Independent Northside Baptist Church is an Independent Baptist Church completely self-supporting, self-propagating and self-governing, yielding to no ecclesiastical authority of outside bodies. While we seek fellowship with churches of like doctrine and practice, we will not join hands in any manner that will compromise our beliefs or limit the complete autonomy of this church. BaptistWhile many think that Baptists are Protestants, true Baptists are not Protestants. From the days when our Lord walked upon this Earth there have been churches (though not always Baptist in a name) who have believed and practised the distinctives that we adamantly hold today. As Baptists, we are not Charismatic in our doctrine or practice. To learn more about Baptists click here. The BibleWe believe that the original manuscripts of the Bible, comprising of the  Old and New Testaments only, were inspired of God and were inerrant. We believe the Bible to be the supreme and ultimate authority for all doctrine and practice (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21). We believe that the Masoretic Hebrew text and the Textus Receptus Greek text are the nearest to the original manuscripts; therefore we use only the King James Version of the Bible in our services. For more information read the sermon Why We Use the KJV. Belief In GodWe believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; one in substance, perfect in every divine attribute; yet varied in office (Matthew 28:19; 1 John 5:7). We believe God the Father is the first person of the Trinity. He is the only true God (Exodus 20:3); Creator and Sustainer of all things, visible and invisible (Genesis 1:1; Colossians 1:16,17); Who is the True Holiness (Leviticus 19:2); Eternal Power (Romans 1:20); Infinite Love (1 John 4:8.9); Perfect Justice (Romans 3:26); Absolute Truth (Titus 1:2); The Alpha and Omega (Revelation 1:8); the "I Am that I Am" (Exodus 3:14). We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity (1 John 5:7) the Only Begotten Son of God (John 3:16); in His virgin birth (Matthew 1:18,22,23); in His sinless life (Hebrews 4:15); in His miracles (Acts 10:38); in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood (1 Peter 1:18,19); in His bodily resurrection from the dead (Luke 24:39); in His bodily ascension to the right hand of the Father (Acts 1:10,11) where He ever liveth to make intercession for His saints (Hebrews 7:25); in His pre-tribulation (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 cf. 5:1-9) and pre-millennial (Revelation 20:1-6) coming for His saints; and in His return to earth to reign for 1,000 years in power and glory (Zechariah 14:4-9). We believe that the Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity: Who moved holy men of God to write the Scriptures (2 Peter 1:21); who convicts of sin (John 16:8,9); who quickens in the new birth (Romans 8:11); who seals and is the Earnest of our inheritance (Ephesians 1:13,14); who indwells every believer (John 14:16,17; Romans 8:9); and who provides power for holy living and service (Galatians 5:16). We do not believe that the evidence of being filled with the Spirit is speaking in tongues. We believe this gift ceased when the New Testament was completed (1 Corinthians 13:10). We reject that the modern day Charismatic movement is of God and believe it is divisive and a tool the Devil is using to form his One World Church. ManHis Creation, Fall, And Need Of Redemption
We believe that God created man in His own image as given in the Genesis account (Genesis 1:26,27); that through disobedience to God, man lost his first estate and thereby became a sinner in need of a Saviour (Genesis 3:1-24); and that since then all people have been born sinners (Psalm 51:5; Romans 5:12), spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1), alienated from God (Romans 3:23), and in need of the personal redemption that the Lord Jesus Christ alone has provided (Colossians 1:14; Hebrews 9:12). SalvationWe believe that the salvation of sinners is the gift of God provided by His grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8,9; Romans 4:4,5). This salvation is instantaneous, not a process, and has nothing to do with baptism (Romans 10:13). We believe that to provide salvation the Lord Jesus Christ died for all mankind's sins according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3; Isaiah 53:6), shedding His blood on the cross as mankind's representative and substitutional sacrifice (Ephesians 1:7; Romans 5:9). Repentance And Conversion
