Article I--Name The name of this church shall be the Open Door Baptist Church.
Article II--Purpose The purpose of the Open Door Baptist Church shall be the salvation of souls; the edification of the saints through the teaching of God's Word; the world-wide proclamation of God's saving grace in keeping with Christ's Great Commission; the defense of the "faith once delivered to the saints;" and cooperation with such Christian activities as function in harmony with God's Holy Word. We support only those missionaries and mission agencies which support Biblical Baptist polity.
Article III--Statement of Faith 1. 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. (2 Timothy 3:16,17; 2 Peter 1:20, 21; Matthew 5:18; John 16:12, 13).
2. Godhead. We believe in one triune God, inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy of all possible honor, confidence, and love; 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 athibutes and perfections. (Deuteronomy 6:4; 2 Corinthians 13:14).
3. Creation. We believe the Biblical account of the creation of the physical universe, angels, and man; that this account is neither allegory nor myth, but a literal, historical account of the direct, immediate creative acts of God without any evolutionary process; that man was created by the direct work of God and not from previously existing forms of life; and that all men are descended from the historical Adam and Eve, first parents of the entire human race. (Genesis 1, 2; Colossians 1:16, 17; John 1:3).
4. Person and Work of Christ. A. 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 Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men. (John 1:1, 2, 14; Luke 1:35). B. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitution sacrifice; and that our justification is made sure by His literal physical resurrection from the dead. (Romans 3:24, 25; 1 Peter 2:24; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:3-5). C. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to heaven, and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where as our High Priest He fulfills the ministry or Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate. (Acts 1:9, 10; Hebrews 7:25; 9:24; Romans 8:34; 1 John 2:1, 2).
5. Person and Work of God, the Holy Spirit. A. We believe that God, the Holy Spirit, is a divine Person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and that He is the supernatural agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the Body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption. (John 16:8-11; 2 Corinthians 3:6; 1 Corinthians 2:12-14; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 1:13, 14). B. We believe that He is the divine Teacher who guides believers into all truth; and that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the Spirit. (John 16:13; 1 John 2:20, 27; Ephesians 5:18).
6. 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 and condemned condition. (Genesis 1:26, 27; Romans 3:22, 23; 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3, 12).
7. Salvation. We believe that salvation is the gift of God, brought to man by God's grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness and remission of our sins. (Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:12; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:18-19).
8. Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers. A. We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, 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; 1 Corinthians 1:4-8; 1 Peter 1:5). B. 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, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh. (Romans 13:13, 14; Galatians 5:13; Titus 2:11-15).
9. Sanctification. We believe the word "sanctification" merely means "to be set apart" and that believers are set apart for God. Sanctification has three parts: past, present, and future. The past aspect: we are saved from the penalty of sin. The moment a person receives Christ as Savior, he is sanctified and washed from his sins. The present aspect: we are saved from the power of sin. The moment we have stepped into the family of God, we are to grow more like Him. The future aspect: we will be saved from the presence of sin when we go to be with the Lord. When se see Christ, we shall be like Him, and we shall be saved from the very presence of sin. (1 Corinthians 1:2; 6:11; 1 Thessalonians 3:13; 5:23; 1 John 3:2, 3).
10. Justification. We believe that justification is that judicial act of God whereby He declares the believer righteous upon the basis of the imputed righteousness of Christ; that it is bestowed, not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done, but solely through faith in the Redeemer's shed blood. (Romans 3:24; 4:5; 5:1, 9; Galatians 2:16; Philippians 3:9).
11. The Two Natures of the Believer. We believe that every saved person possesses two natures, with provisions 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; 1 Peter 1:14-16; 1 John 3:5-9).
12. Separation. We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord; and that separation from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices, and associations is commanded by God. We stand for separation from and opposition to, not only theological liberalism and modernism, such is practiced by the World and National Councils of Churches; but to the more recent subtleties of pseudo-Christian thinking known as Neo-Evangelicalism, Neo-Orthodoxy, Ecumenical Evangelism, the Ecumenical Movement, and the modern charismatic movement. (2 Timothy 3:1-5; Romans 12:1, 2; 14:13; 1 John 2:15-17; 2 John 9-11; 2 Corinthians 6:14; 7:1).
