What We Believe

We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Bible, as it is in truth, the Word of God. (I Thessalonians 2:13). We believe in verbal, plenary inspiration, and God's preservation of His pure words to every generation (II Timothy 3:16, Psalms 12:6-8). The inspired King James Bible is the only version we accept and use.

The Word of God is our sole authority for faith and practice. The Bible is the Basis for our Beliefs and Behavior!

We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections (Deuteronomy 6:4; II Corinthians 13:14).

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, equal with God the Father and God the Son and of the same nature; that He was active in the creation; that in His relation to the unbelieving world He restrains the Evil One until God’s purpose is fulfilled; that He convicts of sin, of judgment and of righteousness; that He bears witness to the truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony; that He is the agent in the New Birth; that He seals, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies and helps the believer.

John 14:16-17; Matthew 28:19; John 3:5-6; Genesis 1:2; John 14:26

We believe in the Genesis account of creation, and that it is to be accepted literally, not allegorically nor figuratively; that man was created directly in God’s image and after His own likeness; that man’s creation was not a matter of evolution nor evolutionary change of species, nor development through interminable periods of time from lower to higher forms; that all animal and vegetable life was made directly, and God’s established law was that they should bring forth only "after their kind."

Genesis 1:1, 11, 24, 26-27; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 1:1-3; John 1:1-3

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men (John 1:1-2, 14; Luke 1:35; Isaiah 9:6; 7:14; Philippians 2:5-8; Galatians 4:4-5).

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His finished work on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead (Romans 3:24-25; I Peter 2:24; Ephesians 1:7; I Peter 1:3-5).

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven, and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate (Acts 1:9-10; Hebrews 9:24, 7:25; Romans 8:34; I John 2:1-2).

We believe the "Blessed Hope" of our Lord's return is literal, personal, visible, imminent, premillennial, and pre-tribulational. Believers will be caught up to be with the Lord prior to the seven years of tribulation, and at the end of the tribulation Christ will return with His saints to establish His thousand-year reign on the earth 

I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; I Thessalonians 1:10; Revelation 3:10; Zechariah 14:4-11; Revelation 19:11-16, 20:1-6; Psalm 89:3-4.

We believe that Satan was once holy, and enjoyed heavenly honors; but through pride and ambition to be as the Almighty, fell and drew after him a host of angels; that he is now the malignant prince of the power of the air, and the unholy god of this world. We hold him to be man’s great tempter, the enemy of God and His Christ, the accuser of the saints, the author of all false religions, the chief power behind the present evil world, the lord of the antichrist, and the author of all powers of darkness — destined, however, to final defeat at the hands of God’s own Son and to the judgment of an eternal justice in Hell, a place prepared for him and his angels.

Isaiah 14:12-15; Revelation 12:9; I Peter 5:8; II Corinthians 4:4; Ezekiel 28:14-17; II Corinthians 11:13-15

We believe that man was created in innocence under the law of his Maker, but by voluntary transgression, he fell from his sinless and happy state, in consequence of which all mankind are now sinners, not by constraint, but by choice, and therefore under just condemnation without defense nor excuse.

Genesis 3:1-6, 24; Romans 3:10-19, 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3

We believe that the clear message of salvation is repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21). We believe that salvation is "by grace" plus nothing minus nothing. We believe that men are justified by faith alone and are accounted righteous before God only through the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 

Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:12; I Peter 1:18-19.

We believe that all the redeemed, once saved are kept by God's power and are thus secure in Christ forever. We believe that eternal life is the present possession of every born-again believer 

John 6:37-40, 10:27-30; Romans 8:1, 38-39; I Corinthians 1:4-8; I Peter 1:4-5; Jude 1, 2. 

We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace, through the mediatorial offices of the Son of God, who by appointment of the Father, freely took upon Him our nature, yet without sin, honored the Divine law by His personal obedience, and by His death made a full and vicarious atonement for our sins; that His atonement consisted not in setting us an example by His death as a martyr, but was the voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner’s place, the Just dying for the unjust, Christ the Lord, bearing our sins in His own body on the tree; that, having risen from the dead, He is now enthroned in heaven and uniting in His wonderful person the tenderest sympathies with Divine perfection, and that He is in every way qualified to be the only suitable, compassionate, and all-sufficient Saviour.

Ephesians 2:8; Romans 3:24; John 3:16; Philippians 2:7; II Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 1:1-3

We believe that repentance and faith are solemn obligations and inseparable graces, wrought in our souls by the quickening Spirit of God; that they occur when we willfully and knowingly turn from our sin and by faith receive the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord.

Acts 20:21; Acts 2:37-38; Romans 10:9-13; II Corinthians 7:10

We believe that those who are born again become "new creatures in Christ Jesus" and because of the "operation made without hands," are eternally secure in the grace of God and have been given eternal salvation. We believe that they are forever sealed and shall never "come into condemnation"; that grand attachment to Christ is the mark which distinguishes them from superficial professors; that a special Providence watches over their welfare; and that they are kept by the power of God through faith unto eternal salvation.

II Corinthians 5:17; John 10:28-29; Colossians 2:11-12; Romans 8:1, 35-39; I Peter 1:3-5

We believe that a Baptist church is a congregation of baptized believers associated by a covenant of faith and fellowship of the gospel, said church being understood to be the "pillar and ground of the truth," observing the ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, and exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word; that its officers are pastors and deacons whose qualifications, claims, and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures. We believe the true mission of the church is found in the Great Commission; first, to make individual disciples; second, to build up the church; third, to teach and instruct as He has commanded. We hold that the local church has the absolute right of self-government, free from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations, and that the one and only leader is Christ through the Holy Spirit; that it is Scriptural for true churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the gospel; that every church is the sole and only judge of the measure and method of its cooperation; and that on all matters of membership, policy, government, discipline, and benevolence, the will of the local church is final.

Acts 2:41; I Timothy 3:15; Ephesians 4:11; Acts 18:8; Acts 5:42; I Timothy 3:1-13

We believe that Christian baptism is the complete immersion of a believer in water, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Saviour; that it pictures our death to sin and resurrection to a new life, is the obedient submission of the child of God, and does not constitute in part or in whole salvation or redemption; that it is a prerequisite to the privileges of a church relationship and to the Lord’s supper.

Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42

We believe that the members of the church, by the sacred use of unleavened bread and the unfermented fruit of the vine, are to commemorate together the undying love of Christ, preceded always by solemn self-examination.

We practice closed communion. Only members of Bella Vista Baptist Church are allowed to partake in communion. 

 I Corinthians 11:23-28.

We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord; and, that separation from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices and associations is commanded of God 

II Timothy 3:1-5; Romans 12:1, 2, 14:13; I John 2:15-17; II John 9-11; II Corinthians 6:14-7:1.

We believe that the command to give the Gospel to the world is clear and unmistakable, and this Commission was given to the churches.

Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; John 20:21; Romans 10:13-15

We believe that civil government is of Divine appointment, for the interests and good order of human society; that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored and obeyed, except in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the only Lord of the conscience and the coming Prince of the kings of the earth.

Romans 13:1; I Peter 2:13, 14, 17; Philippians 2:10-11