What We Believe
Heritage Baptist Church is an independent, family-integrated church in Blaine, Minnesota. We focus on Bible-centered instruction, with the aim of strengthening families in spiritual growth. We invite you to meet with us for worship, teaching, and prayer on Sunday mornings.
Our core beliefs are outlined in our "Articles of Faith," which you can view below.
ARTICLES OF FAITH of HERITAGE BAPTIST CHURCH
We believe that the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments were verbally and plenarily inspired by God in the original writings.
These books were written by men as they were inspired by the Holy Spirit.
The Bible is therefore without error and is our final authority in all matters of faith and practice.
We believe that God created an innumerable host of sinless angelic beings. Though initially created sinless, one of these beings sinned through pride by believing himself greater than God. This being is Satan, the wicked one, the Devil, the Great Deceiver, who led a great host of angelic beings into rebellion against God.
Satan, and his host, are at war with God and His host. Satan seeks to keep the hearts of all mankind in rebellion against God and in submission to himself; however, Jesus’ sacrifice and victory over death have guaranteed Satan’s ultimate defeat and future punishment in the lake of fire.
We believe prayer is where we submit to God’s Will for our life. Prayer should not be understood as our attempt to get God to do our will, but instead where we seek to align ourselves with God’s will for us and the world.
The Bible says that our prayer to God should be made with boldness and confidence, according to His will, with persistence, with thanksgiving, with a spirit of forgiveness toward others, in faith, for the glory of God, in Christ’s name, and from a heart that is right with God.
The power of prayer is said to bring peace and joy, to help us discern God’s will, to receive mercy and grace to help us in our time of need, to obtain direction, to overcome demonic oppression, to gain strength in overcoming temptation, and to accomplish what would be impossible without God.
The Bible declares that the prayer of the righteous is powerful, pleasing to God, and effective. God promises that He listens attentively to the prayer of the righteous and that all requests given in faith and in His name will be granted.
- Isaiah 59:2
- Matthew 6:10; 26:41
- Mark 11:25
- Luke 18:1-8
- John 14:13-14; 16:23
- Philippians 4:6-7
- Hebrews 4:16
- James 1:5-6; 4:3; 5:16
- 1 Peter 3:12
- 1 John 5:14–15
We believe the church is a living, spiritual body of which Christ is the head and of which all regenerated people in this age are members.
We believe that the local church is a fellowship of believers in Jesus Christ, who have been immersed in baptism on a credible confession of faith, and united together for worship, instruction, service, and fellowship.
The church is built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ and is central to the work of God in this age.
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has commissioned the church to take the gospel to the world, and that evangelism at home and abroad should be primary in the program of the local church.
God the Father
We believe that the Father is the first person of the Godhead, and in the beginning created everything good. He is True and Holy, the Source and Nourishment of all life, the Judge of men and nations, the Redeemer of every believer, and the Final Authority in every matter. He deserves and expects each person to honor Him as Father by voluntarily submitting to His will.
God is Love, and through a personal relationship with His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, every believer has been born again and adopted into the Father’s family where true life, love, joy, and intimacy are found.
- Deuteronomy 32:4
- Psalm 146:6
- Isaiah 9:6; 63:16; 64:8
- Malachi 1:6; 2:10
- Matthew 23:9
- Romans 8:6; 8:15
- Ephesians 4:6
- Hebrews 12:9
- 1 Peter 1:17
- 1 John 4:8-10
God the Son (Jesus Christ)
We believe in the Lord Jesus Christ who is the second person of the Godhead. While eternal God, He came to the earth because of the sin of man, was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, and is therefore true God and true man.
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, as a sinless substitutionary sacrifice; and that all who receive Him are justified on the ground of His shed blood.
We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His bodily ascension into Heaven, and in His present life there for us as High Priest and Intercessor.
We believe in "that blessed hope" - the personal, visible, pre-tribulation, pre-millennium, imminent return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This will be accomplished in two phases. First, Jesus will return in the air for His church before the seven-year tribulation begins; and second, He will physically return to establish His millennial kingdom on earth at the end of the Great tribulation.
God the Holy Spirit
We believe in the Holy Spirit who is the third person of the Godhead. We believe that among His ministries are the following: restraining evil in the world to the measure of the Divine will; convicting the world regarding sin, righteousness, and judgment; regenerating believers; indwelling all who are saved; and continued filling for power, teaching, and service of all among the saved who are yielded to Him.
We believe that all mankind was created in the image of God; but when man sinned against God, both physical and spiritual death, which is separation from God, occurred. We believe that all human beings are born with a sinful nature; and once the time of moral responsibility is reached, come under the condemnation of God for every sinful thought, word, and deed.
We believe that salvation cannot be purchased or earned through any personal good works whatsoever. The gift of salvation is offered freely because of God’s grace and is accepted through personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ alone. The wages of sin is death, and only the sinless, shed blood of Jesus Christ could forever satisfy the Holiness of God. All those who believe that they are sinners believe that Jesus Christ died for their sins as the perfect sacrifice, believe that Christ rose from the dead, and because of that belief, actively turn away from their sins accepting Jesus Christ alone as their Lord and Savior are regenerated and adopted as children of God.
