OUR BELIEFS

We believe in the trinity of the Godhead; That the eternally existing God has manifested himself in three persons: God, the Father; God, the Son; and God, the Holy Spirit, yet without division of nature, but rather, one true God. – 1 John 5.

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the Word, became flesh by being born of a virgin, and that he was and is both God and Man, one person with two natures. We believe that he bodily resurrected on the third day and that his position is redeemer, Lord, and Judge. Jesus is the Son of God, and as such is the very God, The great I AM, Jehovah God. – John 1,5 and Luke 2.

We believe in the vicarious, literal, physical death of Jesus and that we receive remission of sins through his Blood. His blood then makes atonement for all our sin. – Hebrews 9.

We believe the Bible is the verbally inspired inerrant, infallible Word of God, both the Old and New Testaments. Additionally, the Bible is our authority for faith and practice in local New Testament churches. God has preserved his word as promised, in the English through the authorized Version, the King James Version 1611. – 2 Tim 3:16,17.

We believe all men are born into sin, that they have a sinful nature, and that they must repent of their sins and accept salvation by grace through faith in Christ, not external works. Furthermore, their salvation will be evidenced by a changed nature and desire to do God’s will.-Romans 3:10 & 23, Ephesians 2:8,9.

We believe in the eternal security of the believer. Once a person is saved, God, the author of his salvation is also the one who retains it, grants eternal blessedness and a literal heaven for the redeemed.-John 10.

We believe in eternal damnation and a literal, fiery hell for the lost who reject Christ.-Luke 16.

We believe in the literal, physical, premillenial return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.-1 Thessalonians 4 & 5.

We believe in the Biblical authority of the local, autonomous, independent church, from which all missionaries are commissioned and sent forth.-Matthew 16, Acts 13.

We believe all believers are called into a life of separation from all worldly practices, places, and alliances and unto a life wholly sanctified to the service of the Lord Jesus Christ.-1 John 2, 2 Corinthians 6.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS


What is a Baptist?

Baptists baptize those who come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ

Baptist Churches are simple communities of people who have received Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and are baptized as an outward symbol of the inward reality. As they are dipped in the water, it represents them being dead to their old life without Christ. As they come up out of the water, the new life they have in Christ is represented. The baptism does not add to their salvation, it only pictures the miraculous change God brought to their life when they depended on Jesus alone for the forgiveness of their sins.

 

Baptists have existed in every age and with easily identifiable features

Though they have not always been called Baptists, these communities have existed in every age throughout the world since the time of Christ. Though they have been known by various names since the NT era, every community has had definite characteristics: each member is born again and baptized by immersion. They did not need a priest as they can come directly to God on the basis of Christ’s work on the cross. They are Christocentric, meaning their worship revolves around the person of Jesus Christ. They have had a firm insistence that the Bible is inspired by God and the only rule for faith and practice. Another hallmark of these communities or churches is their independence. Each Baptist church is completely free from any tie to any other church or organization. Baptists elect their own pastor who preaches, organizes the ministries and humbly serves alongside them.

 

What is it like to worship at Hope Baptist Church?

The atmosphere at Hope Baptist Church is warm, free and welcoming. Each person is worshipping God according to the dictates of their own heart, as they guided by the Bible and growing to become more like Jesus Christ. Because we are based only on the Bible, the worship at Hope Baptist Church is clear, simple and deeply meaningful. The services at Hope Baptist Church feature relevant, practical preaching. The Bible has real answers to the problems we are facing. When the Bible is practically applied to our lives, and lived out in a loving community, real change takes place. Experience the difference. Visit with us this Sunday!

 

 

 

What does "born again" mean? (John 3:3)

What does it mean to be born again? What does the Bible say about being born again might be a better question!

The term “born again” was first spoken by Jesus in the gospel of John, chapter 3, verse 3 (John 3:3).

v3…Verily, verily, (truly, truly) I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Jesus was talking to a self-righteous, religious person name Nicodemus, who thought that being religious was the way to get to heaven. Jesus confronts Nicodemus with the term “born again” to show that he desperately needs to have a spiritual birth. Though Nicodemus has been born into this world in a human body, Jesus is revealing the necessity of being born, again, and gaining a “spiritual body”.

Nicodemus doesn’t quite get it…

v4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?

Nicodemus is still trying to come to God through the physical world he can see, hear and touch. Religion is simply a natural man’s attempt to find God through the physical world; it never works. Religion always says the same thing: do more (giving, serving etc.). After talking with Nicodemus, Jesus met a woman at a well. Jesus said to her in John 4:24, “God is a spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit.”

Jesus is telling Nicodemus his attempts to find God by doing what his religion tells him to do, will fail. To enter the kingdom of God, Nicodemus must have a spiritual birth…he can only know God through his spirit.

V5-7 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (v6) That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (v7)Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

Jesus uses something you are familiar with, such as water that surrounds a baby in the womb, to teach spiritual truth. His point in v5 is that there must be BOTH a physical birth and a spiritual birth. There is a definite physical birth (v6) and there is also a definite spiritual birth (v7). Jesus then says not to marvel or not to think it strange that He said you MUST be born again.

We have all had a physical birth. Not all of us have had a spiritual birth. How exactly do we have a spiritual birth?

  1. Admit that you have sinned.

We say things like nobody is perfect. In Bible language, we have broken the laws of God and stand before Him as a guilty sinner. You cannot take away that guilt with good words or deeds. Religion seems to add a degree of legitimacy. If we do this good thing, we will be ok: it is a lie. You cannot pay for your sins or in any way earn merit with God by the things you do. If you could, why would Jesus have died? Jesus died on the cross because you could not pay for your sins.

  1. Realise when Jesus was on the cross, shedding His blood and then dying, it was for your sin.

2Co 5:21* For he (Father) hath made him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him (Jesus).

God is perfectly righteous; He will not allow even one sin into heaven. The payment for sin is death, and eternal separation from God in hell. The Father laid on Jesus all of our sins, because Jesus had never sinned. Jesus was a perfect substitute; He died in your place. Jesus bore our sins in our place, and the Father transferred Jesus’ perfect righteousness to us. Jesus is the only one God will accept as a payment for your sins.

  1. Depend upon Jesus’ death on the cross as the only way your sins will be forgiven.

Jesus said not to think it strange that you need a spiritual birth. Embrace Jesus alone, as the one who died in your place, as the payment for your sin. As you depend wholly upon Jesus alone for the forgiveness of your sins, your spiritual birth will occur.

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace (Gods undeserved favor) are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

The new birth occurs when our sins are forgiven. This means I must admit I am a sinner before God. I must realise Jesus made the only payment for my sins when He died on the cross. I must depend upon Jesus alone to receive the forgiveness of sins. The gift of God…having sins forgiven, comes to us through faith. We must do more than know it, we must trust in Jesus as a complete payment for our sin.

When we trust in Jesus alone for the forgiveness of our sins, we are saved or born again. Our sin is forgiven, the Holy Spirit comes to live within us and we then have a new, spiritual nature. With the spiritual birth, we gain a new heart. We have eternal life. We are transformed from the inside out. We have been born again.

Why do you believe the Bible is inspired?

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