CORNERSTONE INDEPENDENT BAPTIST CHURCH

ENOLA, PA.

PURPOSE AND STATEMENT OF FAITH

Preamble

We, the members of Cornerstone Independent Baptist Church, in orderly manner do hereby establish the following principles by which we mutually agree to be governed in the affairs of our church.

Article I - Name

The name of this church shall be Cornerstone Independent Baptist Church, Enola, Pennsylvania, United States of America.

Article II - Purpose

The purpose of this church shall be:

1. To evangelize the lost through personal soul-winning, visitation, and preaching of the Word of God.

2. To edify believers through the systematic teaching of the Bible.

3. To establish fundamental Baptist Churches around the world through an energetic missionary program.

4. To carry out the scriptural responsibilities of an autonomous Baptist Church in accordance with the principles of God’s Word.

5. To earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered to the saints.

(Jude 3&4)

Article III - Associations and Co-operation

Section 1. This church shall be an independent, autonomous Baptist Church subject only to Jesus Christ, its Head. It has the right to co-operate and associate with other biblical groups on a voluntary basis.

Section 2. This church shall not associate nor co-operate with any person or group which is a part of or approves of liberalism, neo-evangelicalism, the charismatic movement, secret societies or cults. (2 Corinthians 6:14-17; Romans 6:17; I Timothy 6:3-5)

Article IV - Articles of Faith

The Scriptures. We believe the Holy Bible to be the verbally inspired Word of God. We believe that through its history, it has been preserved by God. The Word of God is inerrant and infallible in its entirety, and is our only authority for faith and practice in the Church. We will use only the King James version, which we know to be sufficiently clear and pure in its wording. (2 Timothy 3:16-17;2 Peter 1:20-21; Psalm 12:6-7, 119:89,140,152.)

The person of God and the Trinity. We believe that God is eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, immutable, perfect in holiness and justice, also perfect in love, mercy and grace. He is the creator of heaven and earth. We believe He created heaven and earth in six literal, 24-hour days as given in Genesis 1. God is one in essence and nature yet three distinct person: The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. (Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19; John 1:1; Philippians 2:6)

The Person and Work of Jesus Christ. We believe Jesus Christ to be God incarnate. He is co-existent and co-equal with the Father. He was virgin born, lived a sinless life, died a vicarious death, was resurrected bodily from the tomb, and then ascended to the right hand of the Father in heaven. (John 1:1, Matthew 1:23, I Corinthians 15:3-4) We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died and shed his blood as a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. (John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 5:14,21; I John 2:2)

The person and Work of the Holy Spirit. We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person, co-existent and co-equal with The Father and The Son. ( 2 Corinthians 3:17). His work in this age is to convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. He baptizes the believer into the body of Christ. He indwells and seals the believer all at the moment of salvation. The Christian is controlled or filled with the Spirit as he submits himself to God. The Spirit empowers the Christian for witnessing for Christ. The Holy Spirit does not glorify Himself but rather points all attention to Christ the Savior. (I Corinthians 12:13, Romans 8:9, Ephesians 5:18, Acts 1:8, John 16: 7-14)

The Fall of Man. We believe that man, though made in the image of God, through willful disobedience fell from that innocent state in which he was created. All men are born in sin and are separated from God. Man is the enemy of God and can do nothing of his own self to reconcile himself to God. He is under the penalty of eternal death and if he is without Christ he is without hope. (Genesis 2-3; Psalm 51:5; Romans 3:10-91, 23; 5:12)

The Salvation of Man. We believe that men are justified (saved) only through faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross. We believe that salvation has been provided through God’s grace and mercy and is offered to all men everywhere. We believe that whosoever will may come. (Roman 3:20-28; Romans 4,5,10; Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 2:16-21; John 3:16; I Timothy 2:4 2 Peter 3:9; I John 2:2)

The Eternal Salvation of the Believer. We believe in the eternal salvation of the believer, that it is impossible for one born into the family of God ever to be lost. (Hebrews 5:9; John 6:39-40, 10:28-29; Romans 8:35-39; Jude 1)

The Local Church. We believe that a local, New Testament church is an organized body of believers immersed upon a credible confession of faith in Jesus Christ, having two offices (Pastors and Deacons), congregational in polity, autonomous in nature, and banded together for work, worship, the observance of the ordinances and the world-wide proclamation of the Gospel. (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:41-42; I Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1:22-23; I Timothy 3; I Peter 5:1-3).

The Ordinances. We believe that the Scriptural ordinances of the church are baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and are to be administered by the local church; that baptism, by immersion, should be administered to believers only as a symbol of their belief in the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and as a testimony to the world of that belief; and that the Lord’s Supper should be partaken of by believers only to show forth His death, "till He come:. (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:41-42; I Corinthians 11:23-28; Colossians 2:12).

The Reality of Heaven and Hell. We believe in the everlasting blessedness of the saved in the literal place called heaven and the everlasting, conscious punishment of the lost in the literal place called the lake of fire. (Luke 16:19-31; Revelation 20:13-15; John 3:18, 36; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9; Ephesians 2:6-9; Revelation 21:1-4)

The Return of Christ. We believe in the imminent, pre-millennial, pretribulational return of Christ for His Church. He will catch the Church up from the earth to meet Him in the air. (I Thessalonians 4:13-18; I Corinthians 15:51-58; John 14:1-3; Titus 2:13).We further believe in the literal, second coming of Christ to the earth at the end of the tribulation period. When Christ comes at this time, He will establish His literal Kingdom on earth. (Daniel 9:24-27; Matthew 24:3-31; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9, 2:1-12; Revelation 19:11-20,15; Zechariah 14:1-21).