Elm Baptist Church



Our Purpose


“The purpose of Elm Baptist Church isto glorify God, edify the saints, and evangelize the lost!”
We are committed to building up the body of Christ in love and sound doctrine, and then going forth to evangelize the lost in this fallen world.



Elm Baptist Church
12020 FM 514 East
Emory, Tx. 75440
(903) 473-4003

The Theological Identity of Elm Baptist Church

The most important question that anyone can ask regarding a church is, "What does the church believe and teach?"
While this article may not answer every question you have about Elm Baptist Church, we do want to assist guests and inquirers in learning more about us.
We are convinced that the church must not be so broadly open that it fails to make vitally important distinctions that the Bible itself makes. At the same time, however, we do not insist that every person share the same precise set of theological convictions on every matter. To be more specific, Elm Baptist Church is and will be characterized accurately with the following terms:

We Are Evangelical

To say that we are evangelical means that we take our stand with those who believe in what are called "the fundamentals" of the Christian faith: We believe there is one God eternally existing in three persons, the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit; equal in every divine perfection, executing distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence, and redemption. We believe in the complete humanity and deity of Jesus Christ, the virgin conception of Christ and His incarnation as the eternal Son of God, the total depravity of all humanity in their natural state, the substitutionary death of Christ as the only way of salvation, the physical resurrection of Christ, His sure return, salvation by God's grace alone through faith in Christ alone, and the infallibility and divine authority of the Bible as a faithful and true guide to what we are to believe and how we are to live.

We are evangelistic.

This means we take seriously the Great Commission of (Matthew 28:18-20). Without compromising the sovereignty of God, we affirm the responsibility of each person to repent and believe on our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We further affirm our responsibility to extend the message of the Gospel as a call to salvation to everyone who hears its message. To this end, we call all, without distinction, to drink freely of the Water of Life and to live eternally in the presence of their Creator.
This privilege and responsibility is realized not only in our immediate context, but also in the mandate from our Lord to declare His glory to the nations. For this reason we support missions who show that they are faithful handlers of God's Word, faithfully preaching the Gospel to the lost in lands and nations far and near.

We are committed to the Five Sola's.

Sola Scriptura: The Erosion of Authority
Scripture alone is the inerrant rule of the church's life, but the evangelical church today has separated Scripture from its authoritative function. In practice, the church is guided, far too often, by the culture. Therapeutic technique, marketing strategies, and the beat of the entertainment world often have far more to say about what the church wants, how it functions and what it offers, than does the Word of God. Pastors have neglected their rightful oversight of worship, including the doctrinal content of the music. As biblical authority has been abandoned in practice, as its truths have faded from Christian consciousness, and as its doctrines have lost their high place, the church has been increasingly emptied of its integrity, moral authority and direction.
Rather than adapting Christian faith to satisfy the felt needs of consumers, we must proclaim the law as the only measure of true righteousness and the gospel as the only announcement of saving truth. Biblical truth is indispensable to the church's understanding, nurture and discipline.
Scripture must take us beyond our perceived needs to our real needs and liberate us from seeing ourselves through the seductive images, clichés, promises and priorities of mass culture. It is only in the light of God's truth that we understand ourselves aright and see God's provision for our need. The Bible, therefore, must be taught and preached in the church. Sermons must be expositions of the Bible and its teachings, not expressions of the preacher's opinions or the ideas of the age. We must settle for nothing less than what God has given.
The work of the Holy Spirit in personal experience cannot be disengaged from Scripture. The Spirit does not speak in ways that are independent of Scripture. Apart from Scripture we would never have known of God's grace in Christ. The biblical Word, rather than spiritual experience, is the test of truth.
THESIS ONE: SOLA SCRIPTURA
We reaffirm the inerrant Scripture to be the sole source of written divine revelation, which alone can bind the conscience. The Bible alone teaches all that is necessary for our salvation from sin and is the standard by which all Christian behavior must be measured.
We deny that any creed, council or individual may bind a Christian's conscience; that the Holy Spirit speaks independently of or contrary to what is set forth in the Bible; or that personal spiritual experience can ever be a vehicle of revelation.

Solus Christus: The Erosion of Christ-Centered Faith
As evangelical faith becomes secularized, its interests have been blurred with those of the culture. The result is a loss of absolute values, permissive individualism, and a substitution of wholeness for holiness, recovery for repentance, intuition for truth, feeling for belief, chance for providence, and immediate gratification for enduring hope. Christ and His cross have moved from the center of our vision.
THESIS TWO: SOLUS CHRISTUS
We reaffirm that our salvation is accomplished by the mediatory work of the historical Christ alone. His sinless life and substitutionary atonement alone are sufficient for our justification and reconciliation to the Father.
We deny that the gospel is preached if Christ's substitutionary work is not declared and faith in Christ and His work is not solicited.

Sola Gratia: The Erosion of The Gospel
Unwarranted confidence in human ability is a product of another gospel. This false confidence now fills the evangelical world; from the self-esteem gospel, to the health and wealth gospel, from those who have transformed the gospel into a product to be sold and sinners into consumers who want to buy, to others who treat Christian faith as being true simply because it works (pragmatism). This silences the doctrine of justification regardless of the official commitments of our churches.
God's grace in Christ is not merely necessary but is the sole efficient cause of salvation. We confess that human beings are born spiritually dead and are incapable even of cooperating with regenerating grace.
THESIS THREE: SOLA GRATIA
We reaffirm that in salvation we are rescued from God's wrath by His grace alone. It is the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit that brings us to Christ by releasing us from our bondage to sin and raising us from spiritual death to spiritual life.
We deny that salvation is in any sense a human work. Human methods, techniques or strategies by themselves cannot accomplish this transformation. Faith is not produced by our unregenerate human nature.

