THE GODHEAD

We believe there is one living and true God, infinite, almighty, perfect in holiness, and eternally existing in three persons- Father, Son and Holy Spirit – co-eternal in being, co-eternal in nature, co-eternal in power and glory, possessing the same attributes and perfections, and executing distinct but harmonious offices in creation, redemption and providence (Deuteronomy 6:4; II Corinthians 13:14).

THE SCRIPTURES

We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the verbally inspired Word of God, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and serving as the final authority for faith and life, being inerrant in the original writings, infallible, and God-breathed (II Timothy 3:16, 17; II Peter 1:20, 21; Matthew 5:18; John 16:12,13; John 20:31).

THE PERSON AND WORK OF THE FATHER

God the Father is the Creator of Heaven and earth. By His Word and for His glory, He freely and supernaturally created the world out of nothing. Through the same word, He daily sustains all His creatures. He rules over all and, together with the Son and the Holy Spirit, is the only absolute Sovereign. His plans and purposes cannot be thwarted. He infallibly foreknows all that shall come to pass and involves Himself mercifully in the affairs of man, and He hears and answers prayer (Genesis 1:1; Hebrews 11:3; Psalms 8:1; Psalms 33:9; Isaiah 43:10-13; Romans 1:7; I Timothy 1:1-2, 2:5-6).

THE PERSON AND WORK OF CHRIST

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal, only begotten Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man (John 1:1-2; John 3:16; Luke 1:35). We believe that Jesus Christ is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being (Hebrews 1:1-3). We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished once and for all our redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice, and that our justification is assured by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead (Romans 3:24; I Peter 2:24; Ephesians 1:7; I Peter 1:3-5). We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ physically ascended into Heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where, as our High Priest, He fulfills His ministry as our Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate (Acts 1:9, 10; Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 9:24; Romans 8:34; I John 2:1-2). We believe that Jesus is coming again in a personal and visible return to the earth in order to judge the living and the dead (I Peter 4:5; Romans 14:9; II Timothy 4:1).

THE PERSON OF WORK OF HOLY SPIRIT

We believe that the Holy Spirit came forth from the Father and the Son (John 14:16-17, 26) to convict the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; He is the Supernatural Agent in regenerating man through spiritual new-birth (John 3:3), baptizing all believers into the Body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption (John 16:8-11; II Corinthians 3:6; I Corinthians 12:12-14; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 5:18). He was also sent to sanctify, conforming us to the image of Christ, and to empower all who believe in Jesus Christ, and is their abiding Helper, Teacher and Guide (John 15:26-27; I Corinthians 3:16; Galatians 5:22-26).

THE TOTAL DEPRAVITY OF MAN

We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but through Adam’s sin the entire human race fell, inheriting sinful nature, and becoming totally alienated from God; therefore, man is totally depraved and within himself utterly unable to remedy his lost condition (Genesis 1:26, 27; Romans 3:22, 23; 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3, 12).
 

SALVATION

We believe that salvation is the free gift of God provided to man by grace alone, through faith alone, because of Christ alone, for the glory of God alone, and is received through personal faith in the redeeming work of the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was poured out on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins (Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:12; Ephesians 1:7; I Peter 1:18-19). We believe that those who repent and forsake their sin and trust Jesus Christ as their Savior are regenerated by the Holy Spirit…“born again”, (John 3:3), and thus become new creatures, being delivered from condemnation, and receiving eternal life (John 3:16; II Corinthians 5:17; Romans 8:1).
 

ETERNAL SECURITY AND ASSURANCE OF BELIEVERS

We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Jesus Christ forever (John 6: 37-40; 10:27-30; Romans 8:1, 38, 39; I Corinthians 1:4-8; I Peter 1:5). We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of the Word of God, which clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion for sin (Romans 13:13, 14; Galatians 5:13; Titus 2:11-15). We also believe that the clear evidence a person is indeed a Child of God is the inescapable and faithful discipline of the Father in his/her life; otherwise, such a person’s professed faith is counterfeit, according to Scripture (Hebrews 12:7-8).
 

