The Holy Bible is the Word of God and is the basis for any statement
of faith. First Baptist holds
the following statement of faith as being a summary of Christian doctrine whose authority consists only in its agreement with
the Word of God. We band ourselves together as a body of baptized believers
in Jesus Christ personally committed to sharing the good news of salvation to lost mankind. The ordinances of the church are
baptism and the Lord's Supper.
God's Offer
In
today's uncertain world, many people are searching. Sometimes we are not even sure what we are searching for. It may be
a search for meaning. Some people are looking for peace with God, the knowledge that He still loves them and they can be forgiven.
Other people are troubled about the future and would like to know what will happen. Others want to belong, or to be understood.
The really good news is that God knows about these needs and wants to meet them. He knows we're messed up
and hopelessly lost on our own, but he has a plan for us - a plan that is all wrapped up in His son, Jesus. It's all in
the Bible. Here is one way to explain it:
1. God is loving and perfectly good
Even though God is all-powerful and made the whole world, He knows you personally and
cares about you.
You, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.
Psalm 86:15
For the LORD is righteous, he loves justice; upright men will see his face. Psalm 11:7
2. God has standards that we must live up to
Because God is perfectly
"holy" you would have to be perfectly righteous (without sin) to enter his presence. He has told us how He wants
us to live.
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that
he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Hebrews 11:6
For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. Ecclesiastes 12:14
3. We have failed to meet God's standards (we're
in trouble)
Nobody's
perfect. Unfortunately that means that nobody can make it to heaven. We're lost and helpless.
For all have
sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal
life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23
4. God has provided a way
God cares so much about us that He didn't want to leave us without any hope. He decided to
take action to fix our problem. He sent His son Jesus to die on the cross - in our place, for our sins.
For God
so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16
For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was
put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit. 1 Peter 3:18
5. God's generous offer
The penalty of our sins is now paid in full. Jesus took
your sin, and in exchange, wants to give you His righteousness.
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree,
so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. 1 Peter 2:24
God
made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21
6. Will you accept God's offer?
Yes, there is one thing you must do. And that is to believe.
Reach out to God in faith, knowing that only He has what you truly need, and only He can give it to you. Trust Him now!
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by
works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8,9
If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and
believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9
What Must I Do to be Saved?
That question was asked many years ago by a man who realized
that without God's help, he had no hope. The story is found in the Bible, in Chapter 16 of the book of Acts. The same
question is being asked today by people who know they can not meet God's standards on their own. The answer is the same
today as it was back then: "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved."
Do you understand that
salvation depends on God, not on what you do or don't do? It is "not because of righteous things we had done but
because of his mercy" (Titus 3:5) And it is not our own righteous (good) acts that count, but rather a righteousness
that God gives us. "This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe" (Romans
3:22). Are you ready to accept God's gift of righteousness and have the guilt of sin taken away? All you need to do is
ask God in faith.
You can do that right now. Just pray - that is, talk to God as if He were right there with you.
After all, He is. He has promised to listen. You could use words like this:
"God, I know that I have not
lived the way you want me to live. There are many things I have done wrong and many other things I should have done but have
not. I have sinned and I do not measure up to your standards. But I know that you still love me, and that you have provided
a way to make things right between us. You sent your perfect son, Jesus, to come to earth and live and die for me. When He
died on the cross it was in my place, for my sins. I want that salvation. I want to be forgiven. Please take away the guilt
of my sin. Come into my life and begin to change me into the person you want me to be".
If
you have just said these words there are some things you need to do. Tell someone what Jesus Christ has done for you, Read
your Bible daily, if your not attending Church get in Church and grow with other Christians, they can be of help to you through
your walk with Jesus Christ. if you have any question feel free to contact us here at First Baptist and we would be glad to
help in any way. Thank you for visiting our website and God Bless. jerry@whiteblufffirstbaptist.com
