OUR BELIEFS
THE SCRIPTURES
We believe the entire Bible is the inspired Word of God and men were moved by the Spirit of God to write the very words of Scripture. Therefore, we believe the Bible is without error.
GOD
We believe in one God who exists in three distinct persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit; yet, there is only one God.
CHRIST
We believe that Jesus Christ is the second member of the Trinity (the Son of God) who became flesh to reveal God to humanity and be the Savior of His world.
THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and the Son as God. He is present in the world to make humanity aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides the Christian with power for transformation through understanding of spiritual truth and guidance in doing good. Every Christian should seek to live daily under the Spirit's control.
HUMANITY
We believe that all people were created in the image of God to have fellowship with Him but became alienated in that relationship through sinful disobedience. As a result, people are incapable of regaining a right relationship with God through their own efforts.
SALVATION
We believe that the blood of Jesus Christ, shed on the cross, provides the sole basis for the forgiveness of sin. Therefore, God freely offers salvation to those who place their faith in the death and resurrection of Christ as sufficient payment for their sin.
THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
We believe all Christians should live for Christ and not for themselves. By obedience to the Word of God and daily yielding to the Spirit of God, every believer should mature spiritually and be conformed to the image of Christ.
THE CHURCH
We believe the Church is the body of Christ, of which Jesus Christ is the head. The members of the Church are those who have trusted by faith the finished work of Christ. The purpose of the Church is to glorify God by loving Him and by making Him known to the lost world.
THE ORDINANCES
We believe Christ instituted the ordinances of the Church, which are Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
Baptism is immersion in water after individuals have trusted Christ as their Savior. It does not merit salvation but is an outward symbol of our identification with Christ and His Body, the Church, following salvation.
The Lord’s Supper is a commemoration of Jesus’ death until He comes again; the elements being used as emblems of His body and blood. The Lord’s Supper is open to all self-examined believers regardless of church affiliation.
First Baptist Church supports both the associations and state conventions affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention and the Baptist General Convention of Texas. A fuller declaration of our statement of faith is found in the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message.