We Believe

Statement of Faith

 

  1. All Scripture is verbally inspired and therefore infallible and inerrant. The Bible is the Word of God.  We cannot accept the misleading statement, "The Bible contains the Word of God."  We believe the Bible IS God's Word from cover to cover.  The King James Bible is the only Bible used here at Sioux City Baptist Church.  We believe it is God's preserved word for the English-speaking people.               II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:21; Matthew 5:18; I Corinthians 2:13
  2. There is one living and true God who exists in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Father is God; the Son is God; and the Holy Spirit is God.  Matthew 28:19; II Corinthians 13:14; John 14:20; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1, 14; Hebrews 1:8-10; Acts 5:3-4
  3. The Lord Jesus Christ was born of a virgin. Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38

 4. Christ rose bodily from the dead and ascended unto God the Father. Matthew 28; Mark 16; I Corinthians 15; Romans 1:4

 5. Christ will return. 

    (a)  First, for the "dead in Christ" who will be resurrected bodily; and for those who are alive at His coming.  This resurrection not only              precedes His return to earth to reign 1,000 years, but also precedes the Tribulation.  I Thessalonians 4:13-18, 5:9

    (b)  Then to reign 1,000 years on the earth.  Revelation 20:1-6; II Timothy 2:12

 6. All men inherit a depraved nature and are lost sinners in need of salvation. Romans 3:9-19; Ephesians 2:1-3; John 3:18

 7. God has provided salvation through offering His Son on the cross of Calvary, and allowing His blood to be shed to atone for our sins.          Romans 3:25; Hebrews 9:22

 8. We are saved and justified when we recognize ourselves as sinners, and we put our trust in Christ as the Son of God and His finished         work on the cross of Calvary. Salvation is by grace through faith plus nothing.  Romans 3:24, 4:5; Ephesians 2:8-9

 9. Once saved, we cannot be lost; we are eternally secure in Christ. John 3:16; Philippians 1:6; John 10:27-29; Romans 8:38-39;                            I Peter 1:4-5

 10. All believers, and only believers, should be baptized by immersion. Acts 2:41, 19:4-5; Matthew 28:19-20

 11. We should examine ourselves and solemnly remember the Lord's death for us in the Lord's Supper. I Corinthians 11:23-32

 12. The Bible teaches the eternal blessedness of the saved. It also teaches the eternal punishment of the lost in the Lake of Fire.                       John 4:14, 5:24; Ephesians 2:7; John 5:28-29; Revelation 20:10, 15

 13. The grace of God teaches us "to live soberly, righteously, godly."

    (a)  Looking for the blessed hope of His returning for us.  Titus 2:13

    (b)  Setting "our affection on things above, not on things on the earth."  Colossians 3:2-3; I John 2:15-17

    (c)  Living a life of separation from the world and "unto God."  II Corinthians 6:14-18; Romans 1:1

 14. A Church is a local, visible body of Scripturally baptized believers who assemble together for the purpose of carrying out the great c            commission of Matthew 28:19-20.

 

God's Plan of Salvation

 

1) ADMIT YOU ARE A SINNER

"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God," Romans 3:23

 

2) REALIZE THERE IS A PRICE FOR SIN

"For the wages of sin is death."  Romans 6:23.  "Death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.  This is the second death." Revelation 20:14.

 

3) ACKNOWLEGE JESUS DIED TO PAY THE PRICE OF SIN FOR YOU

"But God commendeth His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

 

4) REGRET AND REPENT OF YOUR SIN

"I tell you, Nay: but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish," Luke 13:3

 

5) KNOW GOD WANTS TO SAVE YOU IF YOU WILL JUST ASK HIM

"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved," Romans 10:13

 

What is a Baptist?

 

Sioux City Baptist Church is a traditional, independent, fundamental Baptist church.  The name Baptist was born during times of persecution.  The Baptist people were at one time called Anabaptists, which means rebaptizers.  These people were persecuted for refusing baptism for their infants.  They believed instead that the Bible teaches only believers are to be baptized (Acts 2:41, 8:36-38).  Along with believers' baptism, the Baptist church has traditionally been known for the following distinctives that Sioux City Baptist Church holds dear:

 

B - Biblical Authority for Faith and Practice  (II Timothy 3:15-16)

     We reject the authority of tradition and church counsels.  We stand on the authority of God's Word alone.  Isaiah 8:20

A - The Autonomy of the Local Church

     The church, as a congregation, is responsible for all decisions pertaining to church officers (Acts 6:1-5), dispersement of funds (I Corinthians 16:1-3), doctrinal statements (Acts 15),                           commission of missionaries (Acts 13), and discipline of its members (Matthew 18:15-17; I Corinthians 5).  As an autonomous local Baptist congregation, Sioux City Baptist Church is a self-               governing congregation not wedded with any denomination or obligated to its oversight.

P - The Individual Priesthood of the Believer (I Peter 2:5, 9)

     The New Testament declares that every born-again believer can access the very throne of God through "one mediator, the man Christ Jesus" (I Timothy 2:5).  Each professing believer is a               practicing priest who represents God to man and man to God.

T - Two Biblical Ordinances

     1)  Believer's Baptism (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:41; 8:36-38) by immersion, and

     2)  The Lord's Supper (I Corinthians 11:23-26) as an ongoing remembrance of the sacrifice of the Savior for our sins.

I - Individual Soul Liberty (II Timothy 2:15)

     Every believer will one day give account for his or her own decisions and actions before the Judgment Seat of Christ (II Corinthians 5:10).  Therefore we must respect every believer's right to           read, rightly divide, and practice what is taught in Scripture as he or she lives and walks in the liberties enjoyed through Christ.

S - Saved Church Membership (Acts 2:41f)

     Every member of Sioux City Baptist Church must profess Christ as personal Savior (Romans 10:13).

T - Two Church Offices: the Pastor and the Deacon (I Timothy 3; Philippians 1:1).

     We believe that the words pastor, elder, and bishop refer to the same office (I Peter 5:1-4; Acts 20:17, 28-30).  We refer to our elders as pastors, believing that the word pastor is a term of               endearment and relationship (Acts 20:28-30), elder a term of respect and authority, and bishop one of administrative position (I Timothy 3:1).  Deacons are to be spiritual men who strive to           meet the needs of others.  They serve under the oversight of the pastor and are elected by the congregation (Acts 6:1-7).

S - Separation of Church and State (Matthew 22:21)

     Having been persecuted by state churches in England, Switzerland, France, and the American Colonies, the Baptist people advocated the separation of the church from the state.  Americans         enjoy the freedom of religion because colonial American Baptists demonstrated for religious freedom in Rhode Island and Virginia and finally secured it through the 1st amendment to our           constitution.