Sola Fide: The Erosion of The Chief Article
Justification is by grace alone through faith alone because of Christ alone. This is the article by which the church stands or falls. Today this article is often ignored, distorted or sometimes even denied by leaders, scholars and pastors who claim to be evangelical. Although fallen human nature has always recoiled from recognizing its need for Christ's imputed righteousness, modernity greatly fuels the fires of this discontent with the biblical Gospel. We have allowed this discontent to dictate the nature of our ministry and what it is we are preaching.
Many in the church growth movement believe that sociological understanding of those in the pew is as important to the success of the gospel as is the biblical truth which is proclaimed. As a result, theological convictions are frequently divorced from the work of the ministry. The marketing orientation in many churches takes this even further, erasing the distinction between the biblical Word and the world, robbing Christ's cross of its offense, and reducing Christian faith to the principles and methods which bring success to secular corporations.
While the theology of the cross may be believed, these movements are actually emptying it of its meaning. There is no gospel except that of Christ's substitution in our place whereby God imputed to Him our sin and imputed to us His righteousness. Because He bore our judgment, we now walk in His grace as those who are forever pardoned, accepted and adopted as God's children. There is no basis for our acceptance before God except in Christ's saving work, not in our patriotism, churchly devotion or moral decency. The gospel declares what God has done for us in Christ. It is not about what we can do to reach Him.
THESIS FOUR: SOLA FIDE
We reaffirm that justification is by grace alone through faith alone because of Christ alone. In justification Christ's righteousness is imputed to us as the only possible satisfaction of God's perfect justice.
We deny that justification rests on any merit to be found in us, or upon the grounds of an infusion of Christ's righteousness in us, or that an institution claiming to be a church that denies or condemns sola fide can be recognized as a legitimate church.

Soli Deo Gloria: The Erosion of God-Centered Worship
Whenever and wherever biblical authority has been lost in the church, Christ has been displaced, the gospel has been distorted, or faith has been perverted, it has always been for one reason: our interests have displaced God's and we are trying to do His work in our way. The loss of God's centrality in the life of today's church is common and lamentable. It is this loss that allows us to transform worship into entertainment, gospel preaching into marketing, believing into technique, being good into feeling good about ourselves, and faithfulness into being successful. As a result, God, Christ and the Bible have come to mean too little to us and rest too inconsequentially upon us.
God does not exist to satisfy human ambitions, cravings, the appetite for consumption, or our own private spiritual interests. We must focus on God in our worship, rather than the satisfaction of our personal needs. God is sovereign in worship; we are not. Our concern must be for God's kingdom, not our own empires, popularity or success.
THESIS FIVE: SOLI DEO GLORIA
We reaffirm that because salvation is of God and has been accomplished by God, it is for God's glory and that we must glorify Him always. We must live our entire lives before the face of God, under the authority of God and for His glory alone.
We deny that we can properly glorify God if our worship is confused with entertainment, if we neglect either Law or Gospel in our preaching, or if self-improvement, self-esteem or self-fulfillment is allowed to become alternatives to the gospel.

We are committed to doctrinal soundness.

This is primarily expressed by means of a doctrinal statement that we believe is a good and accurate summary of the Bible's teaching. We certainly recognize that our expression of biblical truth is not flawless, yet we believe it to be a carefully worded summary of the Bible's content. We believe it is important to note that every church has a doctrinal confession or statement, even though some may claim they have "no confession but Christ" or "no creed but the Bible." Every church summarizes its convictions in some form in order to distinguish its members from those who are not believers or those who do not embrace their church's distinctives.
We further recognize that knowledge alone leads invariably to pride. It is our sincere desire to affirm truth in genuine Christian love. We believe that truth properly applied will issue forth in the affections of the heart being stirred to obedience, thus yielding a life that glorifies God. Such a God-glorifying life is the very purpose for our existence.

We seek to be centered on God's glory.

We believe that God's glory consists of the overwhelming and overflowing beauty that stems from the sum total of all His attributes (e.g., His love, wrath, mercy, justice, etc...) working together in perfect harmony.
We believe that we exist to glorify God by enjoying Him forever. This belief is inevitably expressed through praise. We praise what we delight in. Our delight is incomplete until it is expressed in worship. We worship by varied means (preaching, music, testimony, giving, fellowship, obedience, etc...) at Elm Baptist Church. When worship becomes our delight, He will then give us our hearts desire.

We are an elder led, deacon served, autonomous, congregational church.

This concept refers to our form of governance. We believe that the clear biblical pattern is for churches to be governed by elders who lead jointly by what we refer to as a Council of Elders. Their leadership should be according to scripture. Deacons will be of assistance to the Council of Elders in varied areas of service. The congregation will be served and led well by the efforts and leadership of these two offices. This council will bring recommendations to the church for discussion, and for a congregational (members in good standing) vote when applicable. We are an autonomous church. If we choose to align with any other grouping of churches for fellowship, evangelism, missions, etc..., this does not alter our status as an autonomous church, whose only head is Christ.


Summary:

We affirm these distinctives as important in the sense of being profitable for Christians to believe. We are further convinced that as one comes to appreciate these beliefs, he/she will grow to love and honor the Lord Jesus Christ more fully and understand more richly what it means to live by His grace.
Acceptance of all these distinctives, however, is not required for membership in Elm Baptist Church. One can join and be a participating member of the church without holding to any but the “evangelical”distinctive mentioned in the first section of this article. Elders, however, must hold to all these distinctives.
It is our absolute and unwavering conviction that to be strong in truth without being gentle in manner is unbiblical. It is also our profound conviction that to be gentle in manner while not adhering to scriptural truth is also unbiblical. By God's grace, we desire to be both as we press on in the Lord's glorious design for Elm Baptist Church to be used "To glorify God, edify the saints, and to evangelize the lost!”



Doctrinal Emphases of Elm Baptist Church

Purpose of Elm Baptist Church: "To glorify God, edify the saints, and to evangelize the lost!"

