GLACIERVIEW BAPTIST CHURCH
960 East End Road Homer, AK 99603
(907)235-8779
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COVENANT
Having been led, as we believe, by the Spirit of God to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, and on the profession of our faith, having been baptized (by immersion) in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we do now, in the presence of God and angels, and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully enter into 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 give it a sacred pre-eminence over all institutions of human origin; 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, back-biting, and excessive anger; and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the Kingdom of our Savior.
We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember each other in prayer; to aid each other in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation and mindful of the rule of our Savior 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.
Doctrinal Statement
Section 1. Of the Scriptures
We believe that the Holy Bible as originally written was verbally and plenary inspired, has God as its Author, and is the product of Holy Spirit-controlled men; and therefore, Truth without any admixture of error. We believe in the literal interpretation of both Old and New Testaments.
We believe the Bible to be the true center of Christian unity, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds and opinions shall be tried.
Section 2. Of the True God
We believe in one God eternally existent in three persons; Father, Son and Holy Spirit; that these three Persons have the same nature, attributes and perfection.
John 1:1; Matthew 3:16-17; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Acts 5:3-4; Matthew 28:19; Titus 2:13;
John 14:16-17; John 10:30; Deuteronomy 6:4-5
Section 3. Of Creation and the Fall of Man
We believe that the universe with all that is in it was created in the beginning by the Triune God; that man’s body was made from the dust of the ground and that he was created a living soul in the image of God, by a creative act of God; that the first man, Adam, fell and his original state of innocence became death, and because of the unity of the race in Adam, its natural head, all men have come under the consequences of sin, and in the case of those who reach moral responsibility, become accountable in thought, word and deed.
Genesis 1:1, 26-27; 2:2,4; 3:17-19; John 1:1-3; Romans 3:23; 5:12, 16, 18-19;
1 Corinthians 15:45-47
Section 4. Of Christ
We believe in the absolute deity of the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ; that He was divine as no other man ca be, being very God of very God, existing from all eternity co-equal with the Father and the Spirit; that He never ceased to be God for one instant and that His humiliation did not consist in laying aside His Deity; that as man He was miraculously begotten of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin, Mary. We believe that He is true God and true man; that He died for our sins as a vicarious sacrifice; that He arose in the very body in which He had been crucified, that body being glorified, He ascended to heaven and is now seated on the right hand of god interceding for His redeemed people.
John 1:1-2; 20:27-31; 1 John 5:20; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-28;24:37-40;
Genesis 3:5; Isaiah 7:14; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, 13-14; Hebrews 7:24-25; 9:24
Section 5. Of the Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person with God the Father and God the son and of the same nature; that He was active in creation; that in His relation to the unbelieving world He restrains the evil one until God’s purpose is fulfilled; that He convicts of sin, of righteousness and of judgment; that He bears witness to the truth of the gospel in preaching and testimony; that He is the agent in the new birth; that He seals, indwells every true child of God, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies (sets apart), and is an ever present help to the believer.
Acts 5:3-4; Genesis 1:1-3; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-10; John 16:7-11; John 14:26;
John 14:16-17; Luke 24:49; Romans 8:9, 14, 16, 26-27; Acts 4:29-31; Galatians 5:16-23;
2 Corinthians 2:11-13; John 1:13; Job 26:13; Genesis 1:1-3, 2:7; Romans 15:16; Job 33:4; Matthew 28:19; Hebrews 9:14; Luke 1:35; Acts 5:300-32; John 3:5-6; Ephesians 1:13-14; Mark 1:8; Acts 11:16; Luke 24:49
Section 6. Of Grace in the New Creation
We believe there is but one way of salvation, and that in order to be saved, a sinner must be born again; that the New Birth is a New Creation in Christ Jesus; that it is instantaneous and not a process; that in the New Birth, the one dead in trespasses and sins is made a partaker of the divine nature and receives eternal life, the free gift of God; that the New Creation is brought about in a manner above our comprehension, solely by the power of the Holy spirit in connection with divine Truth, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the Gospel; that its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance and faith and newness of life. We believe that through personal faith in the crucified and risen Christ, man is “justified freely from all things,” and is given the position of a child in the family of God. We believe in the eternal security of all those who place their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. We believe that faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ is the only condition of salvation from sin and this salvation is wholly by the Grace of God, and that no works, however good, make the salvation more secure, but rather prove its reality.
We believe that we are positionally sanctified in the sight of God when we accept Christ as our personal Savior; that progressively we are being sanctified daily; and that at our gathering together unto Him, we will be perfectly sanctified.
Acts 4:12; 16:31; John 3:3-8, 16-18; Titus 3:5-7; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:1-5,
Ephesians 2:8-10; John 10:27-30; Romans 8:33-39; 1 John 5:13; Romans 12:1-12
Section 7. Of Satan
We believe in the distinct personality of Satan, that he is the unholy god of this age, author of all the powers of darkness and sin. We believe that the fallen angel known as Satan was originally perfect in his ways; that because of pride and opposition to God, he fell and drew with him a large number of other angels; that Satan, together with his demons, is active in opposition to God and His work; that Satan and his emissaries were defeated at the Cross of Christ and will be bound for a thousand years at the return of Christ to the earth at the close of the Tribulation Period; and that ultimately they will be cast into the Lake of Fire where they will be punished eternally.
Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:12-19; Revelation 12:7-9; Matthew 4:1-3; 2 Corinthians 4:4;
Ephesians 6:11-12; 1 Thessalonians 2:8, 18; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12; Revelation 20:1-3;
Hebrews 2:13-15; Revelation 20:7-10
Section 8. Of the Body of Christ
We believe that the Church universal is a New Testament institution, unknown to the Old Testament prophets, established by Jesus Christ who is its sole Head, revealed through His holy apostles, empowered and perpetuated by the Holy Spirit. It began with the new Testament saints and will be consummated at the Coming of Christ in the Rapture.
Matthew 16:18; Acts 1:8; 2:1-13, 41-47; Romans 16:26; 1 Corinthians 12:12-28;
Ephesians 1:22-23; 3:21; 5:23-33; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Section 9. Of the Local Church
We believe that the Church universal is manifested through the local church which is a congregation of immersed believers; associated by covenant of faith and fellowship of the Gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws; exercising the gifts, rights and privileges invested in it by His Word. We believe that its officers are bishops (or pastors) and deacons; that it has the absolute right of self-government, directed by the Holy Spirit; that it is answerable only to Christ; and that in all matters of membership, policy, government, discipline, and benevolence, the will of the local church is final.
It is the duty of the local church to watch over its members, to purify itself from all impurities, to build itself up in the “most Holy Faith,” and to engage zealously in evangelistic and missionary work; and to train its membership to do effective work in God’s service.
Matthew 18:15-17; 1 Corinthians 1:1-9; 6:4-5; 7:17; 11:16; 1 Timothy 3:1-15;
Titus 1:4-9; Ephesians 1:19-23; 2:19-22; 3:20-21; 4:11-13; 1 Thessalonians 1:3-7;
Acts 2:40-47; 13:2 Jude 20-21; Romans 6:3-11; 1 John 3:1-3; Galatians 1:1-5
Baptism: Acts 2:38-41; 8:12-16, 36-38; 9:18;; 10:47-48; 16:15; 18:8; 19:5;
Romans 6:3-4; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Colossians 2:12; 1 Peter 3:21
Section 10. Of Church Ordinances
We believe that there are two church ordinances: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Baptism is the immersion of a believer in water and is properly called “Believer’s Baptism.” IT sets forth in a solemn and beautiful way our faith in a crucified, buried and risen Savior. This identification with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection is an outward manifestation of our inward commitment to His service with its effect in our death to sin and resurrection to a new life. It further identifies the believer with the local body of believers. Baptism is a prerequisite to the privileges of a church relation.
The Lord’s Supper is the commemoration of our Lord’s death until He comes and our continual fellowship with Him, and should be preceded by solemn self-examination
(1 Corinthians 11:23-28).
We do not believe that there is any saving merit in church membership, baptism, or the Lord’s Supper. We believe that the elements used in the Lord’s Supper are symbols only.
Section 11. Of the Righteous and the Wicked
We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that only those who through faith are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and sanctified by the Spirit of God are truly righteous in God’s sight, while all such who continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight wicked and under the curse; and that this distinction holds among men both during life and after death in the everlasting conscious state of happiness of the saved and the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost.
Malachi 3:18; Romans 6:17-23; Matthew 25:34-41
Section 12. Of Civil Government
We believe that civil government is of divine appointment for the interest and good order of human society; that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously respected and obeyed, except in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the only Lord of the conscience, and the coming “King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.” We believe in absolute separation of Church and State.
Roman 13:1-7; Matthew 22:15-21; 1 Timothy 2:1-4, 6:15-16; 2 Peter 2:9-10;
Acts 4:13-21
Section 13. Of the Return of Christ
We believe in the personal, visible, imminent, and premillenial return of our Lord Jesus Christ, in the air, before the ushering in the Great Tribulation; in the bodily resurrection of all those who have died in Christ, and the gathering unto Him of all those who are alive in Christ at His coming; that He will reign on earth during the Millennium, after which the wicked dead will be resurrected and judged along with Satan and his emissaries and will be punished forever.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:10-11; Luke 21:36; 1 Corinthians 15:51-53;
2 Peter 2:9; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-14; Revelation 3:10; 20:1-15; 21:7-8
Section 14. Of Separation
We believe in whole-hearted devotion to the cause of Christ and in separation from all worldly practices as a Scriptural basis for a happy and productive Christian life.
1 John 2:15-17; 1 Corinthians 10:31; 2 Timothy 4:1-14; 2 John 7-11; 2 Timothy 3:1-5;
John 15: 18-19; 17:13-20; Romans 6:17-23; Colossians 3:17; Ephesians 5:1-17;
Galatians 1:4; James 4:4; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18
Section 15. Of Membership Responsibilities
We believe that the Bible teaches a life of personal commitment and service for the propagation of the Gospel though the agency of the local church. We also believe that as members of this local church we should accept this body of doctrine.
Romans 12:1; Acts 13:1-4; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 15:3-4