What We Believe...
Scriptures
We believe the Bible is God's absolute, objective truth for all people for all times. It is without error in concept or detail in the original writings. It is breathed out in its entirety by God, divinely preserved, and, therefore, trustworthy. We believe the Holy Spirit superintended human authors so that, through their individual personalities and literary styles, they composed and recorded God's Word. It is God's written revelation complete in the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments. It is the supreme authority in all matters to which it speaks and is sufficient for life, conduct, and practice − understandable by every believer. We believe Scripture must be understood through the literal, contextual, grammatical, and historical method of interpretation, and applied under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:20-21; Isa.55:11)
God
We believe in the one personal, transcendent, immanent, living God − the creator, sustainer, and sovereign ruler of all things. He is self−existent, immutable, and works all things according to the counsel of His will in order to bring glory to Himself. God's foreknowledge is exhaustive and not dependent on human decisions and actions. He eternally exists in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They execute distinct but harmonious roles in creation, providence, redemption, and consummation. They are equal in nature, attributes, and perfections. The holy triune God is worthy of our worship, confidence, and obedience. (Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19; Eph. 1:3-14)
The Father
We believe in God the Father: one in essence with the Son and the Spirit. He is an infinite, personal spirit, perfect in all His attributes. He is the creator, sustainer, and sovereign ruler of all things through His Son Jesus Christ. We believe that He concerns Himself perfectly in the affairs of humanity. His fatherhood involves both His designation within the Trinity and His relationship with the redeemed. Everything He does is in accordance with His perfect will, though His sovereignty does not eliminate or minimize human responsibility. The Father adopts as His own, through Jesus Christ, all those He calls to Himself. (John 4:24; Gen. 1:1; John 6:44)
The Son
We believe in God the Son: one in essence with the Father and the Spirit. He is the one and only eternal Son of God, the preeminent revelation of God. At the right time He emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-slave. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary as Jesus, the Christ − fully God and fully man. We believe in His sinless life, His voluntary submission to His Father's will that culminated in His substitutionary death on the cross, His burial, and His bodily resurrection. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father. His death on the cross atoned for our sin and satisfied the righteous demands of the holy God. He is the Mediator between God and man. He is Prophet, Priest, and King; the Head and Savior of His Church; the Heir of all things; the Judge of all the world; and the exact representation of God the Father. We believe in the personal return of Christ for His Church and in the establishment of His Kingdom on earth. (John 1:1-3, 14; Phi. 2:6-8; Heb. 4:15; 1 Cor. 15:3-4; Col. 3:1; 1 Cor. 15:24-25)
The Holy Spirit
We believe in God the Holy Spirit: one in essence with the Father and Son. He was sent by God the Father and God the Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. The Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus Christ and implements Christ's work of redemption and baptism. He regenerates, baptizes, seals, gifts, and indwells all believers at conversion, progressively sanctifying, and securing them in Christ forever. The Spirit fills, leads, comforts, and intercedes for believers, empowering them for godly living and service. His presence is evident by the fruit of the Spirit and the building up of believers into the body of Christ, the Church. (John 16:8-11; Titus 3:4-6; 1 Cor. 12:13; Eph. 1:13-14; 1 Cor. 12:1-11; Gal. 5:22-23)
Humanity
We believe that humanity, male and female, is sacred in God's eyes and was uniquely created by Him, in His image and for His glory, to exercise dominion over the earth and to enjoy a relationship with Him forever. Every human being is directly responsible to God in matters of faith and life. After sin entered the world, humans still possess the image of God, though tainted by sin. God's will for humanity is that they love the Lord their God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love their neighbors as themselves. (Gen. 1:26-27; Gen. 9:6; Rom. 1:18-21; Matt. 22:36-40)
Family
In God's design for humanity, life begins at fertilization. He established the institution of family through the union of one man and one woman in a marriage covenant for life. His design for the continuance of humanity is through the procreation and discipleship of children within the marriage union. Marriage is to be an example of the relationship between Jesus Christ and His Church. (Ps. 139:13-16; Gen. 2:23-24; Eph. 5:25-32)
Sin
We believe that sin is any action, inaction, or attitude that is contrary to the nature or Word of God, which constitutes a rejection of His authority, resulting in alienation from God. Sin entered the world when Adam, representing humanity, disobeyed God. As a result of the one sin of Adam, his descendants − the whole human race − are separated from relationship with God, spiritually dead, and therefore in a fallen state. Being sinners by nature and choice and utterly unable to remedy their lost condition, humanity is in need of salvation. (Rom. 5:12-14; Eph. 2:1-3)
Salvation
We believe that salvation is a gift of God, received by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ alone. Salvation is motivated by the love of God demonstrated through His sovereign election in Christ, purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross, and received by faith apart from any human merit, works, or ritual. Regeneration is effected through the work of the Holy Spirit in God's elect. All who repent and believe in Jesus Christ are forgiven of all their sins, justified in God's sight by the merit of Christ's righteousness, adopted into His family, sealed by the Holy Spirit, and have equal access to God. As a result, the progressive sanctifying work of salvation leads to a newness of life that is evidenced by righteous living, good works, and biblical social concern, or God's corrective discipline. The consummation of salvation is that those who have accepted God's gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ shall be resurrected and glorified. They shall receive their inheritance in the Kingdom of their Father, whom they shall see and enjoy throughout the ages. (Eph. 2:8-10; Rom. 5:8; Rom. 3:21-26; Titus 3:3-7; Rom. 8:29-30)
Church
We believe that the New Testament Church is composed of all persons who have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit since the day of Pentecost following Christ's resurrection. We believe that the Church is the spiritual body of Christ, of which He is the Head. We believe that this body expresses itself in local assemblies in which believers are in a covenant relationship. Biblically that relationship is expressed corporately through hearing the Word of God proclaimed, engaging in worship, practicing the two ordinances of believer's baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper, building up each other's faith, holding each other accountable through biblical love and discipline, and engaging in local and world evangelization. Biblically designated officers must meet the biblical qualifications for their office and submit to the headship of Christ, emulating His servant leadership. We believe the function of eldering is reserved for biblically qualified males. Each local church is to choose, support, and submit to those who function as elders. (Eph. 1:22-23; Acts 2:42; Matt. 28:18-20; 1 Cor. 11:23-26; 1 Tim. 3:1-13; 1 Pet. 5:1-5)
Angels
We believe God created angels as spirit−beings possessing power and intellect, to worship and serve Him and to minister to believers. Satan is a fallen angel who masquerades as an angel of light. The scope of Satan's power is subject to God's will. By subjecting Adam and Eve to temptation and sin, Satan has extended his rebellion against God, which he continues by deceit, seduction, and destruction. While Satan and his demons are powerful, they are subject to Christ's authority and judgment. Satan and his demons have been defeated for eternity by Jesus Christ through His death on the cross and victorious resurrection, sealing their everlasting damnation. At the time of final judgment, they will be consigned to eternal separation from God in the Lake of Fire. (Heb. 1:13-14; Col. 1:16; 1 Pet. 5:8; Job 1:12; Eph. 6:12; Col. 2:15; Rev. 20:10)
Last Things
We believe that the next great event in God’s redemptive plan is the immanent, bodily appearance of Jesus Christ to rapture his saints out of the world, both living and dead. This will occur on a day known only to God. We believe in the visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ and in His Millennial Kingdom. He will return with His saints from heaven with power and great glory. We believe that those who have accepted God's gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, at the point of physical death, enter into God's eternal glory. They shall be resurrected and transformed to His body of glory, and they shall receive their inheritance of glory in the Kingdom of their Father. They shall be made fully blessed in the presence and service of God, whom they shall see and enjoy throughout the ages. We believe that all unsaved persons, at the point of physical death, are destined for eternal damnation. They will be resurrected, separated from the righteous, judged, and cast into an existence of eternal punishment where they will be tormented day and night forever and ever when death and Hades is cast into the Lake of Fire. We believe it is imperative for the Church to work and wait in sober watchfulness, that it may be found ready at His coming. (1 Thess. 4:16-17; Mk. 13:32-33; I Cor. 15:35-53; Rev. 21:1-22:5; Matt. 25:31-46; Rev. 20:11-15; Rev. 14:9-11)
Every effort has been made to make certain these “Articles of Faith” are in agreement with the Holy Scriptures. If it should be found that they are not, the Holy Scriptures will always be the final authority.
