Articles of Faith

ARTICLE ONE

THE HOLY SCRIPTURES

We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the verbally inspired Word of God, the final authority for faith and life, inerrant in the original writings, infallible and God-breathed. W e also believe that all the Scriptures were designed for our practical instruction.

(Matthew 5:18; John 16:12, 13; II Timothy 3:16, 17; II Peter 1:20, 21)

ARTICLE TWO

THE GODHEAD

We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfection.

(Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:18, 19; II Corinthians 13:14)

ARTICLE THREE

THE PERSON AND WORK OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son o f 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. (Luke 1:35; John 1:1, 2, 14; 10:30; Colossians 1:17-19; 2:9)
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ 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; Ephesians 1:7; I Peter 1:3-5; 2:24)
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to heaven and is now exalted on the right hand of God, where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor and Advocate. (Acts 1:9, 10; Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25; 9:24; I John 2:1, 2)

ARTICLE FOUR

The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Trinity. We believe that in this age certain well-defined ministries are committed to the Holy Spirit and that it is the duty and privilege of every Christian to understand them and to be adjusted to them in his own life and experience. These ministries are the restraining of evil in the world to the measures of the divine will; the convicting of the world regarding sin, righteousness and judgment; the regenerating of all believers, the indwelling and anointing of all who are saved, thereby sealing them unto the day of redemption; the baptizing into the one body of Christ of all who are saved; and the continued filling for power, teaching and service of those among the saved who are yielded to Him and who are subject to His will.

(John 16:8-11,13; Romans 8:9; I Corinthians 12:12-14; II Corinthians 3:16; Ephesians 1:13-14; 5:18; I John 2:20, 27).

ARTICLE FIVE

The Total Depravity of Man

We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam=s sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God and that man is totally depraved and of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition

(Genesis 1:26, 27; Romans 3:22, 23; 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3, 12).

ARTICLE SIX

SALVATION

We believe that salvation is the free gift of God brought to man by grace, and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, for it was His precious blood which was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins

(John 1:12; Ephesians 1:7, 2:8-10; I Peter 1:18, 19)

ARTICLE SEVEN

THE ASSURANCE OF THE BELIEVER

We believe that all of the redeemed are kept by God=s power and are thus secure in Christ forever. (John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Romans 8:1, 38, 39; I Corinthians 1:4-8; I Peter 1:5)
We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God=s Word, which clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the (Romans 13:13, 14; Galatians 5:1, 13; Titus 2:11-15)

ARTICLE EIGHT

THE TWO NATURES OF THE BELIEVER

We believe that every saved person possesses two natures with provision made for victory of the new nature over the old nature through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit and that all claims to the eradication of the old nature in this life are unscriptural.

(Romans 6:13; 8:12, 13; Galatians 5:16-25; Ephesians 4:22, 24; Colossians 3:10; I Peter 1:14-16, I John 3:5-9).

ARTICLE NINE

THE SEPARATION OF THE BELIEVER

We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord; separation from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures and practices is commanded by God.

(Romans 12:1, 2; 14:13; II Corinthians 6:14-7:1; II Timothy 3:1-5; I John 2:15-17; II John verses 9-11; Titus 2:11-15; James 4:4; I John 2:15-17).

ARTICLE TEN

THE MISSION OF THE BELIEVER

We believe that it is the responsibility of the saved to witness by life and by word the truths of Holy Scripture and to proclaim the Gospel to all mankind. (Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8; II Corinthians 5:19, 20)

ARTICLE ELEVEN

THE MINISTRY AND SPIRITUAL GIFTS

We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowment of all gifts, and that the gifts of evangelist, pastor and teacher are sufficient for the perfecting of the saints today. We believe that the Holy Spirit is sovereign in bestowing a divine gift, or gifts, to each saved one. These gifts are to be exercised for the edification of the members of the Body of Christ, the Church. Speaking in tongues, miraculous healing through the gifts of healing and other sign gifts gradually ceased to be operative in the Church as the New Testament Scriptures were completed and their authority became established. In accord with His own will God does hear and answer the prayer of faith for the sick and afflicted.

(I Corinthians 12:4-11; 13:8; II Corinthians 12:12; Ephesians 4:7-12; Hebrews 1:1, 2)

ARTICLE TWELVE

THE CHURCH

We believe that the Church, which is the body and the espoused bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born-again persons of this present age. (I Corinthians 12:12-14; II Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 1:22, 23; 5:25-27)
We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures. (Acts 14:27; 20:17, 28-32; I Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11)

ARTICLE THIRTEEN

ORDINANCES

We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ has left two ordinances to be observed by the Church in commemoration of His Person and Work. One is that of water baptism by immersion. The other is the Lord=s Supper, which we believe to be a memorial of Christ=s death and is open to all believers. (Matthew 3:16; 28:19, 20; Acts 2:41, 42; 8:38; 18:8; I Corinthians 11:23-26)

ARTICLE FOURTEEN

THE PERSONALITY OF SATAN

We believe that Satan is a person, the author of sin and the cause of the fall. He is the open and declared enemy of God and man, and he shall 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)

ARTICLE FIFTEEN

THE SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST

We believe in the “Blessed Hope,” the personal, imminent, pre-tribulation and pre-millennial coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for His redeemed ones; and in His subsequent post-tribulation return to earth with His saints, to establish His Millennial Kingdom.

(Zechariah 14:4-11; I Thessalonians 1:10; 4:13-18; 5:9; Revelation 3:10; 19:11-16; 20:1-6)

ARTICLE SIXTEEN

THE ETERNAL STATE

We believe in the bodily resurrection of all mankind: the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment. (Matthew 25:46; John 5:28, 29; 11:25, 26; Revelation 20:6, 12, 13)
We believe that the souls and the spirits of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection, when spirit, soul and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord. (Luke 23:43; II Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23; 3:21; I Thessalonians 4:16, 17; Revelation 20:4-6)
We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain after death in conscious misery until the second resurrection when, with the soul and body reunited, they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment. (Matthew 25:41-46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-26; II Thessalonians 1:7-9; Jude verses 6, 7; Revelation 20:11-15)

ARTICLE SEVENTEEN

MARRIAGE AND HUMAN SEXUALITY

Based on Holy Scripture:

Marriage – Bertrand Bible Church defines marriage as the permanent, exclusive, comprehensive, and conjugal “one flesh” union of one man and one woman, intrinsically ordered to procreation and biological family, and in furtherance of the moral, spiritual, and public good of binding father, mother, and child.

(Genesis 1:27-28, Genesis 2:18-24, Matthew 19:4-9, Ephesians 5:31-33)

Sexual Immorality – Bertrand Bible Church believes that sexual acts outside marriage are prohibited as sinful. Consequently, Bertrand Bible Church members must resist and refrain from any and all sexual acts outside marriage – including but not limited to adultery, fornication, incest, bestiality, prostitution, voyeurism, pedophilia, exhibitionism, sodomy, polygamy, or same-sex sexual acts.

(Matthew 15:19, Matthew 5:27-28, Romans 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9-13, 1 Thessalonians 4:3, Hebrews 13:4, Galatians 5:19-21, Ephesians 4:17-19, Colossians 3:5-6)

Sexual Identity – Bertrand Bible Church believes that God created mankind in His image: male (man) and female (woman), sexually different but with equal personal dignity. Consequently, Bertrand Bible Church members must affirm their biological sex and refrain from any and all attempts to physically change, alter, or disagree with their predominant biological sex – including but not limited to elective sex-reassignment, transvestite, transgender, or non-binary “genderqueer” acts or conduct.

(Romans 1:26-32, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

Sexual Orientation – Bertrand Bible Church believes that God created and ordered human sexuality to the permanent, exclusive, comprehensive, and conjugal “one flesh” union of man and woman, intrinsically ordered to procreation and biological family, and in furtherance of the moral, spiritual, and public good of binding father, mother, and child. Consequently, Bertrand Bible Church members must affirm the sexual complementarity of man and woman and resist any and all same-sex sexual attractions and refrain from any and all same-sex sexual acts or conduct, which are intrinsically disordered.

(Matthew 19:4-6, Romans 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, Ephesians 5:25-27)

Sexual Redemption – Bertrand Bible Church believes that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and should seek redemption through, repentance, and faith in Jesus Christ. Consequently, Bertrand Bible Church members must welcome and treat with respect, compassion, and sensitivity all who experience same-sex attractions or confess sexually immoral acts but are committed to resisting sexual temptation, refraining from sexual immorality, and conforming their behavior to Bertrand Bible Church’s Statement of Faith. (Matthew 11:28-30, Romans 3:23, Ephesians 2:1-10, I Corinthians 10:13, Hebrews 2:17-18, Hebrews 4:14-16)

In obedience to the Word of God, Bertrand Bible Church will not perform nor recognize any marriage that violates the religious principles set forth in this Statement of Faith, nor will it permit its facilities or pastor(s) to participate in such an event.

FELLOWSHIP COVENANT

In subscribing to these Articles of Faith, we by no means set aside or undervalue any of the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments; but, we deem the knowledge, belief and acceptance of the truth, as set forth in our Articles of Faith, to be essential to sound faith and fruitful practice, and therefore prerequisite for membership in the Bertrand Bible Church.

Revised: June 3, 2016