The Bible
We believe that the entire Bible is inspired of God and that holy men of God “were moved by the Holy Spirit” to write the very words of Scripture. We believe that this divine inspiration extends equally and fully to all parts of the sacred writings—historical, poetical, doctrinal, and prophetical—as appeared in the original manuscripts. We believe that the whole Bible (66 books) in the originals is, therefore, without error. We believe that all the Scriptures center around the Lord Jesus Christ in His person and work in His first and second coming. We also believe that all the Scriptures were designed for our practical instruction. (Mark 12:26, 36; 13:11; Luke 24:27, 44; John 5:39; Acts 1:16; 17:2–3; 18:28; 26:22–23; 28:23; Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 2:13; 10:11; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21)
God
We believe that the Godhead eternally exists in three persons—the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit— and that these three are one God, having precisely the same nature, attributes, and perfections, and worthy of precisely the same homage, confidence, and obedience. (Genesis 1:2, 27; Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:18-19; Mark 12:29; John 1:1,14; Acts 5:3–4; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Hebrews 1:1–3; Revelation 1:4–6)
Jesus Christ
We believe that the eternal Son of God came into this world that He might manifest God to men, fulfill prophecy, and become the Redeemer of a lost world. To this end He was born of the virgin, and He received a human body and a sinless human nature. (Luke 1:30–35; John 1:18; 3:16; Hebrews 4:15) We believe that, on the human side, He became and remained a perfect man; however, sinless throughout His life; yet He retained His absolute deity, being at the same time very God and very man, and that His earth-life sometimes functioned within the sphere of that which was human and sometimes within the sphere of that which was divine. (Luke 2:40; John 1:1–2; Philippians 2:5–8)
We believe that in fulfillment of prophecy He came first to Israel as her Messiah-King, and that, being rejected by that nation, He, according to the eternal counsels of God, gave His life as a ransom for all. (John 1:11; Acts 2:22–24; 1 Timothy 2:6) We believe that, in infinite love for the lost, He voluntarily accepted His Father’s will and became the divinely-provided sacrificial Lamb and thereby took away the sin of the world, bearing the holy judgments against sin that the righteousness of God must impose. His death was therefore substitutionary in the most absolute sense the just for the unjust and by His death He became the Savior of the lost. (John 1:29; Romans 3:25–26; 2 Corinthians 5:14; Hebrews 10:5–14; 1 Peter 3:18) We believe that, according to the Scriptures, He miraculously arose from the dead in the same body, though glorified, in which He had lived and died, and that His resurrection body is the pattern of that body which ultimately will be given to all believers. (John 20:20; Philippians 3:20–21)
We believe that when He ascended from the earth, He was accepted by His Father and that His acceptance is a final assurance to us that His redeeming work was perfectly accomplished. (Hebrews 1:3) We believe that He became Head over all things to the church, which is His body, and in His current ministry He never ceases to intercede and advocate for the saved. (Ephesians 1:22–23; Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 2:1)
The Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the blessed Trinity, though omnipresent from all eternity, took up His abode in the world in a unique manner on the day of Pentecost according to the divine promise. We believe He dwells in every believer, and by His baptism unites all to Christ in one body, and that He, as the Indwelling One, is the source of all power and all acceptable worship and service. We believe that He never departs from the universal church, nor from the feeblest of the saints, but is ever present to testify of Christ; seeking to occupy believers with Him and not with themselves nor with their experiences. (John 14:16–17; 16:7–15; 1 Corinthians 6:19; Ephesians 2:22; 2 Thessalonians 2:7)
We believe that, in this age, certain well-defined ministries are committed to the Holy Spirit, and that it is the duty of every Christian to understand them and to be adjusted to them in his own life and experience. These ministries are the restraining of evil in the world to the measure of the divine will; the convicting of the world respecting sin, righteousness, and judgment; the regenerating of all believers; the indwelling and anointing of all who are saved, thereby sealing them unto the day of redemption; the baptizing into the one body of Christ all who are saved; and the continued filling for power, teaching, and service of those among the saved who are yielded to Him and who are subject to His will. (John 3:6; 16:7–11; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 4:30; 5:18; 2 Thessalonians 2:7; 1 John 2:20–27)
Sin and Salvation
We believe that, owing to universal death through sin, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless born again; and that no degree of reformation however great, no attainments in morality however high, no culture however impressive, no baptism or other ordinance however administered, can help the sinner to take even one step toward heaven. A new nature imparted from above, a new life implanted by the Holy Spirit through the Word, is absolutely essential to salvation, and only those thus saved are children of God. We believe, also, that our redemption has been accomplished solely by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, who was made to be sin and was made a curse for us, dying in our place; and that no feeling, no good resolutions, no sincere efforts, no submission to the rules and regulations of any church can result in salvation. (Deuteronomy 6:4, Matthew 28:19; Mark 1:9–11; John 4:24)
The New Testament Church
We believe that all who are united to the risen and ascended Son of God are members of the church, which is the body and bride of Christ, which began at Pentecost and remains completely distinct from Israel. Its members are constituted as such regardless of membership or non-membership in the organized churches of earth.
