what we believe
Immanuel Baptist Church is an autonomous local church in friendly cooperation with the Desoto Tate Baptist Association, the Southern Baptist Conviction, and the Mississippi Baptist Convention. These articles were adopted by Immanuel Baptist Church in January of 2025 and can be found in our Constitution and Bylaws. They are a combination of historical baptist statements and summarizations agreed upon by the church.
I. THE SCRIPTURES
The Scriptures of the Old Testament and the New Testament were given by inspiration by God, and being without error, are the only sufficient, certain, and authoritative rule of all saving knowledge, faith, obedience, and church government.
II. GOD
There is but one God, the Maker, Preserver, and Ruler of all things, having in and of Himself all perfection, and being infinite in them all; and to Him all creatures owe the highest love, reverence, and obedience.
III. THE TRINITY
God eternally exists as three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, each with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being.
IV. PROVIDENCE
God from eternity decrees or permits all things that come to pass and perpetually upholds, directs, and governs all creatures and all events; yet so as not in any wise to be the author or approver of sin nor to destroy the free will and responsibility of intelligent creatures.
V. ELECTION
Election is the gracious purpose of God, according to which He regenerates, justifies, sanctifies, and glorifies sinners. It is consistent with the free agency of man and comprehends all the means in connection with the end. It is the glorious display of God’s sovereign goodness, and is infinitely wise, holy, and unchangeable. It excludes boasting and promotes humility.
VI. THE FALL OF MAN
God originally created man in His own image, and free from sin; but through the temptation of Satan, man transgressed the command of God, and fell from his original holiness and righteousness; whereby his posterity inherit a corrupt nature and wholly opposed to God and His law, are under condemnation, and as soon as they are capable of moral action, become actual transgressors.
VII. THE MEDIATOR
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, is the divinely appointed mediator between God and man. Having taken upon Himself human nature, yet without sin, He perfectly fulfilled the Law, suffered and died upon the cross for the salvation of sinners. He was buried and rose again the third day and ascended to His Father, at whose right hand He ever lives to make intercession for His people. He is the only Mediator, the Prophet, Priest and King of the Church, and Sovereign of the Universe.
VIII. REGENERATION
Regeneration is a change of heart, wrought by the Holy Spirit, who makes those dead in trespasses and sin alive, enlightening their hearts and minds spiritually and savingly to understand the Word of God, and rendering their whole nature, so that they love and practice holiness. It is a work of God’s free and special grace alone.
IX. REPENTANCE
Repentance is an evangelical grace, wherein a person being, by the Holy Spirit, made sensible of the manifold evil of sin, humbles himself with godly sorrow, and turns from his sin toward God. It is a changing of mind, and its fruit is changed behavior, words, and thoughts.
X. FAITH
Saving faith is the belief, on God’s authority, of whatsoever is revealed in His Word concerning Christ; accepting and resting upon Him alone for justification, sanctification, and eternal life. It is wrought in the heart by the Holy Spirit and leads to a life of holiness.
XI. JUSTIFICATION
Justification is God’s gracious and full acquittal of sinners who believe in Christ, from all sin, through the satisfaction that Christ has made; not for anything done by them; but on account of the obedience and satisfaction of Christ, they receive and rest on Him and His righteousness by faith.
XII. SANCTIFICATION
Sanctification is the experience, beginning in regeneration, by which the believer is set apart to God’s purposes, and is enabled to progress toward moral and spiritual maturity through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in him. Growth in grace should continue throughout the regenerate person’s life.
XIII. PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS
Those whom God has accepted in the Beloved, and sanctified by His Spirit, will never totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere to the end; and though they may fall, through neglect and temptation, into sin, whereby they grieve the Spirit, impair their graces and comforts, bring reproach on the Church, and temporal judgments on themselves, yet they shall be renewed again unto repentance, and be kept by the power of God through faith unto Salvation.
XIV. THE CHURCH
The Lord Jesus is the Head of the Church, which is composed of all His true disciples and in Him is invested supremely all power for its government. According to His commandment, Christians are to associate themselves into particular societies or churches; and to each of these churches He has given needful authority for administering that order, discipline, and worship which He has appointed. The ordained officers of a church are Pastors and Deacons.
XV. BAPTISM
Baptism is an ordinance of the Lord Jesus, obligatory upon every believer, wherein he is immersed in water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, as a sign of his union with the death and resurrection of Christ, of remission of sins, and of his giving himself up to God, to live and walk in newness of life. It is prerequisite to church membership and to participation in the Lord’s Supper.
XVI. THE LORD’S SUPPER
The Lord’s Supper is an ordinance of Jesus Christ, to be administered with the elements of bread and fruit of the vine, and to be observed by His churches till the end of the world. It is in no sense a sacrifice, but is designed to commemorate His death, to confirm the faith and other graces of Christians, and to be a bond, pledge and renewal of their communion with Him, and of their church fellowship.
XVII. THE LORD’S DAY
The Lord’s day is a Christian institution commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which occurred on the first day of the week (Mat. 28:1), for regular observance and should be employed in exercises of worship and spiritual devotion, both public and private.
XVIII. LIBERTY OF CONSCIENCE
God alone is Lord of the conscience; and He has left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men. Man being created in God’s eternal image has been given the revealed word for his guide. The functions of civil magistrates are ordained of God. We who are Christians should subject ourselves to all lawful things which do not contradict God’s commandments, not for fear of punishment, but for peace of conscience.
XIX. THE JUDGMENT
God has appointed a day, wherein He will judge the world by Jesus Christ, when everyone shall receive according to his deeds; the wicked shall go away into everlasting punishment; the righteous, into everlasting life with Him.
XX. THE RESURRECTION
The bodies of men after death return to dust, but their spirits return immediately to God--the righteous to rest with Him; the wicked, to be reserved under darkness to the judgment. At the last day, the bodies of all the dead, both just and unjust, will be raised for final judgment.
XXI. THE FAMILY
God created the family as the foundational institution of human society. It is composed of persons related to one another by marriage, blood, or adoption. The family exists to glorify God, promote human procreation, and nurture intimate companionship within the biblical guidelines for family and marriage. Marriage represents Christ’s loving self-sacrifice for, nurture of, and permanent communion with His bride, the church. The institution of marriage is between one man and one woman, as assigned at conception. The man is to be head of the household as Christ is Head of the church and God is the Head of Christ (1 Cor. 11:3).
Children are a gift and blessing from the Lord. The parents’ duty is to teach and train their children in the ways and service of the Lord (Eph. 6:4). The primary responsibility of this education and training is at home from the parents with the local church serving to complement the efforts of the parents in raising their children with a sound biblical world view. Children are commanded in Scripture to obey their parents.