SEDDONBC: WHERE WE STAND
The Scriptures:
We believe in the plenary, verbal inspiration of the original writings of the sixty-six books
of the Bible, in the Word of God, and that it is the full and complete revelation of God's
will for man, the supreme and final authority in all matters of faith and practice.
(2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20; Jude 3)
Godhead:
We believe in one God, eternally existing in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit;
equally eternal in being, equally identical in nature, equal in power and glory, and having
the same attributes and perfections. (Deuteronomy 6:4; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22;
Matthew 28:18-19; 1 Colossians 1:15-19)
God:
We believe God is the Creator and Sustainer of everyone and everything. He is eternal, infinite, and unchangeable in His power and perfection, goodness and glory, wisdom, justice, and truth. Nothing happens except through Him and by His will. (Genesis 1; Psalm 68:28;)
Son of God:
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men. (John 1:1-2, 14, 18; Luke 1:35; 1 Colossians 1:15-19)
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our complete redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, propitiatory and substitutionary sacrifice, a redemption made sure to us by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead. (Romans 3:24-25, 5:8-10; 1 Peter 2:24; Ephesians 1:7)
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended into Heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God the Father, where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the Ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate. (Acts 1:9-11; Romans 8:34; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 1:3, 6:19-20, 7:24, 9:24; 1 John 2:1-2)
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the only Redeemer of fallen mankind, Who, being the eternal Son of God, became man, and so was and continues to be God and man, in two distinct natures and one person, forever. (Galatians 3:13; 1 Timothy 2:5; 3:16; John 1:14; Romans 9:5; Colossians 2:9.)
Holy Spirit:
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person, possessing all the attributes of Deity; and, that in essence, He is equally God. (Acts 5:3-4; 1 Corinthians 13:14)
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration and sanctification, baptizing all believers into the Body of Christ, indwelling equally and permanently in every believer, and sealing them unto the day of redemption. (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 6:11, 12:12-14; Ephesians 1:13-14)
We believe that every unregenerate person, the moment he exercises faith in Christ as Savior, immediately possesses the Holy Spirit. (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19; Galatians 4:6; 1 Thessalonians 4:8)
We believe that He is the Divine Teacher Who guides believers into all truth, that He sovereignly bestows a spiritual gift upon each believer, and that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled (controlled) with the Spirit. (John 16:13; 1 Corinthians 12:4-7; Ephesians 5:18)
Total Depravity of Man:
We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God but through Adam's sin the whole race fell, became alienated from God and inherited a sin nature, is totally depraved, possesses no spark of divine life, and of himself, is utterly helpless to remedy his lost condition apart from the grace of God. (Genesis 1:25-27; Romans 3:22-23, 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3, 12)
Salvation:
We believe that salvation is the free gift of God brought to totally depraved/sinful man given solely because of His grace, and is received by personal faith in response to God's initial work of grace, not human will, being made possible by the Lord Jesus Christ who shed His precious blood. This grace of salvation is applied to those that come through faith in Christ’s finished work of the death, burial, and resurrection. True faith is always accompanied by repentance from sin. Repentance is agreeing with God about your sins, confessing them to Him, and making a conscious decision to turn from your sins. Therefore, the new believer, through faith, is freely justified and sanctified by God. In so that by His grace He might preserve the surrendered believer until the day of redemption as holy and blameless. (Romans 8:29-30; Ephesians 1:3-4; John 1:18, 3:16-18; Ephesians 1:7, 2:8-9; Galatians 2:16; Philippians 3:4-9; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:18-19)
The Church:
We believe that all who place their hand of faith into Jesus’ hand of grace are immediately born into the spiritual Body and Bride of Christ, known as the church. Furthermore, we believe that the church is a spiritual organism made up of all born again believers of this present age which began on the day of Pentecost and will be completed at the coming of Christ for His bride at the rapture that will precede the seven-year tribulation period. (Ephesians 1:22-23; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; Romans 12:15; Matthew 12:16-18; Acts 2:42-47; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 19:7-8; Revelation 3:10)
We believe baptism by immersion should precede local church membership. (Acts 2:42-47)
Spiritual Gifts:
We believe that all believers are baptized by the Holy Spirit at the moment of conversion and that no believer lacks this baptism. Having been baptized by the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ (at conversion) he/she needs not to seek any other baptism. (1 Corinthians 12:13)
We believe that each believer has at least one gift sovereignly bestowed by the Holy Spirit and that no gift is given to all believers except one, which is love. (1 Corinthians 12:11, 18, 29-31; Ch. 13)