Statement of Faith

I. The Word of God We accept the Bible, including the 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament, as the written Word of God. The Scriptures are the authoritative and normative rule and guide of all Christian life, practice and doctrine. II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:20, 21

II. The Trinity In the unity of the godhead, there are three Persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, co-existent, co- equal, and co-eternal. Genesis 1:1, 26; John 1:1, 3

III. God the Father God the Father is the Creator of heaven and earth. He rules over all and, together with the Son and the Spirit, is the only Sovereign. His plans and purposes cannot be thwarted. Deuteronomy 6:4; Psalm 145: 8-9; I Corinthians 8:6; Ephesians 1:1-14

IV. Jesus Christ Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, is the eternal Word made flesh, supernaturally conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary. He is fully God and is fully man. John 1:1-4, Philippians 2:5-8

V. The Holy Spirit The Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life, convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. The Holy Spirit empowers believers for Christian witness and service. This promise of the Father is freely available to all who believe in Jesus Christ. John 14:16-17; John 16:7-9, 13

VI. Mankind We believe that mankind was created by God in His own image; that mankind sinned and thereby incurred physical, spiritual and eternal death, which is separation from God; that as a consequence, all human beings are born with a sinful nature and are sinners by choice and therefore under condemnation. We believe that those who repent and forsake sin and trust Jesus Christ as Savior are regenerated by the Holy Spirit and become new creatures, delivered from condemnation and receive eternal life. Genesis 1:26; John 3:16-17; II Cor. 5:17

VII. Sanctity of Life and Gender We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life. We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates, while in the womb, each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. Psalm 139; Genesis 1:26-27

VIII. Marriage We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in the Bible. We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other. We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. Genesis 2:18-25; 1 Corinthians 6:18; 7:2-5; Hebrews 13:4

IX. The Gospel Jesus Christ is the gospel. Christ’s crucifixion is the heart of the gospel; His resurrection is the power of the gospel and His ascension is the glory of the gospel. The proper response to the gospel is faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ, a faith that is naturally accompanied by repentance from sin. Ephesians 2:8-10

X. Sanctification The Holy Spirit is the active agent in our sanctification and seeks to produce His fruit in us as our minds are renewed and we are conformed to the image of Christ. Romans 6:1-22; Galatians 5:16-25

XI. Forgiveness and Love We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His forgiveness through Jesus Christ. We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect and dignity. Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with the Bible nor the policies of First Baptist Church, Durango. Acts 3:19-21; Rom 10:9-10; 1 Cor 6:9-11; Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31

XII. The Church The church is not a religious institution or denomination. Rather, the Church universal is made up of those who have become genuine followers of Jesus Christ and have personally appropriated the gospel. The Church exists to worship and glorify God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Acts 2:42-47; Ephesians 2:19-22

XIII. The Ordinances Water baptism is only intended for the individual who has received the saving benefits of Christ’s atoning work and become His disciple. Therefore, in obedience to Christ’s command and as a testimony to God, the church, oneself and the world, a believer should be immersed in water in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:18-20 The Lord’s Supper is to be observed only by those who have become genuine followers of Christ. This ordinance symbolizes the breaking of Christ’s body and the shedding of His blood on our behalf, and is to be observed repeatedly throughout the Christian life as a sign of continued participation in the atoning benefits of Christ’s death. I Corinthians 11:23-26

XIV. The Last Things The consummation of all things includes the future, physical, visible, personal and glorious return of Jesus Christ, the resurrection of the dead and the translation of those alive in Christ, the judgment of the just and the unjust, and the fulfillment of Christ’s kingdom in the new heavens and the new earth. I Corinthians 15; Revelation 20:4-6; 11-15