Oak Street Baptist Church
Monday, March 18, 2024
To Know Him & To Make Him Known

Our Beliefs

 

          We believe that the Holy Bible is the divinely inspired Word of God, and is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter; therefore all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy.

          We believe that there is only one True and Living God; and that He is the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver and Ruler of the universe. God is infinite in holiness, all-powerful in His strength and ability, all-knowing in His perfect knowledge.

          We believe that God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being. As Father, He reigns over the universe with providential care.

          We believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. Jesus came forth into this world in obedience to the will of the Father. He took upon Himself the form of man, and submitted Himself to the death of the cross that He might be the Supreme Sacrifice to pay the debt of human sin. He bore our sins in His own sinless body, and bore the judgment of God that He might reconcile sinful man to the Father. We further believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and that He now lives His resurrection life through all believers.

          We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, and possesses all of the attributes of the Father. He is fully Divine. The Holy Spirit inspired men of old to pen the Holy Scriptures; and, He now illuminates the hearts of men that we might understand spiritual truth. He exalts Christ, convicts men of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. He draws men to the Savior, Jesus Christ, and effects regeneration as the work of salvation. He cultivates within us Christian character, bestows spiritual gifts, and brings comfort to our hearts when we are troubled. He seals the believer until the day of redemption, and He elightens and empowers the believer for service to God.

          We believe that every man is sinful by his very nature, and that he falls short of the righteous requirements of God for acceptance into His kingdom. God has endowed man with the freedom of choice, and has placed before him the opportunity for salvation and eternal life through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. Only the grace of God can bring man into fellowship with Himself, but man must accept this offer by agreeing with God that he is, indeed, a sinner, and by receiving Jesus Christ and His atoning Sacrifice as payment for his sin.

          We believe that God has a purpose and plan for every man as He receives, regenerates, justifies and sanctifies us through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Collectively, all of the redeemed comprise the church of Jesus Christ, and the church is His bride and body. We believe that God the Father, through Jesus Christ, His Son, has commanded and commissioned us as the church, to win the lost world to faith in Christ. We are sent into all the world, and we are to teach men spiritual truth as we make disciples of Christ.

          We believe that Jesus Christ is coming again for His church through the rapture. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, the trumpet of God shall sound, and the Lord Jesus Christ shall descend, and the dead in Christ shall rise; then we, who are alive and remain, shall be caught up together with them as we meet the Lord in air. Thus, we shall forever be with Him in our eternal home which he has prepared for us.

          We believe in the final day of judgment at the Great White Judgment Throne of God, when all those who refused to believe upon His Son and accept cleansing of sin, shall stand before Him to be judged; and, to be turned away into everlasting darkness. We believe that God is a loving God, who is not willing that any man should perish, but that all should come to repentance and eternal life. We believe that God does not condemn any man, but that man who refuses His offer of grace through faith in Jesus Christ, condemns Himself.