Statement of Faith

We believe that the Bible is God’s infallible Word, written by men who were divinely and uniquely inspired, and that it is our supreme authority in all matters of faith and practice.  We affirm our belief in the verbal (the very words) and plenary (all the words) inspiration of the Scriptures in their original manuscripts, that these documents were written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
We believe in one God, eternally co-existent in three persons, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and that these three are one God, yet distinct persons, equal in power and glory.
We believe in God the Father, Creator of heaven and earth, perfect in holiness, infinite in wisdom, and measureless in power.  We rejoice that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and eternal death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.
We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, born of the virgin Mary, sinless in His life, Who atoned for the sins of the world by His death on the cross. We believe in His bodily resurrection, His ascension into heaven, His High Priestly intercession for His people, and His personal, visible, premillennial return to the world according to His promise.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, Who came forth from God to convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment, and that He convicts us, regenerates us, baptizes us, intercedes for us, anoints us, fills us, witnesses to us, indwells us, endows us, and seals forever those who believe in Jesus Christ.
We believe that man was created in the image of God; that he sinned and thereby incurred not only physical death, but also spiritual death, which is separation from God; and that all human beings are born with a sinful nature.  Therefore, those who do not receive Christ as Savior and Lord will be forever separated from God; and those who do receive Christ as Savior and Lord shall be forever in God’s presence.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”    John 3:16
We believe that the church is a body of believers in Jesus Christ, baptized by immersion upon a profession of faith, and united for the worship of God, the preaching of the Gospel, the observance of the Ordinances, and the edification of the saints.  While the usual New Testament usage depicts a local church body, there is a sense in which “Church” refers to all true believers.
We believe that our Baptist distinctives are Scripturally sound. They include the Supreme authority of the Scriptures, the competency of the individual soul in direct approach to God, the priesthood of all believers, a regenerate church membership, the symbolic ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, the autonomy of the local church and its fellowship with other Baptist churches, the solemn obligation of majority rule within the church, with equal rights to all, the absolute separation of church and state, and a world-wide program of missionary endeavor in obedience to the final command of our Lord.
We believe that marriage is a sacrament (or ordinance or rite) of the Church.  [Alternative: Marriage has been ordained (or established or instituted) by God.]  This church defines “marriage” as the exclusive covenantal union of one man and one woman in which such union is a lifetime commitment.  A civil government’s sanction of a union will be recognized as a legitimate marriage by the church only to the extent that it is consistent with the definition of “marriage” found in these Articles.
We believe that legitimate sexual relations are exercised solely within marriage.  Hence, sexual activities outside of marriage (referred to in the New Testament as “porneia”– porneia) including but not limited to, adultery, premarital sex, homosexuality, and pedophilia are inconsistent with the teachings of the Bible and the Church.  Further, lascivious conduct, transgender behavior, and the creation and/or distribution and/or viewing of pornography, are incompatible with the biblical witness.

FINAL AUTHORITY FOR MATTERS OF BELIEF AND CONDUCT

The statement of faith does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. The Bible itself, as the inspired and infallible Word of God that speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind, is the sole and final source of all that we believe. For purposes of North Avenue Baptist Church’s faith, doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline, our Pastors and Deacon Board are North Avenue Baptist Church’s final interpretive authority on the Bible’s meaning and application.