THE MINISTRY AND SPIRITUAL GIFTS

We believe that God is sovereign as He bestows spiritual gifts for the edification of the Body of Christ and the work of ministry/mission in the world, all of which are available today as in the first century. It is, however, the responsibility of the believer to attempt to develop their God given spiritual gift(s). We believe the baptism of the Holy Spirit takes place at conversion and places the believer into the Body of Christ. We also believe that specific spiritual gifts are neither essential to, nor are evidence of the presence of the Holy Spirit, nor do they indicate a deeper spiritual experience (I Corinthians 12:7, 11, 13; Ephesians 4:7-8). We believe that God hears and answers the prayer of faith for the sick and afflicted in accordance with His own will (James 5:1-15; John 15:7; I John 5:14-15). We believe that it is the privilege and responsibility of every believer to fulfill his ministry in the Body of Christ according to the gift(s) and grace of God that has been given to him (Romans 12:1-8; I Corinthians 13; I Peter 4:10-11).
 

THE CHURCH

We believe in the universal church, which is the body and espoused bride of Christ, her Living Head, and is a living spiritual organism made up of all born-again persons (Ephesians 1:22, 23, 2:19-22; 5:25-27; I Corinthians 12:12-14; II Corinthians 11:2). We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures (Acts 14:27; 18:22; 20:17; I Timothy 3:1-3; Titus 1:5-11). We believe in the autonomy of the local churches, free of any external authority and control (Acts 13:1-4; 15:19-31; 20:28; Romans 16:1,4; I Corinthians 3:9, 16; I Corinthians 5:4-7, 13; I Peter 5:1-4). We recognize believer’s baptism and the Lord’s Supper as the two scriptural means of testimony for the church and that these should be observed and practiced until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that believer’s baptism is the immersion of the believer in water into the name of the triune God. We believe that the Lord’s Supper was instituted by Christ for commemoration of His death and initiation of the New Covenant in His Blood (Matthew 28:19-20; Luke 22:14-20; Acts 2:41, 42; Acts 18:8; Romans 6:3-5; I Corinthians 11:23-26). We believe that God has laid upon the members of the local church body the primary task of giving the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world, and that it exists to be a living, worshiping body…a display of the glory of God Himself in their lives, both individually and as a Christ-following community (John 4:23, 17:22-23; Acts 1:8; Romans 1:8; Ephesians 3:21).
 

THE GOSPEL

“Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures…” (I Corinthians 15:1-4).

The word “Gospel” defined simply means “good news.” The Gospel is the central message of the Bible…the good news about the person and redeeming work of Jesus Christ. In I Corinthians 15:1-4 above, Paul gives us the most comprehensive yet very clear and simple summary of the Gospel: the man Jesus is also fully God, the prophesied Christ, He died on a cross in our place, paying the penalty we deserved for our sins; three days later He rose from the dead, destroying sin and death and giving the gift of salvation to all who believe in Him alone for eternal life. So then, Jesus Christ Himself is the Gospel incarnate, His resurrection is the power of the Gospel, and His ascension is the glory of the Gospel. Christ’s death is a substitutionary and propitiatory sacrifice to God for our sins, satisfying the demands of God’s holy justice and appeasing His holy wrath. Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and man. There is no other name by which mankind can possibly be saved. This is the very Gospel that MECKLENBURG BAPTIST CHURCH believes, embraces, declares, teaches, lives by, and passionately seeks to embody, both individually and corporately.
 

THE END OF THE AGE AND RETURN OF CHRIST

We believe in the personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth and the establishment of His Kingdom. We believe in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, the eternal blessing of the righteous, and the endless torment of the wicked and unbelieving (Matthew 16:27; Mark 14:62; John 14:3; Acts 1:11; Philippians 3:20; I Thessalonians 4:15; II Timothy 4:1; Titus 2:13; I Corinthians 4:5; I Corinthians 15; II Thessalonians 1:7-10; Revelation 20:4-6, 11-15.