We believe each member of the human race is fallen, sinful and lost, and regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential for the salvation of man.

Romans 3:23 | John 3:7 | Titus 3:5 | Luke 24:49

We believe repentance is necessary for salvation. The Greek word for "repent" is "metaneo", which translated into English means "to change one’s mind." It does not mean "to turn from sin", since that would mean works for salvation.

• Repentance for salvation means a change of mind from man's ideas of salvation and religion to an acceptance of God's way of salvation.
   

• Many teach repentance for salvation incorrectly by including some form of human effort or righteousness, such as willingness to turn from sin, or turning from sin. This is heresy and has confused many people because it adds works to salvation. This is "Galatianism", which is a counterfeit of the Gospel and is completely unscriptural.
   

• It is a tragedy that many Christians live shallow Christian lives. Heritage Baptist Bible Church emphasizes the importance of total dedication, not to be saved, but because we are saved. "Shallow Christianity" cannot be cured by adding works to salvation. Nor can we, as Christians, assume that because we do not see what we consider adequate "evidences" of salvation, that a person is not saved, (i.e. the fictitious practice of "fruit inspection"). The true child of God is not under the law, but he is under grace. He is saved by grace and disciplined by grace.

Romans 6:14,15 | Romans 11:6 | II Corinthians 3:17

• Salvation is not the result of what we do, but it is the result of receiving what Christ has done for us.

Acts 13:38,39 | Galatians 1:8,9 | Galatians 2:16,21 | Galatians 3:1-3 Galatians 5:1-4 | Ephesians 2:8-10 | II Corinthians 5:21
II Corinthians 11:13-15 | Philippians 3:9 | Titus 3:5-8 | John 3:16-18

We believe it is every Christian's privilege and duty to make clear God's plan of salvation wherever and in whatever vocation he or she may be.

Mark 16:15 | I Thessalonians 2:4

The following present the main issues of the Doctrine of Salvation:

• All men are sinners.

Romans 3:10 | Isaiah 64:6 | Romans 3:23 | James 2:10 | Jeremiah 17:9

• The penalty of sin is death.

Romans 6:23 | Ezekiel 18:20

• Man must be perfect to enter heaven.

Revelation 21:27

• Man can do nothing of himself to obtain this perfection.

Ephesians 2:8,9 | Galatians 2:21 | Romans 4:5

• God has provided a Sin-bearer, Christ, and imputes to man His righteousness.

II Corinthians 5:21 | Philippians 3:9 | Isaiah 53:6 | I Peter 3:18

• Man needs only belief in the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Savior for salvation.

John 3:16 | Romans 10:9 | John 1:12 | Acts 16:31

• Man can be certain of his salvation immediately upon his believing and his salvation cannot be lost because eternal life is eternal.

John 6:37-39 | John 10:28 | I Peter 1:5 | Hebrews 10:10-14 | I John 5:13

ETERNAL SECURITY

We believe that once a person becomes a child of God by faith in Christ, he is always a child of God. A person is either saved forever or not saved at all. Eternal security is not a separate doctrine from salvation. It is salvation. Once a person is saved, he can never lose his salvation in any way, or for any reason.

John 3:16 | John 3:36 | John 5:24 | John 6:47 | John 10:28

THE EVIDENCE OF SALVATION

We believe the only evidence of salvation is revealed in whom a person is trusting to get him to heaven. We believe it is heresy to teach that a person can know he is saved or lost because of his behavior, or for others to believe a person is saved or lost because of his behavior.

Galatians 2:16 | Romans 4:5 | Romans 11:6

THE CHURCH

We believe that the church, which is the body and the espoused Bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all those who have trusted Christ as their Savior from the day of Pentecost to the Rapture.

Ephesians 1:22,23 | Ephesians 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 | Acts 20:17 | Acts 20:28-32 | I Timothy 3:1-13 | Titus 1:5-11

We believe that the two ordinances of the local church instituted by Christ are water baptism and the Lord's Supper (communion). These are steps of obedience in a Christian's life (service) and are not for salvation.

Matthew 28:19 | I Corinthians 11:23-28

THE CHRISTIAN WALK

We believe every true child of God possesses eternal life, is justified by faith, sanctified by God, sealed with the Holy Spirit, safe and secure for all eternity, and cannot lose his salvation. However, a Christian can, through sin, lose fellowship, joy, power, testimony, and reward, and incur the Father's chastisement. Relationship is eternal, being established by the new birth. Fellowship, however, is dependent upon obedience. God guarantees salvation, it is His gift to us. God guarantees reward and fruit to the obedient son. God guarantees chastening and loss of rewards to the disobedient son. God does not cast out disobedient children, but in some cases, does take them home. He does not permit His children to live as they please without discipline and guidance.

