The Holy Scriptures

We believe the Old Testament and New Testament to be the verbally and plenary inspired Word of God. The Scriptures are inerrant, infallible and God-breathed and, therefore, are the sole and final authority for faith and practice, all that we believe and how we behave. The sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments are the complete and divine revelation of God to Man. The Scriptures shall be interpreted according to their normal grammatical-historical meaning, and all issues of the interpretation and meaning shall be determined by the pastor. The King James Version of the Bible shall be the official and only translation used by Victory Baptist Church. (2 Tim 3:16-17; 2 Pet 1:20-21)

We believe that there is one, and only one, living and true God, Who is an infinite, intelligent Spirit, Whose name is JEHOVAH, the Maker and Supreme Ruler of Heaven and earth; inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy of all possible honor, confidence, and love; that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit-each co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections, and executing distinct and harmonious offices in the work of redemption. (Deut 6:4; Matt 28:19; John 14:10,16; 2 Cor 13:14)

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men. (Isa 7:14; Isa 9:6; John 1:1-2,14; 2 Cor 5:19-21; Gal 4:4-5; Phil 2:5-8)

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His blood and death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and, that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead. (Acts 2:18-36; Rom 3:24-25; Eph 1:7; 1 Pet 1:3-5; 1 Pet 2:24)

We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate. (Acts 1:9-10; Rom 8:34, Heb. 9:24; 7:25; 1 John 2:1-2)

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person who convinces the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment to come; and that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing believers into the body of Christ, which is the church, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption. (John 16:8-11; Rom 8:9; 1 Cor 12:12-14; 2 Cor 3:6; Eph 1:13-14)

We believe that He is the divine Teacher who assists believers to understand and appropriate the Scriptures and that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with and to walk in the Spirit. (Eph 1:17-19; Eph 5:18; 1 John 2:20,27)

We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowal of spiritual gifts to every believer. God uniquely equips believers in order that they can do the work of the ministry, thus functioning effectually within the body of Christ. (Rom 12:3-8; 1 Cor 12:4-11,28; Eph 4:7-12)

We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues were temporary. Speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit. Ultimate deliverance of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection, though God frequently chooses to answer the prayers of believers for physical healing. (I Cor 1:22; 13:8; 14:21-22)

We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, under the law of his Maker; but by voluntary transgression fell from that holy and happy state, and that in Adam's sin by consequence the entire human race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God. Man is totally depraved, and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition. (Gen. 1:26-27; Rom. 3:10-12, 22-23; 5:12; 6:23; Eph. 2:1-3; 4:17-19)

We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, who by the appointment of the Father, freely took upon Him our nature, yet without sin; honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and by His death and the shedding of his precious blood on the cross of Calvary made a full atonement for our sins; He is in every way qualified to be a suitable, compassionate, and all sufficient Savior. We believe all sins, except blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, are forgivable, and that salvation is unto all, and available to whosoever will. (Matt 12:31; John 1:12; Eph 1:7; Eph 2:8-10; 1 Pet 1:18-19; 1 John 1:9)

We believe that the New Testament Church is a local church congregation of born-again, baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the Gospel, observing the ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, and exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word, which is the body and the espoused bride of Christ. (1 Cor 12:12-14; 2 Cor 11:2; Eph 1:22-23; Eph 5:25-27)

We believe that the only scriptural and ordained officers of the church are bishops or elders or pastors and deacons, and that the establishment, continuance, and qualifications for officers of the local church are clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures. (Acts 14:27; Acts 20:17, 28-29; 1 Tim 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11)

We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any external authority or control; and that any fellowships, organizations, societies, agencies, or affiliations that we cooperate with are solely for the furtherance of our stated purpose and have no authority in matters of faith and practice; and that said cooperation may cease at any given time and for any given purpose. (Acts 13:1-4; Acts 15:19-31; Acts 20:28; Rom 16:1, 4; 1 Cor 3:9, 16; 1 Cor 5:4-7, 13; 1 Pet 5:1-4)

We recognize scriptural baptism and the Lord's Supper as the scriptural ordinances of obedience for the church in this age. We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion in water of a believer in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior representing the effect of our faith in our death to sin and the resurrection to a new life; that baptism is a prerequisite to the privileges of church membership and participation at the Lord’s Supper, in which the members of the church, by the sacred use of the unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine, are to commemorate together the dying love of Christ, preceded always by solemn self-examination. (Matt 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; Acts 8:36-38; Rom 3:3-5; 1 Cor 11:23-26)

