Heritage Baptist Church of Great Falls
What We Believe
Heritage Baptist Church is an Independent Fundamental Baptist Church founded on the Word of God.
What is an Independent Fundamental Baptist?
An Independent Fundamental Baptist (IFB) church operates autonomously from any central denominational authority, emphasizing self-governance and local church autonomy. Each congregation makes its own decisions regarding standards, local outreach, and worship practices, allowing for a diverse expression of beliefs while remaining true to the fundamental principles found in the Bible.
The term "fundamental" signifies a commitment to the core teachings of the Bible, viewing it as the inerrant word of God that serves as the foundation for faith and practice. "Baptist" refers to the practice of baptism by immersion, symbolizing a believer’s identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. In this context, Independent Fundamental Baptists prioritize a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, evangelism, and adherence to biblical doctrines in their worship and community life.
What does Heritage Baptist Church believe?
1. THE HOLY SCRIPTURES
We believe in the plenary and verbal inspiration of both the Old and New Testament Scriptures and that they are inerrant, infallible, and God-breathed as the supreme and final Word of God (2 Timothy 3:15-17). We also believe that the scriptures are to be interpreted according to their normal grammatical and historical meaning (2 Peter 1:20-21), and thereby agree that the King James Version of the Bible shall be the official and only English-language translation used by Heritage Baptist Church of Great Falls.
2. THE CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE
We believe that God wholly created the universe in six literal, twenty-four-hour days (Exodus 20:11). We reject evolution, the Gap Theory, the Day-Age Theory, and Theistic Evolution as unscriptural theories of origin (Genesis 1-2).
3. THE GODHEAD
We believe in one God, eternally existing in three Persons: the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19)
4. THE PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST
We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten of the Holy Spirit (John 1:13), born of the virgin Mary (Matthew 1:18), and is both true God and true man (John 1:10-11).
5. THE WORK OF JESUS CHRIST
We believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice(1 John 2:2), and that all who believe in Him are justified through the power of His shed blood (1 John 1:9). We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of Jesus Christ (John 11:35) and in His ascension into Heaven (Ephesians 4:10), there to appear as our High Priest and Advocate (Hebrews 4:14).
6. THE PERSON OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Person of the Holy Trinity that convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgement (John 16:8-11), and that He is the supernatural agent in spiritual regeneration (Romans 8:11-12), baptism of believers unto the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-13), and the spiritual indwelling (Romans 8:9) and sealing of believers unto the day of redemption (Ephesians 1:13-14).
7. THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Divine Teacher Who assists believers in understanding and interpreting the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 2:12-13) and that it is the privilege and duty of all believers to be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:17-21).
8. THE ETERNAL STATE OF MAN
We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just and unjust (Romans 6:13), the everlasting blessedness of Heaven and the saved (2 Corinthians 5:1), and the everlasting, conscious punishment of the lost in a place called "Hell" (Psalm 9:17), prepared for Satan and his angels (Revelation 12:9).
9. THE ETERNAL SECURITY OF BELIEVERS
We believe that all who by faith receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior (Ephesians 2:8) are born of the Holy Spirit (John 3:5), become children of God (Romans 8:16), possess eternal life (Romans 6:23), and shall never perish (John 10:28).
10. THE FALLEN NATURE OF MAN
We believe that man was created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), that he sinned and fell (Genesis 3:6), and therefore all men are born in sin (Romans 5:12), are depraved, and in need of salvation (Ephesians 2:5).
11. THE PERSONALITY OF SATAN
We believe that Satan is a person, the author of Sin (1 John 3:8), and the cause of the fall of man (Genesis 3:4, 1 Timothy 5:15). We believe that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man ( Romans 16:20), and that he is to be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire (Matthew 25:41, Revelations 12:9).
12. THE SEPARATION OF BELIEVERS
We believe that those who are saved should live in a manner that seeks to glorify God (1 Corinthians 10:31) and remain above reproach (Colossians 1:21-22) in all things. We reject any advance towards all sensual pleasures (2 Corinthians 6:14-18), sinful practices (1 John 2:15-16), and worldly associations (2 John vs. 9-11) as commanded by God.
13. THE CHURCH
We believe that the church is a local assembly (Philemon 1:2, Colossians 4:15) of born-again believers (1 Corinthians 12:12-14) as the body of Christ (Ephesians 1:22-23), and is represented as the espoused bride of our Lord and Savior (2 Corinthians 11:2). We also believe that the establishment, continuation, and self-government of local churches is taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures (Acts 20:28-32). We recognize water baptism and the Lord’s Supper as scriptural ordinances of obedience performed in the church (Matthew 28:19, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26).
14. THE GREAT COMMISION
We believe it is a God-given command to proclaim the Gospel (Mark 16:15, Luke 24:46-47) so that there might be a great multitude from every nation, tribe, ethnic group, and language group who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19-20). We believe every believer is an ambassador of Jesus Christ and that we must use all available means to go to all foreign nations and share the Good News of salvation (2 Corinthians 5:20).
15. THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST
We believe in the "blessed hope" (Titus 2:13); the personal, pre-tribulation, pre-millennial, and imminent return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Matthew 14:24).
What is God's plan of salvation?
1. RECOGNIZE YOUR CONDITION
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)
No one is good enough to go to Heaven on his or her merit. No matter how
much good we do, we still fall short.
2. REALIZE THE PENALTY FOR YOUR SIN
"For the wages of sin is death..." (Romans 6:23)
Just as there are wages for good, there is punishment for wrong. The
penalty for our sin is eternal death in a place called Hell.
3. RECOGNIZE WHERE SIN CAME FROM
"Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." (Romans 5:12)
We have been born with a sinful nature, which was passed down from the first man, Adam, to every generation of mankind.
4. BELIEVE THAT CHRIST DIED FOR YOU
"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
Christ's great love for us was shown when He died on the cross to pay for our sin debt.
5. TRUST CHRIST ALONE AS YOUR SAVIOR
"...but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23b)
Everlasting life is a gift purchased by the blood of Jesus and offered freely to those who call upon Him by faith.
6. CLAIM GOD'S PROMISE FOR SALVATION
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10-9-10).
All you have to do is confess that you are a sinner, ask God to save you from your sinful nature, and receive in your heart Jesus Christ as your Savior.
If you made the decision to trust Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, please reach out to us. We would love to help you with any other questions you may have and help you through the next steps as a new believer in Jesus Christ!
