Scottsdale Baptist
WHAT WE BELIEVE
1. We believe in THE HOLY SCRIPTURES:
Accepting fully the writings of the Old and New Testaments as the very Word of God, verbally inspired in all parts and therefore wholly without error as originally given of God, altogether sufficient in themselves as our only infallible and authoritative rule of faith and practice. (Matthew 5:18; John 10:35, 17:17; II Timothy 3:16; and II Peter 1:20-21).
2. We believe in THE ONE TRIUNE GOD:
Who is personal, spirit, and sovereign, perfect, infinite, and eternal in His being; holy, love, infinitely wise, and omnipotent; absolutely separate from, and above the world as its Creator, yet everywhere present in the world as the Upholder of all things; self-existent and self-revealing in three distinct persons – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; each of whom is to be honored and worshiped equally as true God. (Genesis 1:1; Deuteronomy 6:4, 33:27; Psalm 104; Matthew 28:19; Mark 12:29; John 4:24, 14:9; II Corinthians 13:14; and Acts 5:3,4).
3. We believe in THE LORD JESUS CHRIST:
Who is the second person of the Triune God, the eternal Word and only begotten Son, our great God and Savior; that without any essential change in His divine person He became man by the miracle of the virgin birth, thus to continue forever as both true God and true man, one person with two natures; that as man. He was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin; that as the perfect Lamb of God, He gave Himself in death upon the cross, bearing there the sin of the world, and suffering its full penalty of divine wrath in our stead; that He rose again from the dead and was glorified in the same body in which He suffered and died; that as our Great High Priest He ascended into heaven, there to appear before the face of God as our Advocate and Intercessor. (Isaiah 53:5,6; Matthew 1:23, 20:28; Luke 24:36-43; John 1:1,14, 3:17, 8:46, 20:25-28; Romans 9:5; Galatians 3:13; Colossians 2:9; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 4:14,15, 13:8, 9:24; I John 2:1; and Revelation 22:16).
4. We believe in THE HOLY SPIRIT:
Who is the third person of the Triune God, the divine Agent in nature, revelation and redemption; that He convicts the world of sin, regenerates those who believe and indwells, baptizes, seals, empowers, guides, teaches, and sanctifies all who become children of God through Christ. (Genesis 1:2; Psalm 104:30; Matthew 28:19; John 3:5; 14:16, 16:8-11, 17, 26; Acts 5:3,4; Romans 8:9; I Corinthians 2:10, 6:19, 12:13; and Ephesians 4:30).
5. We believe in THE CREATION AND IN THE FALL OF MAN:
That man was the direct creation of God, spirit, soul and body, not in any sense the product of an animal ancestry, but made in the divine image; that by personal disobedience to the revealed will of God, man became a sinful creature and the progenitor of a fallen race, who are universally sinful in both nature and practice, alienated from the life and family of God, under the righteous judgment and wrath of God, and have within themselves no possible means of recovery or salvation. (Genesis 1:26-28, 2:7, 3:1-24, 5:3; Matthew 19:26; Mark 7:21-23; Romans 1:18, 3:19,23, 7:18; Ephesians 2:3, 4:18; and I Thessalonians 5:23).
6. We believe in SALVATION BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH:
That salvation is the free gift of God, neither merited nor secured in part or in whole by any virtue or work of man, but received only by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ in whom all true believers have as a present possession the gift of eternal life, a perfect righteousness, sonship in the family of God, deliverance and security from all condemnation, every spiritual resource needed for life and godliness, and the divine guarantee that they shall never perish; that this salvation includes the whole man, spirit and soul and body; and apart from Christ there is no possible salvation. (John 3:16, 5:24, 6:28, 29, 10:27-30, 14:6; Acts 4:12, 16:30, 31; Romans 1:16, 3:24, 4:4, 5, 6:23; Titus 3:5; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 1:3, 2:8,9; I Thessalonians 5:23,24; II Peter 1:3; and I John 5:13;).
7. We believe in RIGHTEOUS LIVING AND GOOD WORKS:
Not as the means of obtaining or securing salvation in any sense, but as its proper evidence and fruit; and, therefore, as Christians we should seek the things which are above, walk as He walked, be careful to maintain good works, and especially accept as our solemn responsibility the duty and privilege of bearing the Gospel to a lost world in order that we may bear much fruit; remembering that a victorious and fruitful Christian life is possible only for those who have learned they are not under law but under grace, and who in gratitude for the infinite and undeserved mercies of God have presented themselves wholly to Him for His service. (Acts 1:8; Romans 6:14, 12:1-2; II Corinthians 5:19; Ephesians 2:8-10; Colossians 3:1; Titus 3:8; and I John 2:6, 3:9-11, 4:19, 5:4).
8. We believe in THE EXISTENCE OF SATAN:
Who originally was created a holy and perfect being, but through pride and unlawful ambition rebelled against God. He is the great adversary of God and His people, and the deceiver and god of this present world. He is the leader of the vast world of demons and engages believers in spiritual warfare. (Isaiah 14:13/14; Ezekiel 28:13-17; Ephesians 6:10-18; I Peter 5:8,9).
9. We believe in THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST:
That His return from heaven will be personal/ visible, and glorious—and the time is always imminent. When He comes He will first remove from the earth His waiting church, then pour out the righteous judgments of God upon the unbelieving world,—afterward return with His church to establish His glorious and literal kingdom over all nations for a thousand years. (Acts 1:11; I Thessalonians 4:16-18; and Revelation 1:7, 19:11-18).
10. We believe in a FUTURE LIFE, BODILY RESURRECTION, AND ETERNAL JUDGMENT:
That the spirits of the saved at death go immediately to be with Christ in heaven, where they abide with Him until the time of the rapture of the church, when their bodies shall be raised from the grave and changed into the likeness of His own glorious body, at which time their works shall be brought before the Judgment Seat of Christ for the determination of rewards; that the spirits of the unsaved at death descend into Hades where they are kept under punishment until the final day of judgment, at which time their bodies shall be raised from the grave, and they shall be judged according to their works and cast into the place of final and everlasting punishment. (Luke 16:19-31; Philippians 1:21-23, 3:20,21; and Revelation 20:11-15.)
11. We believe in THE ONE TRUE CHURCH:
The Body and Bride of the Lord Jesus Christ which He began to build on the day of Pentecost, and will complete at the rapture of the church. All members of this spiritual body are exhorted to assemble themselves together in local churches for worship, prayer, fellowship, teaching, united testimony, and the observance of the ordinance of baptism of believers by immersion and the Lord’s Supper, commemorating the Lord’s death until He comes. (Acts 2:47; Ephesians 4:4, 5:25-32; I Thessalonians 4:16,17; and Hebrews 10:25).
12. We believe in THE PRIESTHOOD OF ALL BELIEVERS:
That Christ is our Great High Priest and through Him every born-again person has direct access into God’s presence without the need of a human priest; that the believer has the right and responsibility to personally study and interpret the Scriptures guided by the Holy Spirit. (John 14:6; Ephesians 3:11,12; Hebrews 4:16; II Timothy 2:15; and I Peter 2:1,5,9).
13. We believe in THE LORDSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST:
That He alone is Head of the Body of Christ, that total obedience to Him is fully expected, that He is to be acknowledged by every believer as Sovereign Lord and that believers are called to live holy lives apart from this present world. (John 17:14-16; Romans 10:9,10; Titus 2:11-13.)
Scottsdale Baptist Church
2500 N. Scottsdale Road
Scottsdale, Arizona 85257