What We Believe
WHAT WE BELIEVE
We believe in one and only one true God. There is a trinity of persons in the God-head: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; yet there are not three Gods, but one God.
We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God, the only rule of faith and practice. They are without error in all they teach and affirm.
We believe in the fall of Adam and the imputation of his sin to his posterity. Furthermore, we believe in the corruption of human nature and the impotency of man to recover himself by his own ability.
We believe that salvation is by God’s grace alone, through faith alone, and in Christ alone. Salvation is a work of God, by His Holy Spirit, in which he calls, regenerates, converts, sanctifies, and protects believers so that they are eternally secure in that salvation.
We believe that sinners are justified in the sight of God only by the righteousness of Christ imputed to them.
We believe that good works are the fruit of faith and follow after justification. They are evidence that we are in a gracious state.
We believe that Jesus Christ is coming to this earth again in God’s own timing and that no man knows the hour or the date. We should simply be prepared for when He does return. Too much speculation on this subject can lead to error in doctrine.
We believe that there will be a resurrection of the dead and a day of judgment. Those in Christ will live forever in His presence in glory, and the lost will suffer eternal punishment in hell.
Our full doctrinal statement is
ORDINANCES
In accordance with its statement of faith, First Baptist Sweetwater observes two ordinances, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
- Baptism is the immersion of the professed believer in water in obedience to the command of Christ and is to be administered in the presence of the Church. It is an outward sign of the inward manifestation of the Spirit of God that the individual has been made regenerate and responded by faith to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
- The Lord’s Supper is observed for the entire membership. All persons who have trusted Christ as Savior and Lord and who have publicly professed their faith in Him through baptism are invited to partake of the Lord’s Supper.
CHURCH COVENANT
Having received the Lord Jesus Christ through repentance and faith as our Savior and having followed Him in believer’s baptism via immersion, we covenant together in the presence of God to live faithfully before Him and each other.
We promise to live the Christian life responsibly in the following ways:
- We will worship the Lord personally, privately, and corporately with our family and other members at Sweetwater;
- We will look for opportunities to share our faith in the Lord with unbelievers;
- We will seek to live holy lives and to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Christian faith through Bible study;
- We will pray for our church leaders and the ministry of the church;
- We will gather regularly with others in the church to deepen our relationships;
- We will give faithfully as the Lord has provided for us through tithes and offerings;
- We will serve in areas of ministry that fit our calling, giftedness and interests.
We want to be held accountable to the faith, and we will help hold each other accountable to the faith through encouragement, prayer, and counsel.
We aim not to be offended easily, while also seeking reconciliation, when needed.
Should we be led to leave this body of believers, we will seek a like-minded local church as soon as possible.