Cornerstone Baptist Church is a Fundamental, Independant Baptist
Church. Scripture references available upon request
Of The Scriptures
We believe that the Holy Bible was written by men who were supernaturally
inspired; that it has truth without any admixture of error for its
matter; and therefore is, and shall remain to the end of the age,
the only complete and final revelation of the will of God to man;
the true center of Christian union and the supreme standard by which
all human conduct, creeds, and opinions should be tried.
- By "The Holy Bible" we mean that collection of sixty-six
books, from Genesis to Revelation, which, as originally written
does not only contain and convey the Word of God, but IS the very
Word of God.
- For reasons of textual reliability, we believe that God has
preserved His Word for the English-speaking people in the King
James Version of the Bible.
- By "inspiration" we mean that the books of the Bible
were written by holy men of old, as they were moved by the Holy
Spirit, in such a definite way that their writings were supernaturally
and verbally inspired and free from error, as no other writings
have ever been or ever will be inspired.
Of The True God
We believe that there is one, and only one, living and true God,
an infinite, intelligent Spirit, the maker and supreme ruler of
heaven and earth; inexpressibly glorious in holiness and worthy
of all possible honor, confidence and love; that in the unity of
the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Son and the
Holy Ghost, equal in every divine perfection, and executing distinct
but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption.
Of The Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person; equal with
God the Father and God the Son and of the same nature; that He was
active in the creation; that in His relation to the unbelieving
world He restrains the evil one until God's purpose is fulfilled;
that He convicts of sin, of judgment and of righteousness; that
He bears witness to the Truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony;
that He is the agent in the New Birth; that He seals, endues, guides,
teaches, witnesses, sanctifies and helps the believer.
Of The Devil, Or Satan
We believe that Satan was once holy, and enjoyed heavenly honors;
but through pride and ambition to be as the Almighty, fell and drew
after him a host of angels; that he is now the malignant prince
of the power of the air, and the unholy god of this world. We hold
him to be man's great tempter, the enemy of God and His Christ,
the accuser of the saints, the author of all false religions, the
chief power back of the present apostasy; the lord of the antichrist,
and the author of all the powers of darkness - destined however
to final defeat at the hands of God's own Son, and to the judgment
of an eternal justice in hell, a place prepared for him and his
angels.
Of The Creation
We believe in the Genesis account of creation, and that it is to
be accepted literally, and not allegorically or figuratively; that
God created the world in six literal twenty-four hour days; that
man was created directly in God's own image and after His own likeness;
that man's creation was not a matter of evolution or evolutionary
change of species, or development through interminable periods of
time from lower to higher forms; that all animal and vegetable life
was made directly and God's established law was that they should
bring forth only "after their kind."
Of The Fall Of Man
We believe that man was created in innocence under the law of his
Maker, but by voluntary transgression fell from his sinless and
happy state, in consequence of which all mankind are now sinners,
not by constraint, but of choice; and therefore under just condemnation
without defense or excuse.
Of The Virgin Birth
We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten of the Holy Ghost in
a miraculous manner; born of Mary, a virgin, as no other man was
ever born or can ever be born of a woman, and that He is both the
Son of God, and God, the Son.
Of The Atonement For Sin
We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace; through
the mediatorial offices of the Son of God, Who by appointment of
the Father, freely took upon Him our nature, yet without sin, honored
the divine law by His personal obedience, and by His death made
a full and vicarious atonement for our sins; that His atonement
consisted not in setting us an example by His death as a martyr,
but was the voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner's place,
the Just dying for the unjust, Christ, the Lord, bearing our sins
in His own body on the tree; that, having risen from the dead, He
is now enthroned in heaven and uniting in His wonderful person the
tenderest sympathies with divine perfection, He is in every way
qualified to be a suitable, a compassionate and an all sufficient
Savior.
Of Grace In The New Creation
We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be born again;
that the new birth is a new creation in Christ Jesus; that it is
instantaneous and not a process; that in the new birth the one dead
in trespasses and in sins is made a partaker of the divine nature
and receives eternal life, the free gift of God; that the new creation
is brought about in a manner above our comprehension, not by culture,
not by character, nor by the will of man, but wholly and solely
by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with divine truth,
so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the gospel; that its
proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance and faith
and newness of life.
Of The Freeness Of Salvation
We believe in God's electing grace; that the blessings of salvation
are made free to all by the gospel; that it is the immediate duty
of all to accept them by a cordial, penitent and obedient faith;
and nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner on earth
but his own inherent depravity and voluntary rejection of the gospel;
which rejection involves him in an aggravated condemnation.
Of Justification
We believe that the great gospel blessing which Christ secures
to such as believe in Him is Justification; that Justification includes
the pardon of sin, and the gift of eternal life on principles of
righteousness; that it is bestowed not in consideration of any works
of righteousness which we have done; but solely through faith in
the Redeemer's blood, His righteousness is imputed unto us.
