter 3:18; 2 Peter 3:9; 1 John 2:2)
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one.
All who trust on Jesus Christ for salvation are eternally secure in Him and shall not perish. (John 3:36; John 5:24; John 10:27-30; Romans 8:35-39; Hebrews 10:39; 1 Peter 1:5)
Jesus Christ has a bodily resurrection and ascension, and the saints [saved believers] will join him in a bodily resurrection. (Matthew 28:1-7; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Corinthians 15:42-58; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
The crowing event of the Gentile age [current time] is the premillennial, personal, bodily return of Christ. This event will include the resurrection of the righteous to eternal heaven, and the Millennium will be followed by the resurrection of the unrighteous unto eternal punishment in the lake of fire. The righteous shall then enter into the heavenly kingdom. (John 14;1-6; 1 Thessalonions 4:13-18; 2 Thessalonians 2-8; Revelation 19; Revelation 20:4-6; Revelation 20:11-15; Revelation 21:8)
For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
God deals with believers as His children. He chastises the disobedient, and He rewards the obedient. (Matthew 16:27; Matthew 25:14-23; John 1:12; Hebrews 12:5-11; 2 John 1:8; Revelation 22:12)
About the Church
The Holy Spirit is the divine Administrator for Jesus Christ in His church. (Luke 24:49; John 14:16-17; Acts 1:4-8; Acts 2:1-4)
I [Jesus] will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.Jesus Christ established His church during His ministry on the earth and it is always a local, visible assembly of Scripturally baptized believers in covenant relationship to carry out the Commission of the Lord Jesus Christ. Each church is independant, self-governing body, and no other ecclesiastical body may exercise authority over it. Jesus Christ gave the Great Commission to the New Testament churches only, and He promised the perpetuity of His church. (Matthew 4:18-22; Matthew 16:18; Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 1:14-20; John 1:35-51; Ephesians 3:21)
There are two pictorial ordinances in the Lord’s church: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Scriptural baptism is the immersion of penitent believers in water, administered by the authority of a New Testament church in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Lord’s Supper is a memorial ordinance, restricted to the members of the church observing the ordinance. (Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 8:12, Acts 8:38; Romans 6:4; 1 Corinthians 5:11-13; 1 Corinthians 11:1-2; 1 Corinthians 11:17-20; 1 Corinthians 11:26)
There are two divinely appointed offices in a church, pastors and deacons, to be filled by men whose qualifications are set forth in Titus and I Timothy. (Titus 1; Titus 2; Titus 3; 1 Timothy 1; 1 Timothy 2; 1 Timothy 3; 1 Timothy 4)
All assocations, fellowships, and committees should properly be servants of, and under control of, the church. (Matthew 20:25-28)
We ought to obey God rather than men.
The church worships freely without interference from government while affirming our civil obedience, unless the laws and regulation of civil government run contrary to the Holy Scriptures. (Acts 5:29; Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-15)