“In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty,
in all things love.”
Augustine
Central Beliefs & Values
True fellowship includes the sharing of central beliefs and values. These beliefs must come from the Bible, because it is our only infallible source of authority. At CABC, we unite under these central beliefs. The detailed confession of faith to which we subscribe is called The Baptist Faith and Message 2000. The statements below will give you a quick overview of what we believe on some of the essential doctrines of the faith.
The Scriptures: We believe that the Bible is the verbally inspired Word of God. It is the final authority in all matters about which it speaks, and is sufficient as our only infallible rule of faith and practice.
God: We believe in one God, the Creator and Preserver of all things, who is infinite in being and absolute in perfection. He exists eternally in three persons -- Father, Son and Holy Spirit -- who are of one essence and equal in power and glory.
Jesus Christ: We believe that God the Son became flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. He is fully God and fully man. He lived a sinless life and died on the cross for sinners to pay the penalty for sin. He rose physically from the dead and is the Savior of all who turn from their sins and trust in Him.
The Holy Spirit: We believe that God the Holy Spirit is a person. He gives new life to those who trust in Christ. He guides, gifts, and empowers believers for mutual edification to each other and mission to the world.
Man: We believe that the first man and woman were created in the image of God, free as to choice and responsible to their Creator. But man willfully sinned and was separated from God. Because of this sin, all human beings have been born with a sinful nature, commit acts of sin, and need the atoning work of Christ. In his natural state, man is dead in sin, spiritually blind, and helpless to save himself.
Salvation: We believe that Jesus Christ died as a sacrifice in the place of sinners to turn away the wrath of God from all who believe in Him. Those who trust in Christ are declared righteous on the basis of His death and resurrection. Whoever trusts Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord becomes a child of God. Salvation is not achieved by any human effort or merit, but is received as a free gift from God by grace through faith. All true believers are kept eternally secure by the power of God.
The Christian Life of Discipleship: All believers are called by Christ to a lifestyle of discipleship. This involves our daily accountability to take up our cross and follow Christ by His grace. As we forsake sin and self and follow Christ, our lives are progressively transformed into the image of our Savior.
The Church: We believe that all who have been given new life by the Holy Spirit belong to the one true church, the body of Christ. This church is seen in the world through local assemblies of believers who are joined together for the purpose of glorifying God, edifying one another, and evangelizing the world. The church is led by elders, served by deacons, and grows through total congregational involvement.
Last Things: We believe in the return of Christ to earth in sovereign power to establish His kingdom. We are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth established by God. We believe that those who have trusted in Christ for salvation will be resurrected to eternal life with God in heaven. Those who have not trusted in Jesus Christ for salvation will be resurrected for eternal condemnation and separation from God in hell.
What is Essential for Fellowship at Country Acres? The church father Augustine said, “In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things love.” This is the approach we take at CABC. All doctrines are important but not all doctrines are equally important. We recognize that there are essential doctrines that define the Christian faith. In addition, as Baptists, we believe that there are some doctrines regarding the church which define us and are essential for membership (such as believer’s baptism). We expect our members to be in agreement on essential Christian doctrines and essential Baptist doctrines which are conditions for membership in our church (believer’s baptism for instance). In other doctrines which are not essential, we desire to give one another space to disagree. In all doctrines, we desire to be students of the Scriptures who seek to handle God's Word correctly.
The Scriptures: We believe that the Bible is the verbally inspired Word of God. It is the final authority in all matters about which it speaks, and is sufficient as our only infallible rule of faith and practice.
God: We believe in one God, the Creator and Preserver of all things, who is infinite in being and absolute in perfection. He exists eternally in three persons -- Father, Son and Holy Spirit -- who are of one essence and equal in power and glory.
Jesus Christ: We believe that God the Son became flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. He is fully God and fully man. He lived a sinless life and died on the cross for sinners to pay the penalty for sin. He rose physically from the dead and is the Savior of all who turn from their sins and trust in Him.
The Holy Spirit: We believe that God the Holy Spirit is a person. He gives new life to those who trust in Christ. He guides, gifts, and empowers believers for mutual edification to each other and mission to the world.
Man: We believe that the first man and woman were created in the image of God, free as to choice and responsible to their Creator. But man willfully sinned and was separated from God. Because of this sin, all human beings have been born with a sinful nature, commit acts of sin, and need the atoning work of Christ. In his natural state, man is dead in sin, spiritually blind, and helpless to save himself.
Salvation: We believe that Jesus Christ died as a sacrifice in the place of sinners to turn away the wrath of God from all who believe in Him. Those who trust in Christ are declared righteous on the basis of His death and resurrection. Whoever trusts Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord becomes a child of God. Salvation is not achieved by any human effort or merit, but is received as a free gift from God by grace through faith. All true believers are kept eternally secure by the power of God.
The Christian Life of Discipleship: All believers are called by Christ to a lifestyle of discipleship. This involves our daily accountability to take up our cross and follow Christ by His grace. As we forsake sin and self and follow Christ, our lives are progressively transformed into the image of our Savior.
The Church: We believe that all who have been given new life by the Holy Spirit belong to the one true church, the body of Christ. This church is seen in the world through local assemblies of believers who are joined together for the purpose of glorifying God, edifying one another, and evangelizing the world. The church is led by elders, served by deacons, and grows through total congregational involvement.
Last Things: We believe in the return of Christ to earth in sovereign power to establish His kingdom. We are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth established by God. We believe that those who have trusted in Christ for salvation will be resurrected to eternal life with God in heaven. Those who have not trusted in Jesus Christ for salvation will be resurrected for eternal condemnation and separation from God in hell.
What is Essential for Fellowship at Country Acres? The church father Augustine said, “In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things love.” This is the approach we take at CABC. All doctrines are important but not all doctrines are equally important. We recognize that there are essential doctrines that define the Christian faith. In addition, as Baptists, we believe that there are some doctrines regarding the church which define us and are essential for membership (such as believer’s baptism). We expect our members to be in agreement on essential Christian doctrines and essential Baptist doctrines which are conditions for membership in our church (believer’s baptism for instance). In other doctrines which are not essential, we desire to give one another space to disagree. In all doctrines, we desire to be students of the Scriptures who seek to handle God's Word correctly.