Doctrinal Emphases Espoused to Reach this Purpose:
I. The Nature of God: God is glorious (Exodus 15:11; Psalm 145:5). God's glory consists in the overwhelming and overflowing beauty that stems from the sum total of all His attributes working together in perfect harmony. God is perfect in His holiness (Exodus 15:11; Isaiah 6:3; 1 Peter 1:16). He is perfect in His justice (Psalm 99:4; Hebrews 6:10). He is perfect in His wisdom (Romans 11:33; 1 Corinthians 2:7; Ephesians 3:10). He is perfect in His power (Isaiah 44:24; Job 9:12; Jeremiah 32:17). He is perfect in His grace and mercy (Ephesians 1:6-7; 2:4, 7-9; Romans 3:24). He is perfect in His love (1 John 4:7-8; Romans 5:18; John 3:16).
II. The Purpose Of God:God is not only glorious, but He also loves His glory with infinite intensity (Isaiah 48:9-11) and therein lies our understanding of the foundation of His righteousness (Romans 9:14-15; Exodus 33:18-19). For God to truly be righteous, He must necessarily love what is best. Therefore, His ultimate loyalty must be to the maintenance and manifestation of His own glory. In other words, all that God does, He does for His own name's sake (Isaiah 48:11; Ezekiel 36:20-23). God created humanity for His glory (Isaiah 43:7, 21). God redeems sinners for the praise of His glory (Ephesians 1:5-6, 12, 14; Romans 3:26; 15:7). God empowers Christians to live for His glory, both individually (1 Corinthians 10:31; 1 Peter 4:11) and corporately (Ephesians 2:10; 4:1-13). God's ultimate purpose for His people is that they might see and enjoy His glory forever (John 17:21-24). His ultimate purpose for history is that "the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea" (Habakkuk 2:14, cf., Numbers 14:21). God's unswerving love for His own glory, however, does not mean that He is unconcerned about the welfare of humanity. Indeed, God's mercy and grace toward undeserving sinners is the apex of the display of His glory (Romans 9:22-23). The greatest possible good for humanity is to see God face to face, just as He is (1 Corinthians 13:12; 1 John 3:2) and to behold the beauty of the Lord (Psalm 27:4).
III. The Sovereignty of God:The God of the Bible is the Creator of the whole visible and invisible universe, and He is the sovereign ruler of it. From all eternity, He freely and unchangeably, in His most holy wisdom, ordained whatsoever comes to pass. The apostle Paul states it this way: "… being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will:" (Ephesians 1:11). God exercises sovereign control of all events from the events of rulers and nations (e.g., Daniel 4:25, 32, 34-35) to the least movement of a sparrow (Matthew 10:29). In particular, God's sovereignty is worked out in the salvation of sinners. To ensure that the salvation of sinners abounds to the praise of God's glory, God saves His people by grace alone apart from works, so that no one is able to boast (Ephesians 2:8-9). The sovereignty of God's grace is seen in God's unconditional election of His people for salvation out of the mass of sinful humanity (Romans 8:29; 9:6-23; Ephesians 1:4), the glorious substitutionary death of Christ which actually accomplished the salvation of His people (1 Peter 3:18; John 10:11-16), the irresistible grace of God's effectual call (Romans 8:30; 1 Peter 2:9), and the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit (Ezekiel 36:26-28; John 3:3-8, 6:63; Titus 3:5) that enables and moves a person to respond to the gospel of Christ in saving faith. The sovereignty of God's grace is also seen in God's persevering in grace with His saints (1 Peter 1:5; Jude 1; John 10:28-30; Philippians 1:6) so that His people will, in fact, persevere to the end and be saved. The guarantee of this is their certain glorification (Romans 8:30).
IV. The Priority of the Worship of this Glorious God:Although the priorities of the church are all crucial and intertwined (i.e., exposition, equipping [discipling], and evangelism), nevertheless, worship stands as the apex from which those priorities derive their true motivation and purpose. In other words, the ultimate end for which God created a humanity to redeem was in order that this redeemed humanity might see His glory and worship Him fully. Worship, then, is both the motive and the goal of all our deeds of love done to fellow believers (i.e., equipping/nurturing) and to unbelievers (i.e., evangelism). Beholding and being captivated by the glory of God makes us long to align ourselves with God's purposes. The goal of the body of Christ, then, is to be used to build one another up with greater capacities and desires to praise the glory of God's grace.
V. Genuine Spiritual Affections:In the Christian life, both emotions and thinking are crucial. God is not honored by either an unfeeling, joyless, loveless intellectualism or by an unthinking, uncritical emotionalism. Instead, both emotions and thinking are needed. Believers need both minds that are gripped by the truth of God acquired through the serious and rigorous study of Scripture, and hearts that are on fire with intense emotions of love for God and His glory, awe of His majestic holiness, gratitude for His mercy, and fear of His wrath. In the final analysis, what God desires most is our hearts. But the way God reaches our hearts is through our minds. It is, therefore, through the truth of Scripture that we become transformed people through the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2). This truth comes through the discipline of careful reading of the text (Ephesians 3:4) with the purpose of discerning the author's intended meaning. The work of the Holy Spirit is not to add anything to the text of Scripture, but rather to make the heart of the reader alive/humbled so that he/she will welcome and embrace the truth (1 Corinthians 2:14).
VI. The Obedience of Faith:The attitude of the human heart that brings glory to God is that of faith. Faith is the wholehearted turning to God in the heartfelt assurance (Hebrews 11:1) that God will keep His promises to those who set their hope on Him (Romans 4:20-21) and that to seek after God will result in our eternal benefit (Hebrews 11:6). Faith glorifies God because it magnifies His power, wisdom, grace, and faithfulness to work for us the good we cannot do for ourselves. Saving faith is of such a divine quality that it inevitably produces good works to the praise of God's glorious grace (1 Thessalonians 1:3; 2 Thessalonians 1:11; Galatians 5:6; James 2:14; Romans 2:13). This obedience, however, is never a work that merits or earns God's favor (Romans 3:20; 4:4), but is itself a gift from God (2 Timothy 2:25; Philippians 1:29; Ephesians 2:8-10). To this end, all the glory goes to God alone.
VII. The Purpose of the Christian Life:The purpose for which humanity was created was to glorify God by enjoying Him forever. Because God's mercy to His people is the apex of His glory, enjoying the benefits of that mercy in faith honors and glorifies God. Therefore, joy in God is essential to honoring God. The Christian is the one who, by the grace of God, has been brought to the discovery that God is the only source of satisfying and enduring joy. Therefore, God is honored by the believer's trust in Him as the only one who can fully meet his/her needs. In the infinite wisdom of God, His glory and the joy and well-being of His people are always in harmony with one another.
VIII. Perseverance of the Savior and Preservation of the Saints:There are two essential components to the believer's eternal security: (1) God will so work with His people in His grace that they will inevitably persevere to the end and be saved (1 Peter 1:5; Jude 1; John 10:28-30; Philippians 1:6). Therefore, no truly regenerate child of God will ever be lost (Romans 8:29-30). True believers are forever secure because God has ordained that they be ultimately glorified, and so will work to bring such to pass (Romans 8:29-30; 1 Thessalonians 5:24). (2) It is equally true, however, that no person will be saved without persevering to the end (Mark 13:13; Colossians 1:21-23; Hebrews 3:14; 12:14). Future and final perseverance is the ultimate test of genuine participation in Christ. Those who claim some kind of beginning in the Christian faith but do not continue give evidence of the absence of saving faith (1 John 2:19; Hebrews 3:14; 6:4-9).



Doctrinal Statement:

I. The Word of God: * We believe that the Bible is God's written revelation to humanity, and thus the sixty-six books of the Bible given to us by the Holy Spirit constitute the plenary (inspired equally in all parts) Word of God.(Jeremiah 23:28-29; 1 Corinthians 2:7-14; 2 Peter 1:20-21)
* We believe the Bible is the Word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and that it has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct. (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Mark 13:31; John 8:31-32, 17:7, 20:31)

II. God: * We believe that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; that these are equal in every divine perfection, and that they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence, and redemption. (Genesis 1:1, 26, 3:22; John 1:1-5, 14; Matthew 28:19; John 4:24, 5:21, 8:56-58, 10:28-30; Acts 5:1-4; Romans 1:19-20; Ephesians 1:3-14; Jude 3)

III. The Father: * We believe in God the Father, an infinite, personal spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. We believe that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all that come to Him through Jesus Christ. We believe that He orders and disposes all things according to His own purpose and grace. (Luke 10:21-22; Matthew 23:9; John 3:16; 6:27; Romans 1:7, 8:29-30, 9:17; 1 Timothy 1:1-2; 1 Peter 1:3; Revelation 1:6; Isaiah 44:24-28, 45:5-7, 46:9-11)
* We believe that He is the only absolute and omnipotent ruler in the universe; He is sovereign in creation, providence, and redemption. In His sovereignty, He is neither author nor approver of sin, nor does He waive the accountability of His creatures. He has graciously chosen from eternity past those whom He would have as His own, not based on anything we have done, but according to His own good pleasure.(Genesis 1:1-31; Revelation 4:11; Psalm 103:19; Romans 11:36; 1 Timothy 6:13-16; Habakkuk 1:13; John 8:38-47; 1 Peter 1:17; James 1:13; Ephesians 1:4-6; 2:8-10)

IV. Jesus Christ: * We believe in Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, and teachings. We believe in His substitutionary, propitiatory (satisfaction of His Father's holiness, thereby averting His wrath) death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people, and personal, visible return to earth. We believe Jesus Christ is coequal, consubstantial (i.e., having the same substance, nature, or essence), and coeternal with the Father.(Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38; John 1:1, 14; 10:30; 14:9; 16:15,20:28-31; Romans 9:5; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:21-23; Matthew 20:28; Ephesians 1:4; Acts 1:11; Romans 5:6-8; 6:9-10; Hebrews 1:8; 7:25; 9:28; 1 Timothy 3:16; Isaiah 9:6-7; 2 Peter 1:1)
* We believe that in the Incarnation (God becoming man), Christ surrendered only the prerogatives of deity but nothing of the divine essence, either in degree or kind.(Philippians 2:5-8; Colossians 2:9)
* We believe that Jesus Christ represents humanity and deity in indivisible oneness.(Micah 5:2; John 5:23; 14:9-10; Colossians 2:9)
* We believe that on the basis of the efficacy (effectiveness) of the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, every genuine believer is freed from the punishment, the penalty, the power, and one day the very presence of sin; and that he/she is declared righteous (justification), given eternal life, and adopted into the family of God.(Romans 3:25; 5:8-9; 2 Corinthians 5:14-15; 1 Peter 2:24; 3:18)
* We believe that in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, God the Father displayed to His creation the deity of His Son and gave proof that He accepted the propitiatory work of Christ on the cross.(Isaiah 53:10-12)

V. The Holy Spirit: * We believe in the Holy Spirit who came forth from the Father and the Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. We believe that the Holy Spirit is the supernatural and sovereign agent in regeneration. It is His work to indwell, sanctify, instruct, empower for service, and seal until the day of redemption all who believe on Jesus Christ. We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Christ, and that He is an abiding helper, teacher and guide. He is a divine person, eternal, underived (having no beginning or source), possessing all the attributes of personality and deity. In all the divine attributes, He is coequal, consubstantial, and coeternal with the Father and the Son.(John 14:16-17, 26; 15:26-27; John 16:7-14; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19; Galatians 5:22-26; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Acts 2:15-20; Hebrews 10:15-16; 2 Corinthians 3:6; Ephesians 1:13)

VI. Humanity: *We believe that humanity was directly and immediately created by God in His own image and likeness, free from sin, with a rational nature, intelligence, and volition; yet with a moral responsibility to the God who created him.(Genesis 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 11:7; Genesis 2:7, 15-25; James 3:9)
* We believe that God's intention in the creation of man was that man should glorify God by enjoying Him forever.(Isaiah 43:7; Colossians 1:16; Revelation 4:11)
* We believe that in Adam's sin of disobedience to the revealed will and Word of God, humanity lost its innocence, incurred the penalty of spiritual and physical death, became subject to the wrath of God, and became inherently corrupt and incapable of choosing or doing that which is acceptable to God apart from divine grace. Thus, every human being is totally depraved and spiritually dead, having not the ability or the power to resurrect himself and is hopelessly lost. Man's salvation is, therefore, wholly of God's grace through the redemptive work of our Lord Jesus Christ.(Genesis 2:16-17; 3:1-19,5:3; John 3:36; Romans 3:10-11, 23; 5:12; 6:23; 1 Corinthians 2:14; Ephesians 2:1-9; 1 John 1:8)
* We believe that because all humanity descended from Adam, a nature corrupted by Adam's sin has been transmitted to all of humanity (Jesus Christ, having no human father, being the only exception). All of humanity is thus sinful by nature, by choice, and by divine declaration, spiritually dead in their trespasses and sins, and by nature, children of God's wrath.(Psalm 14:1-3; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3:9-18, 23; 5:10-12; Ephesians 2:1-5_)

VII. Salvation:
A. Election:* We believe that election is the sole act of God by which, before the foundation of the world, He chose in Christ all whom He graciously regenerates, saves, and sanctifies.(Romans 8:28-30; Ephesians 1:4-11; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 2:10; 1 Peter 1:1-2)
We believe that sovereign election does not contradict or negate the responsibility of human beings to their Creator. Spiritually dead humanity, however, can never be considered righteous, and none will ever understand spiritual truths, much less ever seek after God on their own accord. Therefore, God's sovereign grace includes the only means of receiving the gift of salvation. God's sovereign election always results in what God determines. Therefore, all whom the Father gives to the son shall come to Him, and those coming in faith He will never turn away.(Isaiah 55:6-7; Luke 13:3; Acts 2:38; 3:19; 11:18; Romans 2:4; 1 Corinthians 2:14; 2 Corinthians 7:10; Ephesians 2:1-2; Romans 3:10-18; Ephesians 2:8-9; 2 Peter 1:1; Ephesians 2:4-5; John 6:37-40, 44-45, & 63-65; Acts 13:48; Romans 8:7, & 28-30; 9:11-16; Ephesians 1:4-11)
* We believe when God grants grace to totally depraved sinners, it is not related to any initiative of their own, or to God's anticipation of what they might do by their own will, but is solely on the basis of His sovereign purpose and will.(Ephesians 1:4-8; 2 Peter 1:1; Titus 3:4-7; 1 Peter 1:1-2)

B. Regeneration: * We believe that man was created by God in His own image; that he sinned and thereby incurred physical, and spiritual death, which is separation from God; that as a consequence, all human beings are born with a sinful nature and are sinners and therefore under condemnation. We believe that those who are regenerated by the Holy Spirit repent and forsake sin and trust Jesus Christ as Savior and become new creatures, delivered from condemnation, and recipients of eternal life. (Genesis 1:26; 5:2; Genesis 3; Genesis 2:17; 3:19; Ecclesiastes 2: 11; John 3:8, 14; 5:24; John 5:30; 6:63; 7: 13; 8:12; 10:26; Romans 9:22; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; Revelation 19:3, 20; 20:10, 14-15; 21:18; Psalm 51:7; Jeremiah 17:9; James 1:14; Romans 3:19; 5:19; Proverbs 28:13; 1 John 1:9; John 1:13; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 8:1; Ephesians 2:1-8)
* We believe that regeneration is manifested by fruits consistent with repentance as demonstrated in righteous attitudes and conduct. Good works will be the proper evidence and fruit of genuine repentance.(Matthew 7:18-21; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Ephesians 2:10)

C. Justification: * We believe that justification is the act of God by which He declares man righteous. This righteousness is apart from any virtue or work of man and involves the imputation of our sins to Christ and the imputation of Christ's righteousness to us. By this means, God is able to "be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus" (Romans 3:26).(Romans 8:33; 3:20, 4:6; Ephesians 2:8-9; Colossians 2:14; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 3:26)

D. Sanctification: * We believe that every genuine believer experiences justification before God. Therefore, having been justified, we believe that in the daily life of the believer he/she is being progressively conformed to the likeness of Christ. In this respect, every saved person is involved in a daily conflict-the new creation in Christ doing battle against the flesh (indwelling sin). Those who are genuinely saved will persevere to the end in this battle against the flesh. Sanctification begins in regeneration, and continues to glorification.(Ephesians 1:4; John 17:17, 19; Romans 6:1-22; 2 Corinthians 3:18; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4; 5:23; Matthew 24:13)

