West Asheville, North Carolina
HISTORIC BAPTIST BELIEFS AND DOCTRINE
While we are not affiliated with any specific denomination, we most closely align with the historic Baptist doctrine as expressed in the 1963 Baptist Faith and Message. A few of these beliefs include:
THE SCRIPTURES - The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is the record of Gods revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter. It reveals the principles by which God judges us; and therefore is, and will remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried. The criterion by which the Bible is to be interpreted is Jesus Christ.
GOD - There is one and only one living and true God. He is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal Being, the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe. God is infinite in holiness and all other perfections. To Him we owe the highest love, reverence, and obedience. The eternal God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being.
JESUS THE CHRIST - Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation as Jesus Christ he was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. Jesus perfectly revealed and did the will of God, taking upon Himself the demands and necessities of human nature and identifying Himself completely with mankind yet without sin. He honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and in His death on the cross He made provision for the redemption of men from sin. He was raised from the dead with a glorified body and appeared to His disciples as the person who was with them before His crucifixion. He ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where He is the One Mediator, partaking of the nature of God and of man, and in whose Person is effected the reconciliation between God and man. He will return in power and glory to judge the world and to consummate His redemptive mission. He now dwells in all believers as the living and ever present Lord.
We also hold to some essential historic Baptist principles referred to as the "Four Fragile Freedoms."
BIBLE FREEDOM - The Bible is foundational to us as individuals and as a congregation. Every Christian has the freedom and right to interpret and apply scripture under the leadership of the Holy Spirit. The wisdom and counsel of the larger congregation should nurture individual believers as they seek to understand, interpret, and apply Scripture to their daily lives.
SOUL FREEDOM - Each person is accountable to God individually without the imposition of creed or the control of clergy or government. This personal experience with God is indispensable to the Christian life and necessary for a vital church. This is sometimes described as the “priesthood of all believers.”
CHURCH FREEDOM - Baptist churches are free, under the Lordship of Christ, to determine their membership, leadership, doctrine, and practice. Instead of depending on larger organizations to dictate who we are and what we do, Baptists believe that God has equipped the local church and its leaders to figure out how we can best live out and share the Gospel.
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM - Everyone should be able to worship (or not) as they feel led without necessary interference by the government. Just as religious freedom involves the freedom to practice religion, it also includes the freedom to not practice religion. The separation of church and state affords an important constitutional protection of religious freedom for all.