We believe that all true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are kept by God’s power and are secure in Christ forever. They will have a desire to conform to the spiritual likeness of Jesus Christ.
We believe that Adam and Eve were created in God’s image, as equal under Him as persons, but distinct in their biological manhood and biological womanhood. We believe that all human life has continued to be created in the image of God through the process of procreation and, consequently, believe that all life, regardless of age or condition, should be respected with sanctity and dignity.
We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn baby is a living human child. We believe that abortion is equal to unjustified, premeditated murder; and we reject the notion that there are any acceptable reasons to take the life of an unborn child. We further believe that killing of the weak, those who are physically or mentally challenged, committing suicide or homicide, or taking a life in any other capacity (except for limited legal, self-defense, or war-time considerations) is immoral and goes contrary to the Bible.
Human Sexuality
We believe that God intends marriage to be a lifelong covenantal union between one biological man and one biological woman. We believe that the Bible teaches that sexual relations are only to be engaged in once married and that no intimate sexual activity should be engaged in prior to or outside of marriage.
We believe that any form of sexual perversion including, but not limited to, fornication, adultery, homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, and pornography are sinful corruptions of God’s design for sex and the marriage relationship. As such, this local church will not recognize, nor will anyone connected to this church perform any marriage ceremony that involves any sexual union that this local fellowship of believers believes to be contrary to the Word of God.
- Genesis 2:18-24
- Leviticus 18:1-30
- Romans 1:26-29
- 1 Corinthians 6:9
- Hebrews 13:4
- Matthew 19:4-6
- Romans 7:2-3
- 1 Corinthians 7:10
- Ephesians 5:22-33
Marriage
Marriage is a covenant relationship between one biological man and one biological woman. God’s design for the marriage covenant involves several fundamental truths:
(1.) The permanence of marriage: Marriage is intended to be permanent. As marriage was established by God, it represents a serious commitment that is made, not only to one’s marriage partner but also before God.
(2.) The sacredness of marriage: Marriage is not simply a human contract between two people; it is a covenant made before and under God. As God has defined marriage to be between one biological man and one biological woman, there can be no same-sex marriage before God. It is biblically unacceptable before God.
(3.) The intimacy of marriage: Marriage represents the intimacy of one biological man and one biological woman joining together as one flesh. This union, through marriage, involves a symbolic “leaving” from one’s family to be “united” to one’s spouse. This represents the creation of a new family unit that is distinct from the two originating families.
(4.) The mutuality of marriage: Both marriage partners are to be committed to each other in self-sacrificial love and devotion. In a spirit of love and humility, this may involve the need for forgiveness and the restoration of their relationship due to sin. Though the marriage relationship is mutual, this does not mean that the roles of the husband and wife are the same. The husband bears the responsibility of the marriage, before God, as the spiritual head of the family. He is to sacrificially love and serve his wife as Christ also loves and serves the church. The wife is to submit to and sacrificially love her husband even as Christ submitted Himself to God the Father in all things. Together, this mutual love, biblical accountability, and service to each other allows them to remain faithful to one another and before God.
(5.) The exclusiveness of marriage: This requires that no other human relationship is allowed to come between the marriage covenant between husband and wife. This may involve lust or any physical relationships that are not between a husband and wife.
Family Relationships
We believe that God has instituted the family as the foundational unit of human society, and it begins with the legitimate marriage of one biological man and one biological woman. Within its structure, parents are responsible to instruct their children in God’s Truth and Godly behavior, to be consistent examples of righteousness, and in every way to “bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” To have a faithful, Godly structure in the family, the Bible has instructions and roles for husbands, wives, parents, and children.
(1.) The husband is the head of the family. This headship was established by God before the Fall and is not a result of sin. Because of sin, the proper headship of the husband and the proper submission of the wife has been distorted. The proper Biblical headship of the husband is to grow in sacrificial love and service for his wife and to set an example for his family through personal obedience to God’s Word. This will be accomplished by personally submitting to Christ’s authority and teaching in his own life, by consistently demonstrating Christian character, and by faithfully leading and teaching his family in and according to God’s Word. The Biblical example set for the husband is found in the headship, service, and sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the church.
(2.) The wife is to submit to her husband. All throughout the Bible, God has continually demonstrated the equal nature and value of both men and women. Proper Biblical submission, in this case, is not slavery or a demonstration of having less value or authority. It instead represents a wife’s willing submission to be both a helpmeet to her husband and to obey the Bible’s instructions in how God has designed the family to operate. The Biblical example set for the wife is found in the submission, love, and trust of Jesus Christ to God the Father.
(3.) Parents are to raise their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. This will involve providing for their children’s physical and emotional needs, providing spiritual direction, keeping them under the teaching of God’s Word, and providing loving discipline to their children when needed.
