SUMMARIZED DOCTRINAL STATEMENT
WESTSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH
DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA
The following Doctrinal Statement gives a summary of beliefs specific to Westside Baptist Church and functions in accordance with the beliefs set forth in The Baptist Faith and Message 2000, but in a more concise form. By its nature, therefore, this statement does not address all topics referenced in The Baptist Faith and Message 2000. (For reference, The Baptist Faith & Message (2000) (BF&M), can be accessed here: https://www.mtzionpaducah.org/baptist-faith-and-message/) This Summarized Doctrinal Statement is a good place to get an overview of our major doctrinal positions. If you have any questions about what we believe, please call the church office for more information.
WESTSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH
DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA
The following Doctrinal Statement gives a summary of beliefs specific to Westside Baptist Church and functions in accordance with the beliefs set forth in The Baptist Faith and Message 2000, but in a more concise form. By its nature, therefore, this statement does not address all topics referenced in The Baptist Faith and Message 2000. (For reference, The Baptist Faith & Message (2000) (BF&M), can be accessed here: https://www.mtzionpaducah.org/baptist-faith-and-message/) This Summarized Doctrinal Statement is a good place to get an overview of our major doctrinal positions. If you have any questions about what we believe, please call the church office for more information.
THE HOLY SCRIPTURES
We believe in the verbal inspiration, inerrancy, and complete trustworthiness of both the Old and New Testament Scriptures. Through His providence, God has preserved the Scriptures for humankind, and they are the supreme and final authority in all matters of faith and life. (Psalm 19:7; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21)
GOD
We believe that there is one—and only one—true and living God, the Maker and Supreme Ruler of Heaven and Earth, existing in three Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each is a distinct Person, but all are of one essence, all have the same nature, perfections, and attributes, and each is worthy of precisely the same worship, confidence, and obedience. (Genesis 1:1; Genesis 1:26; Deuteronomy 6:4; Psalm 90; Jeremiah 10:10; Matthew 3:16-17; 28:19)
GOD THE FATHER
We believe that God the Father, the first Person of the Trinity, orders and disposes all things according to His own purpose and grace. As the only absolute and omnipotent Ruler in the universe, He is sovereign in creation, providence, and redemption. His fatherhood involves both His designation within the Trinity and His relationship with humankind. He saves from sin all who come to Him through Jesus Christ. (Psalm 103:19; Psalm 145:8-9; John 1:12; Romans 8:15; Romans 11:36; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Galatians 4:5; Hebrews 12:5-9)
GOD THE SON
We believe that Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Trinity, is the Son of God, begotten by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, shed His blood on Calvary as a vicarious substitute for sin, was buried, rose again bodily, and ascended to the Father according to the Scriptures. (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; 1 Corinthians 15:3; Hebrews 4:15)
GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Trinity, very God and coexistent with the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit is the chief agent in regeneration, the chief convicter of sin, and the chief comforter of the believer. Concurrent with regeneration, the Holy Spirit baptizes the believer into the body of Christ. (Matthew 28:19; John 16:7-11; Acts 5:3-4; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14)
CREATION
We believe that the Triune God created the universe apart from any pre-existing materials and without any evolutionary process. We believe in the historical authenticity of the Old
Testament, including the first eleven chapters of Genesis and that the days of creation were literal 24-hour days. (Genesis 1:1; Matthew 19:4; John 1:1-3; Romans 1:20; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 11:3)
HUMANKIND
We believe that humankind (men and women) is the direct creation of God—body, soul, and spirit—and is not in any sense the result of evolution but is made in the image of God. Adam and his wife Eve, the first man and woman, sinned by disobedience to God. This act of disobedience resulted in the fall of humankind and incurred both physical and spiritual death for all humans. (Genesis 1:26; Romans 3:10, 23; 5:12)
SALVATION
We believe that all who, in faith, receive the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior are born again by the Holy Spirit and thus become the children of God. The salvation of sinners is wholly of God by grace on the basis of the redemption of Jesus Christ, the merit of His shed blood, and not on the basis of human merit or works. Salvation involves redemption, regeneration, sanctification, and glorification. (John 1:12; 3:3; 17:17; Romans 8:29-30; Ephesians 2:8-9; 4:30; Titus 3:5)
DIVINE PROVIDENCE
We believe in the sovereignty and providence of God, but that God is not the author or approver of sin nor the destroyer of the free will and responsibility of man. In this regard, we are theologically non-Reformed and non-Calvinistic (John 3:16; Romans 8:28-30)
SECURITY OF THE BELIEVER
We believe that salvation is not only a gift from God but also is sustained by God. The Holy Spirit permanently indwells the believer and seals him in salvation for eternity. Therefore, since salvation is wholly of the Lord, apart from the works of man, we hold that the believer shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto eternal salvation. (John 10:28; 14:16-17,26; 1 Corinthians 2:9-14; Ephesians 1:13; 2:8-9; 1 Peter 1:5; Jude 24-25)
PRIESTHOOD OF THE BELIEVER
We believe in the priesthood of all believers; thus, every Christian has direct access to God in prayer through Jesus Christ, our great High Priest, and that there is no mediator between God and men other than Jesus Christ. (Hebrews 4:16; 1 Timothy 2:5; Revelation. 1:6)
SPIRITUAL GIFTS
