WHAT WE BELIEVE

Bible:  We believe the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments are the only Holy Scriptures, verbally inspired by God, inerrant in the original writings, and that they are the supreme and final authority of faith and conduct.

God:  We believe that there is but one God, the Creator, Preserver and Ruler of all things, who is Spirit, eternal in existence, perfect in holiness and in love, infinite in wisdom and measureless in power, and who reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  (Exodus 3:14; Exodus 15:11; Deuteronomy 6:4; 1 Chronicles 29:11-12; Nehemiah 9:6; Matthew 28:19; John 4:24; 1 John 4:8).

Jesus Christ:  We believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal and only begotten Son of God, conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary and that He is fully God and man and is the only sufficient mediator between God and man. (Matthew 1:20; Luke 1:35; John 1:1,2, 14; John 12:44, 45, 14:9; 1 Timothy 2:5).  We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord Jesus Christ.  We believe in His ascension into heaven and in His present ministry there for us as High Priest and Advocate.  (Acts 1:8-11; 1 Thess. 4:13-17; Heb. 4:14-16; 1 John 2:1-2).

Holy Spirit:  We believe in the Holy Spirit, His personality, and His work in regeneration, sanctification, and preservation.  The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity.  His ministry is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ, to implement Christ’s work of redeeming the lost, and to empower the believer for godly living and service.  We believe the Holy Spirit distributes spiritual gifts to believers as He wills for the common good.  No gift signifies His baptism or filling, nor does any gift provide authoritative revelation beyond what has already been revealed in the Holy Scriptures.  Life in the Spirit includes trials and does not guarantee physical health, material wealth, or confirming outward signs.  (John 16:8-11; 3:3, 7-8; 14:26; Ephesians 1:13; 1 Peter 1:2).

Mankind:  We believe that man was created, male and female, in the image of God (possessing intellect, emotion, will, and spirit) by direct creation and that he sinned and thereby incurred both physical and spiritual death.  We believe that all men by nature and by choice are sinners and, apart from Christ, shall be forever separated from God. (Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 3:10, 11, 23; 5:12; 6:23; Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5).

Atonement:  We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice, that His sacrifice was effective and acceptable, and that all who believe in Him are justified (declared to be righteous) on the ground of His shed blood.  (1 Cor. 15:3-4; Revelation 1:5).
 
Salvation:  We believe that salvation is by grace through faith, not of works, and that all who receive by faith the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, submitting to His rulership in their lives, are born again of the Holy Spirit, thereby becoming children of God.  We believe in the eternal security of the believer.  (Eph. 2:8-9; John 3:3-8; 1:12; 10:27-29; Romans 8:14-17).

Church:  We believe that the local church is a voluntary association of baptized believers (equal in rank and privilege) serving under the headship of Christ, subject to the Word of God, and independent of any external ecclesiastical control (autonomous).  (Acts 2:47; 1 Cor. 12:12-13; Eph. 1:22-23; 5:23; Col. 1:18)

Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality:  We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female.  These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God.  Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within the person.  We believe that, as defined by the Bible, the word “marriage” has only one meaning:  the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive, lifelong union.  We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other.  All sexual activity occurring outside the context of biblical marriage (including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, and use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God (Genesis 1:26-27; Genesis 2:18-25; 1 Corinthians 6:18; 7:2-5; Hebrews 13:4; Matthew 15:18-20; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10). 

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.  We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life (Genesis 1:26-27; Psalm 139:1-18; Romans 13:9; Proverbs 24:11-12).

Baptism:  We believe that God’s Word commands every believer to be baptized by immersion in water.  Though baptism has no saving merit, it does show forth in solemn and beautiful symbol the believer’s faith in and union with the crucified, buried, and risen Savior (Matthew 28:19; Mark 1:10; Acts 2:38, 41; 18:8; Romans 6:3-6).
 
Lord’s Supper:  We believe that the Lord’s Supper is a provision of bread and the cup, which are symbolic of Christ’s broken body and shed blood; that the Lord’s supper is partaken of by saved individuals in commemoration of the suffering and death of their Lord and in anticipation of His coming again, and as a witness to their faith; that its observance is to be preceded by faithful self-examination (Luke 22:19-20; 1 Cor. 11:23-30).

The Future:  We believe that 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 consigned to hell, the place of everlasting punishment.  The righteous (in their resurrected and glorified bodies) will receive their reward and will dwell forever in a new heaven and a new earth with the Lord.  (Acts 1:8-11; 1 Thess. 4:13-17; Heb 9:27-28; 1 John 2:28; Rev. 19:11-16; 20:1-15; 21:1-8). 

Final Authority for Matters of Belief and Conduct:  These Articles of Faith do not exhaust the extent of our beliefs.  The Bible itself, as the inspired and infallible Word of God, speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind.  As such, the Bible is our sole and final source of all that we believe.  In regards to the church’s faith, doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline, the church elder board is Intermountain Baptist Church’s final interpretive authority of the Bible’s meaning and application in matters not specifically defined by these Articles of Faith.