Westside Baptist
Temple
Article 1 - Church
Covenant
Having been led, as we believe by the Spirit
of God, to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour and, on the profession
of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit, we do now, in the presence of God, and this assembly,
most solemnly and joyfully enter into the covenant with one another as one body
in Christ.
We engage, therefore, by the aid of the Holy
Spirit to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this
church, in knowledge, holiness, and comfort; to promote its prosperity and
spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline, and doctrines; to
contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses
of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the gospel through all
nations.
We also engage to maintain family and secret
devotions; to religiously educate our children; to seek the salvation of
our kindred and acquaintances; to walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in
our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment; to
avoid all tattling, backbiting, and excessive anger; to abstain from the sale
of, and use of, intoxicating drinks as a beverage; to abstain from everything
that will cause our brother to stumble or that will bring reproach upon the
cause of Christ; and to strive to grow in the'grace and knowledge of the Lord
and Saviour, that amist evil and good report we will humbly and earnestly seek
to live to the honor and glory of Him who loved us and gave Himself for
us.
We further engage to watch over one another
in brotherly love; to remember one another in prayer; to aid one another in
sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and Christian
courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offense, but always ready for
reconciliation and mindful of the rules of our Saviour to secure it without
delay.
We moreover engage that when we remove from
this place we will as soon as possible, unite with some other church where we
can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God's
Word.
Article 2 - Articles of
Faith
This body stands for the verbal inspiration
of the Bible, the Deity of Christ, His Blood Atonement, Salvation by Faith New
Testament Soul Winning and Premillennial return of Chris opposes modernism,
worldliness and formalism.
1. The Scriptures We believe that the
Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired, and is a perfect treasure of
heavenly instruction; that it has God for its author, salvation its end, and
truth without any mixture of error for its master; that it reveals the
principles by which God will judge us; and therefore is, and will remain to the
end of the world, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard
by which all human conduct, creeds and religious opinions should be tried. II
Tim. 3:16,17. Isaiah. 8:20. I Thess. 5:21. Heb. 4:12. II Peter
1:21.
2. God There is one and only one
living and true God, an intelligent spiritual, and personal Being, the Creator,
Preserver, and Ruler of the universe, infinite in holiness and all other
perfections, to whom we owe the highest love, reverence and obedience. He is
revealed to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, each with distinct personal
attributes.
3. The fall of Man Man was created by
the special act of God, as recorded in Genesis. "So God created man in His own
image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them".
(Gen. 1:27). "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and
breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul".
(Gen. 2:7).
We believe that man was created in holiness
under the law of his Maker but by voluntary transgression fell from that holy
and happy state, in consequence of which all mankind are now sinners, not by
constraint but choice being by nature utterly void of that holiness required I
the law of God, positively inclined to evil, and there for under just
condemnation to eternal ruin without defense or excuse. Genesis 1:27. Genesis
1:31. Genesis 3:6-2^ Isaiah. 53:6. Ezekiel 18:19, 20. Romans 1:20,
5:19.
4. The way of salvation The salvation
of sinners is wholly of grace, through the mediatorial office of the Son of God,
who by the Holy Spirit was born of the Virgin Mary and took upon Him our nature,
yet without sin; honored the divine law by His personal obedience and made
atonei for our sins by His death. Being risen from the dead, He is now enthroned
in Heaven, and uniting in His pers<
Article 2 - Articles of Faith
4. The way of salvation
(continued)
Saviour. Rom. 3:10, 23, 5:12, 6:23, 5:8, 10:9-13.
John 3:16. Eph . 2:8,9. John 1:12. Rev 3:20.
5. Justification Justification
is God's gracious and full] acquittal upon principles of righteousness of all
sinner who believe in Christ. This blessing is bestowed, not in consideration of
any works of righteousness which we have done, but through the redemption that
is in and this Jesus Christ. It brings us into a state of most blessed peace and
favor with God, and secure every other needed blessing. Acts 13:3. Rom. 5:9,
4:4-5, 5:1-2.
6. The freeness of salvation The blessings
of salvation £ made free to all by the gospel. It is the duty of all
accept them by penitent and obedient faith. Nothing prevents the salvation of
the greatest sinner except hi own voluntary refusal to accept Jesus Christ as
teacher Saviour, and Lord. Isaiah. 55:1. John
3:16-19,36.
7. Regeneration Regeneration, or the new
birth, is a
of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit , whereby we
become partakers of the divine nature and a holy disposition is given, leading
to love and practice of righteousness It is a work of God's free grace
conditioned upon faith in Christ and made manifest by the fruit which we bring^
forth to the glory of God. John 3:3. II Cor. 5:17. I Peter
1:22-25.