We believe that the Holy Spirit administers spiritual gifts to the church. The Holy Spirit glorifies neither Himself nor His gifts by ostentatious displays, but He does glorify Jesus Christ by implementing His work of redeeming the lost and building up believers in the most holy faith. We further believe that God the Holy Spirit is sovereign in the bestowing of all His gifts for the perfecting of the saints today. We also believe that speaking in tongues and the working of sign miracles present in the beginning days of the church were for the purpose of authenticating the Jesus’ apostles as revealers of divine truth and were never intended to be characteristic of the lives of believers after the apostolic era. In this regard, we are non-charismatic and non-Pentecostal. (John 16:13 14; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; 2 Corinthians 3:18; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; 13:8-10; 2 Corinthians 12:12; Ephesians 4:7-12; Hebrews 2:14)
THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE WICKED
We believe that that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that such only such persons who through faith are justified in the name of the Lord
We believe in the verbal inspiration, inerrancy, and complete trustworthiness of both the Old and New Testament Scriptures. Through His providence, God has preserved the Scriptures for humankind, and they are the supreme and final authority in all matters of faith and life. (Psalm 19:7; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21)
GOD
We believe that there is one—and only one—true and living God, the Maker and Supreme Ruler of Heaven and Earth, existing in three Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each is a distinct Person, but all are of one essence, all have the same nature, perfections, and attributes, and each is worthy of precisely the same worship, confidence, and obedience. (Genesis 1:1; Genesis 1:26; Deuteronomy 6:4; Psalm 90; Jeremiah 10:10; Matthew 3:16-17; 28:19)
GOD THE FATHER
We believe that God the Father, the first Person of the Trinity, orders and disposes all things according to His own purpose and grace. As the only absolute and omnipotent Ruler in the universe, He is sovereign in creation, providence, and redemption. His fatherhood involves both His designation within the Trinity and His relationship with humankind. He saves from sin all who come to Him through Jesus Christ. (Psalm 103:19; Psalm 145:8-9; John 1:12; Romans 8:15; Romans 11:36; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Galatians 4:5; Hebrews 12:5-9)
GOD THE SON
We believe that Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Trinity, is the Son of God, begotten by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, shed His blood on Calvary as a vicarious substitute for sin, was buried, rose again bodily, and ascended to the Father according to the Scriptures. (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; 1 Corinthians 15:3; Hebrews 4:15)
GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Trinity, very God and coexistent with the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit is the chief agent in regeneration, the chief convicter of sin, and the chief comforter of the believer. Concurrent with regeneration, the Holy Spirit baptizes the believer into the body of Christ. (Matthew 28:19; John 16:7-11; Acts 5:3-4; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14)
CREATION
We believe that the Triune God created the universe apart from any pre-existing materials and without any evolutionary process. We believe in the historical authenticity of the Old
Testament, including the first eleven chapters of Genesis and that the days of creation were literal 24-hour days. (Genesis 1:1; Matthew 19:4; John 1:1-3; Romans 1:20; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 11:3)
HUMANKIND
We believe that humankind (men and women) is the direct creation of God—body, soul, and spirit—and is not in any sense the result of evolution but is made in the image of God. Adam and his wife Eve, the first man and woman, sinned by disobedience to God. This act of disobedience resulted in the fall of humankind and incurred both physical and spiritual death for all humans. (Genesis 1:26; Romans 3:10, 23; 5:12)
SALVATION
We believe that all who, in faith, receive the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior are born again by the Holy Spirit and thus become the children of God. The salvation of sinners is wholly of God by grace on the basis of the redemption of Jesus Christ, the merit of His shed blood, and not on the basis of human merit or works. Salvation involves redemption, regeneration, sanctification, and glorification. (John 1:12; 3:3; 17:17; Romans 8:29-30; Ephesians 2:8-9; 4:30; Titus 3:5)
DIVINE PROVIDENCE
We believe in the sovereignty and providence of God, but that God is not the author or approver of sin nor the destroyer of the free will and responsibility of man. In this regard, we are theologically non-Reformed and non-Calvinistic (John 3:16; Romans 8:28-30)
SECURITY OF THE BELIEVER
We believe that salvation is not only a gift from God but also is sustained by God. The Holy Spirit permanently indwells the believer and seals him in salvation for eternity. Therefore, since salvation is wholly of the Lord, apart from the works of man, we hold that the believer shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto eternal salvation. (John 10:28; 14:16-17,26; 1 Corinthians 2:9-14; Ephesians 1:13; 2:8-9; 1 Peter 1:5; Jude 24-25)
PRIESTHOOD OF THE BELIEVER
We believe in the priesthood of all believers; thus, every Christian has direct access to God in prayer through Jesus Christ, our great High Priest, and that there is no mediator between God and men other than Jesus Christ. (Hebrews 4:16; 1 Timothy 2:5; Revelation. 1:6)
SPIRITUAL GIFTS
We believe that the Holy Spirit administers spiritual gifts to the church. The Holy Spirit glorifies neither Himself nor His gifts by ostentatious displays, but He does glorify Jesus Christ by implementing His work of redeeming the lost and building up believers in the most holy faith. We further believe that God the Holy Spirit is sovereign in the bestowing of all His gifts for the perfecting of the saints today. We also believe that speaking in tongues and the working of sign miracles present in the beginning days of the church were for the purpose of authenticating the Jesus’ apostles as revealers of divine truth and were never intended to be characteristic of the lives of believers after the apostolic era. In this regard, we are non-charismatic and non-Pentecostal. (John 16:13 14; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; 2 Corinthians 3:18; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; 13:8-10; 2 Corinthians 12:12; Ephesians 4:7-12; Hebrews 2:14)
THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE WICKED
We believe that that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that such only such persons who through faith are justified in the name of the Lord