E. Perseverance of the Saints/Preservation by the Savior: * We believe that all those regenerated by the Spirit of God will be likewise kept by God's power and are thus secure in Christ.:(John 5:24; 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Romans 5:9-10; 8:1,31-39; I Corinthians 1:4- 8; Ephesians 4:30; Philippians 1:6; Hebrews 7:25; 13:5; I Peter 1:5; Jude 24)
Paralleling the clear teachings concerning the security of the true believer, however, are also warnings to the professing church concerning the perseverance of those who claim the name of Christ (cf., Matthew 24:9-13; Hebrews 10:23-39; Revelation 2-3).
* We believe that the true children of God, chosen from the foundation of the world, will stand firm for Christ to the end.
* We believe that references to those who do "fall away" (John 6:66), are references to men and women who claim that they are in Christ but, in reality, are not (1 John 2:19) Christ taught that the kingdom of God -the genuine elect of God- will be infiltrated with tares, those who claim -and may even think- that they are in Christ but, in reality, are not (Matthew 7:21; 13:24-30, 37-42). These professors -tares- may be members of the church in general, but have never been true citizens of the kingdom of God.
For these reasons, we believe that these warnings should be taken seriously by all of us who claim the name of Christ, including the leadership of Elm Baptist Church, "and now, little children, abide in Him; that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming" (1 John 2:28). Only the genuine elect of God will ever experience the promise of Christ "that of all which He [the Father] hath given Me [Christ] I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day" (John 6:39). Therefore, we teach and encourage all who claim the name of Christ to "examine yourselves, whether you be in the faith; prove your own selves." (2 Corinthians 13:5; cf., 1 Corinthians 10:12).
* We believe that it is the privilege of all genuine believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God's Word, but we also teach that God's Word clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion for sinful living and carnality. For that reason, we teach that "even so faith, if it has not works, is dead, being alone. “ (James 2:17).
(Romans 6:1-2, 15-22; 13:13-14; Galatians 5:13, 25-26; Titus 2:11-14)

VIII. The Church:
* We believe in the universal, living, spiritual body of which Christ is the head and all regenerated persons are members.
* We believe that churches are particular autonomous groups of the body of Christ, consisting of a company of believers in Jesus Christ, biblically baptized on a credible profession of faith, and associated for worship, ministry and fellowship. This group of believers is the membership of Elm Baptist Church.
* We believe that the overflow of the worship of this glorious God will lead the members of the church to declare the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world. (Ephesians 2:19-22; Acts 1:8; Ephesians 5:19-21; Acts 2:42; Hebrews 10:23-25)
* We believe that every child of God is baptized by the Holy Spirit into one united spiritual body, the bride of Christ, of which Christ is the Head. We also believe that the bride of Christ includes Old Testament saints (Isaiah 54:5-6; 62:4-5). (1 Corinthians 12:12-13; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:23-32; Revelation 19:7-8; Ephesians 1:22; 23; Colossians 1:18)
* We believe that the establishment and continuity of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures and that the members of the one living, spiritual, universal body are directed to associate themselves together in local assemblies (churches) (1 Corinthians 11:18-20; Hebrews 10:25). (Acts 13:1-3; 14:23, 27; 20:17, 28; Romans 16:1-5, 16; Galatians 1:2; Philippians 1:1; 1 Thessalonians 1:1)
* We believe that the one supreme authority for the church is Christ and that church leadership, gifts, order, discipline, and worship are all appointed through His sovereignty as found in the Scriptures. The biblically designated officers serving under Christ and over the assembly are elders (also called bishops, or pastors; Acts 20:28; Ephesians 4:11). The local congregation is to submit to their leadership (Hebrews 13:7, 17). The biblically designated officers serving the assembly under the direction of the elders are deacons (1 Timothy 3:8-13). Both elders and deacons must meet biblical qualifications (1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Peter 5:1-5).
* We believe that these elders who lead or rule "well" are worthy of double honor before the church, but likewise, those who continue to sin in a manner contradictory to the biblical qualifications while holding the office and responsibility of an elder must be publicly rebuked before the congregation for the purpose of making the church fearful of sinning (1 Timothy 5:17-22).
* We believe in the importance of discipleship (Matthew 28:19-20; 2 Timothy 2:2) and mutual accountability of all believers to each other (Matthew 18:5-14), as well as the need for discipline of unrepentant members of the congregation in accordance with the standards of Scripture.(Matthew 18:15-22; Acts 5:1-11; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-12; 1 Timothy 1:19-20;
Titus 1:10-16)

IX. Christian Conduct: * We believe that a Christian should live for the glory of God and the well being of his fellow men; that his conduct should be blameless before the world; that he should be a faithful steward of his possessions; and that he should seek to realize for himself and others the full stature of maturity in Christ. (1 Corinthians 10:31; Romans 12:1-3; Hebrews 12:1-2; John 14:15, 23-24; 1 John 2:3-6; 2 Corinthians 9:6-9; 1 Corinthians 4:2; Colossians 1:9-10)

X. The Ordinances:* We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to the church. The two ordinances are baptism and the Lord's Supper.
* We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of the believer in water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. We believe that the Lord's Supper was instituted by Christ for commemoration of His death. We believe that these two ordinances should be observed and administered until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. We do not believe these ordinances hold any salvific value; that is, they do not convey saving grace upon the recipient.(Matthew 28:18-20; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

XI. Religious Liberty: * We believe that every child of God is responsible to God alone in all matters of faith; that each church is independent and must be free from interference by any ecclesiastical or political authority. We are free to: submit, love, obey, and worship our Lord. We are freed from: the enslavement to, and bondage of sin that we were born in.(1 Timothy 2:5; Romans Chapters 4-8, 14:7-9, 12-23)

XII. The Last Things: * We believe in the personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth and in His eternal kingdom in heaven. We believe in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, the eternal glory of the righteous and the eternal suffering of the wicked. (Matthew 16:27; Mark 14:62; John 14:3; Acts 1:11; Philippians 3:20; 1 Thessalonians 4:15; 2 Timothy 4:1; Titus 2:13; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 1 Corinthians 15; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; Revelation 20:4-6, 11-15)



Our Church Covenant

(1) Having been led by the Spirit of God, to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, and, on the profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost (Spirit), we do now, in the presence of God, angels, and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another as one body in Christ.

(2) We engage, therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, to walk together in Christian love, to strive for the advancement of this church in knowledge and holiness; to promote its prosperity and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline and doctrines; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the gospel to all nations.

(3) We also engage to maintain family and personal devotions; to educate our children in the Christian faith; to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances; to walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment, to avoid all gossip, backbiting and excessive anger; to seek God's help in abstaining from all practices that bring unwarranted harm to the body or jeopardize our own or another's faith.

(4) We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember one another in prayer; to aid one another in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation and mindful of the guidelines of our Savior to secure it without delay.

