What We Believe

The following are the core beliefs of Ashley Baptist Church
which are based on the foundational truths taught in the Bible.

There is one God Who exists eternally in three distinct persons:
God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
He is the creator of all that exists, both visible and invisible,
and is therefore worthy of all glory and praise.  
God is perfect in love, power, holiness, goodness, knowledge, wisdom,  justice, truth, and mercy. He is unchangeable and  is therefore the same yesterday, today, and forever.

God has revealed Himself generally in nature.  
He has revealed Himself specifically through the Holy Scriptures,
which are inspired and inerrant as originally written.  
And He has revealed Himself through his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Humans, both male and female, were created in God's image for His glory.
The first humans, Adam and Eve, were created without sin,, and were given dominion and made stewards over the rest of God's creations.

All men are by nature and by choice sinful and lost.  When the first man, Adam, sinned by personal disobedience to the revealed will of God, man became a sinful creature.  The entire subsequent race is alienated from God, under the righteous wrath of God, and has in himself no possible means of salvation.

Salvation is is by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ Who came to save men. Christ lived a sinless life, and willingly died on the cross as a substitute to pay the penalty for the sins of the world. God raised Him from the dead.  Now, through faith alone in Christ alone, God gives forgivness, perfect righteousness, reconciliation, security from all condemnation, adoption into the family of God, and everlasting life.  

The Lord Jesus Christ is the head of the body, His church, into which all true believers are immediately baptized by the Holy Spirit.  
Members of this spiritual body should assemble and identify themselves in local churches.  The local church is an assembly of baptized believers united to worship, teach, fellowship, pray, serve, observe ordinances,
and work together to carry out the Great Commission.

The spirits of those who trust in Christ for salvation at death go immediately to be with the LordJesus Christ in heaven.  The spirits of the unsaved descend immedaitely into hell where they await the final day of judgment.
The Lord Jesus Christ is going to return at any moment for His own people.  Following the Tribulation period, Christ will come in power and glory
to judge the world and establish His kingdom on the earth.  

We declare and defend the cardinal doctrines of the Christian Faith
The Inspiration of the Bible.
The creation of man by the direct act of God.
God eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The virgin birth of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Christ’s death on the cross for the sins of the world.
Christ’s physical resurrection from the dead.
The salvation of man by the grace of God through faith alone.
Christ’s imminent return.

We believe in the historic Baptist Distinctives:
Believer’s baptism by immersion.
The sole authority of the Bible.
The self-government of the local church.
The individual priesthood of the believer.
Two officers - pastor and deacon
Two ordinances - baptism and the Lord's supper
A regenerate church membership.
The separation of church and state.