What We Believe

God

There is but one God, the Maker, Preserver and Ruler of all things having and of Himself all perfections, and being infinite in them all. To Him all creatures owe the highest love, reverence and obedience.


The Scripture

The Scripture of the Old and New Testaments were given by inspiration of God, and are the only sufficient, certain and authoritative rule of all saving knowledge, faith and obedience.


The Trinity

God is revealed to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, each with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence or being.


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 nature corrupt and wholly opposed to God and His law, are under condemnation, and as soon as they are capable of moral action, become actual transgressors.


The Way of Salvation

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 liveth to make intercession for His people.


Justification

The great blessing which Christ secures to such as believe in Him is justification.  Justification includes the pardon of sin, and the promise of eternal life.  It is bestowed, not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done, but solely through faith in Christ; by virtue of the faith His perfect righteousness is freely imputed to the believer by God.


Repentance and Faith

Repentance and faith are wrought in our lives through our response to the working of the Holy Spirit of God; whereby, being deeply convinced of our guilt, need and helplessness, and of the way of salvation by Christ; we turn to God with sincere contrition, earnest confession and personal supplication for mercy; at the same time heartily receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as our only and all-sufficient Savior and Lord.


Sanctification

Those who have been saved are also sanctified, by God's word and Spirit filling in them.  This sanctification is progressive through the supply of divine strength, which all saints should seek to obtain, pressing after a heavenly life in sincere obedience to all of Christ's commands.


Perseverance of the Saints

Those who have with faith received Christ as Savior and Lord will never totally nor finally fallout of salvation and be lost, but shall persevere to the end; and though they may fall into sin through neglect and temptation, whereby they grieve the Holy Spirit, impair their Christian growth, bring reproach to the Church, and temporal judgments on themselves, they will not continually live in such transgression.  God in Christ has given to His people eternal life and they shall never perish; they are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.


A Christian Church

A Christian church is a congregation of baptized believers, having Christ as her head, associated together in the faith and fellowship of the gospel and observing the ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, and exercising the gifts, rights and privileges invested in them by His word.  Its only scriptural officers are Pastors (bishops, elders) and deacons.


Baptism

Baptism is an ordinance of the Lord Jesus, obligatory upon every believer, wherein she/he is immersed in water in the name of the Father, and of Son, and of the Holy Spirit, as a sign of his fellowship 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 fellowship, and to participation in the Lord's Supper.


The Lord's Supper

The Lord's Supper is an ordinance of Jesus Christ, to be administered with the elements of bread and wine or juice, and to be observed by His churches till the end of the world.  It is in no sense a sacrifice, but it is designed to commemorate His death on the cross for the sins of men; it is to be preceded always by solemn self-examination.


The Lord's Day

The first day of the week is the Lord's Day, or Christian Sabbath.  It is to be used by the Christian in exercises of worship and spiritual devotion, both public and private, and as an occasion for rest from the usual labors of other week days.


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.


The Judgment

God hath appointed a day, wherein He will judge the world by Jesus Christ; in that day the unredeemed shall go away into everlasting punishment, the redeemed into everlasting life.

Mission Statement

First Baptist Church

Loves God.

Loves His Word.

Loves and Disciples All People.


First Baptist Church, Victoria, chooses to be a people's sanctuary in the heart of the city.


We pray, minister and fear God, as we befriend all people.

We reach out beyond the confines of these walls as missionaries and disciples for Christ.


We offer varied worship and educational opportunities to all.

We commit to nurture all people, honor God, and obey Him adventurously.