THE WAY - ATHENS, AL
STATEMENTS OF FAITH
As the leadership of the Way Church, it is our aim to pave the pathway for a healthy and persisting future of this body. Health in regard to the steadfast faithfulness to God’s word and pursuing the highest end, glorifying God and enjoying Him forever. The statement of faith contained below is the minimum set of beliefs that a member of the Way Church must hold. Therefore, we ask that each member, or prospective member, carefully review each item and find them to be foundational truths worth standing upon as we do. The verbiage below has been adapted from Baptist Faith and Message 2001 authored by Southern Baptist Convention.
The Bible is the inspired word of God and is without error in the original manuscripts. It’s timeless in its relevancy and is the story of what God did to bring people into relationship with himself through Jesus Christ (2 Tim. 3:16–17; John 5:39–40; Luke. 24:25-27).
God exists, without beginning or end, as one God in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are distinct in person and role but share the same substance (Gen. 1:1; Deut. 4:35; John 1:1–3; Acts 5:1–5).
A.The Father
The Father is the architect of creation and salvation. Through Jesus Christ, he brings all things into existence and reconciles all things to himself (Gen. 1; Col. 1:12–14; 19–20; Heb. 1:1–2).
B. The Son
The Son is the creator, sustainer, and reconciler of the entire created order (Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:3; Rom. 8:19—25; Col. 1:18—20). He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary (Luke 1:26—35). He died for the sins of His people, absorbed the entirety of God’s wrath, and was raised from the dead on the third day (Isa. 53; Col. 1:15–16; Rom. 4:24–25; 5:9; 1 Cor. 15:3–4). He ascended into heaven and sits on his throne where he reigns, intercedes, and watches over his people (Acts 1:9—11; 2:33; 5:31; Rom. 8:34; Heb. 1:3; 7:25; 10:12). He will return to the earth to bring judgment and salvation (Acts 1:9—11; 2 Thess. 1:5—10; Heb. 9:28).
C. The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit washes, sanctifies, and justifies the people of God. He speaks through the prophets, Christ, and the apostles (Mark 12:36; Acts 1:16, 4:25, 7:51; 2 Pet. 1:21). He convicts the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment, and glorifies the risen Son (1 Cor. 6:11; John. 16:14).
God created humanity in his image for joy in and fellowship with God. He created them male and female innocent of sin and with freedom of choice. Through the sin of Adam, death entered and spread to all people, innocence was lost, and freedom was exchanged for slavery. We are out of relationship with God and are under God’s wrath and in desperate need of reconciliation (Romans 5:12; 6:15-23; John 3:36).
Salvation involves the redemption of the whole man, and is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer. In its broadest sense salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.
A. Regeneration
Regeneration, or the new birth, is a work of God’s grace whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus. It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace.
Repentance is a genuine turning from sin toward God. Faith is the acceptance of Jesus Christ and commitment of the entire personality to Him as Lord and Savior.
B. Justification
Justification is God’s gracious and full acquittal upon principles of His righteousness of all sinners who repent and believe in Christ. Justification brings the believer into a relationship of peace and favor with God.
C. 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.
D.Glorification
Glorification is the culmination of salvation and is the final blessed and abiding state of the redeemed.
(Genesis 3:15; Exodus 3:14-17; 6:2-8; Matthew 1:21; 4:17; 16:21-26; 27:22-28:6; Luke 1:68-69; 2:28-32; John 1:11-14,29; 3:3-21,36; 5:24; 10:9,28-29; 15:1-16; 17:17; Acts 2:21; 4:12; 15:11; 16:30-31; 17:30-31; 20:32; Romans 1:16-18; 2:4; 3:23-25; 4:3ff.; 5:8-10; 6:1-23; 8:1-18,29-39; 10:9-10,13; 13:11-14; 1 Corinthians 1:18,30; 6:19-20; 15:10; 2 Corinthians 5:17-20; Galatians 2:20; 3:13; 5:22-25; 6:15; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-22; 4:11-16; Philippians 2:12-13; Colossians 1:9-22; 3:1ff.; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; 2 Timothy 1:12; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 2:1-3; 5:8-9; 9:24-28; 11:1-12:8,14; James 2:14-26; 1 Peter 1:2-23; 1 John 1:6-2:11; Revelation 3:20; 21:1-22:5)
A New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the two ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word, and seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth. Each congregation operates under the Lordship of Christ through democratic processes. In such a congregation, each member is responsible and accountable to Christ as Lord. Its two scriptural offices are that of pastor/elder/overseer and deacon. While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor/elder/overseer is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.