(5) We moreover engage that when we move from this place, we will, if possible, unite with a church where we can carry out the articles of this confession and the spirit of this covenant.



Member: _________________________________


Elders: _________________________________

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Date : _________________________________

TOUCHED

Oh, the joy, of love Divine;

Such peace and assurance, to be His, and not mine.

I was wretched and poor, once enslaved to sin;

'Til His light shone all about me, and His grace reeled me in.

Now a slave to righteousness, oh what joy to be;

In the service of my Lord, the One who rescued me.

From the day to day horror, of a lost and helpless soul;

To adoption, yes, a child of God, the One from whom all things flow.

Unmerited favor (?) , yes, now I understand;

I am born again, not of myself, but by the touch of the Master's Hand!

Touched,

The D.O.G.preacher

Malnutrition......In A Land Of Plenty...Part 2
(So...What’s In Your Pantry?)

It might be that you have already performed this exercise, however once is not enough for what we are doing here. This must be something you eventually do continually. You will, in time, progress to a point where this exercise will progress to a 'preventative maintenance' type of work, instead of a 'spring cleaning'.

Okay, let's all do this together. In keeping with the theme of this series, let's open our pantries for inspection. No, I won't be looking, just you...& Him. Just so we all are on the same page, the PANTRY I am referring to is the variety of places you frequent (home [library, T.V. room, etc.], work, recreational areas, church...etc.) in which you are fed mentally/spiritually. This should include (for example) what you READ, what you VIEW, what (& who) you LISTEN to. At this point, some of you have already felt that old familiar rebellion rising up within you (yes that is rebellion), that brings forth from your lips your favorite battle cry (text), "Judge not lest you be judged...”! If that isn't the first cry, it will only be because you have first sounded off about 'legalism'. But, that's alright, stay with us here and see that this is applicable to you just as it is to all of us.

How many of you would be appalled if you answered the knock at your door, and found a few people who said, "Hi, I hope you don't mind if we come in. We would like to curse and swear, make blatant innuendos of a sexual nature, show you some graphic violence and murders via this slide show. Don't worry, we brought our own projector. Now, for a little mood music, could you play some Eminem, Beastie Boys, Spice Girls, Korn, AC/DC, Prince...or basically anything that glorifies illicit sex, violence and death, you know, anything opposite of what God would approve of you consuming? Oh, c'mon, even if YOU don't have anything like that in the house, we know your children do. Speaking of them, have you seen the commercials for the sadistic (rated T for Team, M for mature, and WORSE) games for their PlayStation or whatever that is that YOU bought them for Christmas, and then allowed it to be in their room w/their own TV?! WELL....it's been nice entertaining you for the evening...now, pay up! You surely didn't think this kind of entertainment would be free, did you?"

Just the thought of someone barging in your home with this filth and degradation is appalling to consider, isn't it? We might react, saying, “I wouldn't stand for that in my house, I would throw them out.” NO, YOU WON'T.....instead; YOU call THEM up and INVITE them out, and PAY them to come into your home. Is it local cable you have, or is it satellite, transmitting all of this "junk food" into your home.

No, I am not saying that the TV is Satan in a box. The TV is neither righteous nor evil. It is you & I...humans. WE are the ones who choose the sexually suggestive programs we watch, the vanity promoting magazines we read, the suggestive (violence, sex, rebellion) lyrics we listen to, and repeatedly pound into our heads.

Have you caught yourself laughing at the sexual innuendos (all outside of Gods intentions for sex) of your favorite sit-com, de-sensitized to the multitudes of brutal crimes (Assault, rape, murder, etc.) that we watch on the hour-long dramas, OR, the complete assault on your mind with the pooling together of these with the Names of our Saviour and God being continuously & flippantly taken in vain, in the Movies we watch?

Philippians 4:8-9....."(8) Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things (are) honest, whatsoever things (are) just, whatsoever things (are) pure, whatsoever things (are) lovely, whatsoever things (are) of good report, if (there be) any virtue, and if (there be) any praise, think on these things. (9) These things which you have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you. One must be very selective in their consumption of the various media outlets of this world, if they intend on keeping their mind on the things we are urged to keep them on in Philippians. Personal Holiness is not a real popular thing today....but, it should be. It amazes me how Christians today lament the fact that they are worried (finances, children, job, etc.) so much, and seem to have 'no peace of mind'. As the aforementioned scripture stated, "...the God of peace shall be with you."...WHEN you put your mind on the things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, good report, virtuous, & praiseworthy...THEN the God of peace WILL be with you, and 'peace of mind' will be yours.
We all know what GIGO stands for, right? Yeah, that's right, garbage in.....garbage out. That's right, what we feed on (whether physically, or spiritually/mentally) WILL make up who we are. THEN, what is inside us will come from us in our actions.

NEXT.....Pt.3, Manna from Heaven!

Feeding On The Word,

The D.O.G.preacher

GRACE

(My Conversion...& yours!)

I was born in sin,

a curse of "the fall";

not I alone...

but humanity...all.

My trajectory was downward,

as only it could be;

'til His hand caught my falling soul,

graciously revealing Himself to me.

I saw my sin...

my state...my plight;

then turning from darkness,

I ran to light.

By grace, through faith,

I have been set free;

no longer a slave to sin,

but to the One Who's blood bought me.

Before the foundation of the world,

He chose me, in Him to abide;

Then with irresistible grace,

did draw me to His side.

And so, fearing not,

I now stand;

So safely cupped,

in those nail-scarred hands.

With God for me,

whom shall I fear;

as He preserves me,

I persevere!

In His Hand,

The D.O.G.preacher

Yes, this is my conversion I wrote about, but it easily could have been yours also. Notice that there is nothing personal about this testimony to God's saving grace that links it only to me (or anybody else). Quite frankly...this is simply what happens to every one who has ever been born from above (born again).

