What We Believe

What We Believe

Balboa Baptist Church is a family of believers. We hold dear the following beliefs...

GOD

God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He eternally exists as one essence in three co-equal distinct persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God created the universe and guides history for His purposes. [Genesis 1:1Romans 8:28Genesis 1:1Deuteronomy 6:4Ephesians 4:6John 14:16-17John 1:1-18]

If you want to learn how to have peace with God, click HERE

CHRIST

Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven’s glory and will return again someday to Earth to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. [John 1:11420:30-31]

THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. He is the one who inspired men to write the Scriptures. He enables men to understand truth. He exalts Christ. He convicts of sin. He calls men to the Savior, and brings regeneration. He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts by which they serve God through His church. He seals the believer for the day of final redemption. His presence in the Christian is the assurance of God to bring the believer into the fullness of the stature of Christ. He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service. [Genesis 1:2Psalm 139:7Matthew 28:19Luke 11:13John 4:242 Timothy 1:14Revelation 22:17]BIBLE The Bible is God’s Word to us, written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. [2 Timothy 3:16-17]

HUMANITY

People are made in the spiritual image of God, to be like Him in character. People are the supreme object of God’s creation. Although every person has tremendous potential for good, all of us are marred by sin, an attitude of disobedience toward God. When one becomes a believer, he is free from sin's penalty of death but not from a daily struggle of our sinful nature. A battle still rages within the believer between the carnal and spiritual natures. When the believer confesses sin, Christ forgives and cleanses from sins. Sinning grieves the Holy Spirit, brings shame on the cause of Christ, hinders a believer's relationship with God and others and causes the believer to endure the consequences of sin. [Genesis 1:26-30John 3:16Romans 5:81 Corinthians 1:21-31Colossians 1:21-22]

SALVATION

Salvation is God’s free gift to us, but we must accept it. We can never make up for our sin by self-improvement or good works.  Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God’s offer of forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin’s penalty. When we turn from our self-ruled life and turn to Jesus in faith, we are saved. Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into his life by faith. Every person who is truly saved is eternally secure in the Lord Jesus Christ. [Ephesians 2:8-9] Click HERE for the plan of salvation, and how to become a Christian.

BAPTISM

A person demonstrates his acceptance of Christ, is acting in obedience to Christ’s command, and joins the local church via believer’s baptism. Baptism by immersion is the biblical mode of baptism. It is an identification with Christ by picturing his death, burial and resurrection. [Acts 2:3841-421 Corinthians 12:13]

LORD’S SUPPER

A believer remembers Christ’s death and encourages Christian unity through partaking of the Lord’s Supper. The Lord's Supper is an opportunity for personal examination and reflection as we observe the "Lord's death until He comes." The bread and cup are symbols of His body and blood which were broken and spilled out for our salvation and is done in "remembrance" of Him until He comes again. [1 Corinthians 11:23-2633]

CHURCH

The Church is Christ’s body through which He accomplishes His purposes on Earth. The church is a group of believers brought together by the Spirit of God to carry out the Great Commandment by practicing the Great Commission and observing the two ordinances of the church - baptism and the Lord's Supper. Each church is an autonomous body operating under the leadership of Christ as the Head of the Church. [Ephesians 4:12-16]

ETERNITY

People were created to exist forever, either eternally separated from God by sin, or eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is death. To be eternally in union with Him is eternal life. Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal existence. Those persons who die in their sins without Christ spend eternity in Hell and those persons who die with their sins forgiven through Christ spend eternity in Heaven. [Matthew 25:31-4145-46]

Click HERE for the Baptist Faith and Message