Our Doctrine

The following statements supported by passages from the Bible present the essential Christian truths and doctrine that identify Zion Baptist Church as Christian, summarize our central beliefs, unites us as the Church in Jesus Christ and guards the Church from error. 

1. The Scriptures/Bible. We believe the Bible, consisting of the Old and New Testaments, 66 books in all, in whole and in all its parts, to be the very word of God as written by men who were divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit. Having God as its author, the Scriptures as originally written are inerrant, entirely trustworthy, sufficient, the final and supreme authority in all they address. Psalm 119:89, 160; Proverbs 30:5-6; Matthew 4:4; 15:1-9; Acts 1:16; 1 Corinthians 2:13; Galatians 1:6-9, 11-12; 2 Timothy 3:15-4:4; Hebrews 4:12-13; James 1:22-25; 2 Peter 1:20-21; 3:2, 15-16; Jude 3. 

2. God. We believe there is only one God; holy, eternal, infinite, all knowing, sovereign, existing eternally as three equal persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God is the Creator (thus separate from all creation), Sustainer (present and interacting) and the supreme Ruler of all things. Genesis 1-2; Deuteronomy 6:4; 2 Samuel 7:22; Nehemiah 9:5; Psalm 86:10; 90:2; Isaiah 6:3; 40:18-26; 44:6-10; 45:5-6,18, 21-24; Jeremiah 10:10; Daniel 4:34,35, 37; Hosea 11:9; Mark 12:29; John 1:1-2,14,18; 5:18-23, 26; 10:30; 16:13-15; Acts 5:3-4; 17:24-31; 1 Corinthians 8:4,6; Ephesians 4:4-6; Colossians 1:15-17; 1 Timothy 1:17; 2:3-6; 2 Timothy 4:1; Hebrews 1:1-3; 12:23; James 2:19; 1 Peter 1:15-16; 2 Peter 3:3-13; Revelation 4:11. 

3. God the Father. We believe God the Father is the creator of all things. As the Creator, God the Father reigns sovereignly and providentially over all things and determines the outworking and end of human history according to His plans and grace. God the Father has graciously chosen in eternity past those who will be His own, whom He rescues and draws to Himself through His Son, Jesus Christ. All those who come to the Father through Jesus Christ, God the Father adopts, becoming their Father and giving them the right to become children of God. Genesis 1:1; 50:20; Exodus 15:11-18; Deuteronomy 32:6; 1 Chronicles 29:10-12; Psalm 2; 19:1-4; 33:8-11; 47:2,7-8; Isaiah 64:8; Jeremiah 10:6-7,10-13; Ezekiel 12:28; Daniel 4:34-35; Matthew 6:9-13; 7:11; 11:25-27; 16:15-17; 23:9; Mark 1:9 11; John 3:16; 6:44-47; 8:42-47; 14:6-13; 17:1-8; Acts 1:7; 4:23-28; 17:24-31; Romans 8:14-15; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 15:22-28; Galatians 4:4-7; Ephesians 1:3 14; 4:6; Hebrews 12:7-9; 1 John 2:22-25; 3:1; 4:9-10, 14-15. 

4. Jesus Christ. We believe God the Son, who though existing eternally as God, became incarnate in Jesus the Christ, being conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. At the incarnation the Eternal Son became the God-Man, fully God and fully human, having two natures united in His one person. Jesus was without sin and never sinned even though tempted in all ways we are. Only Jesus fully reveals God and became the perfect substitutionary sacrifice for human sin through His death on the cross. Jesus rose bodily from the dead on the third day, later ascended to Heaven to the right hand of God where He presently reigns until His future personal return. Matthew 1:18-25; 4:1-11; 16:13-17;Mark 2:5-12; Luke 1:26-35; 24; John 1:1 14,18; 8:53-59; 10:30-38; 14:6-11; 17:5; 20; Acts 1:9-11; 2:24; Romans 4:24-25; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 1:19-23; Galatians 4:4; Philippians 2:5-12; Colossians 1:15-20; 2:9; Hebrews 1:1-3; 4:14-15; 9:14-15; Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 2:21-22; 3:22; 1 John 3:5. 

