A Summarized Statement of Faith of West CDO Baptist Church

West CDO Baptist Church believes that the 66 books of the Bible are God's final and complete written revelation to man. From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is perfect and without error because it was given by the inspiration of God. The Holy Spirit used specially chosen men to record every word in every book of the Bible, but still it is truly and fully the Word of God. The Bible alone is the only rule of our faith and practice. The truth of Scripture stands in judgment of men; never do men stand in judgment of the Scriptures.

The Bible is eternal and has been preserved for man's use from generation to generation. It is therefore without mistake or error. We believe the King James Version of the Bible, also called the Authorized Version, is the preserved Word of God. The King James Version is the only acceptable English translation to be used in the public ministry of this church.

West CDO Baptist Church believes there is only one true and living God. We believe God is eternal, without beginning or end. He is the creator and sustainer of all things. God is absolutely perfect in all that He is and all that He does, and in all of His characteristics. He is holy, pure, and righteous. God is self-existent, infinite, unchanging, all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-present.

We believe in the tri-unity of God, which means there is one God who exists in three equal, but distinct Persons within the Godhead: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are equal and one in nature and in substance, and yet they are unique in their person and functions. Each member of the Godhead equally deserves worship and obedience. This is a mystery beyond our comprehension – one God but existing in three separate, but equal Persons.

West CDO Baptist Church believes the Son of God is distinct and different from the Father, and yet equal with the Father in His deity. The Son of God possesses all the same characteristics and qualities of God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is the human name of the eternal Son of God, given to Him when He became a human being at the incarnation.

We believe that Jesus Christ became the visible and physical manifestation of the Godhead to man when He became a man through the virgin birth. While Jesus was on earth He was truly Emmanuel, God with us. He lived a sinless life, worked real miracles, died a substitutionary death for sinners, experienced a literal bodily resurrection and enjoyed a victorious return to heaven.

The Lord Jesus Christ is presently seated at the right hand of the Father in eternity and is the one and only Savior for sinful man. He is now waiting to receive His people at the rapture, and to return seven years later to earth to rule and reign as King for 1,000 years.

West CDO Baptist Church believes the Holy Spirit is a member of the Godhead, just as the Father and Son are members also. We believe He has personality and possesses all the characteristics of Deity. We believe the Holy Spirit has always been involved in the affairs of man. However, the Holy Spirit has some unique ministries different than the Father or Son. The Holy Spirit inspired the holy Scriptures. The Holy Spirit has a special ministry in the world which began at the day of Pentecost and will continue until the rapture. This ministry includes convicting the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. The Holy Spirit also regenerates, sanctifies, seals and fills all who have repented and placed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

West CDO Baptist Church believes that man was directly and personally created by God Himself. God created man in His own image and likeness. Man was created perfect and without sin. He possessed intelligence, wisdom, a free will and moral responsibility to God. We believe that God created man for a purpose–that man should glorify God, enjoy God's fellowship and live his life in the will of God. In this way man could accomplish God's purpose for him in the world.

When Adam committed the sin of disobedience and rebellion to the revealed will God and the clearly spoken Word of God, man lost his innocence. Man became corrupt and unclean. He immediately came under the wrath of Almighty God. Man brought upon himself the penalty of spiritual and physical death. A corrupted sin nature from Adam has been passed to all the descendants of Adam, to everyone except the Lord Jesus Christ. Apart from the grace of God, man is hopelessly lost in sin.

West CDO Baptist Church believes all men were born with an inherited sin nature, received from their common ancestor, Adam. Therefore, man is a sinner by nature; but, he is also a sinner by his own choice. He is a sinful and unrighteous creature. He is totally incapable of saving himself, transforming himself or ceasing from his sin by his own power. The only hope man has for salvation and deliverance from sin is through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ as the only Lord and Saviour.

We believe that all persons who have not received Jesus Christ as their Saviour are already condemned for eternity in the lake of fire.

West CDO Baptist Church believes that all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are eternally saved. The security of a Christian's salvation does not depend upon his ability to avoid committing sin. Instead, every person who has been saved is kept safe by the power of God and are therefore secure in Jesus Christ forever. They have eternal and everlasting life, and will never perish. Believers can confidently rejoice in the assurance of their salvation. However, the Word of God clearly forbids a Christian to use this security as an opportunity for worldly attitudes, sinful living or shameful carnality.

West CDO Baptist Church believes that saved people should sincerely separate from sin in all of its forms. God's people should not be a part of the world system of ungodliness and uncleanness. Christians should be clearly different than the world around them in their appearance, attitude, ambitions, and actions. This principle is often taught throughout the Old and New Testaments.

We believe that all saved persons should live in a way that demonstrates their love for God and their gratitude to Him for His marvelous love, compassion, mercy, grace, kindness, goodness, patience and forgiveness. Believers should be separated unto our Lord Jesus Christ and show that the Christian life is a life of obedient righteousness and a continual pursuit of holiness. Truly, our glorious God is worthy of our total consecration and dedication to Him.

West CDO Baptist Church believes that God has clearly explained in His Word His original design, plan and purpose for human sexuality. Physical intimacy is to be enjoyed only within the bonds of marriage. God has restricted the physical relationship to be allowed only by a married couple. And the couple must be a male and a female. Marriage between two persons of the same gender is never recognized or approved by God. The only acceptable legitimate marriage is between a male and a female. God does not approve of any sexual activity outside that relationship. Culture may change, but God and His Word do not change. Any corruption of God's design and plan are counted as immoral and sinful.

Therefore, any form of immorality is not acceptable to God, whether fornication, adultery, homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, incest, pedophilia or pornography. These are perversions of God's original intention for human sexuality. It should also be stated that God does not approve of anyone attempting to alter their gender whether by outward appearance or by surgery.

West CDO Baptist Church believes that men and women are spiritually equal in their position before God and of equal value and importance. But, God has ordained distinct and separate spiritual roles in the family and the church. The husband and father is to be the leader in the home, and men are to be the leaders of the local church, as pastors and deacons.

God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. The husband is to love and lead his wife just as the Lord Jesus Christ loves and leads His church.

The wife is to submit to the leadership of her husband and follow him just as the church submits to the headship of Jesus Christ. Children are an heritage and gift from the Lord. They are to submit to the authority and instruction of their parents.

The parents have the responsibility and obligation to teach, train, nurture, admonish and discipline their children.

West CDO Baptist Church believes that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control or the physical or mental well being of the mother are acceptable.

West CDO Baptist Church believes the church is the body of Jesus Christ in the world. The church was begun during the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ and was empowered by the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. Some of the purposes for the local church are worship, fellowship, service, fulfilling the Great Commission, and observance of the two ordinances, that are baptism and communion. The local church is to be composed of persons who have been saved and scripturally baptized according to the command of Jesus Christ. There are Biblical two offices in the local church, the pastor and deacons, but the Lord Jesus Christ is the head of the Church.

With these things in mind, the local church can be defined as an organized assembly of baptized believers, voluntarily united together under Biblical leadership in order to obey the Word of God; to glorify, worship and serve the Lord Jesus Christ; to observe the ordinances; and to fulfill the Great Commission.

We believe the establishment and continuity of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures. Believers of every generation are instructed and expected to associate themselves together in local assemblies.

West CDO Baptist Church believes that God has ordained and created all authority in the universe. God has ordained three primary institutions to implement God's principles of authority in this world. Those institutions are: 1) the home, 2) the church, and 3) the state (human government). Every person is to be subject to these authorities, but all three of them (including the authorities themselves) are answerable to God and governed by His Word. God has given each institution specific biblical responsibilities and balanced those responsibilities with the understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the other. The home, the church, and the state are equal and sovereign in their own respective sphere under God's authority.

West CDO Baptist Church believes that all angels were created by God. Angels are a higher order of creation than human beings; they are wiser and more powerful than man. But, like man, they were also created to serve God and to worship Him, and therefore angels should never be worshiped.

We believe that Satan was originally created as a holy angel named Lucifer. He became the author of sin incurred the judgment of God by rebelled against his Creator, God Almighty. Because of this Lucifer was condemned by God and became the devil or Satan. He came under the judgment of God.

He was not content with his personal rebellion against God, but influenced a large number of other angels to follow his sin. He also influenced man to sin against God.

Satan is now the open and declared enemy of God, man and the holy angels. He is the prince of this world who has been defeated through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He will eventually be finally and eternally punished in the lake of fire.

West CDO Baptist Church believes that the Lord Jesus Christ will return to the clouds for the event called the rapture. The souls of those believers who have already died will come with Christ to the clouds and be reunited with their bodies that the Lord will resurrect at that time. Also at the same time, the Lord will remove all living believers from the earth. Then all believers will return to heaven where they will appear before the judgment seat of Christ.

We believe that immediately following the removal of all believers from the earth at the rapture, the righteous judgments of God will be poured out upon the world during a seven-year period called the Great Tribulation. At the end of the tribulation period, Jesus Christ will return to the earth in glory with all believers and His holy angels at the event called His second coming. He will establish His messianic kingdom for a thousand years on the earth.

After the millennial reign of Christ on earth, the heaven and earth will be completely destroyed by God by fire. Then will be the Great White Throne judgment. And finally the new heaven and the new earth will appear.