Of Repentance And Faith
We believe that Repentance and Faith are solemn obligations, and
also inseparable graces, wrought in our souls by the quickening
Spirit of God; thereby, being deeply convicted of our guilt, danger
and helplessness, and of the way of salvation by Christ, we turn
to God with unfeigned contrition, confession and supplication for
mercy; at the same time heartily receiving the Lord Jesus Christ
and openly confessing Him as our only and all-sufficient Savior.
Of The Church
We believe that a Baptist Church is a congregation of baptized
believers associated by a covenant of faith and fellowship of the
gospel, said church being understood to be the citadel and propagator
of the Divine and Eternal Grace; observing the ordinances of Christ;
governed by His laws; exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges
invested in them by His Word; that its officers of ordination are
pastors or elders whose qualifications, claims, and duties are clearly
defined in the scriptures; we believe the true mission of the church
is found in the Great Commission: First, to make individual disciples;
Second, to build up the church; Third, to teach and instruct as
He has commanded. We do not believe in the reversal of this order;
we hold that the local church has the absolute right of self government,
free from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations;
and that the one and only superintendent is Christ through the Holy
Spirit; that it is scriptural for true churches to cooperate with
each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of
the Gospel; that every church is the sole and only judge of the
measure and method of its cooperation; on all matters of membership,
of policy, of government, of discipline, of benevolence, the will
of the local church is final.
Of Baptism And The Lord's Supper
We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion in water of
a believer, in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost, with the authority of the local church, to show forth in
a solemn and beautiful emblem our faith in the crucified, buried
and risen Savior, with its effect in our death to sin and resurrection
to a new life; that it is prerequisite to the privileges of a church
relation and to the Lord's supper, in which the members of the church,
by the sacred use of bread and the fruit of the vine are to commemorate
together the dying love of Christ; preceded always by solemn self-examination.
Of The Perseverance Of The Saints
We believe that such only are real believers as endure unto the
end; that their persevering attachment to Christ is the grand mark
which distinguishes them from superficial professors; that a special
Providence watches over their welfare; and that they are kept by
the power of God through faith unto eternal salvation.
Of The Righteous And The Wicked
We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between
the righteous and the wicked; that such only as through faith are
justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and sanctified by the Spirit
of our God, are truly righteous in His esteem; while all such as
continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight wicked, and
under the curse, and this distinction holds among men both in and
after death, in the everlasting felicity of the saved and the everlasting
conscious suffering of the lost.
Of Civil Government
We believe that civil government is of divine appointment, for
the interests and good order of human society; that magistrates
are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored and obeyed; except
only in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ; who
is the only Lord of the conscience, and the coming Prince of the
kings of the earth.
Of The Resurrection And Return Of Christ And Related Events
We believe in and accept the sacred Scriptures upon these subjects
at their face and full value. Of the Resurrection, we believe that
Christ rose bodily "The third day according to the Scriptures";
that He ascended "to the right hand of the throne of God";
that He alone is our "merciful and faithful high priest in
things pertaining to God"; "that this same Jesus which
is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as
ye have seen Him go into heaven," bodily, personally, and visibly;
that the "dead in Christ shall rise first"; that the living
saints "shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling
of an eye, at the last trump"; "that the Lord God shall
give unto Him the throne of His father David"; and that "Christ
shall reign a thousand years in righteousness until He hath put
all enemies under His feet."
Of Missions
The command to give the gospel to the world is clear and unmistakable
and this Commission was given to the churches.
- Matthew 28:18-20, "And Jesus came and spake unto them,
saying All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye
therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them
to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and, lo
I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."
- Mark 16:15, "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the
world and preach the gospel to every creature."
- John 20:21, "As my Father hath sent me, even so send I
you."
- Acts 1:8, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy
Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me both
in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost
part of the earth."
- Romans 10:13-15, "For whosoever shall call upon the name
of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in
whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him
of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a
preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it
is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the
gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!"
Of The Grace Of Giving
Scriptural giving is one of the fundamentals of the Faith
- 2Corinthians 8:7, "Therefore, as ye abound in every thing,
in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence,
and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also."
- We are commanded to bring our gifts into the storehouse (common
treasury of the church) upon the first day of the week.
1Corinthians 16:2, "Upon the first day of the week let every
one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that
there be no gatherings when I come."
- Under Grace we give, and do not pay, the tithe - "Abraham
GAVE the tenth of the spoils," - Hebrews 7:2,4 - and this
was four hundred years before the law, and is confirmed in the
new Testament; Jesus said concerning the tithe, "these ought
ye to have done", Matthew 23:23.
- We are commanded to bring the tithe into the common treasury
of the church.
Leviticus 27:30, "The tithe ... is the Lord's."
- Malachi 3:10, "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse,
that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith,
saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of
heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room
enough to receive it."
- In the New Testament it was the common treasury of the church.
Acts 4:34,35,37, "And brought the prices of the things that
were sold and laid them down at the apostles' feet ... Having
land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it AT THE APOSTLES'
FEET.