5. The Holy Spirit. We believe in God the Holy Spirit, His divine person and ministry. The Holy Spirit was instrumental in the inspiration of Scripture. The Spirit convicts people of sin, judgment and righteousness. In regeneration, the Spirit makes that which is spiritually dead - sinners, alive - transforming them into the children of God. The Spirit once baptizes believers into union with Christ and into the Church, indwelling and sealing them. The Spirit further fills, enlightens, gifts, unifies, empowers and sanctifies the Church for godly living and service. John 3:3-8; 16:7-15; Acts 1:8; 5:3-4; Romans 5:5; 8:1-17; 1 Corinthians 2:9-13; 12:1-13; Galatians 5:22-25; Ephesians 1:13-14; 2:22; 4:3; 5:18; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Peter 1:20-21.

6. Humanity. We believe the first humans, male and female, were directly created by God in His image, morally pure and innocent. Through their disobedience to God’s command, their rebellion resulted in their guilt and condemnation, entry of sin and death in all its forms into the world and the corruption of human nature for evil that since then all are born with. In creating by design, the first two humans in His image, God made Adam and Eve respectively, male and female as determined and reflected by their distinct physical reproductive and sexual organs. This design creates an inseparable union between one’s biological sex one is born with and our gender identity. As such gender is not fluid and may not be legitimately changed by human decision or action Genesis 1:26-31; 2:15-25; 3:1-24; Psalm 14:1-3; 139:13-16; Isaiah 64:6; Jeremiah 17:9; Matthew 19:4-6; Mark 7:17-23; John 8:34; Romans 3:9-20,23; 5:12-21; 6:23; 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Galatians 5:16-21; Ephesians 2:1-6; James 2:10. 

7. Salvation/Rescue. We believe the source and means of salvation or rescue from sin and reconciliation with God is found only in the righteous life of, completed work of, and person of Jesus Christ. In perfect harmony with the electing and sovereign grace of God, Jesus Christ voluntarily suffered and died a substitutionary death for human sin on the cross through which he satisfactorily bore the wrath of God against sin and paid in full the punishment for our sin. Jesus, having completed the work of redemption through His suffering and death for human sins, was raised from the dead by God the Father. The result of Jesus’ finished work through his sinless life, death and resurrection is that through Him forgiveness of sin, removal of guilt, justification before God and reconciliation with God is made possible resulting in eternal life. This offer of salvation or rescue is offered freely to all who having heard the Gospel, respond personally repenting of their sin, believing solely in Jesus Christ as Lord and trusting He did all necessary on our behalf to rescue us. Salvation cannot be earned by our actions or “good” works as it is solely a gift of grace, to which we contribute nothing of merit. Rather having been made new persons in Jesus we then, by the power of God, live a new life, doing good works and living holy lives as a result of having received the gift of salvation. Matthew 1:21; 4:17; 16:21; 17:22-23; 20:17-19; 21:28-32; 26:28; 27:11-28:15; 28:18 20; Mark 1:14-15; 2:5-12; Luke 24:36-49; John 1:12-13; 3:16-18, 36; 10:27-29; 14:6; 19; 20; Acts 2:24, 32; Acts 3:19; 4:11-12; 13:38-39; 20:21; Romans 3:20-28; 5:1-2, 6 10, 18-19; 6:1-23; 8:34; 9:30-31; 10:9-15; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 2 Corinthians 5:18 21; Galatians 2:16; 3:10-14, 26; Ephesians 1:3-14; 2:4-10,13-16; Philippians 3:8-9; Colossians 1:13-14, 18-23; 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10; 1 Timothy 2:4-6; 2 Timothy 1:9 11; Titus 1:1; 3:5-7; Hebrews 2:17; 7:24-27; 9:11-15, 28; 10:5-14; 1 Peter 1:3-5, 13 21; 2:24-25; 1 John 2:1-2; 3:5; 4:10. 

8. The Church. We believe in the one universal Church, the people of God, consisting of the redeemed company of believers forming the body of Christ of whom Christ is the Supreme Head. As citizens of the Kingdom of God the Church exists to worship God, care for and equip one another for ministry, and be witnesses of Christ making disciples of all nations. A local Church, though geographically limited, is a self-governing expression of the universal Church. The local Church consists of baptized believers committed to joining together to fulfill the above purposes under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Matthew 16:15-19; 18:15-17; 21:31-44; 22:34-40; 28:16-20; Acts 2:38-47; 6:1-6; 8:4; 14:21-28; 15:36-41; Romans 12:1-8; 15:1-6; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 12:7-27; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:11-23; 3:4-6; 4:2-6, 11-16; 5:23; Colossians 1:15-17; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; Hebrews 10:24-25; 1 Peter 2:4-10; 4:10-11. 

9. The Ordinances. We believe the Church has been given two ordinances to regularly practice. The first is water baptism administered once upon profession of faith in Jesus Christ symbolizing one’s union with Christ in his death to sin and his resurrection to new life. The second, the Lord’s Supper or Communion, an ongoing fellowship taking two elements, the bread and cup, which symbolize the Lord’s body and shed blood, proclaiming His death till He returns. Participation in these ordinances does not remove sin nor bring salvation. Matthew 26:26-30; 28:16-20; Luke 22:17-20; Acts 8:12, 35-38; 10:43-48; 16:29-34; 18:8; Romans 6:3-14; 1 Corinthians 11:23-34. 

10. Marriage & Sex. We believe God designed marriage as a lifelong commitment between one genetic male and one genetic female, to the exclusion of all others, before God till death parts them. Sexual activity is God’s gift exclusively for monogamous heterosexual marriage. Genesis 2:18-25; 18:20; 19:1-13; Leviticus 18:1-30; 20:10-23; Deuteronomy 5:18; 22:13-15, 20-29; Proverbs 5:1-23; 6:20-35; 7:1-27; Song of Songs; Matthew 5:27-30; 19:1-9; 22:23-33; Mark 7:20-23; Acts 15:19-20; 21:25; Romans 1:24-27; 7:2-3; 13:13; 1 Corinthians 5:1-5,9-13; 6:9-11; 7:2-5,10-13, 39; Galatians 5:19-21; Colossians 3:5; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8; 1 Timothy 1:9-11; 3:2; 2 Peter 2:6-8, 13-14; Hebrews 13:4; Jude 7; Revelation 2:20-23; 21:8; 22:14-15. 

11. Angels & Demons. We believe in the existence of personal spirit beings called angels and demons. Angels are pure and good beings created by God to serve Him. Demons, whose leader is Satan, were originally angels, but chose to rebel against God. Satan and demons are defeated by Jesus Christ and assured eternal damnation. Psalm 148:2-5; Matthew 25:41; 26:53; Mark 3:22-27; Luke 2:8-15; John 8:44; Ephesians 1:19-21; Colossians 1:16; 2:15; Hebrews 1:3-7, 14; 2:14-15; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6; Revelation 12; 20:7-10. 

12. Future Things. We believe in the bodily and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ in all power to this world. All humanity will be brought before him for judgment. Believers will be bodily resurrected to eternal life with God on the new heaven and new earth. Unbelievers will be bodily resurrected to everlasting punishment in Hell. Daniel 12:2; Matthew 10:28; 24:27-30; 25:31-34, 41, 46; John 5:22, 28-29; Acts 1:9 11; 24:15; 1 Corinthians 15:20-24, 42-57; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:14 17; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8; Revelation 1:7; 19:11-21:27; 22:12, 20.