Additional Teaching Positions
Scriptures
Scriptures are our supreme authority in all matters to which they speak.
To accurately understand what God’s original intent and meaning is in the Scriptures, we must interpret the Scriptures literally (i.e. in the normal meaning of the words including figures of speech like symbolism, allegory and metaphors), grammatically (according to the parts of speech and how they relate to each other), contextually (seeing the statements of Scriptures in the context of the immediate passage and the Scriptures as a whole), and historically (interpreting the Scriptures in the times and issues of the historical settings of the original recipients) and applied under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 2:10-16; 2 Corinthians 3:14-16; 2 Peter 1:20-21).
Our 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 Dayton First Baptist’s faith, doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline, our Elders, utilizing the guidelines above, are our final interpretive authority on the Bible’s meaning and application.
Humanity
The creation account of Genesis 1 portrays human beings as part of the material world created by God. As such they have solidarity with the natural order and a creature relationship to God. This is the emphasis of Psalm 8, in which the human being is seen as a little lower than God, but crowned with glory and honor.
The boundary lines between humans and God on the one hand, and that between humans and nature on the other hand are never violated. Humans can only have a proper understanding of themselves as they have a proper understanding of God. This results in self-awareness, in a creature consciousness but not in a debasing sense. As uniquely created in God's image, humans are his agents ruling over and caring for the earth.
The doctrine of humanity, also called anthropology, is an area of that addresses various topics related to mankind based on the teaching of Scripture. For example, a biblical anthropology maintains as a basis, that:
• Humankind was created in God's image (Genesis 1:26-27).
• Every person is a fallen creature (Romans 5:12), and born in a corrupt state.
• Humanity has a material aspect (the body) and a non-material aspect, their spirit (Jas. 2:26).
• Though marred by the Fall, humankind retains remnants of God's image in his non-material nature (Gen. 9:6).
Marriage
Marriage is an honorable, monogamous, and moral covenant relationship, ordained by God (Hebrews 13:4; 1 Cor. 7:1-5; Genesis 2:18-25). It is to be a reflection of the unity and diversity of Christ and His Church (Ephesians 5:21—6:4; 1 Peter 3:1-9; Colossians 3:18-21). God intended this design for marriage to be a blessing to humankind and to bring glory to Himself (1 Peter 3:8-9; Isaiah 43:6-7; Romans 11:36; 1 Corinthians 10:31; Colossians 1:16).
The Bible teaches that legitimate sexual relations are exercised solely within marriage (1 Cor. 6:18-20, 7:1-9, Gal. 5:19). Hence, we will neither endorse nor promote, but oppose all forms of sexual immorality, including adultery, polygamy, fornication, homosexuality, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, and pornography (Gen. 2:24, 19:5, 13; Lev. 18:1-30; Hab. 2:15; Rom. 1:26-29; 1 Cor. 6:9, 7:1-2; 1 Thess. 4:8).
According to the above, the following are viewed by our church as inappropriate and contrary to Scripture:
• Any marriage or civil union that is not between one man and one woman in a covenantal union for life
• Any sexual intimacy or sexual act between individuals who are not married to one another
• Any other activity, teaching or behavior that is contrary to a Biblical view of marriage and appropriate behavior as outlined in the provision.
Family
God brought Adam and Eve together and established the basis for the family. This basis is a man and a woman. Even though Adam and Eve did not have parents, God instituted at that time the principle that a man and woman would depart from their parents and family unit to begin a new family unit.
A Christian family is one in which each member understands and fulfills his or her God-given role. The family is not an institution designed by man. It was created by God for the benefit of humankind. The basic biblical family unit is comprised of one man, one woman—his spouse—and their offspring or adopted children. The extended family can include relatives by blood or marriage such as grandparents, nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts, and uncles. One of the primary principles of the family unit is that it involves a commitment ordained by God for the lifetime of the members. The husband and wife are responsible for preserving the family unit. Although divorce is sought and granted freely in our society, the Bible tells us that divorce is never God’s plan nor is it His desire (Malachi 2:6).