Core Doctrines
Sunday, January 16th, 2022
1. Scripture teaches that we must be sound in the faith, holding to sound doctrine.
Titus 1:9
He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
2. Sound biblical doctrine is a necessary aspect of true wisdom and authentic faith.
1 Timothy 6:3-4
3 If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, 4 he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing.
3. Correct doctrine sets our world view, what we believe about God, others and ourselves.
We adhere to the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, the statement of faith of the Southern Baptist Convention. You can read it in its entirety at bfm.sbc.net
THE ESSENTIALS:
5 non-negotiable essentials for one who would choose to be a part of Cherokee Hills Baptist Church.
1. We believe in the Inerrancy of Scripture.
2 Timothy 3:15–17
and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.
The Bible has God for its author, written by men, divinely inspired by God. Scripture is God’s revelation of Himself to man. All Scripture is absolutely true and trustworthy. Scripture is the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions are measured by. All Scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is the focus of divine revelation.
Exodus 24:4; Deuteronomy 4:1-2; Deuteronomy 17:19; Joshua 8:34; Psalms 19:7-10; 119:11,89,105,140; Isaiah 34:16; 40:8; Jeremiah 15:16; 36:1-32; Matthew 5:17-18; 22:29; Luke 21:33; 24:44-46; John 5:39; 16:13-15; 17:17; Acts 2:16ff.; 17:11; Romans 15:4; 16:25-26; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 1:1-2; 4:12; 1 Peter 1:25; 2 Peter 1:19-21.
2. We believe there is only one living and true God
God is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal Being, the Creator, Redeemer, and Ruler of the universe. God is all powerful and all knowing; and His perfect knowledge extends to all things, past, present, and future, including the future decisions of His free creatures. The eternal triune God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being.
Mark 1:9–11
9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.
A. God the Father
God the Father reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, and rules human history according to the purposes of His grace. God is completely sovereign over all. He is all powerful, all knowing, all loving, and all wise and is fatherly in His attitude toward all mankind.
Genesis 1:1; 2:7; Exodus 3:14; 6:2-3; 15:11ff.; 20:1ff.; Leviticus 22:2; Deuteronomy 6:4; 32:6; 1 Chronicles 29:10; Psalm 19:1-3; Isaiah 43:3,15; 64:8; Jeremiah 10:10; 17:13; Matthew 6:9ff.; 7:11; 23:9; 28:19; Mark 1:9-11; John 4:24; 5:26; 14:6-13; 17:1-8; Acts 1:7; Romans 8:14-15; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 4:6; Colossians 1:15; 1 Timothy 1:17; Hebrews 11:6; 12:9; 1 Peter 1:17; 1 John 5:7.
B. God the Son
Jesus Christ is the visible image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, the Creator and Sustainer of heaven and earth, and the Head of the church. Jesus is the eternal Son of God who became man, without ceasing to be God. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God, fulfill prophecy, and redeem sinful man. Jesus accomplished our redemption through His substitutionary sacrifice on the cross, His burial, and His bodily resurrection. Our redemption and salvation are guaranteed by Jesus’s literal and physical resurrection from the dead and that He is the only means of salvation.
Genesis 18:1ff.; Psalms 2:7ff.; 110:1ff.; Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 53:1-12; Matthew 1:18-23; 3:17; 8:29; 11:27; 14:33; 16:16,27; 17:5; 27; 28:1-6,19; Mark 1:1; 3:11; Luke 1:35; 4:41; 22:70; 24:46; John 1:1-18,29; 10:30,38; 11:25-27; 12:44-50; 14:7-11; 16:15-16,28; 17:1-5, 21-22; 20:1-20,28; Acts 1:9; 2:22-24; 7:55-56; 9:4-5,20; Romans 1:3-4; 3:23-26; 5:6-21; 8:1-3,34; 10:4; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2:2; 8:6; 15:1-8,24-28; 2 Corinthians 5:19-21; 8:9; Galatians 4:4-5; Ephesians 1:20; 3:11; 4:7-10; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:13-22; 2:9; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; 3:16; Titus 2:13-14; Hebrews 1:1-3; 4:14-15; 7:14-28; 9:12-15,24-28; 12:2; 13:8; 1 Peter 2:21-25; 3:22; 1 John 1:7-9; 3:2; 4:14-15; 5:9; 2 John 7-9; Revelation 1:13-16; 5:9-14; 12:10-11; 13:8; 19:16.
C. God the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is a fully divine person who convicts mankind of sin, righteousness, and judgment. The Holy Spirit enables people to understand truth. He exalts Christ. He calls people to the Savior and at the moment of salvation, He fills every believer and joins them to the Body of Christ. The Holy Spirit restores believers to new life, bestows spiritual gifts, and is fully present to guide.
Genesis 1:2; Judges 14:6; Job 26:13; Psalms 51:11; 139:7ff.; Isaiah 61:1-3; Joel 2:28-32; Matthew 1:18; 3:16; 4:1; 12:28-32; 28:19; Mark 1:10,12; Luke 1:35; 4:1,18-19; 11:13; 12:12; 24:49; John 4:24; 14:16-17,26; 15:26; 16:7-14; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4,38; 4:31; 5:3; 6:3; 7:55; 8:17,39; 10:44; 13:2; 15:28; 16:6; 19:1-6; Romans 8:9-11,14-16,26-27; 1 Corinthians 2:10-14; 3:16; 12:3-11,13; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30; 5:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:19; 1 Timothy 3:16; 4:1; 2 Timothy 1:14; 3:16; Hebrews 9:8,14; 2 Peter 1:21; 1 John 4:13; 5:6-7; Revelation 1:10; 22:17.
3. Mankind is the special creation of God, made in His own image.
Genesis 1:26
26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
Mankind is the crowning work of His creation. God created us male and female, the gift of gender is thus part of the goodness of God’s creation. but with equal personal dignity and value. Man was created innocent and, in the image, and likeness of God, but that man sinned, bringing both physical and spiritual death, inheriting a nature and an environment inclined toward sin. As a result, man can do nothing to merit God’s favor, and is in need of salvation. We believe that God loves and pursues mankind despite our rebellion. He offers forgiveness, healing and abundant life to anyone who turns to Him in humility and repentance.
Genesis 1:26-30; 2:5,7,18-22; 3; 9:6; Psalms 1; 8:3-6; 32:1-5; 51:5; Isaiah 6:5; Jeremiah 17:5; Matthew 16:26; Acts 17:26-31; Romans 1:19-32; 3:10-18,23; 5:6,12,19; 6:6; 7:14-25; 8:14-18,29; 1 Corinthians 1:21-31; 15:19,21-22; Ephesians 2:1-22; Colossians 1:21-22; 3:9-11. John 3:17; 10:10; Titus 3:3-7; 1 Peter 5:6-7
4. We believe that Jesus Christ is the only means of Salvation
Ephesians 1:7
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace
We believe salvation is a sovereign gift of God and is received by man through personal faith in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for sin. We are justified by grace through faith apart from works. Salvation is a change of heart produced by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Justification is God’s gracious and full forgiveness upon sinners, bringing sinners into a new covenant relationship with himself through the forgiveness of sins.
Regeneration, or new birth, is a work of God’s grace where believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus.
Sanctification is believers becoming set apart for God’s purposes, an ongoing progress toward moral and spiritual maturity through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in him.
Glorification is the final culmination of our salvation as we step into eternity to enjoy the full blessing of God’s grace and abiding in God’s presence.
Genesis 3:15; Exodus 3:14-17; 6:2-8; Matthew 1:21; 4:17; 16:21-26; 27:22-28:6; Luke 1:68-69; 2:28-32; John 1:11-14,29; 3:3-21,36; 5:24; 10:9,28-29; 15:1-16; 17:17; Acts 2:21; 4:12; 15:11; 16:30-31; 17:30-31; 20:32; Romans 1:16-18; 2:4; 3:23-25; 4:3ff.; 5:8-10; 6:1-23; 8:1-18,29-39; 10:9-10,13; 13:11-14; 1 Corinthians 1:18,30; 6:19-20; 15:10; 2 Corinthians 5:17-20; Galatians 2:20; 3:13; 5:22-25; 6:15; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-22; 4:11-16; Philippians 2:12-13; Colossians 1:9-22; 3:1ff.; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; 2 Timothy 1:12; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 2:1-3; 5:8-9; 9:24-28; 11:1-12:8,14; James 2:14-26; 1 Peter 1:2-23; 1 John 1:6-2:11; Revelation 3:20; 21:1-22:5.
We practice TWO ORDINANCES: The picture and reminder of Salvation…
1. Baptism is an outward expression (a picture or symbol) of what has taken place in the salvation of a believer. The “old life” is buried, sins repented of and forgiven; and the “new life” is raised in obedience and followship to Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:17-21).
The Order: Baptism takes place after one has professed their faith in Christ.
The Mode: Baptism comes from the word “baptizo” – which means to dip under or immerse. Hence, we believe baptism by total immersion is the Biblical mode of baptism that we adhere to. Immersion is also the example found in the Scripture, including Jesus’ baptism.
2. The Lord’s Supper is a continuous reminder of “the Lord’s death until He comes” and the anticipation of His Second Coming (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). Every Christian who has professed and received Jesus Christ as their Savior can participate in the Lord’s Supper.
Matthew 3:13-17; 26:26-30; 28:19-20; Mark 1:9-11; 14:22-26; Luke 3:21-22; 22:19-20; John 3:23; Acts 2:41-42; 8:35-39; 16:30-33; 20:7; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians 10:16,21; 11:23-29; Colossians 2:12.
5. We believe Jesus will return
Luke 21:27–28
27 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.
We believe in the future, visible, and bodily return of Jesus Christ to the earth, commonly called the Second Coming, to rule the nations and establish His kingdom on earth. God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring the world to its appropriate end. According to His promise, Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth; the dead will be raised; and Christ will judge all men in righteousness. The unrighteous will be committed to Hell, the place of everlasting punishment. The righteous in their resurrected and glorified bodies will receive their reward and will dwell forever in Heaven with the Lord.
Isaiah 2:4; 11:9; Matthew 16:27; 18:8-9; 19:28; 24:27,30,36,44; 25:31-46; 26:64; Mark 8:38; 9:43-48; Luke 12:40,48; 16:19-26; 17:22-37; 21:27-28; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:11; 17:31; Romans 14:10; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 15:24-28,35-58; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Philippians 3:20-21; Colossians 1:5; 3:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18; 5:1ff.; 2 Thessalonians 1:7ff.; 2; 1 Timothy 6:14; 2 Timothy 4:1,8; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 9:27-28; James 5:8; 2 Peter 3:7ff.; 1 John 2:28; 3:2; Jude 14; Revelation 1:18; 3:11; 20:1-22:13.