We believe that all who repent (Acts 3:19; 17:30) and trust Christ as their substitutional Saviour from sin’s penalty (John 1:12; Acts 16:31; 1 John 3:23), are then justified by His shed blood (Acts 13:38,39; Romans 5:1). We believe that justification is a judicial act of God by which He imparts to the genuine believer complete pardon of sins, the gift of eternal life, and His own imputed righteousness (Romans 4:5-8; 5:9; Acts 13:38,39). We do not believe that justification is given as a result of any righteous work the believer has done. The believer receives it solely because of his faith in the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ (John 6:47; Titus 3:5). We believe that to be saved, all people, being sinners, must be born into God’s family (John 3:3). We believe that at the moment of a person's new birth, God writes his name in the Lamb's Book of Life (Philippians 4:3; Revelation 20:15; 21:27), and the Holy Spirit indwells the believer (Romans 8:9; Galatians 5:22,23). The Security Of The BelieverWe believe that all who are truly born again are eternally secure. The moment God saved them, the Holy Spirit sealed them, and the power of God will keep them until they reach heaven (Acts 16:31; John 5:24; 10:26-29; Ephesians 1:13,14; Romans 8:16-17; 1 Peter 1:3-5). The Destiny Of The UnrighteousWe believe that those made righteous through faith in Christ are assured of eternal life with the Lord Jesus Christ (John 3:36; 5:24; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18), whereas God condemns those whom Christ has not made righteous to everlasting conscious suffering in a real and literal Lake of Fire, eternally separated from God (Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-31; 2 Thessalonians 1:8,9; Revelation 20:15). Local ChurchesWe believe a local church is an autonomous democratic assembly of regenerated believers (Acts 14:21-23), who have been immersed following spiritual regeneration (Acts 2:41), who have covenanted to observe standards of conduct worthy of the holy faith they profess (Philippians 1:27), and who regularly assemble for fellowship (Acts 2:42) and to worship God publicly (Acts 18:13). This public worship includes singing hymns and spiritual songs (Ephesians 5:19); hearing the preaching and teaching of the Word of God in order to receive spiritual edification and instruction (2 Timothy 4:2), as well as moral and Biblical education (Matthew 28:20); bringing unsaved friends to hear the message of the Gospel; participating in the propagation of the Gospel through evangelism and foreign missions; and observing the ordinances of a New Testament Church. Each local church is to be shepherded by a male pastor (1 Timothy 3:1-7; 1 Peter 5:2,3). The Ordinances Of The Local ChurchWe believe that Christ commanded two local church ordinances: Baptism and the Lord's Supper. We believe that the baptism taught in the Scriptures is by immersion only. While baptism has nothing to do with salvation, it is the privilege and duty of every child of God to follow the Lord in Baptism. Baptism is a public identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection (Mark 1:9; John 3:23; Acts 8:38,39; 10:47,48; Luke 23:39-43; Romans 6:3-5). Thus, baptism is a requirement for church membership. We believe that the Lord's Supper is a local church ordinance that only born-again immersed church members should observe. It is a non-sacramental ordinance observed in remembrance of the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. Churches should continue this observance till Christ returns. Self-examination and confession must always precede it (Matthew 26:26-29; 1 Corinthians 10:21; 11:23-32; Luke 22:19-20). Future EventsWe believe that right now the Lord is saving those who call upon Him in repentance, and that those who receive Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour make up the Family of God (Acts 2:39; 15:14; John 1:12,13; Ephesians 3:15). We believe that before the Tribulation Period the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven to get all true Christians and take them to heaven (known as the Rapture). The dead in Christ shall rise first; then the living in Christ that are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:51,52). We believe that all truly born again believers will appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ to be rewarded according to the faithfulness of their service for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10; 1 Corinthians 3:11-15; Romans 14:10; 1 Peter 4:17-18). We believe Christ will personally return to the earth following the Great Tribulation to begin His one thousand-year earthly reign (Acts 1:11; Zechariah 14:4; Matthew 24:29-31; Luke 21:25-31; Revelation 20:10). Following the Millennial Kingdom, God will sentence the unrighteous to the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:11-15), while those made righteous through faith in Christ will live for all eternity with God. SatanWe believe in the reality of Satan (Matthew 4:1): He is a living personality who is the unholy prince of this world (John 16:11; 2 Corinthians 4:4); the head of all the demonic powers of darkness (Colossians 1:13); and is destined for the eternal Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:10)
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