Core Beliefs
The following are the core beliefs of Antioch Baptist Church | Lovelady, TX, based on the foundational truths taught in the Bible. All of our teaching and ministry is rooted in and flows out of these biblical doctrines.
God
There is one and only one living and true God. He is Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe. He reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes but one divine essence.
The Father reigns with providential care over His creation and is fatherly toward all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.
The Son, Jesus Christ, is the eternal Son of God who became man, lived a sinless life, died for our sins, rose from the dead, and will return in power and glory.
The Holy Spirit is fully divine, convicting of sin, regenerating, and empowering believers for Christian living and service.
The Father reigns with providential care over His creation and is fatherly toward all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.
The Son, Jesus Christ, is the eternal Son of God who became man, lived a sinless life, died for our sins, rose from the dead, and will return in power and glory.
The Holy Spirit is fully divine, convicting of sin, regenerating, and empowering believers for Christian living and service.
The Scriptures
The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God’s revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth without any mixture of error for its matter. Scripture is the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions should be tested.
Mankind
Man is the special creation of God, made in His own image. He created them male and female as the crowning work of His creation. Though created innocent, man sinned against God and brought sin into the human race. Only the grace of God through Jesus Christ can bring man into His holy fellowship and fulfill the purpose of life. Every person of every race possesses full dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love.
Salvation
Salvation involves the redemption of the whole person and is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. In its broadest sense, salvation includes:
Regeneration – the new birth, a work of God’s grace by which the Holy Spirit gives spiritual life, convicts of sin, and brings the sinner to repentance and faith in Christ.
Justification – God’s gracious act of declaring the sinner righteous through faith in Jesus Christ.
Sanctification – the process by which believers are set apart for God’s purposes and grow in holiness.
Glorification – the final state of believers in the presence of God forever.
Regeneration – the new birth, a work of God’s grace by which the Holy Spirit gives spiritual life, convicts of sin, and brings the sinner to repentance and faith in Christ.
Justification – God’s gracious act of declaring the sinner righteous through faith in Jesus Christ.
Sanctification – the process by which believers are set apart for God’s purposes and grow in holiness.
Glorification – the final state of believers in the presence of God forever.
The Church
A New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is a local body of baptized believers who are associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel. They observe the two ordinances of Christ—Baptism and the Lord’s Supper—and seek to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth. Each church is autonomous and operates under the Lordship of Christ through democratic processes.
The Family
God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. Parents are to demonstrate God’s pattern of marriage to their children and to teach them spiritual and moral values.