1. THE SCRIPTURES: The Bible is the verbally inspired Word of God. It is the written record of His supernatural revelation of Himself to man. Absolute in its authority, complete in its revelation, final in its content, and without any error in its statement (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:20-21; Pro. 2:1-7; Rev. 22:18-19; Matt. 5:18; Jn. 10:35).

The 1611, King James Version, also known as the Authorized Version is the Word of God preserved in English. It is the only version we use and allow in our pulpit (Psa. 12:6-7; 119:89).

March Avenue Baptist Church will not, knowingly, support nor promote any work where the 1611, King James Bible is not used.

2. THE GODHEAD: There is one God, eternally existent, creator of heaven and earth. He is manifested in three persons -- God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

These three are one God; eternal in being; identical in nature; equal in power; equal in glory; possessing the same attributes and perfections; and worthy of the same homage, confidence, and obedience (Isa. 7:14; Jn. 14:9; Gen. 1:2; Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:18-19; 2 Cor. 13:14; Rev. 1:4-6; Matt. 3:16-17; 1 Tim. 3:16).

3. THE PERSON AND WORK OF JESUS CHRIST: The Lord Jesus Christ is fully God, who took on flesh by the virgin birth and dwelt on earth without ceasing to be God. By His incarnation, He became the unique person of the universe: The God-man, Savior, true humanity and undiminished deity.

He was sinless and perfect and gave Himself to redeem mankind as a substitutionary sacrifice, by shedding His blood and dying on the cross. His death paid for all sins (past, present, and future), not only for the believer, but for the sins of the whole world.

This redemption was secured by His literal, physical, bodily resurrection from the dead. After His resurrection He ascended bodily into heaven where He is now at the right hand of God performing His ministry as representative, intercessor, and advocate for His people (Jn. 1:1-14; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 2:9, 9:2-28, 10:10-14; Tit. 2:14; Acts 13:38-41; 1 Pet. 2:24).

4. THE PERSON AND WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT: The Holy Spirit, the third person of the triune God. He was, and is present in all the plan and work of God.

The Holy Spirit manifests Himself by restraining evil; convincing the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment; regenerating all who believe in Christ;

Indwelling and sealing believers (John 14:16; Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 6:19; 12:12-13; Eph. 1:13, 4:30, 5:18; 1 Thess. 5:19; 1 Jn. 2:20-27; Jn. 16:8-14).

He seals the believer at the moment of his salvation. This sealing endures till the day of redemption. A person who is not sealed by the Holy Ghost is NOT saved (Eph. 1:12-13; 4:30; Rom. 8:9).

The Holy Spirit fills the believer. This filling or control of the Spirit comes as the believer yields. The believer is commanded to seek the filling of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:17-18).

He anoints the believer for service. The power of God comes upon the believer by the Spirit of God for service. Any work done for God, apart from the Spirit of God, is fleshly and carnal (Acts 1:8; Luke 24:49; Mark 1:9-10).

5. THE TOTAL DEPRAVITY OF MAN: Man was created in the image and likeness of God, in the state of innocence. Man’s primary ancestor, Adam, disobeyed God's clear warning, went against God's Word, and brought the judgment of God upon himself, and upon the whole human race (Rom. 5:12-19). Through Adam’s disobedience Man lost his spiritual standing before God, became dead in trespasses and sins, and is now under the penalty of sin which is death.

Each member of the human race is fallen, sinful, and lost. Thus, regeneration by the Holy Ghost is absolutely necessary (Gen. 1:26, 2:17; Psa. 51:5; Jer. 17:9; Rom. 3:10-23; Jn. 3:7, 7:39; 1 Cor. 6:19; Eph. 2:1-5).

6. SALVATION: Man is saved by God's grace through personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. None of man's works or efforts enter into his salvation. Salvation is a free gift. Man's works regardless of how good or well-intended, either before or after salvation, have nothing to do with salvation.

"Salvation," "eternal life," "born again," and "going to heaven," are synonymous terms, which mean a person is saved (Eph. 2:8-9; Gal. 2:16; Acts 4:10-12;Rom.11:6; Col. 2:13; Tit. 3:5; Jn. 3:3, 16, 17).

God desires all to be saved. It is not the will of God that anyone should perish, but that all would come to repentance. God foreknows, but does not predetermine anyone to condemnation (Jn. 1:9; 1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Thess. 2:13; 2 Pet. 3:9; John 6:44-45, 64-65; Acts 10:34; 1 Cor. 1:21; Eph. 1:5-14).

7. REPENTANCE: Repentance is absolutely necessary for salvation. Repentance is realizing your sin, desires, works, and religion, are an offence toward God Repentance is a work of the Holy Spirit in the heart of the someone seeking salvation (Acts 17:18-30; Luke 13:1-5; Rev. 9:20; Acts 2:36-38, 20:21; 2 Cor. 7:10).

8. HOW TO BE SAVED: God loves all mankind regardless of race, birth, or actions. His love is unconditional. It is God's will that all mankind be saved (John 3:16; 1 John 4:9-10; Rom. 5:8; Eph. 2:4-5; Acts 10:34).

All have sinned. Every man, woman, and child has sinned, is a sinner. We are sinners by nature. Our sin brings us the penalty of sin which is death in hell (Rom. 3:10-23, 6:23; Eph. 2:1, 5, 9; James 2:10).

Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay for the sin of the world. He rose from the dead sealing the redemption (2 Cor. 5:21; Phil. 3:9; 1 Pet. 3:18; Rom. 4:5; 1 Cor. 15:3-4, 12-19; 1 Pet. 1:3).

A person must repent of his sins (Confess to God), and place faith in the sacrificial death, and shed blood of Jesus Christ to be saved (Jn. 6:47; 1 Jn. 5:13; Jn. 1:12, 3:7, 14:6; 1 Pet. 1:6; Acts 10:31).

Acts 20:21 “Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.”

9. ETERNAL SECURITY OF THE BELIEVER: Every true child of God possesses eternal life, being justified by faith, sanctified by God, sealed by the Holy Spirit, is safe and secure for all eternity, and therefore cannot lose his salvation.

A Christian, because of sin, can lose his fellowship, joy, power, testimony, and reward; but not his salvation.

When a Christian lives in unrepentant sin, he incurs the judgement and chastisement of God upon himself. Our relationship to Christ is eternal, based on the new birth. Fellowship, however, is dependent on obedience (John 6:34,39; 10:27-30; Rom. 8:38-39; 1 Cor. 3:11-17, 5:1-5, 11:30-32; Jude 24; 1 Pet. 1:5).

10. THE CHURCH: The Church is the local body of assembled believers. Beginning with Christ and His apostles and empowered at Pentecost, and composed of all true believers. By the Holy Spirit we are all baptized into one Spiritual body. Water Baptism and the Lord's Supper are the ordinances of the Church. Water baptism, and the Lord's Table are a Scriptural means for testimony and not for salvation.

While all believers constitute "The Church", God works through the local New Testament Church. There is no church authority outside of the local independent body, known as the local Church. God has commanded believers to assemble for instruction, and fellowship (Acts 1:8, 2:1-4, 10:47; 1 Cor. 6:19, 12:13; Eph. 4:4-5, 12-16; Col. 1:18; Heb. 10:25; Isa. 58:13-14).

11. THE BLESSED HOPE: We believe in a personal, pre-tribulational, and pre-millennial return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The next great event in the fulfillment of prophecy is the coming of our Lord in the air to receive to Himself the dead in Christ and believers who are alive at His coming, otherwise known as the rapture or translation of the Church (1 Cor. 15:51-57; 1 Thess. 1:10, 4:13-18; 2 Thess. 2:1-8; Tit. 2:11-14; Rev. 3:10, 4:1-4).

We further believe, that children who die before the age of accountability (an undetermined age based, not on physical age, but on intelligence) go immediately into the presence of God, awaiting the resurrection of the body (Matt. 18:10, 19:13-15; 2 Sam. 12:15-23; Jonah 4:10-11; 2 Cor. 5:6-8).

12. THE TRIBULATION: We believe that the rapture of the Church will be followed by the fulfillment of Daniel's 70th week, the latter half of which is the time of Jacob's trouble, also known as, the Great Tribulation (Dan. 9:27; Jer. 30:7; Matt. 24:15-21; Rev. 6:1-9).

13. THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST: We believe that the Great Tribulation will be climaxed by the pre-millennial return of the Lord Jesus Christ to the earth to set up His kingdom (Zech. 14:4-11; Matt. 24:15-25, 46; 2 Thess. 1:10; Rev. 1:7; Isa. 2:1-4, 65:17-25).

14. THE PERSONALITY OF SATAN AND HIS ANGELS: Satan is a fallen angel, and the author of sin. Satan and his fallen angels (demons), are the declared enemies of God and man. They have been judged by the death of Christ, defeated in the name of Christ, and shall be eternally doomed to the lake of fire.

Satan and his demons recognize God's authority and power, and cannot indwell a believer.

The Scriptures clearly forbid the worship or exaltation of angels, fallen or otherwise. Furthermore, the exercise of witchcraft, horoscope, astrology, psychic readers, and all such occult practices are also forbidden (Ezek. 28:15-17; Isa. 14:12-15; Rev. 12:1-10; James 4:7; 1 Jn. 4:4; Eph. 6:11-17; John 8:44, 14:30; Matt. 18:18; Luke 10:17-20).

15. SPIRITUAL GIFTS: The moment a person is saved (repents and trusts Christ), he is indwelt with the Holy Spirit, and is equipped for Spiritual service. The believer upon salvation is given two or more Spiritual gifts with which to serve God.

It is the responsibility of each believer to discover and exercise his Spiritual gifts with love, and only for the purpose of edifying the body of Christ.

We further refute the modern-day charismatic movement that exalts the gifts above the giver, and that equates gifts, such as speaking in tongues, with spirituality and/or salvation.

The gift of tongues was the ability to speak in a language that you presently do not know. Tongues is not now, nor has ever been for the purpose of proving one’s salvation or spirituality.

The gift of healing is the ability to pray and believe God for the healing of another. It is not always God's will to heal a believer (1 Pet.4:10; Rom. 12:3-8; 1 Cor. chapters 12 & 13; Eph. 4:7-16).

16. CHRISTIAN RESPONSIBILITY: It is every Christians privilege and duty to make clear God's message of salvation wherever and whenever possible.

It is the Christian's privilege and duty to study God's Word, believe, and obey it.

Moreover, the Christian is to communicate with God regularly in prayer for his own needs, and for the needs of others.

The Christian should not forsake the assembling of believers together for fellowship and instruction; and is to support the Lord's work through tithes and offerings; given to and through the local church.

All members should seek to walk in such a way as to not bring reproach upon our Savior. Separation from worldly pleasures, and practices is commanded (Mark 16:16; Rom. 12:1-2; 2 Tim. 2:15; John 8:31-32, 16:24; 1 Thess. 5:17; Heb. 10:25).

17. RECOGNITION OF MARRIAGE: We believe that marriage is the union of one man and one woman (by man and woman we mean, that which that person was born as recorded on their original birth certificate). Homosexuality of any kind is strictly forbidden by the Bible. All sexual perversions including but not limited to bestiality, pedophilia, and sodomy are an abomination to God, and must be disapproved by the Church (Lev. 18:22-24, 20:13-16; Romans 1:24-32; 1 Cor. 6:9-11; 1 Tim, 1:8-11).