What We Believe

The following are the core beliefs of Stanleytown's Amazing Grace Baptist Church based on the foundational truths taught in the bible. All of our teaching and ministry is rooted in and flows out of these biblical doctrines.

We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections. He is the creator of all that exists, both visible and invisible, and is therefore worthy of all glory and praise.  God is perfect in love, power, holiness, goodness, knowledge, wisdom,  justice, and mercy. He is unchangeable and therefore is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. (Deut. 6:4;Matt.28:19; II Cor. 13:14; John 14:10,26).

Humans, both male and female, were created in God's image for His glory. The first humans, Adam and Eve, were created without sin and appointed as caretakers of the rest of God's creations.
We believe that in Adam's sin the human race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God. Man is totally depraved, and, of himself, he is utterly unable to remedy his lost condition.(Gen. l:26-27; Rom. 3:22-23, 5:12, 6:23;Eph.2:1-3, 4:L7-19).

We believe that salvation is the gift of God arising from God's love and mercy for sinners and His purpose in grace. God's salvation delivers from the penalty of sin and the bondage of sin and guarantees everlasting life to be secure, not by any act of human merit, but wholly through grace and faith. This act of salvation includes redemption by the blood of Jesus Christ, regeneration and sealing by the Holy Spirit of God, justification by the judicial declaration of God, and reconciliation. All those who repent and trust Christ completely have His gift of salvation. Since God is the Author and Finisher of our faith, a true regenerate will never be lost again. Instead, the believer is progressively sanctified through the operation of the Holy Spirit and the believer's submissive will.
(Ephesians 1'.3-14,2:l-9; John 3:3-8, 10:27-30,5:24;I Peter 1: 18-19, 23,lsaiah53.4-6; Acts 13:30-39; Titus 3:5-6; I John 5:1; Romans 5:1, 8:16-18, 2:4,3:25; Mark 1:14; Luke 24:47; II Corinthians 5:17; John 3:16).

We believe in the "blessed hope," the personal imminent return of Christ who will rapture His Church prior to the seven-year Tribulation period. At the end of the Tribulation, Christ will personally return, with His saints, to establish His earthly Messianic Kingdom which was promised to the Nation of Israel (Ps. 89:3-4;Dan.2:31 45;Zech.14:4-11; I Thess. 1:10,4:13-18; Titus 2:13; Rev. 3:10, 19:11-16,20:1-6).

We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men; the saved to eternal life; and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment (Matt. 25:46; John 5:28, 29,1I:25-26; Rev. 20:5-6,12-13).
 We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, atdeath, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection, when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord (Luke 23:43; II Cor. 5:8; Phil. l:23,3:21; I Thess. 4:16-17; Rev. 20:4-6).
We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious punishment and torment until the second resurrection, when with the soul and body then reunited, they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment. They shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment and torment (Matt. 25:41-46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-26; II Thess. l:7-9; Jude 6-7; Rev. 20:11 15).