BELIEFS
An Independent Baptist Church
Independent – We are not affiliated with a body that controls who we have serve in the church. We make local decisions on leadership, finances and global missionaries. In Acts 6 the local church chose their leadership based on biblical requirements. While we may fellowship with other churches we do not join together to give authority of our church over to others.
Baptist – We hold to the Bible as the final authority on all matters of faith and practice. We believe the Bible has been inspired, preserved and is complete in the 66 books of the Old and New Testament. We do not need a man to add to the Word of God. We seek to live out the Word of God in our home, community and church.
Church – We believe in the local New Testament Church. Local – a place you can gather together. Hebrews 10:25. Church – a body of believers that choose their leadership based on biblical requirements and hold to the two ordinances in the Bible.
At Victory, our desire is for every person to have a personal relationship with God. This relationship stems from God’s love to us and is reciprocated in our love to Him. We have three core Biblical values: knowing God, loving God, and loving others. In Matthew 22:36, Jesus was asked, “Master, which is the great commandment in the law?” We believe people are still looking for something. They have questions, doubts, and insecurities that keep them searching for meaning and direction. In verses 37-40, “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” We believe that the more we know and love God, the more our love for others will also grow.
GOD
God is a trinity. He is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit – three persons – in One Being.
“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” – Matthew 28:18-19
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Jesus Christ
We believe in the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, substitutionary atonement, bodily resurrection, ascension to the right hand of the Father, and His personal return in power and glory (John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:1-3)
“GOD, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;” Hebrews 1:1–3
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THE BIBLE
The Bible is the infallible, inspired Word of God. The words were God-breathed and scribed by chosen men. It has all the answers for all of life’s questions and has stayed the same throughout the ages.The Bible has been preserved, and we hold to the authority of the Holy Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, as the final and sufficient rule of faith and practice in all matters of doctrine and conduct (2 Peter 1:20-21).
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished until all good works.” – II Timothy 3:16-17
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SIN
Sins is breaking God’s law. Sin is knowing to do good and choosing to not to do it. Sin breaks our relationship with God because it breaks God’s standard of holiness.
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” – Romans 3:23
“Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” – James 4:17
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HEAVEN
Heaven is the eternal home of the believer. It is the place where God abides. It will be beautiful, but the greatest part will be seeing our Savior, Jesus Christ, face to face.
“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also.” – John 14:1-3
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HELL
Hell is the eternal home of the unbeliever. It is a place of fire and darkness separated from God forever. It is the believer’s responsibility to bring Christ to the unbeliever so they can go to Heaven.
“And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.” – Revelation 20:14
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SALVATION
Salvation takes place when a person repents of their sins and trusts Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection as their only hope of forgiveness and eternal life.
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made until salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” – Romans 10:9-13
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” – Ephesians 2:8-9
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BAPTISM
Baptism is an act of obedience following salvation. The Bible describes baptism as the act of full immersion into water, following the example of Jesus’ own baptism.
“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” – Matthew 28:18-19
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THE PRIESTHOOD OF THE BELIEVER
The Bible teaches the priesthood of all believers, granting direct access to God through Jesus Christ, and affirm the individual soul liberty and autonomy of the local church in matters of faith and practice (Romans 14:5; 1 Corinthians 11:2).
“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: 10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” 1 Peter 2:9–10
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LIFE AS A CHRISTIAN
The Christian life is to be filled with joy, peace, faith, hope, and love. God desires a relationship with us. He talks to us through His Word, the Bible. We talk with Him through prayer.
“But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of flesh are manifest, which are these: Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” – Galatians 5:18-23
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PRAYER
As believers, prayer is method of communication with our Heavenly Father. Anything we need or desire may be brought before the throne of God in prayer, and we can know that He always hears us.
“And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.” – Luke 11:1-4