I Corinthians 3:11-17 | I Corinthians 5:1-5 | I Corinthians 11:30-32
Hebrews 12:5-11

I John 1:9 is not a verse for salvation but a precious promise to Christians for cleansing and forgiveness. I John 1: 9 does not guarantee restoration of fellowship or restitution from physical damage caused by sin. It is heresy to teach that confession of sin produces spiritual fruit. Confession of sin places the Christian in a position where he can have fellowship with God. I John 1:6,7 teach that fellowship is the result of the Christian's walk and not the result of the confession of sin.

Spirituality, of which fellowship is a part, comes from the Christian's obedience to God.

II Peter 1:5-8 | Colossians 1:10 | John 15:8 | I John 1:6,7 | Galatians 5:22

THE TWO NATURES OF THE BELIEVER

We believe a true child of God has two births: one of flesh and the other of the Spirit. The flesh nature is neither good nor righteous. The Spiritual nature does not commit sin. This results in warfare between the Spirit and the flesh, which continues until physical death, or the return of the Lord. (The new birth cannot change in any way the flesh nature of man, but the flesh nature can be controlled and kept subdued by the new man.) All claims to the eradication of the old nature in this life are unscriptural.

John 3:3-7 | Romans 8:8 | Romans 7:15-25 | Galatians 5:17 | I John 3:9; 5:18
I Peter 1:23

THE TWO PHASES OF THE SECOND ADVENT

We believe that the Rapture consists of the coming of Christ from heaven and His saints on earth meeting Him in the air. We believe in the personal, premillenial and pretribulational return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

I Thessalonians 5:9-11 | I Thessalonians 1:10 | I Thessalonians 4:13-18 | Titus 2:13
I Corinthians 15:51-53

We believe that Christ's coming with His angels to earth is in power and great glory. This coming is preceded by the seven-year tribulation which begins immediately after the Rapture.

II Thessalonians 2:1-8 | Isaiah 26:17-21 | Isaiah 27:1 | Matthew 24 | Revelation 4:4

THE PERSONALITY OF SATAN

We believe that Satan is a person, the author of sin and the cause of the fall. We believe that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man, and that he and his angels will be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire.

Job 1:6,7 | Isaiah 14:12-17 | Matthew 4:2-11 | Matthew 25:41 | Revelation 20:10

THE MINISTRY AND SPIRITUAL GIFTS

We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowment of all His gifts.

Romans 12:6-8 | Ephesians 4:11,12 | I Corinthians 12:18

We believe that the gift of tongues (languages) was a manifestation of the Holy Spirit's power solely for the demonstration of God's wisdom, purpose and power in the establishment of the early church. This gift was always a spoken, known language of that time.

Acts 2:6 | I Corinthians 14:22 | Hebrews 2:4

We believe that God does hear and answer, in accord with His own will, the prayer of faith for the sick and the afflicted (John 15:7; I John 5:14,15). God can heal, but physical healing is not in the atonement. God heals miraculously today when it is His perfect will to do so. Healing cannot be claimed through the guarantee of the atonement. At times it is God's will for sickness not to be removed.

II Corinthians 12:8-10 | James 5:14-16

We believe that apostleship, speaking in tongues, and the working of sign miracles gradually ceased as the New Testament Scriptures were completed and their authority became established.

I Corinthians 12:4-11 | I Corinthians 13:8-10 | II Corinthians 12:12 | Ephesians 4:7-12

THE RESURRECTION

We believe there is a resurrection of the saved and of the lost. Of the saved unto eternal life, and of the lost unto eternal conscious punishment. These two resurrections are separated by at least 1,000 years.

I Thessalonians 4:13-18 | Daniel 12:2 | Revelation 20:5-15

SEPARATION

We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord, and that separation from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices, and associations is commanded of God.

II Timothy 3:1-5 | Romans 12:1,2 | Romans 14:13 | I John 2:15-17 | II John 9-11
II Corinthians 6:14-7:1

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION

We believe that the children belong to the parents and not to the state; therefore, the children of our families need an education that trains them not to walk in the counsel of the ungodly (Psalms 1:1). The families need to obey the warning of Colossians 2:8, "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." The Heritage Baptist Bible Church believes that it must encourage all parents to provide a Christian education for their children. A good way to accomplish this is to counteract the humanistic, secular, often Anti-Christ public school system by having their children in regular attendance at Sunday School classes, Vacation Bible School sessions, and any Christian camping or youth activities which our church is able to provide. Of course, there is no substitute for regular family prayer, Bible teaching, and devotions in the home. We believe, according to Proverbs 19:27, that we must see that our children are protected, "Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge."