YokotaBaptistChurch.org

The Scriptures

We believe the Old and New Testaments to be verbally inspired by God, inerrant, and that they are of supreme and final authority in faith and life (II Timothy 3:16, 17; II Peter 1:19, 21). We will use the King James translation of the Bible as our primary text in all ministries of this church.

The Godhead

We believe the Godhead eternally exists in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; that these three are one God, having precisely the same nature, attributes, and perfections (Genesis 1:1,26; Matthew 3:16,17; Matthew 28:19,20; II Corinthians 13:14; Romans 8:9).

The Lord Jesus Christ

We believe in:

1. His eternal existence as God (Hebrews 1:8)
2. His incarnation by means of the virgin birth (Luke 1:35; Isaiah 7:14)
3. His death on the cross as the substitutionary atonement for sin (Romans 3:25; Hebrews 9:14)
4. His literal bodily resurrection from the dead (Luke 24:36-43; Acts 10:40-41)
5. His present ministry of intercession in heaven (Acts 1:9; I John 2:1; Hebrews 3:1,2)
6. His personal bodily return to earth (Acts 1:11; I Thessalonians 4:16; Colossians 2:9; Matthew 26:64)

The Holy Spirit

We believe the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Godhead, convicts men of sin (john 16:8; regenerates, indwells, seals (I Corinthians 3:16; Ephesians 1:13, 14); and sets believers apart unto a holy life; He keeps and empowers our daily life (I Corinthians 2:13). Anyone who does not have the Spirit living in him is not a child of God (Romans 8:9)

Man

We believe:

1. Man was created innocent and pure (Genesis 1:26)
2. Adam fell through the sin of disobedience (Romans 5:19)
3. Thereby all men are corrupted in body, mind and soul (Romans 5:12; Jeremiah 17:9; Ephesians 2:3)
4. Therefore all are in need of redemption

Satan

We believe in the reality and personality of Satan (Job 1:6-9; Job 2:3: Matthew 4:1-11; I Peter 5:8; James 4:7)

Salvation

We believe:

1. That salvation is soley by grace through faith in the blood sacrifice, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ the Son of God (Ephesians 2:8-9)
2. All who receive Him are regenerated by the Holy Spirit and become children of God (Titus 3:5)
3. All who are truly saved are kept forever (John 10:27-30)
4. However, God cannot overlook sin in His children and will chasten and correct in love (Hebrews 12:5-8)

The Church

We Believe:

1. That the local church is composed of regenerated, baptized believers, voluntarily united together for the purpose of worship, edification, fellowship of believers, spiritual growth, and service
2. That it has been commissioned by Christ to propagate the Gospel unto the uttermost parts of the earth 3. That the local church has the absolute right of self-government free from interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations, and that the one and only superintendent is Christ, through the Holy Spirit
4. That on all matters of membership, of policy of government, of benevolence, the will of the local church is final (Acts 2:41-47; 4:33-37; 5:1-20; Ephesians 4:11-16)

We believe that Christ gave only two ordinances to the local church to be observed ’til He comes.’

1. The Lord’s Supper - It was left us as an ordinance by the Lord Himself (Matthew 26:26, 27:28; Mark 14:22-24, and others), for a memorial of His death until He comes. It should be taken only by obedient Christians and should not be taken unadvisedly but with the examination of one’s life (I Corinthians 11:23-34)

2. Believer’s Baptism - We believe that we practice baptism by immersion because of the example of our Lord Jesus while He was here on earth (Matthew 3:13) and because of the command given by our Lord to baptize (Matthew 28:19). We believe that the Scriptures clearly teach believers’ baptism only (Acts 8:37)

It should be made clear that there is no saving power in baptism. It is meant as a first step of obedience for those who are already saved, giving a clear picture of the fact that the believer is dead, buried and raised spiritually with Jesus Christ by faith in Him (Romans 6:6)

The Future

We believe in the personal, premillennial return of Jesus Christ. He will come: (a)For His saints together at the rapture (I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Titus 2:13); (b)Back with His saints to set up His kingdom on this earth (Jude 14,15). We believe in the eternal conscious blessedness of the saved and the eternal conscious punishment of the lost (Luke 16:19-31)

Separation

We believe it is our duty to call the attention of believers to the scriptural teaching of separation and that we should abstain from worldly practices and live lives devoted unto the Lord (Romans 12:1,2; II Corinthians 6:14-7:1; I Peter 1:15,16)

Missions

We believe it is each Christian’s privilege and responsibility to be a witness for Christ in life and in word and seek to lead others to a saving knowledge of Christ (Romans 10:14; Matthew 28:19,20)