Beliefs

Our Beliefs

Bible: We believe that the Bible is written by man, inspired by God or God-breathed. We believe that there are no flaws in the Bible and that it is truth from beginning to end. ("All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness." 2 Timothy 3:16 HCSB)

The Trinity: We believe that God is one in three persons. There is God the Father, God (Jesus) the Son and God the Holy Spirit. God is the Father who sent His Son, Jesus, to the earth to be our Savior to die for our sins and was raised on the third day. The Holy Spirit was given to those who have surrendered our lives to Him, He lives and abides in us.

God- "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1

Jesus- "And there came a voice from heaven: 'This is My beloved Son. I take delight in Him'." Matthew 3:17

Holy Spirit- "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit- the Father will send Him in My Name- will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you." John 14:26)

Salvation: In Christ and in Christ alone there is salvation. Salvation from what? Salvation from eternal separation from Him (see "After Life"). Jesus was sent to this earth for one purpose and that was to take on the sins of the world and die so He could make a path for us to Heaven. Only through His blood are we able to have a relationship with God and one day live in heaven with Him for eternity. ("I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." John 14:6)

After Life: We believe that there is a heaven and a hell. Both of these places are very real. When we die our bodies simply return to dust or dirt from which we were created from, our soul is a different story. Where our soul goes is determined by the decision we made or did not make, to surrender to Christ or not. When we surrender our lives to Christ, He seals us with His blood and we are then covered by His blood and may enter heaven when we die so we may live eternally with Him. If we never have made that decision, we then can not enter heaven and will live eternally separated from Him, in hell.

Marriage: As a church we believe that marriage is a sacred union between one man and one woman. A bond that cannot be broken by man. We take couples through counseling sessions prior to being married by us. Marriage is a beautiful union and should not be taken lightly. ("Marriage must respected by all..." Hebrews 13:4a)

Baptism: Baptism is very important to us because it is a step of obedience. Jesus was baptized here while He was on the earth, it is a command that we also be baptized to be identified with Him. It is the burial of our old self and our resurrection with Him. ("Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Matthew 28:19)

Baby Baptism: We as a church do not practice baby baptism. We believe that you need to make a conscience decision to follow Jesus and desire to want to walk in obedience with Him. When God blesses us with children we can then dedicate the child back to the Lord, this is what we practice. Every blessing is from above, what better way to say "thank you" than to dedicate that child to the Lord letting the Lord know you vow to raise the child in the ways of Him.

Communion/Lord's Supper: We participate in the Lord's Supper on the first Sunday every other month. We are commanded by Jesus to remember what He has done until the day He returns. Not everyone can partake in the Lord's Supper. It is not to be taken lightly. We allow members who are in right standing with the church to participate. ("...The night He was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it and said, 'This is My body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.' In the same way He also took the cup, after supper, and said, 'This cup is the new covenant in My blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.' For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes." 1 Corinthians 11:23b-26)

Membership: To become a member of First Spanish American Baptist there are a few steps that need to take place prior to becoming a member. The first step is to have surrendered your life to Christ. The next step is to, if you have not been done so in a Bible believing Christ centered church, is to baptized. In order to be baptized you must go through discipleship, in this discipleship class you will discover the basis of the church, our responsibility, how the church functions and how we should look to the world. The next step once the discipleship class is completed, you will be presented to the body of the church for membership/baptism candidacy.

*All scripture was taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible