What We Believe

First Baptist Church of Clinton, Louisiana holds to The Second London Baptist Confession of Faith as a faithful summary of biblical teaching (here's a modern version). All of our church officers fully subscribe to our confession of faith, and the church as a whole agrees to be taught in accordance with it. Charles Spurgeon said, "This little volume is not issued as an authoritative rule, or code of faith, whereby you are to be fettered, but as an assistance to you in controversy, a confirmation in faith, and a means of edification in righteousness."

Our confession of faith also contains the substance of the ecumenical creeds including the Apostles Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed, which we wholeheartedly affirm and have provided below.

For more about the relationship between Baptists and confessions of faith, see "Baptists, the Bible, and Confessions - The Need for Statements of Faith."

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.

And in Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended to the dead; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy catholic* Church, the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

*catholic means “universal” and is not a reference to the Roman Catholic Church.

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceedeth from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; who spoke by the Prophets. And I believe in one holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith. Which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.

And the catholic faith is this, that we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; Neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the Substance. For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Spirit. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit is all one: the glory equal, the majesty coeternal. Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit. The Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, and the Holy Spirit uncreated. The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Spirit incomprehensible. The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Spirit eternal. And yet they are not three Eternals, but one Eternal. As there are not three Uncreated nor three Incomprehensibles, but one Uncreated and one Incomprehensible. So likewise the Father is almighty, the Son almighty, and the Holy Spirit almighty. And yet they are not three Almighties, but one Almighty. So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. And yet they are not three Gods, but one God. So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Spirit Lord. And yet not three Lords, but one Lord. For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every Person by Himself to be God and Lord, So are we forbidden by the catholic religion to say, There be three Gods, or three Lords.

The Father is made of none: neither created nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone; not made, nor created, but begotten. The Holy Spirit is of the Father and of the Son: neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding. So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirit. And in this Trinity none is before or after other; none is greater or less than another; But the whole three Persons are coeternal together, and coequal: so that in all things, as is aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshiped. He, therefore, that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity.

Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe faithfully the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the right faith is, that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man; God of the Substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and Man of the substance of His mother, born in the world; Perfect God and perfect Man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting. Equal to the Father as touching His Godhead, and inferior to the Father as touching His manhood; Who, although He be God and Man, yet He is not two, but one Christ: One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking the manhood into God; One altogether; not by confusion of Substance, but by unity of Person. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and Man is one Christ; Who suffered for our salvation; descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead; He ascended into heaven; He sitteth on the right hand of the Father, God Almighty; from whence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies, and shall give an account of their own works. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting; and they that have done evil, into everlasting fire.

This is the catholic faith; which except a man believe faithfully and firmly, he cannot be saved.

*Note: This summary is not an authoritative ecclesiastical standard, but was written by the senior pastor to provide an overview of beliefs.

The Holy Scriptures. We believe that the 66 books of the Bible are God's inerrant and infallible Word. The Bible is necessary for salvation, sufficient for all doctrine and practice, authoritative in everything it addresses, and clear on all matters necessary for salvation. We believe that later revelation makes explicit what is implicit in earlier revelation and that both Old and New Testaments center on the Lord Jesus Christ as the revelation of the whole Triune Godhead. Accurate biblical interpretation always leads to the knowledge of God, revealed in Jesus Christ.

God. We believe that God is one essence, or being, who is three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Father is of none, neither begotten, nor proceeding. The Son is eternally begotten of the Father, and the Spirit eternally proceeds from the Father and the Son. God is Spirit, uncreated, unlimited, undivided, most loving, just, good, holy, wise, patient, and full of wrath and grace. God eternally decreed all things in creation and providence, down to the smallest detail for His own glory. On the basis God's decree, He has perfect foreknowledge of the future. He created all things in heaven and on earth out of nothing by the word of His power through Jesus Christ.

Man. We believe that God created mankind in His image, male and female, and He made them good and upright, with a body and an eternal soul. God made a covenant of works with the first man, Adam, requiring perfect and perpetual obedience, promising life for fulfilling it and threatening death for breaking it. Adam sinned against God, broke the covenant of works and came under the curse of death. All who descend from Adam are guilty because of his first sin, and they inherit from him a totally depraved nature, unable to do anything toward their own salvation.

Election. We believe that in His great love and grace, God eternally chose a definite number of fallen individuals for eternal salvation, guaranteeing that they will be saved, but He sovereignly chose to pass over all the rest, guaranteeing that they will die in their sins. God's election is unconditional because it does not rest on any foreseen choice, faith, work, or merit in the individuals chosen, but wholly on God's eternal, free, and gracious choice.

Christ. Jesus Christ is the second person of the Trinity, the eternal Word of God. He is true God and true man, born of the virgin Mary. During His life on earth, He perfectly kept God's law, died a penal substitutionary death, conquered His enemies, rose bodily from the grave and ascended into heaven, fulfilling the terms of the covenant of redemption. Though the sufferings of Jesus Christ are of infinite value and sufficient for all, Christ bore only the sins of His chosen people on the cross and thus He only satisfied God;s wrath and made atonement for His chosen people, certainly accomplishing their eternal salvation.

The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. At the appointed times, He graciously accompanies the preaching of the Word of God to the elect and effectually applies Christ's work to His people, uniting them to Christ in the covenant of grace, and conferring upon them every saving blessing. He also gives them spiritual gifts to enable them to serve faithfully in Christ's kingdom. The sign gifts of miracles, prophecies, tongues, and healings fulfilled their purpose during the time of the Apostles, and they have now ceased.

The Law and the Gospel. The Word of God is the means by which the Holy Spirit accomplishes His saving work. We believe that the Word of God is properly divided into two parts: the law and the gospel. The law of God reveals what God requires of us. The gospel reveals what God does for us to save us by and in Jesus Christ. The law and the gospel are both good, and both are necessary for the conversion of sinners and the perseverance of the saints. The law and the gospel do not contradict one another, but sweetly comply in perfect harmony. The law reveals our sin and need of the gospel. The gospel reveals that Christ saves poor sinners by His holy life, death, and resurrection. After a sinner is converted to Christ for salvation, the gospel points him back to God's good law, not as a way to be saved, but as the believer's standard of conduct, the rule of holy living, and the way to express love to God and others. The Ten Commandments, which are the moral law of God, remain normative in the lives of believers, along with all of the other positive commandments revealed in the new covenant.

Salvation. We believe God effectually calls His elect people to Himself by means of the Word of God (the law and the gospel), joins them to Jesus Christ in the covenant of grace, regenerates their hearts, and gives them gifts of faith and repentance. His people are also justified, or declared righteous, by faith alone in Christ alone on the sole ground of His atoning death, which cancels our sins, and the imputation of His active obedience, which merits life eternal. His people are sanctified by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who mortifies their sin and vivifies new obedience to God's law, which is summarized in the Ten Commandments. God preserves all believers in salvation to the end by powerfully working in them to persevere in faithful loving obedience to Him. All true believers are eternally secure. This way of salvation is the same in both Old and New Testaments.

Universal Call. We believe that though only the elect are effectually and inwardly called to salvation, God outwardly and universally calls and invites all men everywhere without exception or distinction to repent of their sins and embrace Jesus Christ freely offered in the gospel. The law and the gospel are to be preached far and wide to all human beings indiscriminately. God, in His great mercy, is gathering a people for Himself from every tribe and tongue and nation.

Church. We believe that the universal church is composed of all believers everywhere and is identical with those under the rule of God's kingdom. The universal church is true Israel, or the Israel of God, and she is heir to all the promises that God made to His people in the Old Testament. We believe that only believers are the rightful members of a local church. Thus, only those who credibly profess faith in Christ have the right to receive baptism by immersion and be joined to a local church. We believe that baptism and membership in an evangelical church are prerequisite to taking the Lord's Supper.

Last Things. We believe that Jesus Christ will one day return to judge the world and consummate His kingdom. Unbelievers will be condemned to an eternity of everlasting torment in hell, while believers will be admitted into an eternity of everlasting life and joy in the blessed presence of God in the new heavens and on the new earth, wherein only righteousness dwells.

Christ-Centered and Applicational Preaching. We believe that biblical preaching ought to explain particular passages in light of the whole counsel of God. This means that preaching should be Christ-centered because the Bible as a whole, both the Old and the New Testaments, is about Jesus. Faithful preaching also applies the Word of God to the human soul and life, both exposing sin, and holding forth Christ as the only hope of life and salvation for poor sinners.

Public Worship. We believe the public worship of God is to be regulated by His Word according to the elements it prescribes, including the reading of the Scriptures, preaching, prayer, offerings, singing Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, and observance of the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper. We believe that biblically instituted worship is simple. True worship never conforms to the innovative desires of the human heart or the surrounding culture, but to the Word of God alone. God calls on us to worship Him in spirit and in truth, and to respond to His Word in faith with joy, reverence, and awe.

Prayer. The Bible commands us not merely to pray privately and individually, but also corporately with the church for several reasons. First, everything the church does depends on God's grace; so, the church prays to ask for God's gracious blessing upon all its works. Second, prayer is the human means by which God brings His providences to pass in this world; so, the church prays for all manner of things, trusting God to accomplish His sovereign and wise purposes. Third, above all, prayer is communion with our Triune God, such that when we pray, we dwell in communion with Him for our joy and His glory. We gather each Wednesday evening for corporate prayer.

Plurality of Elders. First Baptist Church has a plurality of elders (also called pastors), all of whom have equal formal authority and responsibility in the church to shepherd God's flock according to the gospel of Christ and His revealed Word. Our senior pastor is recognized both formally and informally as the primus inter pares or the "first among equals."

Role of Women in the Church. Older women are to teach younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands. God has reserved the offices of pastor (elder) and deacon for biblically qualified men. Women are not to instruct the church in the Scriptures, neither are they to exercise authority over the church.

Membership. Members of First Baptist Church are to be an active part of the life of the congregation. Membership means accountability and submission to the elders and to the church as a whole. It also means mutual responsibility to love one another and to encourage one another day after day, walking in the gospel of Christ and according to His good commandments. Church members are responsible, in submission to Christ's mind revealed in Scriptures, to decide matters of church membership, discipline, budget, and leadership, under the authority of the Word of Christ and the godly leadership of the pastors.

Church Discipline. Scripture teaches that church members who sin should be confronted in love and called to turn from their sin. If they refuse to repent, the whole church should be informed. After much prayer and effort to restore the sinning member, if the member still continues in unrepentant sin, the member is to be removed from the church and avoided, but still called to turn from his sin and to embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ. The goals of church discipline are (1) to glorify Christ, (2) to warn and protect the church, (3) to be a means of grace to the sinning member, and (4) to be a witness of the holiness of God;s people to the community.

Evangelism and Mission. We believe that one fruit and goal of healthy church life is a godly life that proclaims Christ in word and deed in our community and among every tribe and nation. We believe that God calls churches to herald the gracious gospel of Jesus Christ far and wide, to engage in evangelism, to send and support missionaries, to help establish churches, to help train pastors, and to be a means God uses to advance His kingdom on earth for the manifestation of His great glory.

Family. We believe that families are the foundational institution of human society. The church is to teach the whole counsel of God so that healthy families can grow stronger and broken families can be healed. We believe that God gives husbands the authority to be the sacrificial spiritual leaders of their homes. Parents are responsible to raise their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Children are to honor and obey their parents in all things lawful.

Family Worship. We believe that families ought to have regular times of worship, which include the devotional reading of Scripture, prayer, and singing. Regular family worship is a useful means of instructing children and establishing a rhythm of family life that acknowledges and celebrates Christ as Lord of all and Savior of those who come to Him.

Marriage and Divorce. We believe that marriage is a divinely sanctioned covenant between one man and one woman for life. We reject all other definitions of marriage as contrary to nature and to the Holy Scriptures. Within a marriage, the husband is the head and authority in his home and is to love his wife as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her. The wife is to submit to her own husband in all things lawful. While God's design is for a man and a woman to remain married for life, we recognize that Scripture provides two grounds for divorce: 1) adultery, and 2) desertion. If one spouse makes a home unsafe such that the other spouse must leave, then the sinning spouse is the one who has deserted the other, and the deserted spouse has grounds for divorce.

Society. The church's role in society is primarily to preach the law and the gospel for the conversion of sinners and the establishment of churches. Christian homes are built and nurtured in faithful churches. Individual Christians are to bear witness of Christ and His Word in their particular callings at home, in the workplace, and in their communities. While we do not believe that it is the local church's mission as an institution to participate in rallies and marches for political causes, the church should preach the whole counsel of God, and in the course of exposition, address societal sins and injustices, praying for an awakening of poor sinners to Christ. We wait upon the Lord to right every wrong, to bring about perfect justice and peace, and we trust that He will do so when He comes in His glory and ushers in the fulness of His kingdom in the new heavens and the new earth. We further believe that Christians and churches should submit to all lawful directives of the civil authorities.