STATEMENT OF BELIEFS
We affirm the Holy Bible as the inspired word of God and the basis for our beliefs.
A Confessional Church
Lone Willow Baptist Church is a confessional church. This means that we adhere to a historic, written confession as a faithful, accurate summary of biblical teaching. Our confession, the London Baptist Confession of 1689, is considered one of the faithful, orthodox confessions of the Protestant Reformed Tradition.
Our church affirms the historic creeds of orthodox Christianity such as the Apostles Creed and the great historic councils which affirmed the Trinity, the deity of Christ, substitutionary atonement, and the other doctrines of historic Christianity.
An Evangelical Church
Our theology is evangelical in that it affirms the historic Protestant tenants such as Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone) and Sola Fide (Faith Alone). Sola Scriptura declares that the Bible is the sole inspired, inerrant, infallible authority which directs the faith and practices of believers. Sola Fide declares that the sole ground of our justification before God is the gift of saving faith in which the merits of the righteousness of Jesus Christ, the perfect God-man, are imputed to the sinful believer. Though good works will absolutely be the fruit of every believer, these works are not the grounds of our justification.
A Reformed Church
Our theology is Reformed in that it affirms the distinct doctrines rediscovered during the Protestant Reformation by men such as Martin Luther, John Calvin, and John Knox - particularly affirming the sovereignty of God and the centrality of God in all of life. The structure of this theology is the biblical Covenant of Grace. These doctrines included a strong Biblical emphasis on what is often referred to as the “Regulative Principle of Worship” in which the local church embraces what God calls us to do in a service of worship - joyfully emphasizing faithful, exegetical preaching, the public reading of Scripture, heartfelt prayer, theologically sound songs, hymns and spiritual songs, and the Lord’s Supper. Important tenants rediscovered during the Reformation were known as the “Five Solas”.
The Solas of the Protestant Reformation
Sola Scriptura - The Bible is the sole written divine revelation and it is the sole source of authority and instruction for humanity on all matters of life and godliness.
Sola Fide - Justification is by faith alone in the imputed righteousness of the sinless Savior, Jesus Christ
Solus Christus - Jesus Christ is the only mediator through whom we are redeemed and receive all of the benefits of our redemption
Sola Gratia - Our salvation rests completely upon the grace of God given to us, not based on anything we have done
Soli Deo Gloria - To God alone belongs the glory for all things, including our salvation
Key points of issue in theology are summarized by the acrostic TULIP; the Five Points of Calvinism:
T - Total Depravity - Briefly, total depravity declares that all men are corrupted by the Fall to the extent that sin penetrates the whole person, leaving them in a state by which they are now by nature spiritually dead and at enmity with God. This results in the bondage of the will to sin by which the sinner is morally unable to incline himself to God, or to convert himself, or to exercise faith without first being spiritually reborn by the sovereign work of the Holy Spirit (Ps. 51:5, Rom. 5:12, Col. 2:13, John 3:5-7).
U - Unconditional Election - Unconditional election refers to God's sovereign and gracious work of election by which, from all eternity, God determines to exercise saving grace to a particular group of people chosen from out of the mass of fallen humanity. God gives this saving grace according to the good pleasure of His will, and not according to some foreseen actions, responses, or conditions met by men. God's election is based purely on His sovereign grace and not upon anything done by humans. The elect are brought to true repentance and saving faith by the work of the Holy Spirit. The elect receive special saving grace from God. The non-elect receive common grace, experience the common benefits of sun and rain, but in the end are passed over, remain in their sin, and receive the justice of God (Deut. 7:6,7; Rom. 8:28-30; Eph. 1:4; 1 Peter 2:8,9; John 6:44; Matt. 5:45).
L - Limited Atonement - Limited atonement means that though the value and merit of Christ's atonement are unlimited and sufficient to save the whole world and are offered to all who repent and believe, the efficacy of the atonement is applied only to the elect, and that, by God's design. This means that in God's eternal plan of salvation the atonement was designed to accomplish redemption for the elect and that God's plan of redemption is not frustrated by the refusal of the impenitent to avail themselves of its benefits. In this sense all for whom the atonement was designed to save, will be saved (2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Peter 3:18; Gal. 3:13; John 11).
I - Irresistible Grace - Irresistible grace refers to the grace of regeneration by which God effectually calls His elect inwardly, converting them to Himself, and quickening them from spiritual death to spiritual life. Regeneration is the sovereign and immediate work of the Holy Spirit, working monergistically. This grace is operative, not cooperative, meaning that those who are regenerate always come to saving faith, as they are made willing to come to Christ to Whom they most certainly flee and cling for their redemption (Ez. 36:26-27; Rom. 8:30; John 3:3-8; Titus 3:5; Eph. 2:1-10).
P - Perseverance of the Saints - Perseverance of the saints means that those who are truly regenerate and truly come to saving faith will never lose their salvation. They may fall into manifold temptations and spiritual weakness, even into radical sin but never fully and finally because God, by His grace, preserves them. The intercession of Christ for the elect is efficacious unto eternity (John 3:16; John 10:27-30; Rom. 8:35-39; 1 Jn. 5:13).
Additionally, we also affirm the following doctrinal statements that express our convictions