We believe that by the same Spirit all believers in this age are baptized into, and thus become, one body that is Christ’s, whether Jews or Gentiles, and having become members one of another, are under solemn duty to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, rising above all racial prejudices or sectarian differences, and loving one another with a pure heart fervently. (Matthew 16:16–18; Acts 2:42–47; Romans 12:5; 1 Corinthians 12:12–27; Ephesians 1:20–23; 4:3–10; Colossians 3:14–5)
The Last Days
We believe that, according to the Word of God, the next great event in the fulfillment of prophecy will be the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in the air to receive to Himself into heaven both His own who are alive and remain until His coming, and also all who have died in Christ. This event is the blessed hope set before us in the Scripture, and for this we should be constantly looking, since it could occur at any moment. (John 14:1–3; 1 Corinthians 15:51–52; Philippians 3:20; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18; Titus 2:11–14; Revelation 3:10)
We believe that the period of great tribulation on the earth will be climaxed by the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to the earth as He went, in person on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory to introduce the millennial age, to bind Satan and place him in the abyss, to lift the curse which now rests upon the whole creation, to restore Israel to her own land and to give her the fulfillment of God’s covenant promises. At that time the whole world will be exposed to the knowledge of God. (Deuteronomy. 30:1–10; Isaiah 11:9; Ezekiel 37:21–28; Matthew 24:15–25, 46; Acts 15:16–17; Romans 8:19–23; 11:25–27; Revelation 20:1–3)
Giving
We believe that every Christian, as a steward of that portion of God’s wealth entrusted to him, should give to support his local church financially. We believe that God has established the principle of giving whereby Christians should give regularly and cheerfully to the support of the Church and the relief of those in need.
Marriage
Iola Baptist Church believes that Scripture defines marriage as the permanent, exclusive, comprehensive, and conjugal “one flesh” covenant union between one man and one woman, intrinsically ordered to procreation and family, and in furtherance of the moral, spiritual, and public good of binding father, mother, and child. (Genesis 1:27–28, Genesis 2:18–24, Matthew 19:4–9, Mark 10:5–9, Ephesians 5:31–33) Iola Baptist Church believes that sexual acts outside marriage are sinful. Consequently, Iola Baptist Church members should resist and refrain from any and all sexual acts outside marriage—including but not limited to adultery, fornication, cohabitation (living together while not legally married), and homosexuality. (Exodus 20:14, Leviticus 18:7–23, Leviticus 20:10–21, Deuteronomy 5:18, Matthew 15:19, Matthew 5:27–28, Matthew 15:19, Romans 1:26–27, 1 Corinthians 6:9–13, 1 Thessalonians 4:3, Hebrews 13:4, Galatians 5:19, Ephesians 4:17–19, Colossians 3:5)
Sexual Identity
Iola Baptist Church believes that God created mankind in His image: male (man) and female (woman), sexually different but with equal personal dignity. Consequently, Iola Baptist Church members should affirm their biological sex and refrain from any and all attempts to physically change, alter, or disagree with their predominant biological sex. (Genesis 1:26–28, Romans 1:26–32, 1 Corinthians 6:9–11)
Sexual Orientation
Iola Baptist Church believes that God created and ordered human sexuality to the permanent, exclusive, comprehensive, and conjugal “one flesh” covenant union of man and woman. Consequently, Iola Baptist Church members should affirm the sexual complementarity of man and woman and resist any and all same-sex sexual attractions and refrain from any and all same-sex sexual acts or conduct. (Genesis 1:27, Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:4–6, Mark 10:5–9, Romans 1:26–27, 1 Corinthians 6:9–11, Ephesians 5:25–27, Revelation 19:7–9, Revelation 21:2)
Sexual Redemption
Iola Baptist Church believes that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and encourages all to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ by grace alone through faith in Him and to live our lives unto Christ redemptively through putting off sin and putting on Christ by the Word of God in the power of the Holy Spirit. As members of Iola Baptist Church, we are all broken by sin and each of us struggles with its effects in our lives and relationships. Yet, the regeneration, sanctification, and justification that are ours by faith in Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit, allow us to walk in complete forgiveness and provide true hope that in Christ our lives can be transformed and redeemed (I Corinthians 6:9–11). In grace, Iola Baptist Church members should welcome and treat with respect, compassion, and sensitivity all who experience same-sex attractions or confess sexually immoral acts but are committed to resisting sexual temptation, refraining from sexual immorality, and conforming their behavior consistent with the teaching and admonition of Scripture as affirmed in the Iola Baptist Church