WHAT WE BELIEVE

At Macon Baptist Church, we strive to be biblical in everything we say and do. Below are short statements summarizing how we interpret, apply, and teach the Scriptures.

The Scriptures

We believe that the Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired, and is a perfect treasure of heavenly instruction; that it has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth for its matter; that it reveals the principles by which God will judge us; and therefore is, and will remain throughout eternity, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried.

See also: Psalms 19:7-11; 119:1-9; 105; Matthew 22: 29-31; Luke 16:29-31; Ephesians 2:19-22; 2 Timothy 3:14-17 ; Hebrews 1:1-4; 2 Peter 1:19-21

God

There is one and only one living and true God, an intelligent, spiritual, and personal Being, the Creator, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe, infinite in holiness and reverence, and obedience. He is revealed to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, each with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence or being.

See also: Genesis 1:1; Exodus 3:14; Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Isaiah 48; 12-13; Jeremiah 10:10; Matthew 28:19; John 1:14-18; 5:26; Galatians 4: 4-6; I Timothy; 1:7; I Corinthians 8:4-8; Hebrews 11:6

The Fall of Man

Man was created by the special act of God as recorded in Genesis. He was created in a state of holiness under the law of his Maker, but, through the temptation of Satan, he fell from his original holiness and righteousness; whereby his posterity inherit a nature corrupt and in bondage to sin and as soon as they are capable of moral action, become actual transgressors.

See also: Genesis 1:27; 2:7; 3:4-7; 3:22-24; Psalms 51:5; Romans 3:23; 5:12-14; 7:23-25

The Way of Salvation

The salvation of sinners is wholly of grace, through the Son of God, who by the Holy Spirit was born of the Virgin Mary and took upon Him our nature, yet without the sin; honored the divine law by His personal obedience and made atonement for our sins by His death. Being raised from the dead, He is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

See also: Matthew 1:21-25; Luke 1:35; Romans 1:1-6; 3:25; Galatians 2:19-20; 3:13;
Ephesians 1:7-14; 20-23; 2:1-3; Colossians 1:21-23

Justification

Justification is God's gracious and full acquittal upon principles of righteousness of all sinners who believe in Christ. This blessing is bestowed, not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done, but through the redemption that is in and through Jesus Christ It brings us into a state of most blessed peace and favor with God and secures every other needed blessing.

See also: Romans 3:21-26; 5:1-2; 8:30; I Corinthians 1:30-31; II Corinthians 5:21

Freeness of Salvation

The blessings of salvation are made free to all by the gospel. It is the duty of all to accept them by penitent and obedient faith. Nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner except his own voluntary refusal to accept Jesus Christ as teacher, Savior and Lord.

See also: Mark 16:16; John 3:14-18; Romans 5:1-11; I Corinthians 1:30-31;
Ephesians 1:5; 2:4-10; Revelation 22:17

Regeneration

Regeneration, or the new birth, is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit, whereby we become partakers of the divine nature and a holy disposition is given, leading to the love and practice of righteousness. It is a work of God's free grace conditioned upon faith in Christ and made manifest by the fruit which we bring forth to the glory of God.

See also: John 1:12; 3:1-8; Romans 8:1-3; I Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15;
Ephesians 2:1-10; 4:30; Colossians3:1-11; Titus 3:3-7

Repentance and Faith

We believe that repentance and faith are sacred duties, and also inseparable graces, wrought in our souls be the regenerating Spirit of God; whereby being deeply convinced of our guilt, danger and helplessness, and of the way of salvation by Christ, we turn to God with unfeigned contrition, confession, and supplication for mercy; at the same time heartily receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as our Prophet, Priest and King, and relying on Him alone as the only and all-sufficient Savior.

See also: Mark 1:14-15; 6:12; Luke 13:1-5; John 16:8-11; Acts 2:38; 3:19; 17: 30; 20:20-21; Romans 3:25-31

Sanctification

Sanctification is the process by which the regenerate gradually attains to moral and spiritual perfection through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in their hearts. It continues throughout the earthly life, and is accomplished by the use of all the ordinary means of grace, and particularly by the Word of God.

See also: John 17:15-17; Acts 20-22; Romans 6:3-7; 8:17-28; 11 Corinthians 3:18;
Galatians 5:16-26; Ephesians 3:14-21; Hebrews 12:14

Eternal Security

All real believers endure to the end of life. Their continuance in well-doing is a mark which distinguishes them from mere professors. A special providence cares for them, and they are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.

See also: Matthew 26:70-75; John 10:27-31; Romans 5:8-10; 8:28-39; 9:16; I Corinthians 11:32; II Corinthians 1:21-22; Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30; II Timothy 2:19; I John 2:19-20

A Gospel Church

A Gospel Church is a congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in this faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, and utilizing the gifts, rights and privileges invested in them by His Word, and seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth. Its officers are pastors and deacons.

See also: Matthew 16:18; 18:15-18; Acts 2:41-47; 14:21-24; I Corinthians 1:2; 9:6-14; Philippians 1:1; I Timothy 3:1-13

Baptism and the Lord’s Supper

Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The act is a symbol of our faith in a crucified, buried and risen Savior. It is a prerequisite to the privileges of a church relationship. The Lord's Supper, in which the Christian believers, by the use of bread and fruit of the vine commemorate the dying love of Christ, is always preceded by solemn self-examination. All believers can partake of the Lord's Supper.

See also: Matthew 3:13-17; 28:19-20; 26:26-27; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 22:19-30;
John 3:22-23; Acts 8:38-39; Romans 6:3-5; I Corinthians 10:16-17; 11:23-26

The Lord’s Day

The first day of the week is the Lord's Day. It is a Christian institution for regular observance. It commemorates the resurrection of Christ from the dead and should be employed in exercises of worship and spiritual devotion, both public and private, and by refraining from such acts as might tend to lead Christian or non-Christian individuals to interpret the Lord's Day as a day of work, works of necessity and mercy being the exception.

See also: Matthew 28:1-6; John 22:1; Acts 20:7; I Corinthians 16:1-2; Revelation 1:9-11

The Resurrection

The Scriptures clearly teach that Jesus rose from the dead. His grave was emptied of its bodily contents. He appeared to the disciples after His resurrection in many convincing manifestations. He now exists in His glorified body at God's right hand. There will be a resurrection of the righteous and the wicked. The bodies of the righteous will conform to the glorified spiritual body of Jesus.

See also: Matthew 28:6; John 5:28-29; 20:1-29; Acts 24:14-15; I Corinthians 15:1-58; II Corinthians 5:1-10; Philippians 3:20-21; I Thessalonians 4:14-17; Revelation 20:12-15

The Return of the Lord

The New Testament teaches in many places the visible and personal return of Jesus to this earth. The time of His coming is not revealed. It is the duty of all believers to live in readiness for His coming and by diligence in good works to make manifest to all men the reality and power of their hope in Christ.

See also: Matthew 24:29-44; Mark 13:24-37; Luke 21:25-28; Acts 1:9-11

Religious Liberty

God alone is Lord of the conscience, and He has left it free from the doctrines and commands of men which are contrary to his Word or not contained in it Church and state should be separate. The state owes to the church protection and full freedom to the pursuit of its spiritual ends. In providing for such freedom, no ecclesiastical group or denomination should be favored by the state more than others. Civil government being ordained of God, it is the duty of Christians to render loyal obedience thereto in all things not contrary to the revealed will of God. The church should not resort to the civil powers to carry on its work. The gospel of Christ contemplates spiritual means alone for the pursuit of its ends. The state has no right to impose penalties for religious opinions of any kind. The state has no right to impose taxes for the support of any form of religion. A free church in a free state is the Christian ideal, and this implies the right of free and unhindered access to God on the part of all men, and the right to form and propagate opinions in the sphere of religion without interference by the civil power.

See also: Matthew 22:17-21; Mark 12:37-47; Romans 13:1-7; I Timothy 2:1-4

Social Service

Every Christian is under obligation to seek to make the will of Christ supreme in his own life and in human society; to oppose in the Spirit of Christ every form of greed, selfishness, and vice; to provide for the orphaned, the aged, the helpless, and the sick; to seek to bring industry, government, and society as a whole under the sway of the principles of righteousness, truth, and brotherly love. To promote these ends, Christians should be ready to work with all men of good will in any good cause, always being careful to act in the spirit of love without compromising their loyalty to Christ and His truth.

See also: Exodus 20:16; 22: 9-15; Leviticus 6:1-5; Deuteronomy 4:41-42; 15:1-2; 27:17; Ezekiel 18:5-9; Zechariah 8:16-17; Luke 6:27-36; 10:25-37; Romans 12:14-21; Colossians 3:12-17; James 2:8

Cooperation

Christ's people should, as occasion requires, organize such associations and conventions as may best secure cooperation for the great objectives of the Kingdom of God. Such organizations have no authority over each other or over the churches. They are voluntary advisory bodies designed to elicit, combine, and direct the energies of our people in the most effective manner. Individual members of New Testament churches should cooperate with each other in carrying forward the missionary, educational, and benevolent program for the extension of Christ's Kingdom. Christian unity in the New Testament sense is spiritual harmony and voluntary cooperation for common ends by various Christian denominations, when the end to be attained is itself justified, and when such cooperation involves no violation of conscience or compromise of loyalty to Christ and His Word as revealed in the New Testament.

See also: Ephesians 4:1-6

Evangelism and Missions

It is the duty of every Christian and of every Christian church to seek to extend the gospel of Christ to the ends of the earth. The new birth of man's spirit by God's Holy Spirit means the birth of love for others. Missionary effort on the part of all rests thus upon a spiritual necessity of the regenerate life. It is also expressly and repeatedly commanded in the teachings of Christ. It is the duty of every child of God to seek constantly to win the lost to Christ by personal effort and by all other methods sanctioned by the gospel of Christ.

See also: Matthew 10:5-15; 13:1-23; 22:8-10; 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16; 16:19-20; Luke 24:46-53; Acts 1:4-8; Acts 2:1-4; 21; 39; 8:1-40; 10:42-48; 13:1-3 & 30-33; II Corinthians 5:19-21; I Thessalonians 1:1-8

Stewardship

God is the source of all blessings, temporal and spiritual; all that we have and are we owe to Him. We are therefore under obligation to serve Him with our tithe, time, talents and material possessions. Christians should cheerfully, regularly, systematically, proportionately, and liberally contribute of their means to advance the Redeemer's cause on earth.

See also: Leviticus 27:30; Malachi 3:8-10; Matthew 23:23; 25:14-30; Luke 12:41-48; Acts 2:44-47; I Corinthians 16:2; II Corinthians 8:1-1

Sanctity of Human Life

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. As followers of Jesus, we are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life.

Psalm 139; Jeremiah 1:5

Marriage and Sexuality

We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary sexes together reflect the image and nature of God (Gen. 1:26-27). Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person.

We believe the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture (Gen. 2:18-25). We believe that marriage between one man and one woman, for life, uniquely reflects Christ’s relationship with His Church (Eph. 5:21-33). We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other (1 Cor. 6:18; 7:2-5; Heb. 13:4). We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman.

We believe that any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, incest, or use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God (Matt. 15:18-20; 1 Cor. 6:9-10), and is therefore behavior that is subject to loving and compassionate church discipline (Matthew 18:15-20; 1 Corinthians 5; 2 Corinthians 2:7-8; Galatians 6:1; 2 Thessalonians 3:6; Titus 3:10-11; and 2 John 7-11).

We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ (Acts 3:19-21; Rom 10:9-10; 1 Cor 6:9-11).

We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity (Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31). Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture nor the doctrines of Macon Baptist Church.

Scripture as the Final Authority for Matters of Belief and Conduct

This statement of faith does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. The Bible itself, as the inspired and infallible Word of God that speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind, is the sole and final source of all that we believe.