What We Believe

Our Beliefs

First Baptist Church Paso Robles belongs to Converge Worldwide (formerly the Baptist General Conference), a network of chuches and ministries around the world. Converge seeks to go out into all the world, making disciples and baptizing them in the name of Jesus Christ. For more information about Converge Worldwide go to http://www.convergeworldwide.org/

These are our core values:

The Word of God

We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, entirely inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and that it has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.

2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20,21; Mark 13:31; John 8:31,32; John 20:31; Acts 20:32.

The Trinity

We believe that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; that these are equal in every divine perfection, and that they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence and redemption.

Genesis 1:1,26; John 1:1-3; Matthew 28:19; John 4:24; Romans 1:19,20; Ephesians 4:5,6.

God the Father

We believe in God the Father, an infinite, personal spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power, and love. We believe that He infallibly foreknows all that shall come to pass, that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through faith in Jesus Christ.

Luke 10:21,22; Matthew 23:9; John 3:16; 6:27; Romans 1:7; 1 Timothy 1:1,2 & 2:5,6; 1 Peter 1:3; Revelation 1:6.

Jesus Christ

We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, and teachings. We believe in His substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people, and personal visible return to earth.

Matthew 1:18–25; Luke 1:26–38; John 1:1, 20:28; Romans 9:5, 8:32; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:21–23; John 20:30, 31; Matthew 20:28; Ephesians 1:4; Acts 1:11; Romans 5:6–8 & 6:9,10; Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 9:28; I Timothy 3:16.

The Holy Spirit

We believe in the Holy Spirit who came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and to regenerate, sanctify, and empower all who believe in Jesus Christ. We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Christ and that He is an abiding helper, teacher, and guide.

John 14:16,17, 26;15:26,27; John 16:9–14; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19; Galatians 5:22–26.

Regeneration

We believe that mankind was created by God in God’s own image; that man sinned and thereby incurred physical, spiritual and eternal death, which is separation from God; that as a consequence, all human beings are born with a sinful nature and are sinners by choice and therefore under condemnation. We believe that those who repent and forsake sin and trust Jesus Christ as Savior are regenerated by the Holy Spirit and become new creatures, delivered from condemnation and receive eternal life.

Genesis 1:26, 5:2; Genesis 3; Genesis 2:17, 3:19; Ezekiel 36:26-27; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:1-8; Ephesians 1:19–20; John 3:3-7;  John 3:6; Ephesians 2:1; 1 Peter 1:23; John 1:13; 1 John 3:9; 4:7; 5:1-4;18; Ephesians 1:14; John 1:12–13; Romans 5:18–20; Romans 5:1; Titus 3:5; 2 Corinthians 5:17; John 1:12–13; Galatians 3:26; Romans 8:28–30.

The Church

We believe in the universal Church, a living, spiritual body of which Christ is the head and all regenerated persons are members. We believe in the local church, consisting of a company of believers in Jesus Christ, baptized on a credible profession of faith, and associated for worship, work and fellowship. We believe that God has laid upon the members of the local church the primary task of making disciples.

Matthew 28:19-20; Ephesians 2:19–22; Acts 1:8; Ephesians 5:19–21; Acts 2:42; Hebrews 10:23–25.

Christian Conduct

We believe that a Christian should live for the glory of God and the well-being of his fellowmen. His conduct should be blameless before the world. He should be a faithful steward of his possessions and he should seek to realize for himself and others the full stature of maturity in Christ.

1 Corinthians 10:31; Romans 12:1–3; Hebrews 12:1–2; John 14:15,23-24; 1 John 2:3-6; 2 Corinthians 9:6–9; 1 Corinthians 4:2; Colossians 1:9–10.

Human Sexuality and Marriage

We believe that God has established marriage as an exclusive relationship between one man and one woman and that all intimate sexual activity outside the marriage relationship, whether heterosexual, homosexual, or otherwise, is immoral, and therefore sin.

Genesis 2:24-25; Exodus 20:14, 17, 22:19; Leviticus 18:22-23, 20:13, 15-16; Matthew 19:4-6, 9; Romans 1:18-31; I Corinthians 6:9-10, 15-20; I Timothy 1:8-11; Jude 7.

We believe that God created humanity male and female and that all conduct with the intent to adopt a gender other than one’s birth gender is sin.

Genesis 1:27; Deuteronomy 22:5.

The Ordinances

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to the local church:  baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water into the Name of the triune God. We believe that the Lord’s Supper was instituted by Christ for the commemoration of His death. We believe that these two ordinances should be observed and administered until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

    Matthew 28:18–20; Romans 6:3–5; 1 Corinthians 11:23–26.

Religious Liberty

We believe that every human being has direct relations with God, and is responsible to God alone in all matters of faith; that each church is independent and must be free from interference by any ecclesiastical or political authority; that therefore Church and State must be kept separate as having different functions, each fulfilling its duties free from dictation or patronage of the other.

I Timothy 2:5; Romans 14:7–9,12.

Church Cooperation

We believe that local churches can best promote the cause of Jesus Christ by cooperating with one another in a denominational organization. Such an organization, whether a regional or district conference, exists and functions by the will of the churches. This church is affiliated with the Northern California Baptist Conference (PacWest) and Converge Worldwide; and may likewise cooperate with interdenominational fellowships on a voluntary, independent basis.

Acts 15:36,41; 16:5; 1 Corinthians 16:1; Galatians 1:1–3; Revelation 1:4,10,11.

The Last Things

We believe in the personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth and the establishment of His kingdom. We believe in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, the eternal joy of the righteous, and the endless suffering of the wicked.

Matthew 16:27; Mark 14:62; John 14:3; Acts 1:11; Philippians 3:20; 1 Thessalonians 4:15; 2 Timothy 4:1; Titus 2:13; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 1 Corinthians 15; 2 Thessalonians 1:7–10; Revelation 20:4–6,11–15a.