OTTERVILLE BAPTIST CHURCH
STATEMENT OF FAITH
Otterville Baptist Church is a member church of The Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches in Canada
What we believe
We believe the Bible to be the Word of God, the writing of which was designed and superintended by the Spirit of God to keep it from human error, so that its contents are accurate, authoritative, and unique. The vast manuscript evidence available today going back 1-2 millenia shows only minor discrepancies due to copyist mistakes and editing which do not affect our understanding or interpretation.
The Bible teaches that God, although described as being one, eternally exists as three persons who are equally God and who have shared and separate activities, but are one in purpose, character and essence. They are described as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
We believe that God created our universe and all life. The human race holds a high place within the creation as both male and female were made in God’s image. The first man and woman disobeyed God, bringing sin and death into the world. As a consequence, every descendant (except one) inherits a sinful nature and stands condemned before a holy God.
God has a program of rehabilitation for sinful human beings. It was planned long in advance. God the Son, was born into the world as a baby boy to a young woman who was a virgin. Jesus, as He was named, was fully human (apart from not inheriting a sinful nature nor committing any sin), and fully God. During His life on Earth, He taught his followers about God’s plan. The good news is that God will forgive our sins if we believe in Jesus. Believing in Jesus involves recognizing our desperate situation (which we are helpless to change by our own efforts) and trusting in Jesus to put it and our lives right.
The means by which Jesus “puts it right,” was accomplished by His death and resurrection. When He died, He bore God’s judgment for our sins, taking the punishment on Himself. The victory sign showing that He was successful in His rescue mission was the resurrection. After His body had been in a tomb for several days, His death ended. Because He lives, we who put our trust in Him have certain hope of life after death too.
We are made right with God now, and have the promise that we will be made perfect. The Holy Spirit works in our lives to change us back into the image of God, unmarred by sin. The process will not be finished until we meet Jesus, either in death, or at His promised return to earth.
God’s rescue mission for the human race has a part to play for believers. We are commanded to live at peace, to do good and care for others, to love our neighbour as ourself, even to love and forgive our enemies. We are to tell others about Jesus Christ and the good news of God’s forgiveness. As believers, we are to meet together regularly for worshipping our God, mutual encouragement, prayer, and instruction from God’s Word. It should be evident to unbelievers that we are true followers of Jesus because of the love we have for one another and by how we live out our relationship with the Father on a daily basis.