We believe that Christ arose bodily the third day according to the Scriptures and that He ascended to the right hand of the throne of God; that He alone is our merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God. We believe in that blessed hope, the personal and imminent return of Christ, Who will rapture His church prior to the seven-year tribulation period. The dead in Christ shall rise first and that the living saints shall be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air. At the end of the seven-year Tribulation, Christ will personally and visibly return with His saints, to receive from God His throne of His father David; and that Christ shall reign a thousand years in righteousness in His earthly Kingdom, as was promised to the nation of Israel, until He hath put all enemies under His feet; and that God shall then make a new heavens and a new earth. (Ps 89:3-4; Dan 2:31-45; Zech 14:4-11; Matt 28:6-7; Luke 1:32; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Thess 1:10; 1 Thess 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; 2 Pet 3:13; Rev 3:11; Rev 19:11-16; Rev 20:1-6)

We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting damnation. (Matt 25:46; John 5:28-29; John 11:25-26; Rev 20:5-6)

We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection, when spirit, soul and body are reunited to appear before the judgment seat of Christ and to be glorified forever with the Lord. (Luke 23:43; 2 Cor 5:8; Phil 1:23; Phil 3:21; 1 Thess 4:16-17; Rev 20:4-6)

We believe that the souls of the unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious punishment and torment until the second resurrection, when with soul and body reunited, they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment, and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment and torment. (Matt 25:41-46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-26; 2 Thess 1:7-9; Jude 6-7; Rev 20:11-15)

We believe that civil government is divinely appointed for the interest and good of human society; and that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored, and obeyed; except only in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ Who is the only Lord of the conscience and the Prince of the kings of the earth. We believe that God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: 1) the home; 2) the state; and 3) the church. Every person is subject to these authorities, but all (including the authorities themselves) are answerable to God and governed by His Word. God has given each institution specific Biblical responsibilities and balanced those responsibilities with the understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the other. The home, the state, and the church are equal and sovereign in their respective Biblically assigned spheres of responsibility under God. We believe that we are to obey the powers that be unless it requires us to contradict our faith or conscience, in which case we must obey God rather than man. (2 Sam 23:3; Acts 5:29; Rom 13:1-7; Eph 5:22-24; 1 Tim 2:1-2; Heb 13:17; 1 Pet 2:13-14)

We believe that human sexuality is ordained of God, God created mankind and made them male and female and commanded them to be fruitful, and to multiply, and to replenish the earth. We believe that sexual intimacy and intercourse is restricted exclusively by Scripture to a married couple, being male and female, thus all sexual activity is only to be between the husband and his wife, the wife and her husband. We believe that acts of immorality such as fornication and adultery are condemned by Scripture. We believe that same-sex intimacy and intercourse, referred to by various terms as homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, sodomy, intersexuality, or gay are forbidden by Scripture and are plainly identified as an abomination in the sight of God. We believe that bestiality, incest, rape, pedophilia, fornication, adultery, and other sexual abnormalities, deviations, and perversions are forbidden by the clear precepts of Scripture. We believe that pornography through verbal or visual means, whether printed or otherwise conveyed, is forbidden by Scripture, and should never be found among believers. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one’s naturally-born gender by surgery, or appearance. (Gen 1:27-28; Gen 2:24; Gen 19:5, 13; Gen 26:8-9; Lev 18:1-30; Rom 1:26-29; 1 Cor 5:1; 1 Cor 6:9; 1 Thess 4:1-8; Heb 13:4)

We believe that the only Scriptural marriage is the joining of one naturally-born man and one naturally-born woman, and their covenant relationship exists for life, till death do them part. (Gen 2:24; Rom 7:2; 1 Cor 7; Eph 5:22-23)

We believe that God has given the church a great commission to proclaim the Gospel to all nations so that there might be a great multitude from every nation, tribe, ethnic group, and language group who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. As ambassadors of Christ, we must use all available means to go to all nations and not wait for them to come to us. (Matt 28:19-20; Mark 16:51; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; 2 Cor 5:20)

The statement of faith does not exhaust the extent of our faith. The Bible itself is the sole and final source of all that we believe.  The Authorized Version of 1611, commonly known as the King James Version of the Bible, is acknowledged to be the preserved Word of God and is the sole and final authority for all matters and questions of faith and practice for this congregation. We do believe, however, that the foregoing statement of faith accurately represents the teaching of the Bible, and therefore, is binding upon all members.