The Holy Scriptures

We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the verbally and plenarily inspired Word of God. The Scriptures are inerrant, infallible, God-breathed and preserved and, therefore, are the sole and final authority for faith and practice. The sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments are the complete and divine revelation of God to man. We believe that God has faithfully preserved his Word in the Masoretic Hebrew text of the Old Testament and the Greek Received Text of the New Testament. The accuracy and legitimacy of all Bible translations shall be judged by this standard. We believe that God has faithfully and perfectly preserved his inspired, inerrant, infallible Word for the English speaking people in the King James (1611 a.v.) Version, so that we can say with good conscience that the King James Bible is the Word of God, free of any error or fallacy. As a result the King James (1611 a.v.) version of the Bible shall be the official translation of Bonners Ferry Baptist church and none other shall be used by any pastor, guest speaker, or teacher in the church.

For the Holy Scriptures to be understood they must be studied diligently and rightly divided (2Tim. 2:15). Issues of interpretation and meaning shall be determined by the pastor (Titus 1:7-9) as they relate to the Bonners Ferry Baptist Church. (Psalm 12:6-7; Isaiah 40:8; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21)

The Godhead

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. We believe God to be perfect in his holiness, righteous in every deed, omniscient in his knowledge, omnipotent in his strength, and omnipresent in his existence (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 22:32; 28:19; Luke 1:37; John 1:1-3, 14:10, 26; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 John 5:7).

Jesus Christ

1. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, in order that he might reveal God and redeem sinful man (Isaiah 7:14, 9:6; Luke 1:35; John 1:1-2; 2 Corinthians 5:19-21; Galatians 4:4-5; Philippians 2:5-8).

2. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice for man's sin and that he fully accomplished our redemption through his death on the cross, his literal physical resurrection from the dead, and the application of his precious, sinless blood on the mercy seat in heaven (Luke 24:36-39; Acts 2:18-36; Romans 3:24-26; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14; Hebrews 9:11-14, 10:10; 1 Peter 1:3-5, 18-19, 2:24).

3. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven and is seated at the right hand of God where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Mediator, Intercessor, and Advocate (Acts 1:9-10; Romans 8:34; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 6:19-20, 7:24-25, 9:24; 1 John 2:1-2).

The Holy Spirit

1. We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgement; and that he is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption (John 1:12-13, 3:5-6, 16:8-11; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; Ephesians 1:13-14, 4:30; 1 John 2:20, 27).

2. We believe that he is the divine teacher who assists and guides believers to understand and appropriate the Scriptures and that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the Spirit. We further believe that the result of his presence and filling in the life of believers to be witnesses to the lost world ( John 14:26, 16:13-14; Acts 1:8, 1 Corinthians 2:12-16; 1 John 2:20,27).

3. We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowal of spiritual gifts to every believer and that the believer is responsible to use those gifts for the edification of the body of Christ and the glory of God. God uniquely uses evangelists and pastor-teachers to equip believers in the assembly in order that they can do the work of the ministry (Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; Ephesians 4:7-12; 1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy 1:60).

4. We believe that certain gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as prophecies, tongues, knowledge, and healing were temporary. Speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit. Ultimate deliverance of the body from sickness or death waits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection, though God frequently chooses to answer the prayers of believers for physical healing (1 Corinthians 1:22, 13:8-10, 14:1-40; 2 Corinthians 12:7-9; 2 Timothy 4:20).

Salvation

We Believe that salvation is a gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins. We believe that all sins, except blasphemy of the Holy Ghost are forgivable ( Matthew 12:31-32; John 1:12; Ephesians 1:7, 2:8-10; Romans 6:23; 1 Peter 1:18-19; Revelation 1:5).

The Church

1. We believe the church is the blood-bought body of Christ espoused to him as his bride and that in its earthly capacity is a local visible body of baptized believers.

2. We believe that all who are born again are baptized in to the body of Christ and are thus part of his bride, and are positionally seated in the heavenlies. In this capacity the church encompasses both time and geographical bounds, but in this sense has no function in this present world.

3. We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures.

4. We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any external authority or control.

5. We recognize water baptism and the Lord's supper as the Scriptural ordinances of obedience for the church in this age.

6. We believe that the church is the pillar and the ground of the truth and therefore it's primary responsibility is to uphold and defend the truth (Matthew 26:26-28, 28:19-20; Luke 22:14-20; Acts 2:41-42, 8:36-39, 13:1-3, 20:7,28; 1 Corinthians 10:15-17, 11:20-34; Ephesians 2:6, 13-22, 5:21-32; Revelation 21:2, 22:17).

The Return of Christ

We believe in that "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 and visibly return with this saints, to establish his earthly Messianic kingdom which was promised to the nation of Israel. We believe that he will literally rule and reign in Jerusalem for one thousand years (1Thessalonians 1:10, 4:15-18, 5:1-9; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12; Revelation 4:1, 19:11-20:4).