THE SCRIPTURES
We believe the Holy Bible, consisting of the sixty-six canonical books of the Old and New Testaments, to be the inspired Word of God. We believe this inspiration to be verbal (extending to every word), plenary (equally in all parts), inerrant, and infallible in the original writings. We believe that God has providentially preserved His Word. We believe that the Bible is our sufficient and final authority in the church and in the life of the believer.
(II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:19-21; John 10:35; 17:17; Matthew 5:18; Psalm 19:7-11; Romans 16:25; I Corinthians 4:1; 10:32; Ephesians 1:10; 3:2-4; Colossians 1:25-27; Hebrews 1:1)
THE TRUE GOD
We believe that there is only one sovereign, true and living God, that He is the Creator, and that He is infinite in every excellence. We believe that in the unity of the Godhead there are three distinct persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three persons exist eternally and are one in substance and equal in every Divine perfection. These three persons are distinct in their relationships and functions, yet one in essence.
(Deuteronomy 6:4; Exodus 20:2-3; John 1:1; Matthew 28:19; II Corinthians 13:13)
GOD THE FATHER
We believe in God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is holy, righteous, full of grace, mercy, compassion, and love. He reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, and the flow of human history according to the purposes of His grace. He is all powerful, all knowing, all wise, and all loving. In His infinite love He sent His Son that the world might be saved through Him.
(Genesis 1:1; 2:7; Exodus 3:14; 6:2-3; 15:11; Deuteronomy 6:4; Psalm 19:1-3; Isaiah 43:3,15; 64:8; Jeremiah 10:10; Matthew 6:9; 7:11; 23:9; Mark 1:9-11; John 4:24; 5:26; 14:6-13; 17:1-8; Acts 1:7; Romans 8:14-15; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 4:6; Colossians 1:15; 1 Timothy 1:17; Hebrews 11:6; 12:9; 1 Peter 1:17; 1 John 5:7.)
THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
We believe in the absolute Deity and full humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that Jesus Christ is the second person of the Trinity, existing from all eternity with the Father and the Holy Spirit. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin and exists today as the God-man, possessing two natures in one person. He lived a sinless life and died for our redemption. He physically rose from the dead and ascended into heaven and is now at the right hand of the Father as our Intercessor and only Mediator.
(John 1:1-4; Hebrews 1:1-3; Luke 1:35; Matthew 1:23; I Timothy 2:5; II Corinthians 5:21; Luke 24:46-47; I Corinthians 15:3-4; Acts 1:9-11; Hebrews 4:14-16)
THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Divine third person in the Godhead. The Bible teaches that He performs many functions. The Holy Spirit was actively involved in the work of creation and the inspiration of the Bible, and He restrains the work of Satan. He convicts men of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He is the agent of regeneration, imparting new life to the redeemed. Many operations of the Holy Spirit occur or begin at the moment of salvation such as the indwelling, sealing, baptising, and gifting. The Bible also mentions that the Holy Spirit teaches, guides, assures, and prays for the believer. The filling of the Spirit is an essential part of progressive sanctification.
(Acts 5:3-4; II Corinthians 13:14; Genesis 1:2; II Timothy 3:16; II Thessalonians 2:6-8; John 16:8-11; Titus 3:5; Ephesians 4:30; I Corinthians 12:13; I Corinthians 13; John 14:26; Romans 8:16, 26-27; Ephesians 5:18; Galatians 5:22-23; Romans 8:29)
SATAN
We believe that Satan is a personal being that opposes the work of God. He is the spiritual being that instigated man’s fall in the garden. He is described in Scripture as the god of this age, the accuser of the brethren, and the prince of this world. Satan and his demons possess great power, but they are limited by the sovereign will of God. Satan will ultimately be cast into the lake of fire.
(Matthew 4:1-12; Genesis 3:1-7; II Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 12:10; John 16:11; Ephesians 6:12; Job 2:1-6; Revelation 20:10)
MAN
We believe that man was created in the image of God without sin on the sixth day. Since man was made in the image of God, all human life is sacred. Therefore, we are opposed to abortion and euthanasia. Although man was created in innocence, he deliberately chose to sin, plunging all of mankind into spiritual and physical death. Therefore, the entire human race sinned in Adam. The consequence of this fact is that all men are totally depraved and inheritors of Adam’s fallen nature and under the just condemnation of God. All people are incapable of pleasing God and incurably sinners by nature and choice. Therefore, man is utterly unable to redeem himself from the bondage of sin.
(Genesis 1:27; 3:1-24; Genesis 9:6; Exodus 21:22-23; Deuteronomy 32:39; Romans 5:12-19; Romans 3:10-19; I Corinthians 15:22; Psalm 51:5; Hebrews 11:6; Jeremiah 17:9; James 1:13-15; Ephesians 2:1-3)
SALVATION
We believe that the salvation of sinners is entirely a work of God’s grace. All sinners must be born again to be saved. This new birth is known as regeneration and is wrought instantaneously by the agency of the Holy Spirit whereby we become partakers of the divine nature. Although salvation is instantaneous, the Bible speaks of being saved from the penalty of sin (justification), the power of sin (sanctification), and eventually the presence of sin (glorification). We believe that the offer of salvation is freely made to all people. The basis of our salvation is the substitutionary death of the Lord Jesus Christ and His resurrection from the dead. Our redemption and forgiveness of sins is only through the blood of Christ. The death of Christ on the cross was sacrificial, vicarious, and propitiatory. When a sinner repents of his sin and turns to God in faith, he is declared righteous and credited with the righteousness of Jesus Christ. We believe that good works are a natural consequence of saving faith but never the cause of our salvation. We believe that a truly born again believer can never lose his eternal life because he is kept by the power of God.
(Ephesians 2:8-9; John 3:7; Titus 3:5; II Peter 1:4; Romans 3:24-31; 6:1-14; 8:30; Ephesians 1:4; Romans 10:13; I Corinthians 15:3-4; Colossians 1:14; John 10:15; Romans 5:8; Romans 3:24-25; Mark 1:15; Romans 3:26-28; II Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:8-10; John 10:27-29; I Peter 1:3-5)
THE CHURCH
We believe that the Church is a New Testament institution established by Christ and inaugurated on the day of Pentecost. The Church is a spiritual organism composed of all true believers in this present age. All believers are part of the body of Christ and under His headship. The local church is an organised assembly of baptised believers associated by a covenant of faith who join together to worship God in the preaching of the Word, in fellowship, in the observance of ordinances, and in prayer. Every believer should be an active participant of a local church where he may exercise his spiritual gift(s). God has commissioned the Church to be his witnesses both at home and abroad through missions. We believe that each member of the church should contribute joyfully to their local assembly as God has prospered and directed him. We believe that it is best for the local church to be self-governing, free from external interference. The Bible teaches that there are two offices in a local assembly, the pastor (also know as elder, bishop, or overseer) and the deacon. These servant-leaders are under the authority of Jesus Christ and must meet specific Biblical qualifications. We teach the importance of discipleship, mutual accountability, and the disciplining of unrepentant members in the local body of believers. We believe that the Church of Jesus Christ should be radically and essentially different from the world. Therefore, we believe that this local church should be ecclesiastically and personally separate from apostasy and the many forms of defective doctrine and fleshly practice.
(Matthew 16:18-19; 15-17; Acts 1:5; 2:1-21, 38-47; 11:15-16; I Corinthians 12:12-27; Colossians 1:18; Acts 2:41-47; Romans 12:3-21; Acts 1:8; I Corinthians 16:2; II Corinthians 9:6-7; Acts 15:6-31; 20:28; I Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9; Matthew 28:18-19; II Timothy 2:2; Hebrews 3:12-13; Matthew 18:15-17; I Corinthians 5:1-13; Matthew 5:16; I Peter 2:9; Romans 16:17-18; II Corinthians 6:14-18; I John 2:15-17)
THE ORDINANCES
We believe that there are two ordinances that have been committed to the local church: believer’s baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We believe that baptism is by immersion and is available to those who have placed their faith in Christ for salvation. Baptism is a public testimony of faith that beautifully pictures the Christian’s death, burial, and resurrection with Christ. It is also a sign of fellowship and identification with the body of Christ. We believe that the Lord’s Supper, or Communion, is a symbolic proclamation and commemoration of the sacrificial death of Christ. The Bible teaches that this ordinance should always be preceded with a time of solemn self-examination. The elements used in this observance are only representative of the body and blood of Christ. This ordinance is to be practiced until our Lord returns.
(Acts 2:38-42; 8:36-39; Romans 6:1-11; Colossians 2:12; I Corinthians 11:23-32)
CIVIL GOVERNMENT
We believe that the civil government is ordained by God for the good of human society. Government officials should rule justly in the fear of God. The Bible teaches that believers should pray for, respect, obey, and submit to the human authority in our lives. The only occasion for disobeying man’s law is when it clearly violates God’s law.
(Romans 13:1-7; II Samuel 23:3; I Timothy 2:1-2; I Peter 2:13-17; Matthew 17:24-27; Mark 12:13-17; Romans 13:6-7; Exodus 1:15-17; Acts 4:13-22; 5:29)
LAST THINGS
God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring the world to its appropriate end. According to His promise, the Lord Jesus Christ will return personally, visibly and gloriously to this earth to raise all the dead, both the just and the unjust. As the righteous Judge he will divide all men into two, and only two categories: the saved and the lost. Those whose faith is in Christ will be saved eternally and will enter immediately into the joy of their Lord. The unbelieving will be condemned by Him to the Lake of Fire, where eternally, they will be punished for their sins under the righteous judgement of God.
(I Thessalonians 4:13-18; 5:9; Titus 2:13; Jeremiah 30:7; Daniel 12:1; Matthew 25:31; Revelation 20:1-7; Isaiah 65:17-25; Ezekiel 37:21-28; Zechariah 8:1-17; Romans 11:25-31; II Corinthians 5:1-10; Revelation 20:11-15; Matthew 25:46; John 14:1-3; Luke 16:19-31)
Carrick Baptist Church also holds to several theological distinctives. We believe these issues are biblical and important, but secondary, and so should not hinder us in uniting for the gospel. These include stances on the subjects of: a six-day creation, our dispensational hermeneutic, the normative gifts of the Holy Spirit, and the premillenial nature of the Lord’s return. Should you wish to read further, our Church Constitution contains a fuller discourse on all our beliefs. It can be requested from Pastor Josh.