(Matthew 16:15-19; 18:15-20; Acts 2:41-42,47; 5:11-14; 6:3-6; 13:1-3; 14:23,27; 15:1-30; 16:5; 20:28; Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 3:16; 5:4-5; 7:17; 9:13-14; 12; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 3:8-11,21; 5:22-32; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:18; 1 Timothy 2:9-14; 3:1-15; 4:14; Hebrews 11:39-40; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Revelation 2-3; 21:2-3)
Both ordinances are practices commanded by Christ for the Church. They put a visible difference between those that belong to the church and the rest of the world. Therefore, the profession of faith must precede the inclusion of one to participate.
A. Baptism
Baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer’s faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, the believer’s death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. It is a testimony to his faith in the final resurrection of the dead.
B. The Lord’s Supper
Communion is the way that we celebrate our deliverance from sin by Christ’s death and one of the ways that we look forward to his second coming
(Matt. 26:26; 1 Cor. 11:26). We celebrate weekly to remind ourselves of the unity that we have with Christ and with one another because of his death and resurrection (1 Cor. 11:17—32).
Matthew 3:13-17; 26:26-30; 28:19-20; Mark 1:9-11; 14:22-26; Luke 3:21-22; 22:19-20; John 3:23; Acts 2:41-42; 8:35-39; 16:30-33; 20:7; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians 10:16,21; 11:23-29; Colossians 2:12.
Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a
lifetime. It is God's unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His church and to provide for the man and the woman in marriage the framework for intimate companionship, the channel of sexual expression according to biblical standards, and the means for procreation of the human race.
(Genesis 1:26-28; 2:15-25; 3:1-20; Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Joshua 24:15; 1 Samuel 1:26-28; Psalms 51:5; 78:1-8; 127; 128; 139:13-16; Proverbs 1:8; 5:15-20; 6:20- 22; 12:4; 13:24; 14:1; 17:6; 18:22; 22:6,15; 23:13-14; 24:3; 29:15,17; 31:10-31; Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; 9:9; Malachi 2:14-16; Matthew 5:31-32; 18:2-5; 19:3-9; Mark 10:6- 12; Romans 1:18-32; 1 Corinthians 7:1-16; Ephesians 5:21-33; 6:1-4; Colossians 3:18- 21; 1 Timothy 5:8,14; 2 Timothy 1:3-5; Titus 2:3-5; Hebrews 13:4; 1 Peter 3:1-7)
It is the duty and privilege of every follower of Christ and of every church of the Lord
Jesus Christ to endeavor to make disciples of all nations. The new birth of man's spirit by God's Holy Spirit means the birth of love for others. Missionary effort on the part of all rests thus upon a spiritual necessity of the regenerate life, and is expressly and repeatedly commanded in the teachings of Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ has commanded the preaching of the gospel to all nations. It is the duty of every child of God to seek constantly to win the lost to Christ by verbal witness undergirded by a Christian lifestyle, and by other methods in harmony with the gospel of Christ.
(Genesis 12:1-3; Exodus 19:5-6; Isaiah 6:1-8; Matthew 9:37-38; 10:5-15; 13:18-30, 37- 43; 16:19; 22:9-10; 24:14; 28:18-20; Luke 10:1-18; 24:46-53; John 14:11-12; 15:7-8,16; 17:15; 20:21; Acts 1:8; 2; 8:26-40; 10:42-48; 13:2-3; Romans 10:13-15; Ephesians 3:1- 11; 1 Thessalonians 1:8; 2 Timothy 4:5; Hebrews 2:1-3; 11:39-12:2; 1 Peter 2:4-10; Revelation 22:17)
God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring the world to its appropriate end. According to His promise, Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth; the dead will be raised; and Christ will judge all men in righteousness. The unrighteous will be consigned to Hell, the place of everlasting punishment. The righteous in their resurrected and glorified bodies will receive their reward and will dwell forever in Heaven with the Lord.
(Isaiah 2:4; 11:9; Matthew 16:27; 18:8-9; 19:28; 24:27,30,36,44; 25:31-46; 26:64; Mark 8:38; 9:43-48; Luke 12:40,48; 16:19-26; 17:22-37; 21:27-28; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:11; 17:31; Romans 14:10; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 15:24-28,35-58; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Philippians 3:20-21; Colossians 1:5; 3:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18; 5:1ff.; 2 Thessalonians 1:7ff.; 2; 1 Timothy 6:14; 2 Timothy 4:1,8; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 9:27-28; James 5:8; 2 Peter 3:7ff.; 1 John 2:28; 3:2; Jude 14; Revelation 1:18; 3:11; 20:1-22:13
As the leadership of the Way Church, it is our aim to pave the pathway for a healthy and persisting future of this body. The purpose of this statement of faith is to safeguard the body from disunity and beliefs in unhelpful doctrine within the elder body. Therefore, we have adapted the Elder Affirmation of Faith originally authored by Bethlehem Baptist Church. Elders must be able to agree to the entire document below without reservation.
Due its length, it is linked below: