ABOUT GOD, THE BIBLE, THE CHURCH:

• We believe in one God‚ Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Matthew 3:16,17; John 14:9,10, 16, 26)

• We believe God is the creator of all things. (Gen 1:1; Acts 17:24-28; Heb 11:3)

• We believe in Jesus Christ, God's only son and Savior of the world, who died for our sins and arose from the dead. (John 1:14; 3:16; Matthew 1:18-21; John 20:24-31; 1 Cor 15:1-8; 1 John 4:9)

• We believe the Holy Spirit lives in every Christian. (John 16:5-15; 1 Cor 3:16; 6:19,20; 2 Tim 1:14)

• We believe the Bible is God's message to mankind, inspired and trustworthy, our final authority for all matters of faith. (Psalm 119:105; 2 Timothy 3:14-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21)

• We believe that mankind, created by God, sinned against God and is consequently lost and without hope apart from faith in Jesus Christ. (Acts 4:12; Rom 3:23; 1 John 1:5-10)

• We believe that salvation from sin comes by grace through the blood of Jesus Christ (his death on the cross). (Matthew 26:28; Rom 5:6-11; 1 Peter 1:18,19)

• We believe Christ's death on the cross can be personally received by repentance (turning from sin) and faith at baptism (immersion in water in the name of Christ). (Luke 24:45-47; Acts 2:38,39; Rom 6:1-7; Gal 3:26,27; Col 2:9-12)

• We believe in the Church of Jesus Christ, the body and bride of Christ, founded on the day of Pentecost, consisting of all Christians everywhere. (Matt 16:13-18; Acts 2:14-47)

• We believe God has provided for the leadership of the local church through the oversight of Elders. (Acts 20:28; 1 Timothy 3:1-7 Titus 1:5-9; 1 Peter 5:1-4)

• We believe the God-given mission of His Church is to make followers of Jesus Christ from out of all the peoples of the world. (Matthew 28:16-20)

• We believe death seals the eternal destiny of each person. The saved in Christ will receive eternal life. The unsaved will experience eternal separation from God. (Rom 8:8-10; John 6:47; Daniel 12:2; John 3:18)

• We believe Jesus Christ will one day return to earth to receive all those who believe in Him. (1 Cor 15:23; 1 Thess 4:13-18)

ABOUT BAPTISM:

In the New Testament church, once people believed in Jesus, they were willing to turn from sin (repentance) and publicly confess Christ as Lord, they were then baptized for the forgiveness of their sins and the indwelling gift of the Holy Spirit.

 

1. "Peter replied, 'Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'" Acts 2:38

2. "Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day." Acts 2:41

3. "And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name." Acts 22:16

In the original Greek language, baptize meant to dip, plunge, or immerse. In keeping with the Biblical pattern, Woodlawn practices baptism by immersion as part of one's acceptance of Christ for salvation. Baptism is a beautiful picture of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ and a way we identify with Christ by dying to our old selves and being raised to a new life.

 

1. "Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." Romans 6:3-5

2. "For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ." Galatians 3:27

Due to the Biblical prerequisites of belief, repentance and confession, Woodlawn does not practice infant baptism.

 

If you haven't already experienced the joy of baptism, we invite you to take the step to accept Christ into your life and be baptized!