(4.) Children are a heritage from the Lord and a blessing. Children are to honor and obey their parents. They are also to be submissive to the authority of their parents and accept and learn from their parents' discipline and instruction. Like every other individual, children are personally accountable to God for their own conduct and behavior. As sinners, children need to individually and personally trust Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.
We believe baptism is the immersion of a believer in water and is properly called "Believer’s Baptism".
Baptism is not required for initial salvation, but it is required to be obedient to God.
Baptism is a public, visual demonstration of our testimony that sets forth in a beautiful and solemn way our identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection to walk in "newness of life".
Baptism is a prerequisite to church membership.
We believe in the imminent return of Christ to take His church to heaven. Following this, there will be a period of much tribulation upon all the earth. At the end of this time of tribulation, Jesus Christ will come back to earth in power and glory with His church to establish His promised millennial kingdom.
He will reign for one thousand years, during which time peace and righteousness will cover the earth, Satan will be bound, and Israel will be established in her own land. At the end of this glorious reign, Satan will lead a rebellion against Christ; but Christ will be victorious and Satan will then be forever banished to the lake of fire.
The wicked dead will be judged at the great white throne and will be sentenced to everlasting conscious punishment and separation from God in the lake of fire.
After God’s judgment against the wicked, God will create all things new and perfect once again. The effects of sin will be no more and all true believers will remain with Christ forever in glory.
We believe that God perfectly spoke the universe into existence, comprised of all spirit beings, mankind, lesser life forms, planets, stars, and space in six 24-hour solar days without the process of evolution. We believe that the creation account in Genesis is literal and accurate history and that God sustains His creation, but He exists and has eternally existed independently from it. This is to say God is the Creator, not part of the creation. We also believe that God’s perfect creation was marred by sin.
We believe sanctification is the work of God, by which He sets us apart for Himself and conforms us to the image of Christ.
Sanctification occurs in three tenses. All believers: (1) have been sanctified through the death of Christ, (2) are being sanctified by the Holy Spirit, and (3) will be sanctified completely when they go to be with Christ.
All believers have been freed from bondage to sin, but will still face the temptation to sin during their lives. God gives grace to believers to overcome their sinful flesh as they humble themselves before God, accept and apply God’s Truth to their life, and trust in God to do the work of sanctification as they submit their life to Him.
We believe in the Biblical doctrine of separation which encompasses three essential components:
(1.) Separation of Church and State:
We are to follow the laws of our government, but also recognize that the government has no rights over the church. The church belongs to Jesus Christ alone.
We believe that we are to respect and obey those in authority over us; but when laws are made that go contrary to the Word of God, we are to obey God rather than men. That said, we are to strive to live peaceably with all men.
(2.) Personal Separation:
This is the separation of the individual believer from the world and to God in lifestyle and relationships. This will involve separation from all sinful acts, worldly attitudes, desires, and practices that would dishonor Jesus Christ. Practically, this will involve separating from false teachers, heretics, those who continue in disobedience to God’s Word, trouble makers, the disorderly, and the immoral brother.
Biblical separation does not encourage believers to separate from people in general. The goal of separation is to remain faithful to God, to stay pure, to treat all people with love and respect, and to seek and encourage Biblical restoration whenever possible.
- 2 Timothy 3:1-5
- Romans 12:1-2; 14:13
- 1 John 2:15-17
- Colossians 2:8
- 1 Corinthians 5:11
- 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 14-15
- Romans 16:17
- Titus 3:10
(3.) Ecclesiastical Separation:
The separation of the church from apostasy or from interference by any other ecclesiastical authority. The church is to be independent and autonomous so that it may remain faithful to the verities of the “faith once delivered to the saints”. This will be exercised by choosing to remain loyal to the teachings of Christ and by separating from any group that is compromising on God’s Truth or tolerating religious unbelief.
We believe the Lord’s Supper is the commemoration of the Lord’s death until He comes. It demonstrates our continual fellowship with Him and should be preceded by careful self-examination which involves two key areas: repentance from sin and seeking forgiveness and restoration from those who we have offended or have offended us.
Our Commitment to Each Other:
Having been led to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord and on the profession of our faith and having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we do now, in the presence of God and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully commit to one another as one body in Christ.
We commit, therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this church in the knowledge of God, His character, and His ways; to promote its welfare and spirituality; to attend, to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline, and doctrines; to contribute cheerfully and proportionately to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the gospel throughout all nations.
We also commit to maintaining family and private devotions; to bring up our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; 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 behavior; to avoid the works of the flesh; to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Savior.
We further commit to joyfully serve the Lord in the church with the abilities and giftings that God has given us; to watch over one another in prayer; to aid one another in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and Christian courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation and mindful of the rules of our Savior to secure it without delay.
We moreover commit to willingly submit ourselves to the exhortation and discipline of this church and to faithfully seek the counsel of the pastor or the board of elders before making the decision to leave this membership and dissolve the commitment we have made to one another. However, if we remove from this place, we will as soon as possible unite with some other church where we can carry out the spirit of this commitment and the principles of God’s Word.