Church Constitution of the Montvale Baptist Church

Montvale, Virginia

Article 1:

Statement of Faith



I. THE SCRIPTURE

We believe that the Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired; and it is

a perfect the treasure of heavenly instruction; that it has God for its author, salvation

for it’s the end, and truth without any mixture of error for its matter; that it reveals

the principles by which God will judge us; and therefore He is and shall remain to the

end of the world the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by

which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions should be tried.

II. THE TRUE GOD

We believe there is One, And only One living in true God, and infinite,

intelligent Spirit; whose name is Jehovah, the Maker and Supreme Ruler of heaven

and earth; inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy of all possible honor,

confidence, and love; that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, the

Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; equal in every divine perfection, and excluding

distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption.

III. THE FALL OF MAN

We believe that man was created in holiness, in the likeness of his Maker: but

by voluntary transgression fell from the holy and happy estate; in consequences of

which all mankind are now sinners; and not by constraint but by choice; being by

nature utterly void of that holiness required by a holy and righteous God, positively

inclined to evil; and therefore under just condemnation to eternal ruin, without

defense or excuse.

IV. THE WAY OF SALVATION

We believe that salvation of sinners it is wholly of grace; through the

mediaterial office of the Son of God, who by the appointment of the Father, freely

they took up on Him our likeness, yet without sin; honored the divine law by His

personal obedience, and by his death made a full payment or atonement for our sins;

that having risen from the dead He is now enthroned in heaven; and, uniting in his

wonderful person the tenderest sympathies with the than perfections, He is in every

way a qualified to be a suitable, compassionate, and all-sufficient Saviour.

V. JUSTIFICATION

We believe that the great Gospel blessing which Christ secures to such as

believes in Him is Justification; that Justification includes pardon of sin, and the

promise of eternal life on principles of righteousness; that it is bestowed, not in

consideration of any work of righteousness which we have done, but solely through

faith in the Redeemer’s blood; by virtue of which faith his perfect are righteousness

is freely imputed to us of God; that it brings us into a state of most blessed peace and

favor with the God; and secures every other blessing needful for a time and eternity.

VI. THE FREENESS OF SALVATION

We believe that the blessings of salvation are made free to all by the Gospel;

that it is the immediate responsibility of all to accept him by a cordial, penitent, and

obedient faith; and that nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner on earth

but his own inherent depravity and voluntary rejection of the Gospel, which rejection

involves Him in an aggravated condemnation.

VII. THE GRACE OF REGENERATION

We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be regenerated, or born

again; that regeneration consists in giving a holy disposition to the mind; that it is

effected by the manner of our comprehension by the power of the Holy Spirit; in

connection with divine truth, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the Gospel,

and that its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance, and faith, and

newness of life.

VIII. REPENTANCE AND FAITH

We believe that Repentance and Faith are our sacred duties, and also

inseparable graces, wrought in our souls 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 Jesus Christ as

our Prophet, Priest, and King, relying on Him alone as the only all sufficient Saviour.

IX. GOD’S PURPOSE OF GRACE

We believe that election is the eternal purpose of God, according to which He

graciously regenerates, sanctifies and save sinners; that being perfectly consistent

with the free agency of man, it comprehends all the means in connection with the

end; that it is a most glorious display of God’s sovereign goodness, being infinitely

free, wise, holy and unchangeable, that it utterly exclusives boasting and promotes

humility, love, prayer, praise, trust in God, and active imitation of his free mercy; that

it encourages the use of means in the highest degree; that it may be ascertained by its

effects in all who truly believe the Gospel; that it is the foundation of Christian

assurance and that to ascertain it without regard to ourselves demands and deserves

the that most diligence.

X. SANCTIFICATION

We believe that sanctification is the process by which, according to the will of

God, we are made partakers of his holiness; and it is a progress if work; that is begun

at regeneration, and that it is carried on in the hearts of believers by the presence and

power of the Holy Spirit, the Healer and Comforter, in the continual use of the of

pointed means, especially, the work of God, self-examination, self-denial,

watchfulness, and prayer. The sanctification as explained in the original Schofield

reference Bible [page 1353, (4)] is as follows: “and when ‘sanctification’ is used of

persons, it has a threefold meaning: (a) In position, believers eternally set apart for

God by redemption, ‘through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once’ (Heb.

10:10). Positionally, therefore, believers are ‘saints’ and ‘holy’ from the moment of

believing (Phil. 1:1, Heb. 3:1). (b) In experience, believers are being sanctified by

the work of the Holy Spirit through the Scriptures (John. 17:17; 2 Cor. 3:18; Eph.

5:25-26; 1 Thess. 5:23-24). And (c) In consummation, believers’ complete

sanctification awaits the appearing of the Lord (Eph. 5:27; 1 John 3:2).”

XI. THE SECURITY OF BELIEVERS OR SAINTS

We believe that all born-again persons are eternally secure in Christ since the

Scripture teaches that our justification before God alone rests upon the finished work

of Christ since the Scripture teaches that our justification before God alone rests upon

the finished work of Christ and forever remains the unchanging grounds of the

believer’s faith. This security is further guaranteed by the continuous His Priestly

work of Christ in Heaven itself, and by the work of the Holy Spirit who wrought in

the believer’s regeneration and performs an unceasing ministry with his soul. We

believe that such only are real believers as endure unto the end; that their persevering

attachment to Christ is the grand mark which distinguishes them from superficial

professors; that a special providence watches over their welfare, and they are kept by

the power of God through faith unto salvation.

XII. THE CHURCH

We believe that the church, the body of Christ, is composed of all those who have the

true faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. That the visible church or assembly is a

congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship

of the Gospel; observing ordinances of Christ, the true head of the church; looking to

the Holy Spirit, the administrator, for guidance in exercising the gifts, rights and

privileges invested in the believers by His Word; that its only a scriptural offices are

pastors and deacons whose qualifications, claims and duties are defined in Acts and

the epistles of Timothy and Titus.

XIII. BAPTISM AND THE LORD’S SUPPER

We believe that the Christian Baptism is the immersion in water of a believers, once

only, in the name of the Father and Son and Holy Spirit; to show forth, in a solemn

and beautiful emblem, our faith in the crucified, buried and risen Savior, with its

effect, in our death to sin and resurrection to a new life; that it is prerequisite to the

privileges of a church relation, and to the Lord’s Supper, in which the members of the

church by the sacred use of bread and wine, are to commemorate together the

undying love of Christ, preceded always by self-examination.

XIV. THE LORD’S DAY

We believe that the first day of the week is the Lord’s Day. It is a Christian

institution for regular observance. It commemorated the resurrection of Christ from

the dead and should be employed in exercises of worship and spiritual devotion, both

public and private, and by refraining from worldly amusements, and resting from

secular employment, work of necessity and mercy only accepted.

XV. CIVIL GOVERNMENT

We believe that Civil Government is of divine appointment, for the interest and good

order of human society; and that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously

honored and obeyed, except only in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus

Christ; who is the only Lord of the conscience and the Prince of the kings of the earth.

XVI. THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE WICKED, HERE AND HEREAFTER

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, and truly righteous in his esteem; while all

such as continue in impenitence and unbelief are in his sight wicked and under the

curse; and this distinction holds among men both in and after death; that the souls of

those who trusted in Christ for salvation, at death will go immediately into the

presence and there remain in conscious bliss until the resurrection of the righteous

dead at the Rapture of the church when soul and body will be reunited to ever be with

the Lord in glory; that the souls of the lost remain after death in misery until the final

judgment of the Great White Throne when the soul and body will be reunited in

resurrection after the Millennial reign of Christ to be arraigned before God in

judgment and then cast “into the lake of fire which is the second death” to be

punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and the glory of

his power.

XVII. RESSURECTION ANS RETURN OF CHRIST,

VIRGIN BIRHT AND SINLESS LIFE

We believe in the virgin birth, sinless life of the Lord Jesus Christ, and His

substitutionary vicarious atonement or payment for the sins of mankind by the

shedding of His own precious blood on the cross. We believe in the resurrection of

the crucified body of Christ; that this body which was raised from the dead according

to the Scriptures was a literal body consisting of flesh and bone and that He ascended

into Heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God as the believer’s High Priest and

Advocate. In the sure return of Christ for His bride, the Church, before the

Tribulation period, in which all the saints in the age of grace (or Church age) will

meet Him in the air. This is the Rapture of the Church. That the Second Coming of

Christ back to this earth will be a literal, bodily, visible, personal return to establish

His Kingdom on this earth. He will sit upon the throne of David for 1,000 years to

rule the earth.