Malnutrition......In a land of plenty
(Those Who Have, & Those Who Have Not)

You have all seen the pictures I am sure. A Child...with swollen belly, and frail appendages; How does this happen, we ask. The answer is Malnutrition. Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary/10th Edition defines malnutrition as "faulty or inadequate nutrition". BOTH of these defining points play a part in these children we see in the aforementioned condition. An inadequate supply of food combined with the fact that there is not the right kinds of foods for balanced nutrition, and the contamination factor (water & food), ALL contribute to the malnutrition we see in these commercials...asking for us to help...to help get the right foods for a balanced nutrition. They must get the PURE (uncontaminated) water & bread to these little ones, or they have NO HOPE!!

Now...take the time to look around you. We live in a land of plenty. For most, there is an adequate supply of food here. For most it is clean & contamination free food & water. We have in this Country (for the most part) exactly what is needed for balanced nutrition. And yet, this Country is one of the most obese and out of shape in the world, not to mention the most wasteful. This is to our great shame.

From The Physical To The Spiritual

This country does have its malnourished. In this country (for the most part) there are no excuses. In a land where we have an abundance of food & water that is uncontaminated and is perfect for supplying the bodies with the needed nutrition for good health.....look at us. One has the accessibility to the proper diet, but prefers to ingest the things that will slowly lead their body...their health, to physical ruin. Is this an example of insanity? That IS a fair question.Those of you reading this who watch what you eat very closely, and have probably been in agreement with all I have written so far.....what's your excuse ? Yes, YOU!

When it comes to physical food you have been wise, and have taken care of your body by regulating what your dietary intake will be. How much more should you regulate your spiritual/mental intake? There are many types & brand names of food in the grocery store competing for your loyalty as a consumer. Yet, you resist an urge to buy 6 Twinkies & 3 Turtle Fudge Cheesecakes by the reasoning that this would not be good for your body. This is much the same as it is in the field of Religion. There are new marketing strategies every day it seems, to entice you to be a loyal consumer of their brand. However...this is a part I will wait to comment on for awhile.

So.....You Think You’re Sane Do You?

Didn't some one say that the definition of insanity was to do the same thing over and over, the exact same way.....and expect different results ? Oh...YHWH our God, let us be transformed by the renewing of our minds, help us to put on the mind of Christ (Yeshua). Then, we will be of sound mind.

I will get right down to the issue at hand. 1 John 2: 15-17 says, "(15) Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (16) For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. (17) And the world passes away, and the lust thereof: but he that does the will of God abides forever."

OK, I will pause for those who wish to repent & clean house now!

What kind of mental/spiritual "food" are you feeding on daily? Have you 'counted the cost' of grazing at the feeding troughs of the world? As you "sip the wine of the wrath of her fornications" you are desensitized and deceived as to your spiritual state. Alright, let's get down to the crux of the matter. The "Churches" of today are disobedient & a stench in His nostrils. Oh, I know...not you & yours...it's those "others". My advice unto you (as unto myself) is to "examine yourself", and all that entails.

Humble yourself before the Almighty, and ask Him to point out any wicked way in you (me). Do this (pray) right after you have read 1 John 2: 15-17, and then read it again. No one that He loves will be exempt at this point from the chastising conviction of the Holy Spirit of God upon your heart/mind. Will you be found guilty of loving this present world more than the One who redeemed you? Or will you be righteous in your own eyes? Be careful Mr. Pride, & think this through. When you "feed" on the things of this world instead of His 'manna' from heaven, you will be the baby christian who is so pitiful & sad. With a bloated spiritual belly from the worlds contaminated food & drink that you are ingesting, you have no strength to stand when needed. You are weak in all areas, especially the mind. The Church is FULL of this because the Church is FULL of the WORLD!!The passage says, "...if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him."

Accounting/Inventory Department

Do you love this One who died that you might have life abundant & eternal? It is time to take inventory. It is time for an accounting. When you rationalize the few sex scenes, and the nudity as a MUST for making a good movie (huh?), and the MANY times God's name is taken in vain (not just the times it is linked up with damn.), as well as the barrage of sexual innuendos, ask yourself, "Am I even remotely pleasing to God BY these actions, or is He displeased with my choice of entertainment?" I assure you He will NEVER approve of your preference for the world over Him as a way to spend your time. That would be contradictory to His Word. Oh, you may hear a still small voice say, "it's okay, you're a good boy/girl....”. Guess what? That wasn't God!! God NEVER approves of or winks at our sin. That was your wicked and deceitful heart trying to justify the sin you love so much. Well....this is the Accounting/Inventory Department.....excuses and self righteous 'feelings' carry NO weight around here.

Final Thoughts on Part 1

So.....how are we doing out there? There's only two types (and that is INSIDE the Christian camp) that are reading this. One says (with bowed head), “search me dear God, and reveal to me my wicked ways, and help me to know you more, and my ways to be pleasing to you." Then there's the other type. I know him well. I used to be him. He already had a hundred thoughts of self-justification for his ways before half-way finishing this post. He is angry at such [legalistic] nonsense. I am free he says. I have Christian liberty. My friend, look around you...right now, in your own home/room/desk/bookshelves/magazine racks/cd-dvd changer/your mind.....ooh....see. THAT isn't free. That is displeasing to Almighty God!

Stay tuned for Part 2: So.....What's In Your Pantry?

Grateful for grace,

The D.O.G.preacher

The D.O.G. House

This is the initial post of "The D.O.G. House", a blog centered around Elm Baptist Church & operated by the Elders, of which I am one. I am Gregg Hall (Elder/Pastor), A.K.A the D.O.G.preacher. The D.O.G. is for "Doctrines Of Grace" of course! I hope to inspire other members of Elm Baptist Church to not only enter "The D.O.G. House" to read the Posts and to comment, but hopefully to contribute their "kibbles & bits" (relevant posts) concerning Elm Baptist Church, so that those of you who are curious can get to know us!