8. Repentance and faith Repentance and
'faith are sacred duties, and also inseparable graces, wrought in our soul by
the regenerating Spirit of God; whereby being deeply convinced of our guilt,
danger, and helplessness, and of the way of salvation by Christ, we turn to God
with unfeigned contrition, confession, and supplication for mercy; at the same
time heartily receiving the Lord Jet Christ as our Prophet, Priest, and King,
and relying or Him alone as the only and all-sufficient Saviour. Luke 13:3. Acts
11:18. Eph. 2:8. Acts 2:37-38. Rom. 10:? Heb. 11:1.
9. God's purpose of grace Election is the
gracious purport of God, according to which he regenerates, sanctifies &
saves sinners. It is perfectly consistent with the free agency of man, and
comprehends all the means in conned with the end. It is a most glorious display
of God's sovereign goodness, and is infinitely wise, holy, and unchangeable. It
excludes boasting and promotes humilty: It encourages the use of means in the
highest degree.
Article 2 - Articles of Faith
10. Sanctification Sanctification is the
process by which the regenerate gradually attain to moral and spiritual
perfection through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in their
hearts. It continues throughout the earthly life, and is accomplished by the use
of all the ordinary means of grace, and particularly by the Word of God. Rom.
8:5. Gal. 6:7-9. Phil. 2:2-16. James 4:7-11. I John 2:28-29.
11. Perseverance All real believers endure
to the end. Their continuance in well-doing is the mark which distinguishes them
from mere professors. A special providence cares for them, and they are kept by
the power of God through faith unto salvation. John 3:31. I John 2:19. Rom.
8:28. Phil. 1:6.
12. A gospel church A church of Christ is a
congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and
fellowship of the Gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ, governed by His
laws, and exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His
Word and seeking to extend the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Its scriptural
officers are pastors and deacons.
13. Baptism Christian baptism is the
immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the
Holy Spirit. The act is a symbol of our faith in a crucified, buried and risen
Saviour. It is a prerequisite to the privileges of church membership. Rom.
6:3-10. Matt. 3:16-17, 28:19-20.
14. The Lord's Supper We believe that the
Lord's Supper, in which the born again Christians by the sacred use of the bread
and grape juice are to commemorate together the dying love of Christ, is to be
preceded always by solemn self-examination. I Corinthians
11:23-24.
15. The Lord's day The first day of the week
is the Lord's
day. It is a Christian institution for regular
observance It commemorates the resurrection of Christ from the dead and should
be employed in exercises of worship and spiritual devotion, both public and
private, and by resting from secular employments, except works of necessity or
mercy. Acts 20:7. Heb. 4:3-11, 10:24-25.
16. The righteous and the wicked We believe
that there is
a radical and essential difference between the
righteous and the wicked; that such only as through faith are justified in the
name of the Lord Jesus and sanctified by the Spirit of our God are truly
righteous in His
Article 2 - Articles of
Faith
16. The righteous and the wicked
(continued)
and that this distinction hold among men
both in and after death. Malachi 3:18. Rom. 1:17. I John 5:19. Luke
16:25.
17. The resurrection The scriptures
clearly teach that
Jesus rose from the dead. He appeared to the
disciples after His resurrection in many convincing manifestations. He now
exists in His glorified body at God's right hand. There will be a resurrection
of the righteous. The bodies of the righteous will conform to the glorious
spiritual body of Jesus. The bodies of the wicked will be resurrected at the
Great Whit Throne and cast into the lake of fire. Matt. 28:1-10. I Thess.
4:16-18. I Cor. 15:51-53. Rev. 20:11-15.
18. The return of the Lord The New
Testament teaches in many places the visible and personal return of Jesus to
this earth. "This same manner as ye have seen Him go into Heaven." (Acts 1:11).
The time of His coming is not revealed. "Of that day and hour knoweth no one,
no, not the angels in heaven, but my Father only." (Matt. 24:36). It is the duty
of all believers to live in readiness for His coming and by diligence in good
works to make manifest to all men the reality and power of their faith in
Christ. Matt. 24:37-42, 25:1-13. John 14:1-3,6.
19. Evangelism and missions It is the
duty of every
Christian man and woman, and the duty of
every church
of Christ to seek to extend the Gospel to
the ends
of the earth. It is the duty of every child
of God
to seek constantly to win the lost to Christ
by personal
effort and by all other methods sanctioned
by the Gospel
of Christ. Mark 16:15. Matt. 28:19-20. Psa.
126:5-6.
20. Stewardship God is the source of
all blessings temporal and spiritual; all that we have and are, we owe to Him.
We have a debtor-ship to the whole world, a holy trusteeship in the Gospel, and
a binding stewardship in our possessions, We are therefore under obligation to
serve Him with our time, talents and material possessions; and should recognize
all these as entrusted to us to use for the glory of God and helping others.
Christians should cheerfully, regularly, systematically, proportionately, and
liberally contribute to their means to advancing the Redeemer's cause on earth.
Malachi 3:8-10. Luke 6:38, 12:34. Matt. 6:33. II Cor.
9:6-7.
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