Beliefs

We believe in one God that eternally exists and reveals Himself in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - having each the same nature, attributes and perfections, worthy of the same worship and confidence. (Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19; John 1:1-2, 14, 10:30, 14:15-17; I Corinthians 8:6; II Corinthians 13:14). We believe in God as absolute and sole Creator and Sustainer of the universe, and that creation was by divine command, from nothing and not through an evolutionary process. (John 1:3, 10; Acts 17:24-25; Genesis 1:1). We believe that God, by His sovereign choice and out of love for men, sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ into the world to save sinners. (John 3:16; I Timothy 1:15; I John 4:14)

We believe that Jesus Christ was fully God in the flesh and fully man, that He was born of a virgin, and that He lived a sinless life, in which He taught and performed mighty works and wonders and signs exactly as revealed in the four gospels. We believe that He was crucified, shed His blood, died to pay the penalty for our sins and was raised bodily from the dead on the third day. Forty days later He ascended to the Father's right hand where He is Head of the Church and intercedes for believers. From there He is coming again personally, bodily and visibly to this earth to set up His Millennial Kingdom. (Isaiah 7:14, 9:6; Hebrews 1:1-2, 7:25; Luke 1:30-35; Ephesians 4:8; John 1:1-5, 10-14, 14:3; Colossians 2:9; I Corinthians 15:3-4; Acts 1:3,11; Revelation 20:4)

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person and is God, possessing all the divine attributes. He convicts of sin, regenerates, indwells, baptizes, and seals all believers at the moment of their salvation, filling them in response to their obedience with the goal of conforming them to the image of Christ. (John 3:5, 16:7-11; Acts 5:3-4; Ephesians 1:13, 4:30, 5:18; I Corinthians 6:19, 12:13).

We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam's sin, the race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God. We believe that all men are morally corrupt and of themselves utterly unable to remedy their lost condition. (Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 1:18, 3:23, 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3, 12).

We believe that salvation is a gift of God and is received by man through personal faith in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for sin. We believe that man is justified by grace through faith apart from works and that all true believers, once saved, are kept secure in Christ forever. (Acts 13:38-39; Romans 4:5, 6:23, 8:1, 38-39; John 10:27-29; Ephesians 2:8-9)

We believe that the true Church is composed of all persons who the Holy Spirit regenerates through saving faith in Jesus Christ; that they are united together in the body of Christ of which He is Lord and Head; and are commissioned for the God-given tasks of worshiping, fellowshipping, teaching, evangelizing and exercising their spiritual gifts. (Acts 2:42, 47; Romans 12:5; Ephesians 1:22-23, 5:23-24; I Corinthians 12:12-14; II Corinthians 11:2). We believe that the establishment and continuance of the local Church is taught in the New Testament Scriptures. (Acts 14:27, 20:17, 28-32; I Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11).

We believe the ordinances for the believer are water baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper as a memorial. They are, however, not to be regarded as a means of salvation. But both are evidence of obedience, identification and fellowship with the Lord. (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:38, 41, 8:12, 35-38; Luke 22:19-20; I Corinthians 11:23-29).

We believe that a Christian should walk in holiness and not after the flesh, aiming to conform to the image of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. As a new creation, walking in the Spirit, the Christian learns to grow in faith, obedience to Scripture, prayer, fellowship with the saints, and in a life of service. We believe that the Christian will stand before the judgment seat of Christ to have his life evaluated according to his deeds. (Galatians 5:16-26; Hebrews 10:25; Ephesians 4:20-24; Hebrews 11:6, 12:1-2; John 17:17; Ephesians 6:18; Romans 8:29; II Corinthians 5:10; I Corinthians 3:10-15).

We believe in the personal, pre-millennial and imminent coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We believe in the bodily resurrection of the dead, of the believer to everlasting glory and the unbeliever to judgment and everlasting conscious punishment. (I Thessalonians 4:13-18; I Corinthians 15:51-52; Titus 2:11-13; John 14:1-6; Matthew 25:46; Revelation 20:11-15; II Peter 3:10.)

We believe that marriage is defined as being the legal union of one man and one woman as husband and wife. We also believe that only marriages between male and female, as ordained by God, is essential for the procreation of mankind. We believe that homosexual behavior and activity is inconsistent with Christian values and is classified as a sin according to the Holy Scriptures (Genesis 1:27-28; 2:24; Leviticus 18:22; Matthew 19:4-6; Romans 1:24 - 27). The Mount Olive Baptist Church does not ordain nor recognize same-sex unions.

We believe God has specific roles for men and women in the church. We believe that the office of minister as defined by the word of God is exclusively assigned to the men of the church. For this reason, Mount Olive does not recognize nor ordain women preachers, pastors or ministers of any denomination (I Timothy 2:12-15; 3:1-7; Titus 1:6-9). Also, See Church Policies

We believe that sharing your monetary gifts with the church is a form of worship, and the amount thereof is dictated to the individual by the Holy Spirit. Mount Olive Baptist Church does not teach TITHING as a method of sharing monetarily with the church. (II Corinthians 9:6-9; Luke 6:38; Romans 6:14b).