An Abbreviated Statement of Belief

Northern Plains Independent baptist fellowship

 

    • The Bible is comprised of 66 books, without mistake or error, given to us by God to be our authority in all matters of faith and living.

    • Within context, the Scriptures are literally true, correct, and accurate in every area to which they speak.

    • We use only the King James Version (KJV) at Black Hills Baptist Camp—in devotions, teaching, preaching, and Scripture memorization.

    • Understanding the construction of the Bible through a Dispensational framework makes sense.

    • "The word “dispensational” describe the progressive and varying ways in which God challenges man throughout history to have faith and respond to Him in glory.

    • Four marks of Dispensational Theology are:

      1. We hold to a literal interpretation throughout the Old and New Testaments.

      2. We maintain a clear difference between Israel and the Church throughout Scripture.

      3. We acknowledge the “forever” nature of God’s unconditional promises to Abraham for the Jewish people.

      4. We recognize God’s Glory on display in all points of human history.

    • Dispensations do not provide different paths to salvation. In all dispensations, salvation comes only through Jesus death, burial, and resurrection, by grace through faith in God.

    • There is one God, eternally existing in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This unexplainable nature is known as the Tri-Unity of God.

    • God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory.

    • The Godhead shares in the same attributes, perfections, and characteristics of personality.

    • Deity

      • We believe that Jesus always was and will be God.

      • Jesus did not cease to be God when He entered our human world in Bethlehem’s manger (the incarnation).

    • First Advent/Coming

      • Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit; born of the virgin Mary; possesses both a divine and human nature, distinct and unmixed.

      • Jesus was without sin; died on a cross as the payment for sin in our place; was buried; but arose on the third day in the same (but glorified) body in which He lived and died.

      • Jesus ascended in His resurrected and glorified body to the right hand of God the Father.

    • Present Ministry

      • Jesus acts as our High Priest.

      • Jesus serves as our Representative, Intercessor, Mediator, and Advocate.

    • Second Advent/Coming

      • Jesus will return to earth personally, visibly, and in the same bodily form in which He had gone up into Heaven.

      • His Second coming will be in fulfillment of His promises to His Church and Israel.

    • We believe the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment.

      • He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, Who indwells and seals us unto the day of redemption.

      • The Holy Spirit helps believers understand and live the Bible.

      • The Holy Spirit will never lead us to do or believe anything that is contrary to the Word of God. We are to be led by and to walk in the Spirit.

    • The Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts to every believer, as He chooses.

    • We believe that the sign gifts, such as, speaking in tongues, interpretation of tongues, and gifts of healing, were temporary (until the writing of the New Testament), and that they are not granted by the Spirit today.

    • We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, in the Garden of Eden.

    • Man fell through sin and lost his spiritual life; he is dead in his trespasses and sins.

    • This fallen nature is transmitted to every descendent of Adam, except for the Man, Jesus (who was miraculously conceived by the Holy Spirit).

    • Man has no “spark of divine life” and is unchangeable apart from God’s saving grace.

    • We believe that salvation is wholly a work of God’s grace and not the work of man in whole or in part; that it is a gift to man, received by personal faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, Jesus Christ.

    • We believe that salvation is offered to the whole world, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

    • We believe that all true believers, once saved, are eternally secure forever because of the nature and work of Christ; and that it is the privilege of all who are saved to be assured of their salvation.