WHAT WE BELIEVE AT LIGHTHOUSE

“ . . . a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us.” (Luke 1:1)

Articles

Article 1, Name

The name of this church shall be Lighthouse Independent Baptist Church Cessnock

Article II, Purpose

The purpose of this church is to fulfil the Great Commission given by

the Lord Jesus Christ. This will be accomplished by the edification of

Christians through the teaching and preaching of God’s Word, the

salvation of souls, the world-wide proclamation of God’s saving grace

as revealed in the shed blood and finished work of the Lord Jesus

Christ on the cross, the promotion of godly worship, the administration

of ordinances of the New Testament, promotion of Christian education

and the defence of “ . . . the faith which was once delivered unto the

saints.” (Jude 3).

Article III, Declaration of Faith

CONCERNING THE SCRIPTURES

We believe in the verbal plenary inspiration of both the Old and New

Testament. The Bible, the Word of God, is the full and complete

revelation of God’s will for man. It is the supreme and final authority

in all matters of faith and practice.

*Scripture: Ps 19:7-11; Prov 30:5-6; Isa 40:8; II Tim 3:16, 17;

Heb 4:12; II Pet 1:20, 21

CONCERNING THE ONE TRUE GOD

We believe that there is only one true and living God, eternally existing

in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each with a distinct

personality but all of one essence having the same attributes and

perfections of God.

*Scripture: Gen 1:1; Deut 4:35; 6:4; Matt 28:19, 20; Joh 4:24;

I Cor 8:6; II Cor 13:14

CONCERNING THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God and God

the Son, became man without ceasing to be God, having been

conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.

*Scripture: Matt 1:20, 23; Joh 1:1, 2, 14; Phil 2:6, 7

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our complete

redemption through His death on the cross. He lived a sinless life, died

a vicarious death, and arose from the dead in a literal, physical body.

*Scripture: Eph 1:7; Heb 4:15; Rom 3:24, 25; I Cor 15:3,4

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven and is now

exalted at the right hand of God the Father. As our High Priest, He

fulfills the ministry of Intercessor and Advocate.

*Scripture: Heb 1:3; 4:14; I Joh 2:1, 2; I Tim 2:5

CONCERNING THE HOLY SPIRIT

We believe that the Holy Spirit is God. He possesses all the attributes

of deity. He is co-eternal and co-equal with the Father and the Son and

of the same nature.

*Scripture: Joh 4:24; Acts 5:3-4; II Cor 13:14

We believe that the Holy Spirit is the chief agent in the regeneration

of the soul. The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, of righteousness

and of judgment. At the moment an unregenerate person exercises

faith in Christ as Savior, the Holy Spirit immediately indwells, justifies,

sanctifies, and seals the believer unto the day of redemption.

*Scripture: Joh 3:5, 16:7-11; Rom 5:1; 8:9; 15:16; Eph 4:30

We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Divine Teacher who guides

believers in the truth of the Word of God. It is the privilege and duty

of all saved people to be filled (controlled) with the Spirit.

*Scripture: I Cor 2:14; Joh 16:13; Eph 5:18

We believe that the Holy Spirit bestows at least one spiritual gift upon

each believer according to His Will; and these gifts were given to the

Church for mutual edification. The Holy Spirit no longer distributes the

temporary sign gifts such as miracles, tongues, and interpretation of

tongues and healing's (as in miraculous healers) to believers because

they’re purpose were intended to be transitional and foundational for

the Church and ended with the apostles.

*Scripture: II Cor 12:12; Eph 2:20, 4:7-16

Their purpose was to confirm the Word of God.

*Scripture: Mar 16:17-20; Heb 2:4

We believe the gift of tongues, or languages, was a sign of impending

judgment on the Jewish nation. This gift ceased when Israel finally

rejected the gospel.

*Scripture: Isa 28:11-12; Matt 21:43; Acts 2:8-11; I Cor 13:8-

13, 14:21-22

CONCERNING SATAN

We believe that Satan is a real and personal being. As Lucifer he

existed as the highest rank of all angelic creatures. He became the

author of sin and the cause of the fall of man because of his sin of

pride.

*Scripture: Gen 3:1-19; Isa 14:12-17; Matt 4:1-11; Joh 8:44

We believe Satan is the open and declared enemy of God and man.

He has blinded the eyes of unbelievers and is in continual warfare with

believers. He shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire.

*Scripture: II Cor 4:4; Eph 6:11-12; Rev 20:10

CONCERNING CREATION

We believe in the Genesis account of creation, and that it is to be

accepted literally and not allegorically or figuratively. We believe that

all things were created by Jesus Christ, including man. The Scriptures

contradict the evolution model, whether it be theistic or non-theistic.

God established the law that life should bring forth only “after their

kind.”

*Scripture: Gen 1-2; Ex 20:11; Joh 1:3; Col 1:16; Heb 11:3

CONCERNING HEAVEN

We believe in a literal heaven which Jesus is presently preparing for

believers. Jesus Christ is now seated at the right hand of God the

Father interceding on behalf of believers. At the moment of death or

the rapture, believers will be with Jesus Christ in heaven.

*Scripture: Joh 14:1-3; II Cor 5:8; I Thess 4:16-17; Heb 8:1; I

Joh 2:1

CONCERNING HELL

We believe in a literal hell of everlasting fire prepared for the devil and

his angels. We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain in hell after

death, in conscious misery, until the second resurrection. At the Great

White Throne Judgment, unbelievers are cast body, soul, and spirit

into the Lake of Fire to suffer everlasting conscious punishment, not

annihilation.

*Scripture: Matt 10:28; Rev 20:11-15

CONCERNING THE FALL OF MAN

We believe that man was created in the image of God in a state of

innocence. Through Adam’s sin the whole race fell, became alienated

from God and inherited a sin nature. Man is under the just

condemnation of death, both physical and spiritual, without defence

or excuse. Man is helpless in his lost condition apart from the grace of

God.

*Scripture: Gen 1,2,3; Ps 51:5; Rom 3:10-26; 5:12-21; 6:23;

7:18

CONCERNING SALVATION

We believe that salvation is the gift of God provided for all men by the

substitutionary death of Jesus Christ and His shed blood. We believe

salvation is wholly of God and apart from any works of righteousness

by man. Salvation is exclusively through Jesus Christ and His vicarious

atonement for sin.

*Scripture: Joh 3:16; 14:6; Rom 3:24; 6:23; Eph 1:7; 2:8-9; Tit

3:5

We believe that the Holy Spirit of God convicts unbelievers of their sin,

drawing them to salvation. The two ingredients for man to receive

salvation are repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus

Christ. At the moment of salvation, the Holy Spirit regenerates,

indwells, sanctifies, justifies, and seals the believer.

*Scripture: Lu 13:3; Joh 3:3, 36; Acts 20:21; Rom 5:1; I Cor

6:19-20; Eph 1:13; 4:30; II Pet 3:9

We believe that Christians are eternally secure in Jesus Christ and

salvation may never be lost. The penalty of all sins is removed at

salvation.

*Scripture: John 10:28-29; Rom 8:1, 33-39; I Joh 5:11-13

CONCERNING THE SECOND COMING

We believe in the imminent, personal, pre-tribulational return of the

Lord Jesus Christ. He will return bodily in the air to “catch away” both

the dead and living in Christ.

*Scripture: Acts 1:11; I Thess 4:13-18; Tit 2:13

We believe that Jesus Christ will return to earth seven years after the

rapture. He will destroy the remaining unbelievers and establish His

kingdom. He will reign 1,000 years on the throne of David.

*Scripture: Dan 9:24-27; Matt 24:30; Rev 19:15-18; 20:1-6

CONCERNING THE END TIMES

We believe that at the end of the thousand year reign of Christ, Satan

will be loosed, defeated, and cast into the Lake of Fire for eternity.

Following the Great White Throne Judgment, all those whose names

are not written in the book of life will also spend eternity in the Lake

of Fire. A new heaven and new earth will then become the perfect

abode of God, together with all believers for eternity.

*Scripture: Rev 20:3, 7-10, 11-15; 21:1-5

CONCERNING ISRAEL

We believe in the literal fulfillment of the prophecies and promises of

the Scripture which foretell and assure the future restoration and

regeneration of Israel as a nation.

*Scripture: Ezek 37:11-14, 21-48; Dan 9:24; Rom 11:26-27

CONCERNING THE CHURCH

We believe that while all believers are part of the invisible, universal

church. The visible local New Testament church is an organized

assembly of baptized believers with the purpose of fulfilling the Great

Commission given by Jesus Christ. Each church is to be autonomous,

indigenous, and independent. The church is governed, first, as a

theocracy; and secondly, as a democracy. The officers of the church

are Pastors also called Bishops, Overseers, Elders and deacons. The

church is to observe two ordinances established by Jesus Christ:

baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

*Scriptures: Matt 28:18-20; Acts 20:28; 2:41, 42; I Cor 10:32;

Col 1:18; Eph 1:22-23; 3:1-6; 4:11; I Tim 3:1-13; Tit 1:5-13

CONCERNING THE ORDINANCES

BAPTISM We believe that baptism is a symbol of the believer’s

identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. It is

strictly an act of obedience following conversion. Christ only gave

authority to His church to baptize by full immersion in water.

* Scriptures: Matt 28:18-20; Acts 2:41;8:12; Rom 6:3-5.

LORD’S SUPPER We believe that the Lord’s Supper is a memorial of

the shed blood and broken body of the Lord. It is a reminder of the

death of Christ and His future return. Participants are to be saved, and

should belong to a church. Self-examination is to precede

participation in the Lord’s Supper.

* Scriptures: Matt 26:26-29; Acts 2:41-42; I Cor 11:24-29

more . . .

HOME - ABOUT US - THE GOSPEL - NEWS - CONTACT