Irish Baptists
Doctrinal Statement
Each member church of the Association affirms the following doctrines which are commonly believed among us:
- 1. The Scriptures
- The verbal inspiration and total inerrancy of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as originally given by God; their sole - sufficiency and final authority in all matters of faith and practice.
- 2. God
- One God in three persons, the Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, co-equal, co-eternal, sovereign and active in creation, providence and redemption.
- 3. The Lord Jesus Christ
- The essential deity and perfect humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ, the only mediator between God and men; His virgin birth, sinless life and sacrificial death on the cross as the only substitute for sinners; His burial, bodily resurrection and ascension to heaven; His high priestly ministry and personal return.
- 4. The Holy Spirit
- The work of the Holy Spirit in regenerating the sinner and indwelling, sanctifying and empowering the believers.
- 5. The Devil
- The personality of the devil; his evil activity and final doom.
- 6. Man
- The creation of man in the image of God; the entrance of sin through Adam's disobedience, the fallen and totally depraved state of all men; their subjection to God's wrath and condemnation; their responsibility to repent and believe the Gospel.
- 7. Justification
- The justification of the sinner through faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ; the eternal security of the believer.
- 8. The Church
- The local church as a company of baptised believers gathered under the headship of Christ for worship, fellowship, instruction and evangelism; the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper:
- baptism being the immersion of believers on profession of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and a symbol of their identification with Him in His death, burial and resurrection;
- the Lord's Supper being a remembrance of Christ until He comes and a renewal of commitment to Him;
- the offices of elder and deacon; the gifts of evangelist and pastor-teacher; the priesthood of all believers and their unity in the Body of Christ; the separation of church and state.
- baptism being the immersion of believers on profession of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and a symbol of their identification with Him in His death, burial and resurrection;
- 9. The Future State
- The unconditional immortality of the soul: the resurrection of the body; the eternal joy in heaven of the believer; the conscious eternal punishment in hell of those who die impenitent.
- 10. Christian Behaviour
- The responsibility of all believers to obey and serve the Lord and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives; the duty of each church to exercise godly discipline in a loving and caring fashion.