Core Beliefs; Who are we, what do we believe?  Core beliefs are the foundation of who you are and why you do what you do.  Here at Stillwell, we have core foundational beliefs that define us.  That make us who we are and influence everything we say and do.

 

The Bible

We believe that the Bible is God’s Word.  It is the inspired work of men of old who wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.  Despite having so many authors it is inspired by God as men wrote down divine inspiration and recorded the things the Lord told them to.  2 Timothy 3:16 says that scripture is “breathed out” by God.  God is quoted over 400 times in the Bible when it is recorded “thus says the Lord.”  The Bible refers to itself dozens of times and proceeded from the mouth of God (Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4).  It has a common theme throughout, almost as if one mind was responsible for writing it, like there is a Divine Author…

 

God (The Trinity)

We believe that God, is the one and only God; that He is a true and living God, He possess indivisible unity in the Godhead.  He exists as three separate persons – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.  They are equal and divine in every attribute.  They can be distinguished from one another in various passages throughout the Bible.  There is subordination within the Trinity, The Holy Spirit is subordinate to the Father and Son, the Son is subordinate to the Father.  This doesn’t deny their deity, it’s just something our finite minds cannot understand concerning the infinite God who breathed everything in existence.

 

Father

We believe in God the Father, an infinite, personal spirit, who is the maker and supreme ruler.  He is all-knowing and all-powerful.  He is eternal, good, holy, justice, merciful, righteous, self-existent, sovereign, and abounding in grace and mercy.  He is mindful of us and our brokenness, He hears our prayers, and offers us salvation through the perfect sacrifice of His son.

 

Son

We believe that Jesus Christ is the God Man.  He is 100% God and 100% man.  He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin.  He lived a sinless life, experienced the human life, taught, performed incredible miracles, and performed many signs and wonders.  His life was revealed in the four gospels.  He was crucified, died in agony upon a cross to pay the penalty for sin.  Then, He was raised to life again and ascended into Heaven.  He is the head of the church and interceded for all believers.  We also believe He will return to personally raise the dead and reunite them with new bodies and will rapture His children.  After the events of His judgment on earth He will set up and reign 1,000 years on earth for His millennial kingdom.  We also believe that Jesus Christ was an active participant in the creation, and nothing was made except through Him John 1:3).

 

Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, equal with God the Father and God the Son.  He is of the same nature, He was an active person in all of creation; that in His relation to a broken and lost world He restrains the evil one until God’s purpose is fulfilled; that He convicts of sin, of Judgment and of righteousness; that He bears witness to the truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony; that He is the agent in the New Birth; that He seals, endures, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies and helps all those who call upon the name of the Lord (believers).

 

Creation

We believe in the Genesis account of the creation of the universe and that it is to be taken literally; that man was created directly in God’s own image and after His own likeness; that man’s creation was not a matter of evolution or evolutionary change of species, or development through interminable periods of time form lower to higher forms; that all animals, all plant life was made directly and God’s established law was that they should bring forth only “after their kind.”  Since God created making into genders distinctly male and female, we believe that the only legitimate marriage is that between a man and a woman.  He has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of marriage.  We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fortification, adultery, and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex.  We believe that God rejects any attempt to alter one’s gender by surgery or appearance.

 

Sin

We believe our sin has separated each of us from God and His purpose for our lives.  As a result, man cannot attain a right relationship with God through his own effort.

 

Eternity

We believe that those who accept Christ as Savior, who become Christians become adopted heirs of Christ, and at death, their spirits depart to be with Christ in conscious blessedness and at the rapture their bodies will be raised to the lankness of the body of His glory and dwell forever in His divine presence.

 

Salvation, Justification, Repentance and Faith

We believe that the great Gospel blessing which Christ secures to such as believe in Him is Justification; that Justification includes the pardon f sin, and the gift of eternal life on principles of righteousness (being made right in God’s eyes), that it is bestowed not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done; but solely through faith in the Redeemer’s blood, His righteousness is imputed unto us.

 

We believe that repentance and Faith are solemn obligations, and also inseparable graces, wrought in our souls by quickening Spirit of God; thereby, being deeply convicted 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 and openly confessing Him as our only and all – sufficient Savior.

 

The Church

We believe that the Baptist Church is a congregation of baptized believers associated by a covenant of faith and fellowship of the Gospel, the church is to be the citadel and propagator of the divine and eternal grace; observing ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws; exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word; the true mission of the church is found in the Great Commission; first to make individual disciples; second, to build up the church; third, to teach and instruct as Jesus has commanded.

            

Baptism 

We believe that baptism is the first of the two ordinance of the church and is the first step of obedience by a new believer; that baptism is conducted by immersion and is a picture of Jesus death, our death to sin and the resurrection to a new life.  It is a prerequisite to the privileges of church membership.  Baptism does not save, if it did there would be no reason for Jesus to die on the cross, instead it is an outward expression of an inward change.

 

Communion

We believe that the Lord’s supper commemorates the death of our Lord Jesus; bread represents the body that was broken; and juice represents the blood that was shed for us; that this ordinance, as commanded by Jesus, is used to commemorate together the dying love of Jesus.