13. Missions. We believe that it is the obligation of the saved to witness by life and word to the truths of the Holy Scriptures and to seek to proclaim the gospel to all mankind. (Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8; 2 Corinthians 5:10, 19).
14. The Ministry and Spiritual Gifts. A. We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowment of all His gifts, and that the gifts of evangelists, pastors, and teachers are sufficient for the perfecting of the saints today, and that speaking in tongue and the working of sign miracles gradually ceased as the New Testament Scriptures were completed and their authority became established. (1 Corinthians 12:4-11; 2 Corinthians 12:12; Ephesians 4:7-12; 1 Corinthians 13 :8-10). B. We believe that God does hear and answer the prayer of faith in accordance with His own will, for the sick and afflicted. (John 15:7; 1 John 5:14, 15).
15. The Church. We believe that a local church is a congregation of immersed believers, associated by covenant of faith and fellowship of the gospel, observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws; and exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word; that its officers are pastors and deacons, whose qualifications, claims, and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures. We believe the true mission of the church is the faithful witnessing of Christ to all men as we have opportunity. We hold that the local church has the absolute right and responsibility 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 each local church is the sole judge of the measure and method of its cooperation; and that on all matters of membership, of polity, of government, of discipline, of benevolence, the will of the church is final. (Acts 2:41, 42; 1 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 1:22, 23; 4:11; Acts 20:17-28; 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 5:23, 24; Acts 15:13-18).
16. Ordinances. A. Baptism. We believe that God's Word commands every believer to be baptized, the only Scriptural mode being by immersion in water. Though baptism has no saving merit, it does show forth in solemn and beautiful symbol the believer's faith in, and union with, the crucified, buried, and risen Savior. (Acts 8:38; Romans 6:3-5). B. The Lord's Supper. We believe that the Lord's Supper is a provision of unleavened bread and unfermented grape juice, which are symbolical of Christ's broken body and shed blood; that the Lord's Supper is partaken by individuals in commemoration of the suffering and death of their Lord in anticipation of His soon coming again; that its observation is to be proceeded by faithful self-examination. (Luke 22:19, 20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-30).
17. Dispensationalism. We believe in the dispensational view of Bible interpretation (such as the dispensations of innocence, conscience, human government, promise, law, grace, and kingdom), but reject the extreme teaching known as "hyper-dispensationalist," such as that teaching which opposed either the Lord's Table or water baptism as a Scriptural means of testimony for the church in this age. (Matthew 28:19, 20; Acts 2:41, 42; 18:8; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26).
18. The Personality of Satan. We believe that Satan is a supernatural person, the author of sin and the cause of the fall; that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man; and that he shall be eternally punished in the lake of fire. (Isaiah 14:12-17; Matthew 4:2-11; 25:41; Revelation 20:10). 19. Blessed Hope. Understanding that the church is not appointed to wrath, we believe in the "blessed hope," the glorious appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ, in which He will physically and visibly return in order to resurrect the dead in Christ, rapture His redeemed ones, and then pour out His wrath on the unbelieving world; and in His subsequent return to earth with His saints to establish His millennial kingdom (Zech. 14:4-11; Matt. 24:29-31; Romans 5:8-9; 1 Thess. 1:10; 4:13-18; 5:9; Revelation 3:10; 19:11-16; 20:1-6).
20. The Eternal State. A. We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment. (Matthew 25:46; John 5:28, 29; 11:25, 26; Revelation 20:5, 6, 12, 13). B. We believe that the souls 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; Revelation 20:4-6; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23; 3:21; 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17). C. We believe that the souls of the unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious misery until the second resurrection, when with 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. (Luke 16:19-26; Matthew 25:41-46; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9; Jude 6, 7; Mark 9:43-48; Revelation 20:11-15).
